Science Online

Check out the amazing collection of local podcasts and videos.

Online Videos

KQED QUEST is a weekly half-hour high-definition multimedia series that shines a light on scientific discoveries, goes behind the scenes on research expeditions, and explores ongoing issues of technological, biological, and environmental significance all with a local focus featuring Bay Area locations, experts, and organizations. QUEST Television airs every Wednesday at 7:30pm on KQED 9. Every episode can also be found online at www.kqed.org/quest. This is one of the best science shows out there, so I encourage everyone to check it out.

Plug-In Hybrid Cars

A group of Bay Area engineers is trying to launch a green car revolution at 100 mpg by souping up Toyota’s Prius. The holy grail of their “plug-in hybrids:” less smog, less global warming and a cure for America’s oil addiction.

  • Science on the SPOT: National Wildlife Health Center Investigates
    The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates animal die-offs and threats to endangered species through on-site investigation and necropsies--animal autopsy--at its headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin.
  • New Research into Disappearing Bees
    In 2006, the world learned that honeybees in America and Canada were dying in large numbers, and hives were becoming defunct. Five years later, what have scientists learned about the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder?
  • Why I Do Science: Kandis Elliot
    Kandis Elliot is on the Botany Department staff at the University of Wisconsin, but she's not a scientist or professor. Elliot is an artist and transforms mere photographs of plants into lush, painterly artworks that educate as well as captivate.
  • Growing Skin
    Biomedical researchers are investigating ways to 'grow' new skin in hopes that healing burns can be quicker, safer and more complete.
  • Exoskeletons Walk Forward
    An exoskeleton suit may seem like science fiction, turning ordinary humans into super heroes, but wearable robots are moving forward into reality.
  • More...
Science Today originated as one of the first television programs on science in the 1950’s and it was produced right here at the California Academy of Sciences! Now, Science Today encompasses media screens on the museum floor, a website and podcasts, guest lecture programs and our Thursday night science mixers. We gather and disseminate content through our partners, local programs, other media and Academy staff. The goal is to increase public interest in and understanding of contemporary and everyday science issues leading to greater scientific awareness and literacy.Check out all of their videos videos Cal Academy website. Jupiter’s new spot An amateur astronomer discovers a new, mysterious spot on Jupiter.

Jupiter’s New Spot from Science Today on Vimeo.

Sponsored by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, the Friends of Science is a forum for individuals who share the desire to enhance knowledge and understanding of science and technology. We are educators, students, community members, laboratory employees, and anyone else with a curiosity about the natural world and our understanding of it. More info can be found at http://www.lbl.gov/friendsofscience/.

Physics 101: What Our Next President Needs to Know Rich Muller, author of Physics for Future Presidents, argues that the next president can’t afford to be ignorant about the science behind terrorism, nuclear dangers, energy, space, and global warming. Muller, a MacArthur Fellow, Berkeley Lab physicist, and one of the most popular lecturers at UC Berkeley, discusses what it takes to survive in today’s increasingly dangerous world — information essential to the next commander-in-chief. He presented his talk Oct. 13, 2008.

Buildings That Think Green Buildings are the SUVs of U.S. energy consumption, gobbling up 71 percent of the nation’s electricity. In this Sept. 22, 2008 talk, Arun Majumdar, Director of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division, discusses how scientists are creating a new generation of net-zero energy, carbon-neutral buildings.

The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe.

SETI maintains a Youtube channel with videos featuring lectures and education on some of SETI’s project, including the Allen Telescope Array.

The Weather on Mars

  • Scott, Amundsen and Science: 100th Anniversary - Ed Larson (SETI Talks)
    Scott, Amundsen and Science: 100th Anniversary - Ed Larson (SETI Talks) SETI Talks Archive: seti.org Marking the 100th anniversary of teams led by Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott reaching the South Pole, science historian Edward Larson will reexamine their so-called Race to the Pole in light of their objectives. Amundsen and his men focused exclusively on reaching the pole and succeeded brilliantly. Scott and his men had multiple objectives, which included conducting a broad array of scientific research by teams of researchers that fanned out across the region. Larson will retell the story of these expeditions in context and contrast it with the conventional wisdom about them. From: setiinstitute Views: 323 9 ratings Time: 01:34:41 More in Science & Technology
  • No SETI Talks Video this weekend
    No SETI Talks Video this weekend I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (www.youtube.com From: setiinstitute Views: 94 2 ratings Time: 00:27 More in Science & Technology
  • Who Needs a Moon? - Jack Lissauer (SETI Talks)
    Who Needs a Moon? - Jack Lissauer (SETI Talks) SETI Talks archive: seti.org We have numerically explored the obliquity variations of a hypothetical moonless Earth using a range of initial conditions and extending our calculations for up to 4 billion years. We find that while obliquity varies significantly more than that of the actual Earth over 100000 year timescales, the obliquity remains within a constrained range, typically 20-25 degrees in extent, for timescales of hundreds of millions of years. Retrograde planets' obliquities are more stable than that of the real Earth. So having a large moon may not be needed for a planet to be habitable. From: setiinstitute Views: 853 18 ratings Time: 55:30 More in Science & Technology
  • Earth-Moon Resonances - Matija Cuk (SETI Talks)
    Earth-Moon Resonances - Matija Cuk (SETI Talks) SETI Talks Archive: http:seti.org/talks The prevailing theory for the formation of the Moon is a giant collision between proto-Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet, with the Moon being mainly made from the impactor's material. It is now known that the composition of the Moon is too similar to Earth's mantle to be derived from the impactor, seriously questioning the giant impact theory. However, this is a problem only if we assume that little or no angular momentum was lost from the system since its formation. While lunar tides keep the angular momentum in the system, certain resonances can transfer angular momentum to Earth's heliocentric orbit. These resonances are important if the Earth-Moon system formed with a much larger angular momentum, and can evolve the system to the present state. Dr. Cuk will show how it is likely that the Moon likely formed in a impact-triggered fission different from the "classical" giant impact scenario. From: setiinstitute Views: 686 4 ratings Time: 01:03:19 More in Science & Technology
  • How We Found Tatooine - Laurance Doyle (SETI Talks)
    How We Found Tatooine - Laurance Doyle (SETI Talks) SETI Talks archive: seti.org In this talk, Dr. Laraunce Doyle talks about how he led the Kepler team that discovered the Kepler-16b circumbinary planet. He also discusses several techniques for the detection of circumbinary planets (CBP, planets that circle two stars at once). This involves detection by transits (which in the case of CBP produce a quasi-periodic signal), eclipsing binary (EB) timing, dynamical timing of EBs, and a new detection technique called the "eclipse echo" EE method. With all these acronyms the detection of CBP around EBs with the EE method should make NASA happy. : ) From: setiinstitute Views: 1045 24 ratings Time: 01:00:08 More in Science & Technology
  • More...

Explo.tv webcasts many of the Exploratorium’s excellent program. With well over 600 programs, you can always find something interesting to watch.

Check out all of Explo.tv’s videos on their website.

Here is a list of recent webcasts:

  • Grease-cycle (Clip)
    San Francisco has more restaurants per capita than any other U.S. city, producing tasty meals—and thousands of gallons of used cooking oil. See how the SFGreasecycle program is turning this grease glut into fuel for the city's bus fleet.
  • Meet the Makers-Toys (Webcast)
    Open Make is a monthly program at the Exploratorium, in collaboration with Make Magazine and Pixar Animation Studios, to highlight the tools, techniques, and ingenuity of local makers. As part of this program, makers from the Bay Area will be highlighted to share their work with the public, and Dale Dougherty, founder and editor of Make Magazine will interview Featured Makers in the McBean theater. Join us for live webcasts of the interviews to see what these makers are up to!
  • The Explainers in 1982 (Clip)
    Originally produced for NOVA in 1982, Jon Else's film, "Palace of Delights" takes a look behind the scenes at the Exploratorium in action.
  • Live it! (Slideshow)
    "Rat Creek is a broken tale, that trickles under the plastic welcome mats of a mobile home community..." In this special "b-side" edition of Driven, we continue our exploration of the work of Adam Ansell and the Gray Area Theater Ensemble. As the debut performance of "Rat Creek" nears, the actors are abuzz with joy and anxiety. When the actors finally enter the stage, Adam's work is done, and the play takes on a life of its own.
  • Rock Paper Scissors Tournament (Clip)
    This After Dark, we celebrated the allure of real rocks, paper, and scissors, and explored some surprising theories surrounding the game. Using the official rules of the World RPS Society, we hosted our own Rock Paper Scissors tournament.
  • More...

Podcasts

KQED QUEST is a weekly half-hour high-definition multimedia series that shines a light on scientific discoveries, goes behind the scenes on research expeditions, and explores ongoing issues of technological, biological, and environmental significance all with a local focus featuring Bay Area locations, experts, and organizations. QUEST Radio airs Mondays at 6:30 and 8:30 AM. Every episode can also be found online at www.kqed.org/quest.
  • Surgeons Seek Kid-Sized Tools for the Operating Room
    If you’ve ever spent time in Silicon Valley or among hi-tech entrepreneurs, you may have heard the term “Valley of Death.” It’s used to describe the huge gulf that can exist between coming up with a new idea, and getting a product to market. Well, this is a real problem in hospitals, too. Especially when it comes to kids.
  • California Pushes to Get Clean Cars on the Road
    California officials are considering the toughest regulations in the country to promote sales of cars powered by batteries, hydrogen fuel cells or other technology that produces little or no air pollution. These kind of tough mandates have been tried before but they failed. So is this finally the right time for the clean car?
  • Six Bay Area Cities Play the Waiting Game
    This month may be the moment of truth for six Bay Area communities. Each one is vying to be the new home of a high-profile national research center. But when it comes to development in the Bay Area, there are no easy answers.
  • Think Tiny: The Science of New Year's Resolutions
    Want to keep a New Year's resolution? One Stanford professor says to give up on lofty goals. Instead, focus on tiny habits.
  • A Census for the Birds
    Grab your binoculars and checklist! The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is under way. During the last two weeks of the year, from dawn to dusk volunteers spread out over 22,000 count areas, including Peru, Haiti, the U.S. and Canada. Their tally is used by scientists to understand changes in bird populations.
  • More...
The Silicon Valley Lecture Series features some of the world’s leading researchers in astronomy and planetary science presenting the latest news from their fields in a non-technical manner geared for the general public. Each year, NASA Ames Research Center, the Foothill College Astronomy Program, the SETI Institute, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific partner in sponsoring six Wednesday evening lectures from October through May. Topics in the series have ranged from the exploration of the planets to the speeding up of the expanding universe; from planets around other stars to black holes at the centers of distant galaxies.
  • Multiple Universes and Cosmic Inflation: The Quest to Understand Our Universe (and Find Others)
    Our improving understanding of the cosmos points to an early epoch during which the universe expanded at a stupendous rate to create the vast amount of space we can observe. Cosmologist are now coming to believe that this "cosmic inflation" may do much more: in many versions, inflation goes on forever, generating not just our observable universe but also infinitely many such regions with similar or different properties, together forming a staggeringly complex and vast "multiverse". Dr. Anthony Aguirre (University of California at Santa Cruz) traces the genesis of this idea, explores some of its implications, and discusses how scientists are seeking ways to test this idea. Recorded May 18, 2011.
  • Our Explosive Sun: New Views of the Nearest Star and the Largest Explosions in the Solar System
    Recent satellite missions are giving scientists dramatic new views of the Sun and the huge magnetic explosions in its outer layers that cause flares and the ejections of huge masses of superheated gas. Dr. Thomas Berger of the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab takes us on a beautiful tour through our Sun's atmosphere with images and movies from these missions. Recorded April 20, 2011.
  • Saturn's Moon Titan: A World with Rivers, Lakes, and Possibly Even Life
    Titan, Saturn's largest satellite, is the only moon with a thick atmosphere. In many ways, Titan is a cold twin of the Earth, with liquid methane playing the same role there as water plays on our planet. Life on Earth is based on liquid water; could there be life on Titan based on liquid methane? Dr. Chris McKay from the NASA Ames Research Center (co-investigator on the Huygens probe that landed on Titan) discuss the new picture we have of this alien world, with its lakes, its rivers, and its rocks made of water ice. Recorded March 9, 2011.
  • How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had it Coming
    Dr. Michael Brown of Caltech shares the inside story of how he discovered "other Pluto's" out there beyond Neptune, including Eris, which is now known to be about the same size as Pluto. He named that new world for the goddess of discord, because, as he describes with his characteristic humor, its discovery resulted in a private and public controversy that led to a redefinition of what a planet is. Recorded January 19, 2011.
  • Catching Shadows: Kepler's Search for New Worlds
    NASA's Kepler spacecraft, launched in March 2009, is a mission designed to survey a slice of the Milky Way Galaxy to identify planets orbiting other stars. Kepler has the advantage that it can find planets as small as Earth in or near the habitable zone of each star. Dr. Natalie Batalha (San Jose State University) introduces the quest for planets elsewhere, describes the techniques used by the Kepler team, and shares some of the mission discoveries to date. Recorded November 17, 2010.
  • More...
TWIS is the kickass science and technology radio show that delivers an irreverent look at the week in science and technology. The show airs every Monday at 8:00PM PST on twit.tv

Discover what makes life tick and where it might be headed. Are We Alone explores the nature, history, and future of life on this planet… and life’s possible existence on other worlds.

Each themed program connects ideas in surprising and humorous ways to illuminate the origins, the organization, the behavior, and the future of life on Earth. It links this research to the hunt for life elsewhere. Are We Alone is a one-hour science program produced at the SETI Institute’s radio studio in Mountain View, California. AWA broadcasts and podcasts every week.

  • Material Whirl
    What’s the world made of? Here’s a concrete answer: a lot of it is built from a dense, knee-scraping substance that is the most common man-made material. But while concrete may be here to stay, plenty of new materials will come our way in the 21st century. Discover the better, faster, stronger (okay, not faster) materials of the future, and Thomas Edison’s ill-conceived plan to turn concrete into furniture. Plus, printing objects in 3D… the development of artificial skin… and unearthing the scientific contributions of African-American women chemists. Guests: Darren Lipomi – Chemical Engineering post-doc, Stanford University’s “Skin Lab” Linda SChadler – Professor of materials science and engineering, and associate dean for academic affairs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York Nicolas Weidinger – Research assistant at the Institute for the Future, Palo Alto, California Jeannette Elizabeth Brown – Retired research chemist; author of African American Women Chemists Robert Courland – Author of Concrete Planet: The Strange and Fascinating Story of the World’s Most Common Man-made Material
  • Skeptic Check: Energy Vortex
    “I feel your vibe!” Well, that describes a number of fabled locales that claim to pulse with mysterious energy – perhaps prompting books to fly across the room or airplanes to vanish into thin air. But what’s the science behind it? We examine spots marked with an X, for “extraordinary” – from a haunted house to the Bermuda Triangle – to sort out natural from supernatural phenomena. Plus, what causes the aurora borealis… a haywire Russian space probe… and just what the heck is an “energy vortex,” anyway? Guests: Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of Discover Magazine’s blog: badastronomy Mike Borg – Group Sales Coordinator, Winchester Mystery House Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, Los Angeles Peter Williams – Hydrodynamicist at Agilent Technologies Guy P. Harrison – Writer and business owner in Southern California, author of 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True Rob Lillis – Space and Planetary Physicist, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley Descripción en español
  • Wired for Thought
    A cup of coffee can leave you wired for the day. But a chip in your brain could wire you to a machine forever. Imagine manipulating a mouse without moving a muscle, and doing a Google search with your mind. Welcome to the future of the brain-machine interface. Don your EEG thinking-cap, and discover a high-tech thought game that may be the harbinger of machine relationships to come. Plus, the ultimate mapping project: the Human Connectdome Project aims to identify all the neural pathways in the human brain. It may help us understand what makes us human, but could it also point the way to making us smarter? And, what all this brain research reveals about the mind and free will – who, or what, is really in charge? Guests: Jan Rabaey – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley Arthur Toga – Neurologist at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, and researcher on the Human Connectome Project Michael Gazzaniga – Neuroscientist, director of the University of California Santa Barbara’s SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, and author of Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain Bradley Voytek – Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco Descripción en español
  • Cosmos: It's Big, It's Weird
    It’s all about you. And you, and you, and you and you… that is, if we live in parallel universes. Imagine you doing exactly what you’re doing now, but in an infinite number of universes. Discover the multiverse theory and why repeats aren’t limited to summer television. Plus, the physics of riding on a light beam, and the creative analogies a New York Times science writer uses to avoid using the word “weird” to describe dark energy and other weird physics. Also, people who concoct their own theories (some would say fringe) of the universe: is all matter made up of tiny coiled springs? Guests: Brian Greene – Physicist and mathematician, Columbia University, and author of The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos Dennis Overbye – Reporter, New York Times Simon Steel – Science educator at University College London Margaret Wertheim – Science writer, author of Physics on the Fringe: Smoke Rings, Circlons, and Alternative Theories of Everything Descripción en español
  • Light, the Universe, and Everything
    ENCORE What’s it all about? And we mean ALL. What makes up this vast sprawling cosmos? Why does it exist? Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Ow, my head hurts! For possible answers, we travel to the moment after the Big Bang and discover all that came into being in those few minutes after the great flash: time, space, matter, and light. Plus, the bizarre stuff that makes up the bulk of the universe: dark energy and dark matter. Also, what we set in motion with the invention of the light blub. How artificial light lit up our homes, our cities and – inadvertently – our skies. Guests: Sean Carroll – Theoretical physicist at California Institute of Technology Leonard Susskind – Theoretical physicist, Stanford University Jane Brox – Author of Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light Peter Fisher – Physicist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Descripción en español First aired September 6, 2010
  • More...