Summer Science: Studying Mosquitoes And Corn August 30, 2008 • As summer fades away, we take a last look at the ups and downs of the season. Farmer Ken MacCaulay provides a closer look at fresh summer corn, and mosquito expert Carl Olson explains why some people get more bites than others.
'Urban' Villages Counter Ancient Amazon Theory August 30, 2008 • Explorers looking for the lost cities in the Amazon have famously come up empty-handed. But now, scientists have found the remains of numerous smaller villages clustered around larger villages. Urban life may have been a part of the ancient Amazon after all.
Research News Why Is It So Hard To Swat A Fly? August 29, 2008 • Bioengineering researcher Michael Dickinson used superslow-motion video cameras to study how flies are so effective at avoiding swatters. He found that flies perform an elegant ballet with their legs — responding to threats in less than 1/10 of a second.
Summer Did You Have a Scientific Summer Vacation? August 29, 2008 • Callers share their scientific triumphs from the summer months. Did you find a fossil? Outfit your house with solar power? Grow a prize-winning pumpkin? Tell us about it.
Technology GeoEye-1 Will Be A High-Res Eye In The Sky August 29, 2008 • The GeoEye-1 satellite will be capable of making out details on Earth just 16 inches across. It will be the highest resolution satellite run by a private company; it's images will be marketed to a range of governments and private customers.
Massive Particle Accelerator Is Ready To Go August 29, 2008 • The massive Large Hadron Collider at CERN is just a few weeks away from startup. The particle accelerator has passed several key performance tests, and is on track to send the first beam of particles through the ring of the accelerator on Sept. 10.
Research News Tracking Developments In Diabetes Research August 29, 2008 • Scientists report that they have been able to selectively kill the defective autoimmune cells that were destroying insulin-producing islets in samples of human blood. Denise Faustman, director of immunobiology at Massachusetts General Hospital East, describes the latest diabetes research.
Flies In Danger Escape With Safety Dance August 29, 2008 • High-speed cameras reveal that flies perform an elegant little ballet with their legs. In less than a 10th of a second, flies perceive the direction of the threat and use their legs to angle their bodies for the quickest escape route.
Study: Oxygen Levels Have Varied Little Over Ages August 28, 2008 • A new study finds oxygen has probably not varied all that dramatically since dinosaurs first roamed the Earth. Scientists in Ireland say the atmosphere seems to have been at least 15 percent oxygen for hundreds of millions of years.
Books Tracing The Roots Of 'Irish Madness' August 28, 2008 • For five generations, Patrick Tracey's family has been plagued by what he calls "a perfect storm of schizophrenia." In his new book, Stalking Irish Madness, he traces his family lineage — and the roots of the disease — all the way back to Ireland.
Business Florida's Tourism Executives Revisit Offshore Drilling August 27, 2008 • Florida's biggest business is tourism, and its beaches are the state's crown jewel. The state's tourism industry has strongly opposed offshore oil drilling, but in September, an annual tourism convention will focus on the risks and rewards of this practice.
Opinion From Our Listeners Breast Exam Rebuttal: 'An Exam Saved Me' August 27, 2008 • Last week we reported on a study that showed that self breast exams don't help prevent death from breast cancer in women. The interview generated quite a response from listeners. Several women wrote in to say that they had found cancerous lumps in their own breasts and wouldn't be alive today if not for breast self exams.
Moo North: Cows Sense Earth's Magnetism August 25, 2008 • A team of researchers sorting through satellite images of cows in 300 pastures makes a surprising discovery: Cows tend to face either magnetic north or south when grazing or resting.
Wild Sounds Sounds From The Wild: The Laughing Kookaburra August 25, 2008 • It's a common sound in the Australian bush, starting up just around daylight: the laughing call of the kookaburra. These birds get together in small groups, have a chat and then go into a full laughter song, letting other kookaburras know where their territory is.
Environment Eco-Camp Offers Lessons On Alternative Fuels August 23, 2008 • At Maryland's Camp Calleva, most campers engage in typical activities like rafting, kayaking or rock climbing. But a few spend a week in a program called Building Green, learning about environmentally friendly design and alternative energy. This year's project: alternative fuels.