Month: September 2013
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
Dragonflies – Migration
It’s a rare event, but a grand sight to behold – thousands upon thousands of dragonflies.
September 27, 2013Dragonflies – Myths and Truths
Can nature’s flying insect carnivores bite people?
September 26, 2013SciDi: Flavor – All in the Taste
Most scientists refrain from eating anything in their labs, and for good reason. But when it comes to flavor science, tasting chemicals is madatory.
September 25, 2013Wolves and Moose – Antlers
They’re the largest antlered animal in the world and a lot faster that you’d expect them to be.
September 24, 2013Wolves and Moose – Mutual Control
On Isle Royale in Lake Superior, wolves and moose lead an interdependent existence.
September 23, 2013Wolves and Moose – Unexpected Connections
You might not expect the wolf population to effect the number of trees in an ecosystem – but it does.
September 20, 2013Dead Zone – From a Distance
Farming practices in the mid-west have an impact on the environmental conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.
September 19, 2013Diatoms Nanotechnology – Transformation
An innovative way is being developed to create nanomaterials – tiny bits of matter – using microscopic organisms called diatoms.
September 18, 2013Diatoms Nanotechnology – Shell Game
Diatoms are among the world’s oldest and most ubiquitous creatures, and they may soon be an important part of one of the newest branches of science and technology.
September 17, 2013Diatoms Nanotechnology – Redefining “Man-made”
Nanoparticles are so tiny that the atoms inside them obey the laws of quantum mechanics and not the laws of the physical observable world.
September 16, 2013Diatoms Nanotechnology – Think Small
Nanomaterials possess superior strength, are lighter weight, and have more resistance to wear and tear than conventional materials.
September 13, 2013Science Diary: Redwoods – Biodiversity
Ferns, huckleberry bushes, even hemlocks make their home high atop giant redwoods.
September 12, 2013Science Diary: Redwoods – Ecosystem Aloft
When forest fires burn through a stand of redwoods, they can leave rotten, spongy pockets in which plants thrive.
September 11, 2013Science Diary: Redwoods – Cleanup
Outfitting a redwood with 300 pounds of research equipment is a great way to make discoveries. Taking it all down again is another story.
September 10, 2013Science Diary: Redwoods – Battery
When research equipment is wired into a giant redwood, an 80-pound battery must be hoisted 300 feet into the canopy.
September 9, 2013Science Diary: Redwoods – Sap Flow
How and when do giant redwoods drink their water? Tiny sap flow sensors tell the story.
September 6, 2013Plovers – Inlets
In wildlife preserves, when should we allow nature to “take its course” and when should we intervene?
September 5, 2013Plovers – Field Work
A team of dedicated researchers is monitoring the behavior of a species that’s paradoxically helped by storms and hindered by human activity.
September 4, 2013Plovers – Charade
To avoid predators, piping plovers have adopted a theatrical strategy.
September 3, 2013Plovers – Two Sides
In the aftermath of a storm, what’s bad for humans may be good for other species.
September 2, 2013Plovers -Dunes
Fire Island’s dunes were flattened by hurricane Sandy, and with the aid of snow fencing, they have been speedily reestablished