Science

Bursts Of Light Create Memories, Then Take Them Away

4:38pm June 03, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists seem to have answered a fundamental question about the nature of memory. They have found compelling evidence that memories are made by strengthening connections between certain brain cells.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Can Science Save Football?

8:37am May 31, 2014

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

SciWorks Radio is a production of 88.5 WFDD and SciWorks, the Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County, located in Winston-Salem.

Recent football-related stories have exposed the prevalence of concussions and long term brain injuries. Participation in youth leagues may be declining due to this.

The internet is filled predictions of the impending foot-pocalypse; the decline of the NFL, as it erodes from the bottom up. In North Carolina we love our football, so we need to put aside the hysteria. There has to be a way to reduce the risk of injury while keeping the game alive.

Queue Listen Now

Science

What's In A Grunt — Or A Sigh, Or A Sob? Depends On Where You Hear It

7:07pm May 30, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

New research suggests that different cultures do not hear the same emotions when they hear the same sounds. The "emotional grammar" of language is instead shaped by culture and local circumstances.

Queue Listen Now

Scientists Find Africa's Longest Land Migration: Zebras' 350-Mile Trek

7:11pm May 29, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

Large mammal migration in Africa has generally been hindered by the subdivision and fencing of land. But this one remains possible because it takes place in a unique, multi-country wildlife corridor.

Queue Listen Now

Malaysia Makes Public Satellite Data From Missing Jetliner

9:36am May 29, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

The release came in response to pressure from families, who have been mistrustful of the official investigation. What do the documents show, and where are they in the search for the missing plane?

Queue Listen Now

Fishermen drag a net in Lake Malawi in 2012. About the size of New Jersey, the lake is home to hundreds of fish species and is considered one of the most biologically diverse lakes in the world.

Thriving Towns In East Africa Are Good News For A Parasitic Worm

6:17pm May 28, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The worm causes a debilitating intestinal disease called schistosomiasis. And the parasite is spreading rapidly because of an economic boom along the shores of East Africa's Lake Malawi.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Research: Children Of Judges May Influence Court Decisions

12:57pm May 28, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

It's been suspected that judges are swayed by their personal beliefs and affiliations. An analysis found that judges become more likely to rule in "pro-feminist" ways if the judges have daughters.

Queue Listen Now

Current water-filtering technology is costly, but MIT scientists are testing a simpler and cheaper method that uses wood from white pine trees.

To Clean Drinking Water, All You Need Is A Stick

3:25pm May 27, 2014

by Joe Palca

Removing bacteria and other impurities from water could be done more cheaply thanks to researchers at MIT. They're taking advantage of the way trees move water to filter it.

Queue Listen Now

A minke whale photographed in Antarctica last year. The minke, smallest of the baleen whales, turned out to be the mysterious "bio-duck."

Science

Scientists Pinpoint Source Of Antarctic 'Quack'

2:51pm May 27, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

For decades, a mysterious quacking "bio-duck" has been heard roaming the waters of the Southern Ocean. Now scientists say the source is a whale.

Queue Listen Now

Science

'TED Radio Hour': What We Fear And How To Fight It

2:09pm May 24, 2014

TED Radio Hour host Guy Raz examines what makes us afraid. He spoke to retired astronaut Chris Hadfield about the scariest day of his life: being shot into space.

Queue Listen Now