WNYC News: Archive for Science
What Happened Before The Big Bang? And Other Weird Cosmic Questions
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Did time start with the big bang? What's outside the universe? Here are answers to these and other questions you always wanted to ask about the universe.
Twin NASA Probes Will Arrive At The Moon By New Year's
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The mission might help shed light on a theory that the moon resulted from a collision of two moons.
Endangered Turtle Survives Trans-Atlantic Journey
Monday, December 26, 2011
The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, which hopped a ride aboard floating seaweed, made the 4,600 mile journey from the Gulf of Mexico to the shores of Portugal in 2008. Nicknamed Johnny Vasco de Gama, after the Portugese explorer, the now-rehabilitated turtle will be reintroduced into Gulf waters Tuesday.
To Flirt In Cities, Birds Adjust Their Pitch
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A big part of being a bird is singing, often to attract other birds. Sometimes it's hard to do that amid all the noise in a city, so urban birds are changing their tune.
First 'Earth-Size Planets Beyond Our Solar System' Discovered
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Though scientists don't think the planets could sustain life, they say their discovery is significant because it shows that we can now detect planets that are roughly the same size as our own.
U.S. Says Details Of Flu Experiments Should Stay Secret
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
In a landmark decision, an expert panel that advises the government on research security says key details of work on the contagiousness of flu viruses should not be published openly. I
How The Army Made A Sandwich That Stays Fresh For Two Years
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Army food scientists have figured out how to control pH, moisture, and oxygen inside the packaging of a pocket sandwich so that it can last for up to two years.
EPA To Unveil Stricter Rules For Power Plants
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The rules, which come two decades after Congress ordered the agency to regulate toxic air pollution, would give power plants nationwide just three more years to slash mercury and other harmful emissions. But some big power plants are angling for more time.
Climate Strategists: To Cut Emissions, Focus On Forests
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The basic idea is to have rich countries that emit lots of climate-warming gases pay poorer countries to keep their forests, or even expand them. That's because forests suck carbon from the atmosphere. But there's not yet a global system to make a plan like this work.
NASA Says New Planet Is A 'Major Milestone' In Finding 'Earth's Twin'
Monday, December 05, 2011
Kepler-22b is bigger than Earth, but its temperature could be a comfy 70 degrees. It's the first exoplanet confirmed to be orbiting in the middle of the habitable zone of a sun-like star.
Found: Earth-Like Planet That Might Be Right For Life
Monday, December 05, 2011
The planet, dubbed Kepler-22b, isn't much larger than Earth and is orbiting a star in a region that's not too hot and not too cold — just the kind of place that could be home to liquid water, and maybe even life. But don't pack your bags just yet: It's 600 light-years away.
The Deep-Sea Find That Changed Biology
Monday, December 05, 2011
The depths of our oceans are dark, punishingly cold and utterly devoid of life. Or so scientists thought, until a team of researchers in the late 1970s stumbled upon squishy, rubbery worms, up to 7 feet long, living 8,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific.
Don't Toss That Turkey: Unilever Says Restaurants Need To Cut Waste
Monday, November 28, 2011
Up to now, food waste hasn't been a big priority for Unilever, though it's one of the central flaws in the global food system. Now, the company is realizing that it's a big concern among diners.
NASA Needs New Astronauts And Wants To Send Them To Mars
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
NASA is advertising for new astronauts and would like to train them to travel as far as Mars.
Exploring Supernovae Leads To Physics Nobel Prize
Monday, November 14, 2011
Astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter is part of the team that was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down but is accelerating. The results of that research suggest the universe is filled with dark energy.
As Asteroid Approaches, Here's How To Watch It
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
2005 YU55 will be closest to Earth at 6:28 p.m. ET. If you have a telescope, it will be visible from North America.
NASA Makes Final Preparations For Huge Asteroid Flyby
Thursday, October 27, 2011
NASA says the asteroid will come within 200,000 miles from Earth and zip by at 30,600 mph. 2005 YU55 will be visible from Earth using a small telescope.
A Premiere Chef Explores The Jiggly Joys Of Gelatin
Friday, October 21, 2011
Gelatins turn liquids into solids, and can make cream-based dishes into a lighter, more flavorful affair by eliminating the need for heavy, flavor-distorting fats, says Spanish-born restaurateur and top chef Jose Andres.
What Story Does Earth's Life Tell About ET?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
How easy is it to create life? It happened here at least once. Does that give scientists studying the creation of life from non-life (abiogenesis) much to work with?
Chance To Spot Rare Supernova Fading Fast
Sunday, October 16, 2011
One of the brightest supernovas in the last century is now visible. Discovered shortly after its light reached Earth in August, the supernova will last for more than a decade, but it won't stay in view for amateur astronomers for much longer.