Science

Hurricane Sandy churns off the Atlantic coast on Oct. 29. NOAA officials are forecasting seven to 11 hurricanes, compared with about six in a typical season.

'Extremely Active' Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted

8:23pm May 23, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Officials are forecasting that hurricane activity will be "above normal" this season, with 13 to 20 named storms. As many as six of those could be major hurricanes. Warm ocean waters and the lack of El Nino conditions are partly to blame.

Queue Listen Now

Google and NASA are betting that quantum forces are at work inside D-Wave's 512-bit chip.

Quantum Or Not, New Supercomputer Is Certainly Something Else

11:33am May 22, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

NASA and Google have come together to buy a new kind of computer that the manufacturer says runs on the strange laws of quantum mechanics. But some physicists counter that the machine, known as the D-Wave Two, has never demonstrated a phenomenon known as "quantum entanglement."

Queue Listen Now

Storm Chasers Seek Thrills, But Also Chance To Warn Others

6:33pm May 21, 2013

by Steve Mullis

When disaster strikes, our natural instinct is to take cover and seek shelter. But in severe weather, especially the type that breeds tornadoes like we saw in Oklahoma and parts of the Midwest this week, there are those who ride toward the storm.

Queue Listen Now

Climate Change Takes Flight in New Novel

3:11pm May 21, 2013

Writer Barbara Kingsolver is one of a handful of novelists with a science background, and she puts it to use in her new novel Flight Behavior. Kingsolver discusses the book and why she chose to look at the the issue of climate change in a fictional work set in rural Tennessee. This interview was originally broadcast on November 9, 2012.

Queue Listen Now

Oliver Sacks: Hallucinations

3:11pm May 21, 2013

In his latest book Hallucinations, neurologist Oliver Sacks collects stories of individuals who can see, hear and smell things that aren't really there--such as strange voices, or collages of unrecognizable faces--and explores the disorders and drugs that can produce such illusions. This interview was originally broadcast on November 9, 2012.

Queue Listen Now

Robert Ballard: 50 Years Exploring Deep Waters

3:10pm May 21, 2013

Deep-sea voyager Robert Ballard has discovered everything from 10-foot-tall tube worms to the Titanic on his ocean expeditions around the world. Ballard discusses his underwater finds and how new robotic technology allows scientists to explore the sea from ashore. This interview was originally broadcast on July 3, 2009.

Queue Listen Now

Forecasters Had Chance To Warn Moore, Okla., Before Tornado

9:27pm May 20, 2013

Melissa Block talks to Jon Hamilton about the science of tornadoes.

Queue Listen Now

Insects May Be The Taste Of The Next Generation, Report Says

11:23am May 17, 2013

A report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says insects offer a huge potential for improving the world's food security. Peter Menzel, co-author of Man Eating Bugs, describes some insect-based cuisine and the western aversion to creepy-crawly snacks.

Queue Listen Now

Researchers Report Cloning Advance For Producing Stem Cells

11:23am May 17, 2013

Scientists reported this week in the journal Cell that they had used somatic cell nuclear transfer techniques to create a source of embryonic stem cells from the skin cells of a patient. George Daley, director of the stem cell transplantation program at Boston Children's Hospital, and Josephine Johnston of the Hastings Center discuss the research.

Queue Listen Now

Resetting the Theory of Time

11:23am May 17, 2013

Generations of physicists have claimed that time is an illusion. But not all agree. In his book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that time exists--and he says time is key to understanding the evolution of the universe.

Queue Listen Now