Episodes

  • No Inoculation without Representation!
    Nov 13 2017

    Vaccinations, in one form or another, have been around longer than the United States. In fact, during the Revolutionary War in 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams pursued the controversial scientific technique to protect her 5 children against a threat more dangerous than an army of Redcoats. Here’s Luke Quinton with the story.

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • Cosmic Ray Catchers
    Oct 30 2017

    Cosmic rays from outer space sound like science fiction. They’re not—invisible particles flung from outer space pass through our bodies every minute. But not all cosmic rays are equal; Some are immensely powerful and very rare. For decades scientists have wondered where they're coming from – and what could possibly be hurling them at Earth. Now, they're getting closer to finding out.  Ross Chambless has the story.

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Three Letters on Broom Bridge
    Oct 16 2017

    Every October 16th hundreds of people gather in Dublin to celebrate Ireland's greatest mathematician, William Rowan Hamilton. And get this – It was his act of vandalism on Broom Bridge in 1843 that put him in the history books – it actually changed mathematics forever. Samuel Hanson brings us the story.

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • After A Flood
    Oct 2 2017

    Hurricanes Harvey and Irma left devastation in their wake all across the southern United States as unimaginable quantities of water swallowed up small towns and cities alike. But what happens to that water and how can cities better prepare ahead of time? Two years ago, reporter Jenny Chen followed two so-called flood hydrologists to learn more about the preparation.

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • Bowl Tastes Delicious
    Sep 18 2017

    What if the size of our dinner plate, its color, the material of our cutlery - even background sounds - all affect how our food tastes? In other words, what if it’s not just about what we cooked for dinner, but the context of the meal itself?

    Reporter Quentin Cooper brings us this story.

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Hurry Up and Listen
    Sep 4 2017

    Underneath our vrooms, beeps, and rumbles, natural sound may be more important than we think.

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • A Job for the Bee Team
    Aug 21 2017

    On May 2, 2015, beekeepers Pam Arnold and Kristy Allen got hit with a pesticide. They couldn't see it or smell it, but when they saw their bees writhing on the ground and dying they knew something was seriously wrong. They called a panel of scientists at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • An Ovarian Transplant Between Twins
    Aug 8 2017

    Thirty-six-year-old twins Carol and Katy are physically identical in every way but one: Katy was born without ovaries, and wanted to start a family. The science and ethics behind ovarian transplants as a treatment for infertility.

    Show More Show Less
    11 mins