Month: December 2002
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
Hawaiian New Year’s – Share
As the last day of the year approaches, one Pulse of the Planet listener remembers New Year’s as a time of Japanese traditions, Portuguese soup and Chinese firecrackers.
December 30, 2002Year End Fire Watch
“Be careful with fire!†is the call heard throughout Tokyo neighborhoods on the last two evenings of the year.
December 27, 2002Wassail
An ancient Anglo-Saxon tradition called “Wassail” lives on in Pennsylvania, where a group of friends celebrate this week by drinking to the health of apple trees.
December 26, 2002Kwanzaa: Celebration
People in Santa Cruz, California, are gathering this week for their third annual festival of Kwanzaa, a celebration of African-American culture and community.
December 25, 2002History of Christmas
Believe it or not, there was a time when the singing of Christmas Carols could land you in jail.
December 24, 2002Christmas Bonfires – Tradition
Along the banks of the Mississippi River, a line of Bonfires lights the way for Papa Noel.
December 23, 2002Kalas
In Lindsborg, Kansas, folks still mark this time of year with traditions their ancestors brought from Sweden.
December 20, 2002Listener Initiative
Our listeners are invited to share their seasonal observances on our new toll-free number, 1-877-PULSE99.
December 19, 2002Sumatran Ramadan: Mandailing
In the Indonesian states of Sumatra, a traditional percussion embsemble can only be heard at certain special times, and right now is one of them.
December 18, 2002Astrobiology: Europa
One of Jupiter’s moons may have a liquid ocean, and NASA hopes to send “hydrobots” there to explore for life.
December 17, 2002Astrobiology – UV Rays
The sun’s ultraviolet radiation can be harmful, but it’s been an important force in the evolution of life on Earth.
December 16, 2002Astrobiology: Microbe Siesta
At a NASA lab in California, scientists are exploring outer space by looking through microscopes.
December 13, 2002Astrobiology – Moving to Mars
If human beings ever live on Mars, the first colonists on the Red Planet will likely be farmers.
December 12, 2002Astrobiology – Genesis
The first life forms to arrive on Earth may have “hitchhiked” here on a meteor from Mars.
December 11, 2002Melting Polar Ice Cap: Future
The North Pole is melting, and scientists tell us it will effect everything from polar bears to international politics.
December 10, 2002Melting Polar: Antarctica
Global warming seems to be melting the North Pole, but the earth’s rising temperature is expected to have a very different effect on the South Pole.
December 9, 2002Melting Polar Ice Cap: Intro
The Arctic icecap appears to be melting, and some scientists say that within a century, the North Pole will be an open sea during the summer months.
December 6, 2002Lyrebird: Overview
What has tail feathers that resemble an ancient musical instrument and vast vocal repertoire?
December 5, 2002Thai Royal Birthday
Today is a special occasion for the people of Thailand — it’s the birthday of their beloved king, celebrated every year as a national holiday.
December 4, 2002Firebug: Organic Alarm
Scientists are developing a new kind of smoke alarm for using body parts from the firebug – a beetle that is naturally drawn to fire.
December 3, 2002Firebug
When fire sweeps through a forest, most creatures flee, but there’s one insect that actually seeks out forest fires, and for a good reason.
December 2, 2002Camera in a Pill
A new medical device sounds straight out of the movie “Fantastic Voyage,” in which a team of scientists is shrunk and sent on a mission inside the human body.