Month: August 2009
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
Science Diaries: Okefenokee – Standing Up to Bears
What hisses at bears to defend its nest eggs? Hint: it’s bigger than a robin.
August 28, 2009Coastal Research – Storm 101
A unique array of instrumentation enable scientists at the Outer Banks Field Research station to take the pulse of the shoreline, even in the midst of a storm.
August 27, 2009Coastal Research – Teeth of a Storm
What’s it like to be on the end of one of the world’s largest research piers – in the midst of a Nor’easter?
August 26, 2009Biological Invaders – Adaptation
Disparate species are being unnaturally relocated without the benefit of time for adaptation.
August 25, 2009Hurricanes: Preparation
Take heed — do not drive during a hurricane!
August 24, 2009Kids’ Science Challenge: Lindsay – Marbles
Silly ideas? No such thing, says skateboard engineer Paul Schmitt.
August 21, 2009Outer Banks Coastal Research – Hurricane Isabel
One of the most severe storms to hit the Outer Banks left a legacy of devestation and data.
August 20, 2009Outer Banks Coastal Research – Rhythms
Following the seasonal rhythms of the shoreline conveys the impression that it is a dynamic entity, constantly responding to the forces of nature.
August 19, 2009Pantanal – Birds
Working in Brazil’s Panatanal, the largest wetlands in the world, researchers study the tremendous variety of local birds by capturing them in mist nets, banding and releasing them.
August 18, 2009Kids’ Science Challenge: Claire – Germy Turf
Artificial turf fields may look clean, but with no natural means of replenishment, are they magnets for germs?
August 17, 2009Kids’ Science Challenge: Claire – Sampling
Grade school kids are instructed to write legibly, and when it comes to scientific inquiry, third-grader Claire Dworsky now understands why.
August 14, 2009Outer Banks Coastal Research – Measurements
Picture an amphibious buggy riding atop a 35 foot tripod. That’s the CRAB – used to map the contours of a changing shoreline.
August 13, 2009Outer Banks Coastal Research – Building Up
Beaches erode, but over time they can also replenish and grow. Surprisingly, sometimes the engine of growth can be a storm.
August 12, 2009Pantanal – Listening to Jaguars
In the Pantanal (wetlands) region of Brazil, the top predator could be the next big tourist attraction.
August 11, 2009Hurricanes – Packing a Punch
The most devastating force of a hurricane is concentrated in the rim of its eye.
August 10, 2009Kids’ Science Challenge: Claire – Lab
If you’ve ever tested pool water, then you’ll understand how a flow injection analyzer works. To check the quality of a hundred or so water samples at a time, it’s the perfect tool for the job.
August 7, 2009Outer Banks Coastal Research – Forces
With the constant interplay of waves, wind and erosion, the coastline is a crucible of ever-changing forces.
August 6, 2009Outer Banks Coastal Research – Dynamics
Studying the shoreline is like playing three dimensional chess with the forces of natures.
August 5, 2009Pantanal – Calling Jaguars
Natural clues and gimmickry are all in a days work for studying jaguars in the wild.
August 4, 2009Kids’ Science Challenge: Claire – Importance
There’s an important water quality study underway, and the lead investigator is a third-grader.
August 3, 2009Kids’ Science Challenge: Claire – Crumb Rubber
You won’t find pesticides or fertilizer in artificial turf, but what else is showing up in the water runoff from these fields?