Big Picture Science for Monday October 31, 2016 - Hidden History

Big Picture Science - Hidden History

ENCORE: Archeologists continue to hunt for the city of Atlantis, even though it may never have existed. But, what if it did? Its discovery would change ancient history. Sometimes when we dig around in the past, we can change our understanding of how we got to where we are.

We thought we had wrapped up the death of the dinosaurs: blame it on an asteroid. But evidence unearthed in Antarctica and elsewhere suggests the rock from space wasn’t the sole culprit.

Also, digging into our genetic past can turn up surprising – and sometimes uncomfortable truths – from ancestral origins to genes that code for disease. But do we always want to know?

Guests:

• Mark Adams – author, Meet Me in Atlantis: My Obsessive Quest to Find the Sunken City
• David Morrison – Senior scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
• Peter Ward – Paleontologist, University of Washington, author of A New History of Life: The Radical New Discoveries about the Origins and Evolution of Life on Earth
• Christine Kenneally – Journalist and author of The Invisible History of the Human Race: How DNA and History Shape Our Identities and Our Futures

This encore podcast was first released on March 30, 2015

Download podcast at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/Hidden_History

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

Strong Geomagnetic Storm Underway on Oct. 25th

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 25, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A strong "G3-class" geomagnetic storm is underway on Oct. 25th as Earth enters a fast-moving stream of solar wind. The arrival of the solar wind stream was predicted, but the intensity of the resulting storm is greater than forecast. Tonight, Northern Lights around the Arctic Circle should be bright, and the glow could descend to northern-tier US states as well.

Visit Spaceweather.com for more information.

Chance of Magnetic Storms This Week

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 25, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

CHANCE OF MAGNETIC STORMS: A large coronal hole is turning toward Earth, and it is spewing a stream of high-speed solar wind into space. NOAA forecasters expect the stream to reach our planet on Oct. 25-26 with a 35% chance of geomagnetic storms when it arrives. Storm levels could reach category G2, which means the glow of auroras might be visible not only around the Arctic Circle but also in northern-tier US states such as Minnesota and Michigan.

Visit Spaceweather.com for more information.

Big Picture Science for Monday October 24, 2016 - Moral’s Law

Big Picture Science - Moral’s Law

ENCORE: “If it bleeds, it leads” is the tried and true tenet of news.  Indeed, headlines are often no more than a long list of moral atrocities.  Yet one man argues that we’re living in the most civilized era in history.  And he credits this to scientific thought and reason.

Hang on!  Our executive function isn’t enough to promote ethical behavior, says a psychologist.  The real fuel behind our drive to be good?  Anger, compassion, pride: your emotions!

But whether or not you’re a pillar of the community, good intentions might all be for naught when future ethical decisions are made by our silicon successors.  Get ready for moral machines. Or not.

Guests:

Michael Shermer - Publisher of Skeptic Magazine, author of The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity Toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom
David DeSteno – Psychologist, Northeastern University, author of The Truth About Trust
Colin Allen – Historian, philosopher of science and cognitive science, Indiana University.  Co-author of Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right From Wrong

This encore podcast was first released on July 20, 2015

Download podcast at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/morals-law

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

The Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: Earth has entered a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower.  Forecasters expect the shower to peak during the night of Oct. 20-21 with as many as 10-20 meteors per hour.  Glare from tonight's gibbous Moon will mute the display, but not completely eliminate it as NASA cameras are observing some Orionid fireballs bright enough to be seen in the moonlight.

Visit Spaceweather.com for observing tips and more information.

"Massive Auroras" sighted around the Arctic Circle on Oct. 16th

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 16, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORMS UNDERWAY: G1-class geomagnetic storms are underway around the Arctic Circle on Oct. 16th as Earth enters a stream of very fast moving solar wind.  Veteran observers in Sweden are reporting one of the best displays in recent memory as "massive auroras" dance across the sky. 

Visit Spaceweather.com for updates about the ongoing light show.

Big Picture Science for Monday October 17, 2016 - Time Travel Agents

Big Picture Science - Time Travel Agents

Hey, let’s meet last week for coffee.  Okay, we can’t meet in the past … yet.  But could it be only a matter of time before we can?  In an attempt to defy the grandfather paradox, scientists try sending a photon back in time to destroy itself.

Also, find out how teleportation allows particles to instantaneously skip through space-time and why sending humans wouldn’t violate the laws of physics.

But before you pack your bags for that instantaneous trip to Paris, we need to understand the nature of time.  A physicist offers a testable theory and ponders how it bears on free will.

Plus, feel as if time comes to a standstill when you’re standing in line?  Tricks for altering your perception of time while you wait.  Some businesses already use them on you.

Guests:

• Richard Muller – Physicist, University of California Berkeley, author of “Now: The Physics of Time”
• Seth Lloyd – Professor of quantum mechanical engineering, M.I.T.
• Emma Bentley – contributor
• David Andrews – Author of, “Why Does the Other Line Always Move Faster?”

Download podcast at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/time-travel-agents

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

Auroras possible this weekend as Earth enters a new solar wind stream

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 15, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

WEEKEND AURORA WATCH: High-latitude auroras are possible this weekend as Earth enters a high-speed stream of solar wind flowing from a hole in the sun's atmosphere. This is a broad stream, and its influence could persist for 2 or 3 days. Arctic observers are favored because only in the Arctic will the intensity of the auroras likely rival that of this weekend's full Moon.

Visit Spaceweather.com for updates and more information.

CME Impact Expected Oct. 13th

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 12, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

CHANCE OF MAGNETIC STORMS:  NOAA forecasters say that a minor coronal mass ejection (CME) could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field late on Oct. 13th.  Not long after, a high-speed stream of solar wind is expected to arrive. The combined effect of the CME plus the solar wind stream could spark G1-class polar geomagnetic storms on Oct. 13th and 14th.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for updates and more information.

Big Picture Science for Monday October 10, 2016 - Skeptic Check: Science and the Election

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Science and the Election

This year’s election is divisive, but one subject enjoys some consensus: science and technology policies are important.  So why aren’t the candidates discussing these issues?  The answers might surprise you.

The organizer of Science Debate, who wants a live debate devoted to science and technology, describes one obstacle to meaningful discussion.  He also shares how the candidates responded to probing questions about science.

Communication expert Kathleen Hall Jamieson looks back to the televised debate of Kennedy and Nixon to discern trends that have made productive discussion about science nearly impossible today (it didn’t start out that way!)

And, the unique situation in which the man at the top of one political ticket is flat out wrong about science: a physicist describes how Donald Trump’s anti-science position affects the election.

Guests:

• Shawn Otto - co-founder of sciencedebate.org, and the author of “The War on Science: Who’s Waging It, Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It"
• Lawrence Krauss - Professor of theoretical physics at Arizona State University, director of its Origins Project, and a member of sciencedebate.org
• Kathleen Hall Jamieson - Professor of communication, University of Pennsylvania, director of the university’s Annenberg Public Policy Center. Author of more than a dozen books on politics and the media, and co-founder of factcheck.org that has a separate page for science: scifact.org

Download podcast at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/skeptic-check-science-and-election

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

"Space Lightning" Sighted over Hurricane Matthew

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 3, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

"SPACE LIGHTNING" SHOOTS OUT OF HURRICANE MATTHEW: Hurricane Matthew, currently crossing the Carribean, is not a typical storm.  It's one of the most powerful hurricanes of recent years and it has sprites dancing along its cloudtops. Sprites are an exotic form of lightning that shoots up toward the edge of space instead of down toward the ground. Visit Spaceweather.com to see beautiful photos of Hurricane Matthew's "space lightning."

Image Credit: Frankie Lucena - October 1, 2016 - Cabo Rojo,Puerto Rico
Image Source URL - http://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=129751

BACKYARD ASTRONOMY ALERT: When the sun goes down on Monday, Oct. 3rd, step outside and look west.  If you have a clear view of the horizon, you'll see Venus and the exquisitely slender crescent Moon side by side in the sunset sky. Visit Spaceweather.com for sky maps and photos.

Big Picture Science for Monday October 03, 2016 - Venom Diagram

Big Picture Science - Venom Diagram

We all get defensive sometimes.  For some animals, evolution has provided a highly effective mechanism for saying “back off!”.  A puncture by a pair of venom-filled fangs gets the point across nicely.

But one animal’s poison may be another’s cure.  Some dangerous critters churn out compounds that can be synthesized into life-saving drugs.

Meet the spiny, fanged, and oozing creatures who could help defend us against such illnesses as hypertension and kidney disease.

Plus, the King of Pain - a scientist who has been stung by more than 80 species of insects in his pursuit of a better understanding of venom’s biochemistry.  Find out which winged stinger scored the highest on his pain index.

And, why the drug we need most may come from the quietest members of the biosphere: turning to plants for a new generation of antibiotics. 

Guests:

• Owen Maercks – Co-owner, East Bay Vivarium, Berkeley, California
• Justin Schmidt – Entomologist, University of Arizona, author of “The Sting of the Wild: The Story of the Man Who Got Stung for Science”
• Christie Wilcox – author of “Venomous: How Earth’s Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry”
• Cassandra Quave – Ethnobotanist, assistant professor of dermatology, herbarium curator, Emory University

Download podcast at - http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/venom-diagram

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