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Science

Sunday

Education

At Gallaudet, a Turn Inward Opens New Worlds

In 1988, students at Gallaudet locked the gates of the Washington D.C. campus in protest of the university's new, hearing president. The takeover ended with appointment of a popular, deaf dean, I. King Jordan, to the post. Now, Jordan is leaving. His legacy: a school that's made communication easy for a culture that's all too often isolated.

At Gallaudet, a Turn Inward Opens New Worlds

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Friday

World

Problems Plague Ambitious Irrigation Plan in Africa

Tanzania hopes to jump-start its agricultural production by dramatically increasing the use of irrigation. But existing schemes have had significant, but unintended, consequences: power outages, dried-up rivers, and little, if any, growth in crop yields.

Problems Plague Ambitious Irrigation Plan in Africa

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Research News

Exploring the Methanol Economy 

This week, President Bush called for greater reliance on ethanol as a fuel source, along with increased use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel and hydrogen. Nobel Laureate George Olah says that the answer isn't ethanol or hydrogen -- it's methanol.

Exploring the Methanol Economy 

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Environment

Coral Find Ways to Fight Off Warming Effects

Overly warm water can cause "coral bleaching," in which coral die and lose their pigmentation, leaving only ghostly skeletons behind. New research suggests that by actively engaging in 'tentacle feeding' on small marine organisms, some coral may be able to resist bleaching events.

Coral Find Ways to Fight Off Warming Effects

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Radio Expeditions

Interviews: Giant Panda Released to the Wild

Friday is a big day for one of the most charismatic animals on Earth: the giant panda. Native to central China, the black-and-white bear was almost driven to extinction -- now one bred in captivity has been released back into the wild.

Interviews: Giant Panda Released to the Wild

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Thursday

World

African Farmers Face Critical Loss of Fertile Land

African agriculture is in crisis, and Africa's farmland is losing its fertility at an alarming rate. Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa don't produce enough food to feed their own people, while population growth is outpacing agricultural production.

African Farmers Face Critical Loss of Fertile Land

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Wednesday

Movies

'Flock of Dodos' and the Debate over Intelligent Design

Filmmaker Randy Olson discusses his new documentary, which premiers this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival. Flock of Dodos tackles the ongoing debate between evolutionary biologists and those who espouse intelligent design.

'Flock of Dodos' and the Debate over Intelligent Design

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Tuesday

The Future of Fuel

Turning Dirty Coal into Clean Energy

Today's expensive gasoline is making people look for alternatives. That has opened doors of opportunity for entrepreneurs like Andrew Perlman, who is betting that the newest fuel will be made from one of humanity's oldest: coal.

Turning Dirty Coal into Clean Energy

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Space

Winter May Spell Doom for Aging Mars Rovers

The approaching winter in Mars' Southern Hemisphere is going to make life tough for the two NASA rovers currently puttering around on the planet. Both rovers have lasted more than two years longer than expected, but they are also showing clear signs of age.

Winter May Spell Doom for Aging Mars Rovers

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Environment

Endangered Species Act Used to Sue Circus

Animal-rights groups are suing the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, citing a provision of the Endangered Species Act. It is the first time that the federal law, normally used to protect endangered species in the wild, is being used as an argument to protect the Asian elephants that are part of the circus act.

Endangered Species Act Used to Sue Circus

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Research News

The Mechanics of Choice: More Isn't Always Better

How does the very American activity of considering as many different choices as possible affect our satisfaction when we finally make a decision? Does more choice make us happier? Columbia University professor Sheena Iyengar is challenging the assumption that more is better; she argues that the more choices we have, the less happy we are.

The Mechanics of Choice: More Isn't Always Better

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Law

Court to Answer Questions on Lethal Injection

Many critics of execution by lethal injection charge that it is inhumane because it is often administered improperly. In California, executions by lethal injection have been put on hold until a federal court can examine the practice and report its findings. Judy Campbell of member station KQED reports.

Court to Answer Questions on Lethal Injection

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Monday

Global Warming

To Cool the Earth, Plan Would Pull a Shade

A recently announced plan to reduce the effects of global warming would send a huge glass shield into space, lining it up to deflect 2 percent of the sunlight bound for the Earth. Robert Siegel talks with Roger Angel, professor of Astronomy and Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, where he started the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab.

To Cool the Earth, Plan Would Pull a Shade

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