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Science Of Summer Waves Everything you always wanted to know about all kinds of waves.
Meredith Rizzo/NPR
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Science Of Summer Waves

Surfers And Scientists Team Up To Create The 'Perfect Wave'

Kelly Slater Wave Co Todd Glaser/Courtesy of Kelly Slater Wave Co hide caption

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Todd Glaser/Courtesy of Kelly Slater Wave Co

Surfers And Scientists Team Up To Create The 'Perfect Wave'

Surfers once deemed man-made waves weak and mushy compared to the best that break along the coast. Then engineers and an 11-time world champion surfer showed just how good an artificial wave can be.

Surfers And Scientists Team Up To Create The 'Perfect Wave'

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When The Biggest Earthquake Ever Recorded Hit Chile, It Rocked The World

Residents of Valdivia, Chile, look over wrecked buildings on May 31, 1960. AP hide caption

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AP

When The Biggest Earthquake Ever Recorded Hit Chile, It Rocked The World

In 1960, all of Chile shook violently for more than 10 minutes. That quake along the western coast of South America was so big, it changed the way people see the world.

When The Biggest Earthquake Ever Recorded Hit Chile, It Rocked The World

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Climate Change Complicates Predictions Of Damage From Big Surf

Tropical Storm Colin brought big waves to Fort Myers Beach in Fort Myers, Fla., in early June. Given the threat of serious flooding, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in the area. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Climate Change Complicates Predictions Of Damage From Big Surf

Earth's changing climate has made the quest to understand wave behavior more important than ever, scientists say. Rising seas, storm surge and dune and reef erosion all shape Florida's Gulf Coast.

Climate Change Complicates Predictions Of Damage From Big Surf

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How To Catch The Biggest Wave In The Universe

Lasers and mirrors are used to carefully measure shifts in space-time. To avoid contamination, protective clothing must be worn at all times. LIGO Lab/Caltech/MIT hide caption

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LIGO Lab/Caltech/MIT

How To Catch The Biggest Wave In The Universe

An L-shaped machine in Louisiana is hunting for some of the most powerful waves in existence: gravitational waves. This wave detector acts like a giant tape measure to capture bends in space and time.

How To Catch The Biggest Wave In The Universe

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The Physics And Psychology Of 'The Wave' At Sporting Events

Michigan Wolverines fans do the wave in support of their team as it faces the Brigham Young Cougars at Michigan Stadium on Sept. 26, 2015, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Doug Pensinger/Getty Images hide caption

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Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Physics And Psychology Of 'The Wave' At Sporting Events

You may love or hate "the wave" as it sweeps through spectators at baseball, football and soccer games. But physicists say the synchronized action shows how humans are like particles.

The Physics And Psychology Of 'The Wave' At Sporting Events

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How A Wave Is Unlike An Armadillo: One Reporter's Summer Puzzle

The same word is used to describe light, a lively sea, or a ripple in the fabric of space-time. What's in a wave? Photo illustration by Meredith Rizzo/NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration by Meredith Rizzo/NPR

How A Wave Is Unlike An Armadillo: One Reporter's Summer Puzzle

"There's something about waves that can get you into kind of a mental funk," one philosopher says. For NPR's summer science series, Joe Palca tries to answer the big question: What is a wave?

How A Wave Is Unlike An Armadillo: One Reporter's Summer Puzzle

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