Science : NPR

A 'Land Hurricane' Strikes States From Midwest To East; New Storms Predicted

A downed tree lies on a truck in Falls Church, Va., after a powerful storm struck the area on Friday. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Two-Way

A 'Land Hurricane' Strikes States From Midwest To East; New Storms Predicted

June 30, 2012 • A huge system of thunderstorms called a derecho plows through several midwestern and southern states, killing several people, causing heavy damage and cutting electricity to millions. More bad weather is predicted.

Environment

The Trickiness Of Tracking Severe Weather

June 30, 2012 • Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Laura Sullivan talks with Heidi Cullen, chief climatologist at Climate Central, a non-profit science journalism organization in Princeton, New Jersey. They discuss wildfires and extreme heat in the Midwest this week and how these climate conditions are tracked by Earth-observing satellites.

Robot With Super Powers Plays Rock, Paper Scissors

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Krulwich Wonders...

Robot With Super Powers Plays Rock, Paper Scissors

June 30, 2012 • It looks like the robot is playing fair, choosing it's hand signals we choose, but that's an illusion. It already knows.

History

Alan Turing Turns 100

June 29, 2012 • Alan Turing was the father of modern computing, helped the allies win World War II, and was gay — which led to his arrest, and chemical castration. David Leavitt, author of The Man Who Knew Too Much discusses Turing's achievements, persecution, and tragic suicide.

Energy

Meet The Energy-Saving Gadgets Of The Future

June 29, 2012 • From a GPS that outsmarts traffic jams to flooring that generates electricity from footsteps, student inventors are dreaming up a more convenient, energy efficient future. Ira Flatow talks with winners of Microsoft's "Imagine Cup" and Siemens' "We Can Change The World Challenge" about their innovations.

Spider-Man Gets A Physics Lesson

June 29, 2012 • The Amazing Spider-Man opens in theaters next week--will there be some spidey-science on the screen? Physicist James Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes, and a science consultant on the movie, breaks down the physics of Spider-Man, and explains why even superheroes need to obey some laws of nature.

Environment

A Tale Of Two Coastlines, Skirted By Swelling Seas

June 29, 2012 • Reports from the National Research Council and the U.S. Geological Survey say that sea levels on both coasts of the United States are rising at an accelerating rate. Oceanographer Peter Howd talks about what's pushing up the oceans, and which coastal hotspots may drown first.

Space

Astronauts Prepare For Departure

June 29, 2012 • This Sunday, three members of the International Space Station crew will return to Earth on board a Kazakhstan-bound Soyuz craft, after over six months in orbit. Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers, two of the returning astronauts, and Joe Acaba, who arrived at the station in May, discuss life on board ISS, the visit of the Dragon capsule, and current activities in space.

Bidding Farewell to Lonesome George

June 29, 2012 • Lonesome George, the only living member of a subspecies of giant tortoise, died last weekend at his home in the Galapagos Islands. Linda Cayot, tortoise conservationist and scientific advisor to the Galapagos Conservancy, discusses the life of Lonesome George and how he fit in to the larger picture of biodiversity in the Galapagos.

How The Taste Of Tomatoes Went Bad (And Kept On Going)

Notice how some of these tomatoes have unripe-looking tops? Those "green shoulders" are actually the keys to flavor. pocius/Flickr.com hide caption

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pocius/Flickr.com

The Salt

How The Taste Of Tomatoes Went Bad (And Kept On Going)

June 28, 2012 • Scientists have discovered that the gene that makes tomatoes uniformly ripe and red also makes them less tasty. But it's going to take consumer education and a willingness to pay more before the industry makes a change.

Phantom Finger Points To Secrets In The Human Brain

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Robert Krulwich/NPR

Krulwich Wonders...

Phantom Finger Points To Secrets In The Human Brain

June 28, 2012 • After losing her right hand to a car accident, a woman has the uncanny feeling that her amputated hand is still there. But her new, imaginary hand is not at all like the one she lost.

Unlike Chicken And Pork, Beef Still Begins With Small Family Ranches

Barbara and Norman Roux stand in front of cattle pens on their farm outside of Moundridge, Kan., where she has raised cattle for nearly 70 years. Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media hide caption

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Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media