The Oberlin Project: Visions of a Sustainable Future Mar 2013
Starting with the small town of Oberlin, Ohio, David Orr hopes to spark a wider movement that harnesses America's ingenuity and enterprise to rebuild an entire country from the grass roots up....more

Ice: A Marvelous Matter Jan 2013
Dedicated to Mariana Gosnell, author of "Ice: The Nature, History and the Uses of an Astonishing Substance"....more

Koalas: An Australian Treasure Oct 2012
A small, volcanic island may hold the secret to preserving these iconic creatures... ...more

A Sense Of Curiosity Sep 2012
Celebrating the safe landing of the latest Mars rover and an up-close look at Curiosity... ...more

Tracking The Tracker May 2012
A day in the Pine Barrens with Tom Brown Jr......more

Signature Sounds - Details and Entry! Mar 2012
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Science Diaries: Where are they now? Jan 2012
Tracking the elusive Homo Sapiens Scientificus… ...more

Bankable Recyclables Dec 2011
Can we turn our trash into treasure?...more

Canine Psychology 101 Nov 2011
You can't teach an old dog new tricks......more

Kids' Science Challenge Launches New Season Oct 2011
Meet one of our winners from year 3! ...more

Warming Up Your Game Aug 2011
Does the temperature of a golf ball affect its performance?...more

Spritzer Whizzer Jul 2011
The Kids' Science Challenge is our free nationwide competition for third to sixth graders. Each year, kids learn about three topics each year on kidsciencechallenge.com, and send in their ideas. If their idea is chosen, they visit and collaborate with a scientist or engineer to see the idea come alive....more

Favorite Sounds and Programs Apr 2011
This month, we’ve chosen some favorite programs from the past and asked you to send in some of your favorite sounds - check out April 4th’s program for details. ...more

5000 Broadcast Mar 2011
Drum roll, please, and now a chorus of beluga whales and sandhill cranes… We’re happy to announce the broadcast our 5000th program on Friday, April 1st!! ...more

Plastic From Plants Feb 2011
Zillions of microbes, waiting to do our bidding? ...more

The Roma Jan 2011
We know them as gypsies, but Europe's largest minority group may be emerging from the shadows....more

Sensational Sounds – the Instrumental Wizardry of Bart Hopkin Dec 2010
Nestled in the hills outside of Pt. Reyes, California is a veritable wizard’s laboratory of vibrations - a place where musical instruments are born which the world has never seen – or heard – before. ...more

Wild Persimmon Pudding Nov 2010
In 2001, Pulse of the Planet listener Carrie Hamby shared with us her family’s recipe for Persimmon Pudding - a Thanksgiving treat! Since then, many listeners have contacted us requesting the recipe. Try it and let us know what you think....more

Shooting Hoops on Mars Aug 2010
One of the great attractions of colonizing Mars is that it could very well lead to some outrageous sports! Thanks to features like low gravity, you could easily out-dunk LeBron James and give Kobe Bryant a run for his money....more

Delving Into the Archives Mar 2010
Starting this month, Pulse of the Planet is digging into its audio archives and rebroadcasting some of our favorite material from the past 35 years....more

Same Great Programs, Now 100% Free! Dec 2009
So, you're interested in Mars, huh? Did you catch the show we ran earlier this month about NASA's "dirty chamber," a low-pressure tank used to test equipment bound for Mars? Missed it? Well, how about the show we ran in December of '02 about attempts to colonize the Red Planet? Can't remember? Not a problem!...more

Kids’ Science Challenge, Round TWO! Oct 2009
If and when we get ourselves to Mars, wouldn’t it be nice to pass the time with a round of Martian golf? But how long of a fairway will we need? After all, with its low gravity and minimal air pressure, that ball’s really going to fly! Sports on Mars is one of three topics kids are delving in to as part of our brand new Kids’ Science Challenge....more

As Seen on TV! Sep 2009
This month, the Today show featured our Kids’ Science Challenge competition and highlighted the accomplishments of one of our winners, Lindsay Carnes. She came up with a novel skateboard design using the ball of a Dyson vacuum in lieu of traditional wheels....more

Okefenokee: Living Swamp Jul 2009
With a diversity of wildlife that includes herons, snakes, alligators and black bear, Georgia’s Okefenokee swamp is very much alive. Here’s a story about one of Okefenokee’s residents, told to us by naturalist Chip Campbell....more

The Music Instinct Jun 2009
What is it about music that connects so deeply with our human emotions? It can make us cry, gives us goosebumps, and transports us immediately to other places and times in our lives....more

Getting a Kick Out of Science May 2009
What happens when a curious 3rd-grader and an oceanographer cross paths? They mount a unique research project unlike anything ever conducted....more

Beyond Shortwave Radio: The Search for E.T. Mar 2009
Send a radio message to the moon, and it will get there in just over a second. But send one to Alpha Centauri––the nearest star system to our own sun––and Alpha Centaurians (if they exist) will finally receive the message in about four years....more

Eco-conscious Skateboarding Feb 2009
Michael Bream is an environmentalist at heart, but as the founder and owner of Gravity Skateboards, he’s also careful not to overstate his case....more

Tracie See Monkey Do Jan 2009
They’re intelligent, inquisitive, and adaptable. Costa Rican monkeys are finding unexpected ways to live in an environment increasingly altered by human activity....more

Will the Real Willy Wonka Please Stand Up? Nov 2008
Joan Harvey’s flavor lab bears little resemblance to Willy Wonka’s mythical chocolate factory. But her enthusiasm for formulating new flavors and the innovations she develops do indeed conjure similarities....more

Costa Rican Caterpillars – Cryptic, Caustic (sometimes) and Crucial to the Environment Sep 2008
Change one thing and you may change everything. It could be one of the by-laws of a rainforest ecosystem....more

High Science - Making Discoveries in the World’s Tallest Trees Jul 2008
Hiking through a forest, it would be no surprise to find ferns, berry bushes, and the occasional salamander. But in California’s giant redwood forests, you can find them 300 feet above the forest floor, and it’s this unique ecosystem that Steve Sillett studies....more

Mega Basso Profundo – Listening to Volcanoes Jun 2008
Here’s a new take on the “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it” riddle: if you can’t hear a volcano, does that mean that it’s not making a sound – in fact, a very loud sound?...more

Dropping Like Bats: White Nose Syndrome Hits Northeast Apr 2008
During the course of one hour, the little brown bat can catch and eat 600 insects; to say that bats are important to our ecosystem would be a gross understatement. And so it’s particularly alarming that a mysterious blight dubbed White Nose Syndrome wiped out 10,000 bats in 2007 and has the potential to kill hundreds of thousands more in 2008....more

Watching Birds, Contributing to Science: Ornithology's Citizen Scientists Mar 2008
Why is bird watching such a popular pastime? One reason, perhaps, is that birds can be found in all the places we call home––from forests, to suburbia, to rural farmland, to the busiest of city blocks. ...more

Man versus Lion: Protecting the Infamous Wild Cats of Kenya Feb 2008
A century ago, railway crews in Kenya’s Tsavo region lost dozens of workers to the jaws of two male lions. The killings ended only when railway engineer J.H. Patterson shot the offenders. The events became the basis for the film “The Ghost and the Darkness,” with Michael Douglas....more

Frozen Hotbed: Climate Change Begets Climate Change on Alaska's Tundra Jan 2008
If you were an ecologist who wanted to study global warming, where would you go? Someplace warm? You’re getting colder. How about Alaska? It seems ironic, but the frozen tundra is a very good place to find answers on warming....more

Frog in Your Ear? Listening to the Pulse of the Planet. Dec 2007
Take a deep breath. Nasty croak you’ve got there! Ah, but in the case of a forest ecosystem, croaks are a good thing. ...more

Bats – Not So Scary! Oct 2007
Even those who love them admit that they’re a hard sell. Long the stuff of scary stories and nightmares, bats could use a little understanding and appreciation. ...more

Helicopters – Vehicles of the Future? Oct 2007
They already have the advantage of vertical lifts and takeoffs, but tilt-rotor designs could change the future of helicopter flight....more

Up, Up, and Away! Sep 2007
When storms roll in, most people head for shelter. Richard Sonnenfeld collects his gear and heads outside....more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Robot Explorer Sep 2007
Deep below the surface of the earth, discovering the unknown, one intrepid explorer seeks to know the truth....more

Into the Clouds Aug 2007
Like creatures scrambling to higher ground during a flood, animals that live in cloud forests may have to move to higher altitudes to survive a changing climate. ...more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Dealing with the Heat Jul 2007
In order for humans to survive the rigors of high-speed flight, an aircraft needs to be well protected....more

The Mystery in the Clark Fork River Jul 2007
Why has pollution from mining operations sped down river much more quickly than expected?...more

Frontiers of Aerospace - How is a Plane Like Your Brain? May 2007
Jim Smolka is a test pilot at Dryden Flight Research Center. Recently, he tested a new system, the Intelligent Flight Control System. ...more

Koalas May 2007
Finding a cuddly, cute koala in the wild shouldn't be too difficult… right?...more

Towards a Healthy Ocean Mar 2007
Every time you order a tuna sandwich, you are having an impact on the Eastern Tropical Pacific....more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Hypersonics - Redefining Speed Mar 2007
Think speed, and it's usually fast cars or Olympic athletes....more

Looking for Lemurs Feb 2007
Like to spy on the eating habits of others, spending hours at a time peering at tree tops?...more

Dispatches from the Brain Frontier Jan 2007
The way the human brain works is still largely a mystery, one of the frontiers of science. ...more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Avoiding the Bumpy Skies Jan 2007
There’s nothing like a bout of turbulence to make one realize just how far off the ground an airplane is!...more

Have You Thanked an Ice Cube Today? Dec 2006
We drink it, bathe in it, and are largely made up of it....more

Frontiers of Aerospace - The Icy Skies Dec 2006
The Icy Skies Water droplets suspended in cold air mean more than just a chilly night to airplane pilots – they can mean dangerous icing conditions. ...more

The Marvelous Moss Nov 2006
While you may only have experienced moss as a soft streamside seat, or as a rudimentary compass, the world of moss is a much wider and interesting one than you might expect....more

A Chirp in the Night Sep 2006
When is a chirp more than a chirp?...more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Fly the Quiet Skies Aug 2006
"Hear the mighty engine roar; see the silver bird on high."...more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Tracking Nature's Fury Jul 2006
Considering how notorious hurricanes are, it’s surprising how much scientists are still learning about how and why they form....more

Smarter Than the Average Bird Jun 2006
Bird-brain! It’s is a venerable put-down, but crows and ravens have problem solving abilities that may make this insult a compliment. ...more

Narwhals - A Toothy Tale May 2006
A pure white horse with a single, spiraled horn. ...more

Frontiers of Aerospace - Hurricane Pilot May 2006
Their photographs are veritable mug shots for bad weather – swirling spirals in a steadfast march across the ocean....more

Frontiers of Aerospace - To Soar Like a Bird Apr 2006
Watching birds swoop and glide in flight has inspired poets, artists and engineers throughout history – from Daedalus to Davinci....more

Love Your Termites - if they're not eating our homes, one day they may be powering them Mar 2006
Who’s the baddest insect of the all?...more

The Sound of One Cell Singing Feb 2006
According to many ancient traditions, the entire universe is in constant vibration, down to the smallest scale we can imagine....more

Welcome to the Hood, but First - Put Up Your Claws Jan 2006
In their homes on the ocean floor, everyone's favorite crustaceans have complicated social interactions with their neighbors....more

The 'Buzz' Beneath Power Lines Dec 2005
We rely upon bees to pollinate our crops, but current studies show that North America is experiencing a decline in the number of honeybees healthy enough to keep our farms bountiful....more

Step into My Blue Bower Nov 2005
November is house-keeping season for the male Satin Bowerbird of Southern Australia....more

Dragonflies Take to the Skies - Destination Unknown Oct 2005
At this time of year, we're used to the sight of birds flying south, signaling the change of seasons....more

The Nor'easter Aug 2005
Picture being on the ocean in the thick of Nor'easter, with 40 mile per hour winds and waves over fifteen feet high....more

Tide Pools Jul 2005
Imagine the challenge of surviving surging waves, scouring sand and the drying sun at low tide....more

Snow Biology Jun 2005
Most people think of snow and ice as a relatively harsh and lifeless environment....more

Tsunamis May 2005
Last year the world witnessed one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history when an earthquake of the western coast of Indonesia created a massive Tsunami that ravaged coastlines as far away as Africa and caused the deaths of over 200,000 people....more

Calling All Lions Jan 2005
Earthwatch scientist Roland Kays has been studying the maneless lions in the Tsavo region of Kenya for 6 years....more

Siberia's Peatlands: Ticking Time Bomb? Nov 2004
"Imagine a flat plain, stretching from horizon to horizon, covered with patches of green forest and wet, boggy lakes and wide, slow-moving rivers full of chocolate-brown water."...more

Have you thanked a bee today? Oct 2004
This time of year, as we harvest our farms, orchards and gardens, how about a moment of appreciation for that unsung hero- the humble honey bee?...more

Is North Really South? Sep 2004
The largest magnet in the world is the world....more

Cicadas Aug 2004
This was the summer of the cicadas in the eastern United States....more

Deep Sea Caregivers Jun 2004
Imagine a place of perpetual darkness, unlit except by the faint, glowing luminescence of a few animals....more

Scavengers on the brink of extinction May 2004
As nature's undertakers and garbage men, vultures are an are an essential part of the local ecosystem in south Asia....more

The Birds of the Pantanal Aug 2003
Said to be the largest wetlands area in the world, the Pantanal is a treasure trove of wildlife and varied ecosystems....more

An Old Fashioned County Fair Aug 2002
If you live near Buffalo, New York, the big event this time of year is the Erie County Fair. It's one of the largest county fairs in the country....more

In Praise of Dungbeetles Jun 2002
They're both the pooper-scoopers and the Johnny Appleseeds of the rainforest, rolled into one....more

We're Still Here - Native American Song in California's Ventana Wilderness May 2002
"Remember these songs. These songs are very old. We thought they were lost - because of what happened to our people. We're not dead. We're still here! We'll always be here. As long as we are here, we will sing these songs."...more

Rarumari Culture: A Breath That Binds All Things Mar 2002
The songs of the Raramuri people of Mexico are pleasing to the ears, but their culture has a lot more to offer than just an enjoyable listening experience....more

Sea Otters: Spring Birth Jan 2002
As winter draws to a close, female sea otters off the coast of northern California are giving birth to their new pups....more

Jonkonnu:1800's Masquerade as Social Safety Valve Dec 2001
At the Tryon Palace Historic site in New Bern, North Carolina, dancers dressed in feathers and brightly colored rags make their way down the street from house to house as part of a frenetic ritual that blends elements of West African, Caribbean, and English tradition....more

Hey, That's Me! Measuring a Dolphin's Intelligence with a Mirror Oct 2001
Thirty years ago, a groundbreaking study proved that chimpanzees have the ability to recognize their own reflections in a mirror - a behavior which researchers say demonstrates a high degree of intelligence, possibly even consciousness....more

The Plants are Alive With the Sound of Thornbugs Jul 2001
Remember the scene in vintage western movies where someone would put their ear to the railroad track to hear a distant train?...more

Firewalking In Greece May 2001
Every year, Greek villagers living near Thessalonike gather to celebrate a three day ritual in which they attempt to come into contact with the spirit of St. Constantine....more

Cajun Mardi Gras: Tickling Society Mar 2001
Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," takes place just before Ash Wednesday and the start of the 40 day Lenten fast....more

Ramadan in Sumatra: The Magical Music in Odd Numbers Dec 2000
For most of this month, Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan, their holy month of fasting and prayer....more

African Ceremonies Aug 2000
In Niger, they walked with the nomads for weeks on end, waiting for the rains that would signal the ceremonial end to the dry season....more

The Moth that Clicked (or Noisy Moths) Jul 2000
Whoever heard of a month making sound?...more

Fly Fishing May 2000
May through the middle of June is the height of the Fly Fishing season in the Catskills, the region where the sport first took hold in America....more

Counting the Sandhill Cranes Mar 2000
Around this time of year, thousands of graceful Sandhill Cranes are returning to their nesting sites throughout the northern United States, after spending the winter in warmer climes....more

Xavante - Log Racing Feb 2000
What if you held a relay race, but instead of passing batons, the runners passed huge logs?...more

Redback Spiders: Mating Sacrifice Jan 2000
For Redback spiders, mating begins innocently enough with the male courting the female by plucking on the strands of her web, producing a vibration which has been translated into sound in this recording....more

Bonfires Dec 1999
Towering bonfires, not unlike the one that made headlines last month at Texas A&M, have been a tradition on "Bonfire Alley" in Louisiana, for 150 years....more

Ants! Nov 1999
Ants have been called the most highly evolved insects in the world, with complex social systems and a well defined division of labor....more

Blessing of the Animals at Graymoor Oct 1999
At the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at Graymoor, New York, the piercing yelp of a dog rises above the voices of choir and congregation during a Sunday mass in October....more

Ganesha - Elephant Man Sep 1999
Every September, Hindus gather to celebrate one of Hinduism's most popular deities, Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed figure who is said to be the destroyer of obstacles and a patron-saint to business people....more

Spadefoot Toads - The race is on Aug 1999
This month, in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and New Mexico, the annual monsoons are bringing this arid landscape back to life as flora and fauna rush to take advantage of the short, rainy season....more

Listening to Biodiversity: Rapid Assessment Program Jul 1999
Tom Schulenberg is an ornithologist with The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago....more

Dinosaur Sounds Jun 1999
We've all seen pictures of dinosaurs, but what might these prehistoric giants have sounded like?...more

Pinkster May 1999
In the 16th century, Dutch immigrants began to arrive in New York where they founded agricultural communities and a culture based on the language, holidays and beliefs carried over from Holland....more

Edible Insects Apr 1999
For their recent book, Man Eating Bugs, authors Peter Menzel and Faith D'Alusio traveled around the world visiting cultures where insects are commonly eaten....more

Natural Radio: Auroral Chorus Mar 1999
Auroral displays, such as the one in the photo above, occur in both the southern and northern polar regions of our planet....more

Red Squirrels Feb 1999
During the summer and fall, Red squirrels in northern North America gather pine cones and nuts and store them in piles at the bases of trees....more

Slime molds Jan 1999
Slime molds are moist, shapeless creatures that feed on decaying matter on the barks of trees and along the forest floor....more

Arctic Ground Squirrels: Record-Breaking Hibernators Nov 1998
As temperatures drop to as low as minus forty degrees, arctic ground squirrels will spend eight months this winter in a state of suspended animation, or hibernation....more

Top Spinning Oct 1998
Malaysian tops are roughly the size of bowling balls and can weigh up to ten pounds; they're carefully crafted from hardwood and tin....more

Berber Festival Sep 1998
Traditionally, this was the time after harvest and before winter, when the nomadic Berbers would leave their farms and flocks and people of marriageable age, accompanied by chaperones, would come to the Imilchil to have the chance to meet....more

Gobi Desert: Ancient Sounds Jul 1998
Michael Novacek is curator of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History....more

Great Gull Island Jun 1998
On a small island off the coast of southern Connecticut, scientists have created a sanctuary for thousands of migrating terns on the site of a former military base. ...more

Mountain Gorillas May 1998
Amy Vedder: "The heart of the rainy season is from March through May into early June. And at this time Mountain Gorillas are underneath a tremendous amount of rain."...more

Prairie Chickens Apr 1998
Unless you plan on taking an early morning walk through the grasslands of the midwest this Spring, this may be your only chance to experience the dulcet tones of the male Prairie Chickens' mating call....more

Bayaka Net Hunting Season Mar 1998
In the rainforests at the southern tip of this African country the Bayaka people are building nets 75 feet in diameter and combing the forests for prey....more

Koukery Festival Feb 1998
The Koukery Festival originated as a springtime ritual, encouraging fertility within the tribes of northern Bulgaria....more

Naked Mole Rats Jan 1998
It's rainy season now in the African countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia....more

Klausjagen Dec 1997
On the evening of December 5th, the lights of Kuessnacht go out and a procession of sound and light fills the streets, in celebration of St. Nicholas's Day....more

The Day of the Dead Nov 1997
During the first days of November, many Mexicans commune with the spirits of dead friends and relatives....more

Durga Puja Oct 1997
In Hindu mythology, Durga is the goddess of fertility, who also turned out to be a remarkable warrior....more

Stellar Sea Lions Sep 1997
John Lewis is a wildlife biologist with the National Marine Fishery Service in Alaska....more