Science

A section of the Sutter's Mill meteorite, dubbed "Darth Vader," is studied at a lab at the University of California, Davis. The meteorite is made of carbonaceous chondrite, which contains materials that formed the planets of the solar system.

Science

In Calif. Gold Country, A Rush That's Out Of This World

10:18pm December 20, 2012

by Richard Harris

When a meteorite crashed down in April on the exact spot where gold was discovered in 1848, professional and amateur meteorite hunters alike fanned out to collect small chunks. Now more than 50 scientists have published an analysis of the rare space rock.

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Photo Project Tracks Climate Change On Everest

1:18pm December 20, 2012

Filmmaker David Breashears has summited the world's highest peak five times. His latest project matches old photos of Mount Everest and its glaciers with new images to demonstrate how climate change is affecting the mountain. Melissa Block talks with Breashears about the GlacierWorks project.

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Bali sea salt and a spoonful of Hawaiian red alae salt.

The Paradox And Mystery Of Our Taste For Salt

11:37am December 20, 2012

by Dan Charles

Many health experts say we should eat less salt, but that's not easy. Salt is added to almost everything that we cook or bake. Are we born with a taste for that much salt, or do we just like what we've always eaten? Scientists say it's some of both.

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Archaeologists believe that ancient farmers used pots made from these pottery shards to make cheese â a less perishable, low-lactose milk product.

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Archaeologists Find Ancient Evidence Of Cheese-Making

12:19pm December 17, 2012

Scientists have detected milk fat on 7,000-year-old pottery vessels from archaeological sites in Northern Europe. They think it's the earliest evidence of cheese-making, and they argue dairy products gave early farmers an evolutionary edge.

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At the operations center at JPL, the spacecraft's status was posted on the wall.

Science

50 Years After First Interplanetary Probe, NASA Looks To Future

10:27am December 17, 2012

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Mariner 2's 1962 mission to Venus was the first time any spacecraft had gone to another planet. Before the mission, very little was known about the planets, and much of what was believed to be true turned out to be wrong.

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Science

Why Tragedies Alter Risk Perception

5:44am December 17, 2012

If Friday's school shooting in Connecticut follows the pattern set by other mass tragedies, huge numbers of Americans are worrying about the safety of their kids at school. How is our perception of risk is shaped by tragedy, and what happens when our perceptions do not line up with the facts?

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Science

'Instant' Looks At Polaroid's Land

1:03pm December 14, 2012

Writer Christopher Bonanos tells the story of analog instant photography and the man who invented it--Edwin Land, the scientist and co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Plus Flora Lichtman visits New York's 20x24 Studio to capture a super-sized Polaroid camera in action.

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Alan Alda's Challenge to Scientists: What is Time?

1:03pm December 14, 2012

Alan Alda founded The Flame Challenge last year to promote better science communication, and he started by asking scientists to come up with a kid-friendly explanation for a flame. Now, Alda is back with round two of the popular contest, and kids want to know: What is time?

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Science

Ask A Quantum Mechanic

1:03pm December 14, 2012

Did you know plants use quantum mechanics every day? That quantum computers can hack the encryption used in online commerce? Or that a 'quantum internet' could someday teleport your emails? MIT's Seth Lloyd discusses those and other quantum mysteries in this episode of "Ask a quantum mechanic."

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Is It Possible To Create A Mind?

1:03pm December 14, 2012

Siri can make an appointment for you. IBM's Watson beat a human contestant on Jeopardy. But will they ever really think? Futurist Ray Kurzweil shares his thoughts on the nature of the brain and describes how biological and technological advances might augment the human mind.

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