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Episode 7 ? Meet the Neanderthals, Part 2 (Cousin / Cuisine?)
2007-04-29 00:59:00
Now that you got a little background on the history of Neanderthal studies in episode 5, it's time to dig a bit deeper. This episode is all about how we may be related to them -- as ancestors, or just distant cousins.
More About: Episode , Biology , Meet , Cuisine , Piso

Episode 6 ? Special Relativity
2007-04-21 04:32:00
So, you may be asking, what's so darned special about relativity? Well, it's just the foundation of modern physics -- and then, there's that little E=mc2 thing. At the very least, as preparation for some future episodes, you'll need a little background in modern physics. If you're new to the podcast, you'll want to check out episode 4 (Physics : A Brief History ) first, just to put this in context with its historical predecessors....
More About: Episode , Special , Piso

Don?t fear the frame?
2007-04-09 15:00:00
Every now and again, some argument will get started in the blogosphere that is so pointless, so utterly self-defeating that it makes you question whether folks are really thinking at all.The tempest in the teapot du jour is about "Framing" science....
More About: Fear , Frame

Episode 5 ? Meet the Neanderthals
2007-04-07 17:50:00
As a prelude to some episodes on human evolution and our historical relatives, I thought it would be helpful to start out with a bit of history. So this episode is devoted to the history of Neanderthal discoveries, and how those discoveries were viewed culturally....
More About: Episode , The N , Meet , Piso , Thal

Funny, it seems I?ve seen you somewhere before?
2007-04-03 14:28:00
From Reuters, by way of the BBC comes an interesting piece of news. Engineers and scientists at the Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute proudly unveiled a prototype lunar rover that they've been working on. This is all fine and good, it's just that the rover looks... well... a bit familiar...
More About: Funny , Fun , Here , Seem , Where

Episode 4 ? Physics: A Brief History
2007-04-01 01:05:00
In future episodes, I'll be discussing various turning points in our understanding of the universe around us -- so it made sense to me to start with a little historical context. This episode is an overview of the history of physics, at a very high level so I can get through everything (at least briefly) in under half an hour...
More About: History , Story , Episode , Physics , Piso

Astronomy buff?
2007-03-25 21:35:00
Even if you aren't, but especially if you are, you have to check out this funny insurance company commercial (in French, but with subtitles) courtesy of YouTube...
More About: Astronomy , Astronom , Astron , Buff , Tron

I guess it is rocket science after all?
2007-03-24 00:08:00
As most of you have probably heard, SpaceX had the second demonstration launch of its Falcon 1 launch vehicle a few days ago -- and things didn't exactly go as planned....
More About: Science , Rock , Rocket , After , Guess

If only it were this easy
2007-03-18 04:21:00
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy deals with global warming
More About: This , Only , Easy , Were

Episode 3 — History in the rocks
2007-03-16 03:47:00
This episode is all about fossils -- how they're made, why there are occasional "gaps" in the fossil record, and the interesting way in which culture and mindsets have shaped our views of them over the years.For sources, and those who'd like to follow along, the episode's show notes are here....
More About: History , Story , Episode , Rock , The Rock

Seriously impressive Mars video
2007-03-14 01:45:00
The U. S. Geological Survey used images taken by the HiRISE camera on the MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) at Mars to make some really impressive computer-generated flyover movies. In particular, these "virtual flyovers" are of the terrain around the two MER rovers' current locations. Aside from the sheer fun of watching the movies, it's felt that they'll help the rovers' human handlers better choose future paths for them....
More About: Video , Press , Serious , S Video

So I guess this means I need to start eating more broccoli?
2007-03-08 05:08:02
These things are always non-scientific, and this one's more than a little macabre, but I figured -- hey, what hat I got to lose?You'll die from an Unlikely Illness (like the plague).You will unfortunately succumb to a random and unlikely disease. Only to find out after death that eating more broccoli would have cured you.'How will you die?'
More About: Start , Star , This , Broccoli , More

Episode 2 ? Climatology Basics
2007-03-08 05:08:02
A few weeks ago, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) released the executive summary of its fourth assessment report (FAR). Since (at least in the U.S.) this will soon be the core of a number of political arguments, but many folks probably don't study climatology in their spare time, I thought a little background would be helpful. So this episode is devoted to the basics of climate science, as well as a very brief history of the field...
More About: Episode , Basic , Piso , Lima , Basics

Episode 1 ? What is ?science??
2007-02-24 23:03:02
It’s always a good idea to start at the beginning, so I thought the first “real” podcast episode ought to cover some of the basics. This week’s episode tries to answer two basic questions — what is science, and how do you tell the difference between “science” and “not science?” The episode’s show notes ...
More About: Science , Episode , What , Hat , Piso

Spear-wielding killer chimps are hunting other primates!
2007-02-24 23:03:02
No, it's not a scene from Planet of the Apes, and it's not the nightmare you'll have after spending too much time in your zoo's primate house. It's actually the results of research described in a paper recently published in Current Biology. The paper by Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani describes the behavior of a troop of savannah chimps in the Fongoli area of southeast Senegal, in western Africa. The Fongoli chimps make wooden spears in a four- or five-step process, then use the spears to hunt down bushbabies...
More About: Other , Killer , Pear , Mate , Kill

It?s good to be back in scouting?
2007-02-24 23:03:02
You know, it's been a few years since I was a Boy Scout , so it's nice that there's now an organization for older, science-minded types who still have a soft spot for merit badges. The folks over at the SCQ (Science Creative Quarterly) have started the Science Scouts (or more fully, the Order Of The Science Scouts Of Exemplary Repute and Above Average Physique, or OOTSSOERAAAP).Below, I've listed the Science Scouts badges that I've earned to date (you know, in case you were actually curious about it), each linked to its Science Scout Handbook description and with the badge name in "hover" text.
More About: Outing , Back , Good

Good ?Sciencey? Blog Carnivals
2007-02-17 11:02:02
There are some good blog carnivals available for your reading pleasure this month, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about them...For those new to the idea, blog carnivals are like traveling road-shows of blogging goodness -- each has a given subject area, and each moves from blog to blog on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. This gives readers a bit more variety in their "fodder" than they'd normally see, and it gives bloggers a chance to show their work before a variety of new (to them) readers...
More About: Science , Carnival , Carnivals , Blog , Blog Carnival

Now repeat after me ? ?awwwwwww?..?
2007-02-15 23:00:02
In a victory for romantics everywhere, researchers in Italy have decided not to split up what now has to be the world's most famous skeletal couple. The two were buried together, embracing, between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago in what is now northern Italy.They're felt to be young (since they still have all their teeth), and the presumption is they were a pair of young lovers buried in a tender embrace.
More About: After

Episode 0 ? Welcome to the Podcast
2007-02-15 23:00:02
Just a quick little audio welcome to the podcast — this serves both as an introduction to the podcast, as well as a guinea pig to test out my podcast work flow. Tags: podcastBookmark to:  
More About: Pod , Episode , Podcast , Welcome , Cast

?Hiking maps? for Mars
2007-02-15 23:00:02
Today, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that they had produced the first "hiking maps" of Mars -- essentially, topographic maps....
More About: Hiking , Maps , King

Encouraging progress for JWST
2007-02-08 16:58:01
The BBC is reporting that the last mirror segment has been machined for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2013. JWST is a huge infrared telescope -- the mirror is so big (6.6m / 22ft in diameter) that it can't fit in any launch vehicle, and so has to be built in segments and essentially unfolded once in space.
More About: Ragi , Prog , Progress , Aging

The ultimate science fair project ? build your own volcano
2007-02-08 04:57:02
I can still remember the fun I had as a kid, making a semi-functional model of a volcano for a science fair. The subject of today’s post, though, wasn’t a science fair project — it was a completely avoidable and very damaging accident (image credit: E. WRAY/AP). Back in May of 2006, a crew ...
More About: Science , Project , Your , Cano , Fair

Message in a Bottle ? the first real SOS post
2007-02-06 16:56:01
Well, after fiddling with the site layout for what feels like a few months, I’m finally ready to start writing in earnest. I think I owe those who follow some idea of just what I’m trying to accomplish here. Without repeating too much of the material in my “About SOS” page, it’s apparent to most people ...
More About: Post , Essa , Message , Real , First

How Not to Leave a Legacy
2007-02-06 16:56:01
It’s kind of funny what happens when you go out of your way to NOT get bipartisan support for a marquis program — as soon as the “other guys” get into office, they turn around and gore your ox. Back in January of 2004, President Bush proposed the Vision for Space Exploration, or VSE. The ...
More About: Leave , Legacy