Strange but True: Curiosity's Sky Crane

Source - NASA Science News for July 31, 2012

How do you deposit a massive SUV-sized nuclear-powered rover to the surface of an alien planet without making an SUV-sized crater? NASA's solution for Curiosity will be attempted for the first time on August 5/6 when they gently lower the rover to the red sands of Mars using a Sky Crane.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/30jul_skycrane

Big Picture Science for 07/30/12 - Skeptic Check: Follywood Science

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Follywood Science

The Day After. 2001. Prometheus. There are sci-fi films a’plenty … but how much science is in the fiction? We take the fact checkers to Hollywood to investigate the science behind everything from space travel to human cloning.

Plus, guess what sci-fi film is the most scientifically accurate (hint: we’ve already mentioned it). Also, why messing with medical facts on film can be dangerous … and the inside scoop from a writer of one of television’s most successful sci-fi franchises.

And, a robot who surpasses even Tinseltown’s lively imagination: a humanoid that may become a surrogate you.

Guests:

• David Kirby – Senior lecturer in science communication studies at the University of Manchester in the U.K. and author of Lab Coats in Hollywood: Science, Scientists, and Cinema
• Lucas Kavner – Reporter, Huffington Post, author of a piece on the rise of robot surrogates
• Wayne Grody – Medical geneticist, director of the DNA diagnostic Laboratory, UCLA Medical Center
• Andre Bormanis – Television writer and science consultant for Star Trek

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Follywood_Science

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Mars Landing Sky Show

Source - NASA Science News for July 29, 2012

On the same night Curiosity lands on Mars, a "Martian Triangle" will appear in sunset skies of Earth. The first-magnitude apparition on August 5th gives space fans something to do while they wait for news from the Red Planet.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/29jul_marslanding/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrxCA1leQyY

Solar Activity Picks Up

Source - Space Weather News for July 28, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR FLARES: New sunspot AR1532 is crackling with M-class solar flares, including a brief but intense M6-flare on July 28th.  So far none of the eruptions has been Earth-directed, but this could change in the days ahead as the active region turns toward our planet. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT FLARE: Would you like a call when strong flares are in progress? Realtime solar activity alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Mars in a Minute: How Hard Is It to Land Curiosity on Mars?

Source - JPLnews: June 07, 2012

Landing the Curiosity rover on Mars is the most difficult and nail-biting part of the whole mission. See just how hard it is to land on Mars in this 60-second video.

Satellites See Unprecedented Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt

Source - NASA Science News for July 24, 2012

For several days this month, Greenland's surface ice cover melted over a larger area than at any time in more than 30 years of satellite observations. Nearly the entire ice cover of Greenland experienced some degree of melting, according to measurements from three independent satellites.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/24jul_greenland/

Big Picture Science for 07/23/12 - Olympics for the Rest of Us

Big Picture Science - Olympics for the Rest of Us

Let the games begin! The mad dash to the phone … the sudden spring out of bed … the frantic juggling of car keys, grocery bags and a cell phone! Olympic athletes may have remarkable speed and strength, but it’s easy praise the extraordinary. Here’s to the extreme averageness of the rest of us. From beer bellies to aching backs, we’re all winners in the Darwinian Olympics just by virtue of being here.

Identify the one physical trait that you share with all Olympians – your head – and why it’s a remarkable human evolutionary achievement. Plus, the role of genes in putting on the pounds … and what event Spiderman would enter to win the gold.

Guests:

• Daniel Lieberman – Professor of human evolutionary biology, Harvard University, author of The Evolution of the Human Head
• Callum Ross – Professor of organismal biology and anatomy, University of Chicago
• Kelly Brownell – Psychologist, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University
• Robert Peaslee – Assistant professor, College of Media and Communications, Texas Tech University and author of Web-Spinning Heroics: Critical Essays on the History and Meaning of Spider-Man

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Olympics_for_the_Rest_of_Us

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

A Taste of Solar Maximum

Source - NASA Science News for July 20, 2012

Forecasters say solar maximum is still a year away. Earlier this month sky watchers got a taste of things to come when a powerful flare sparked Northern Lights over the United States as far south as Arkansas, Colorado and California.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/20jul_tasteofsolarmax/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VVYb-snvJ8

Curiosity Nears Daring Landing on Mars

Source - NASA Science News for July 16, 2012

As Curiosity nears Mars for a daring landing on August 5/6, NASA has released a suite of video games and virtual experiences for members of the general public who wish to follow the massive rover across the sands of the Red Planet.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/16jul_daring/

Big Picture Science for 07/16/12 - Do the Math

Big Picture Science - Do the Math

One plus one is two. But what’s the square root of 64, divided by 6 over 12?* Wait, don’t run for the hills! Math isn’t scary. It helps us describe and design our world, and can be easier to grasp than the straight edge of a protractor.

Discover how to walk through the city and number-crunch simultaneously using easy tips for estimating the number of bricks in a building or squirrels in the park. Plus, why our brains are wired for finger-counting … whether aliens would have calculators … and history’s most famous mathematical equations (after e=mc²).

*The answer is 16

Guests:

• Ian Stewart – Emeritus professor of Mathematics, University of Warwick, U.K., author of In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World
• Michael Anderson – Psychologist and neuroscientist, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
• Keith Devlin – Mathematician and Director of the Human Sciences and Technology Advanced Research Institute, Stanford University
• John Adam – Mathematician, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, and author of X and the City: Modeling Aspects of Urban Life

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Do_the_Math

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

New Expedition 32 Trio Launches to Station

Source - ReelNASA 07/14/12

 "Expedition 32 Flight Engineers Suni Williams, Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft at 10:40 p.m. EDT Saturday (8:40 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Sunday) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan."

NASA ScienceCasts: The First Extraterrestrial Marathon

Source - NASAtelevision Jul 12, 2012

"More than 8 years after landing on the Red Planet, Mars rover Opportunity is still running. Indeed, mission planners say the tireless robot is poised to complete a full marathon--the first ever long-distance race on an alien planet."

Update - 07/18/12

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/18jul_martianmarathon/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC-rvKjBHfE

Fifth Moon Discovered Around Pluto

Source - NASA Science News for July 13, 2012

While scanning the Pluto system for possible hazards to the approaching New Horizons spacecraft, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a fifth moon orbiting the dwarf planet.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/13jul_pluto5/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtcIbJKZZQQ

Earth-Directed X-flare and CME

Source - Space Weather News for July 12, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

EARTH-DIRECTED X-FLARE: Big sunspot AR1520 erupted on July 12th around 16:53 UT, producing an X-class solar flare and hurling a CME directly toward Earth.  Forecasters expect the cloud to arrive on July 14th.  Its impact could spark moderate to severe geomagnetic storms, allowing auroras to be seen at lower latitudes than usual.  Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

AURORA ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are underway? Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Big Picture Science for 07/09/12 - Animal Instinct

Big Picture Science - Animal Instinct

Mooooove over, make way for the cows, the chickens … and other animals! Humans can learn a lot from our hairy, feathered, four-legged friends. We may wear suits and play Sudoku, but Homo sapiens are primates just the same. We’ve met the animal, and it is us.

Discover the surprising similarity between our diseases and those that afflict other animals, including pigs that develop eating disorders. Plus, what the octopus can teach us about national security … how monkeying around evolved into human speech … and the origins of moral behavior in humans.

Guests:

• Rafe Sagarin – Marine ecologist, Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona, author of Learning From the Octopus: How Secrets from Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorist Attacks, Natural Disasters, and Disease
• Barbara Natterson-Horowitz – Professor of cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, and co-author of Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing
• Kathryn Bowers – Writer, co-author of Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing
• Asif Ghazanfar – Neuroscientist, psychologist, Princeton University
• Christopher Boehm – Biological and cultural anthropologist at the University of Southern California, director of the Jane Goodall Research Center, author of Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Animal_Instinct

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Big Sunspot Unleashes X-flare on July 6th

Source - Space Weather News for July 7, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

X-FLARE: For days, giant sunspot AR1515 has looked capable of producing a really strong explosion. On July 6th it finally did. Yesterday, the sunspot's magnetic canopy erupted, producing a brief but potent X1.1-class solar flare. The explosion hurled a CME into space and sparked a solar proton storm around Earth.  Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

X-FLARE ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar flares are underway? X-flare alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

High Solar Activity Produces CMEs, Radio Bursts

Source - Space Weather News for July 5, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

HIGH SOLAR ACTIVITY: Sunspot AR1515 has grown into a behemoth more than 10 times wider than Earth. The active region is crackling with M-class solar flares and seems poised to produce even stronger X-flares in the days ahead.  At least one CME is en route to Earth, and ham radio operators are reporting shortwave solar radio bursts roaring from the loudspeakers of their receivers.  Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

X-FLARE ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar flares are underway? X-flare alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

A Good Reason to Wake Up at Dawn

Source - NASA Science News for July 3, 2012

The brightest planets in the solar system are converging for a beautiful sunrise sky show that begins on the 4th of July.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/03jul_wakeupatdawn/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTxazv-wdp4

Almost-X Flare Illuminates Earth on July 2nd

Source - Space Weather News for July 2, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

STRONG SOLAR FLARE: A big, active sunspot (AR1515) is growing on the Earthside of the sun. This morning it erupted, producing an M5.6-class solar flare that ionized Earth's upper atmosphere with a brief but intense pulse of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation.  More eruptions are in the offing as the sunspot turns to face Earth.  Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

X-FLARE ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar flares are underway? X-flare alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Big Picture Science for 07/02/12 - Nano Nano

Big Picture Science - Nano Nano

ENCORE Think small to solve big problems. That, in a nutshell, is the promise of nanotechnology. In this barely visible world, batteries charge 100 times faster and drugs go straight to their targets in the body. Discover some of these nano breakthroughs and how what you can’t see can help you…

…or hurt you? What if tiny machines turn out to be nothing but trouble? We’ll look at the health and safety risks of nanotech.

Plus, scaling up in science fiction: why a Godzilla-sized insect is fun, but just doesn’t fly.

Guests:

• Bill Flounders – executive director of the Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley
• Joseph DeSimone – professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and chemical engineering at North Carolina State University
• David Guston – political scientist at Arizona State University where he directs The Center for Nanotechnology in Society
• Stan Williams – Senior Fellow and founding director of the Information and Quantum Systems Lab at Hewlett-Packard
• Michael LaBarbera – Professor in organismal biology, anatomy and geophysical sciences, University of Chicago

First released February 21 2011

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Nano_Nano

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.