Science Out Of The Box
Who Put The Navel In Navel Oranges?()
April 18, 2009 When you pull apart a nice, juicy navel orange, why do you find those cute little sections hiding in the center?
Finding The North Pole On Thin Ice()
April 4, 2009 The mission: Travel more than 600 miles across the Arctic Ocean, in temperatures down to 40 degrees below zero. It's the Catlin Arctic Survey, a British expedition to the North Pole. Its goal is to collect data to help scientists determine how fast the sea ice is disappearing.
Levitation Toys Really Test Brain Power()
March 28, 2009 Remember playing with dolls or action figures, using your imagination to create fantastic worlds in your own bedroom? These new toys also use the power of the mind -– in fact, they're controlled by brain waves.
Wooing A Blood-Thirsty Vampire Fish()
March 14, 2009 It costs $20 million to battle the invasive lamprey in the Great Lakes. The blood-sucking fish is killing off many species of native fish there. But scientists have developed a "love potion" made of the fish's own pheromones to lure the lamprey into traps.
Kindle's New Voice Is Almost Human()
March 7, 2009 The latest version of Amazon's electronic book reader features the latest in text-to-speech technology. Could a dystopian future where NPR hosts are replaced by soulless robots soon be upon us?
It's Shocking, But You Eat It()
February 28, 2009 It's a little yellow bud, and when you put it in your mouth, something strange happens. It's a reaction that feels "a little north of Pop Rocks, and south of putting a 9-volt battery in your mouth."
Cotton Candy, A Medical Wonder?()
February 14, 2009 Two researchers are trying to use cotton candy to create a network of vessels that could carry blood through artificial tissue. If successful, the synthetic tissue they create could be used in applications from skin grafts to breast reconstruction.
4-D Imaging To Help Inauguration Tourists()
January 17, 2009 More than a million people are expected to converge on the National Mall this Tuesday. That spells trouble for the D.C. Department of Transportation, which on a normal day contends with nightmarish traffic. The city is turning to a four-dimensional map, which shows real-time traffic and weather conditions in a virtual model of the city.
Darwin: The "Reluctant Revolutionary"
Galapagos Surprise Again With Pink Iguana()
January 10, 2009 The Galapagos Islands have been famous for their wildlife ever since Charles Darwin hatched his theories on evolution by studying Galapagos finches. Twenty years after spotting the strange lizard, scientists have discovered its secret.
Yellowstone Shaken By Swarm Of Earthquakes()
January 3, 2009 The volcanic system that powers the geysers, mud pots and steam vents at Yellowstone National Park has shaken the ground more than 400 times in the past eight days. The quakes have scientists scratching their heads and sleep-deprived park rangers hoping for relief.
