Paleotempestology Roundup
The new science of paleotempestology studies ocean sediment to uncover ancient hurricanes.
Martian Water
An analysis of meteorites suggests that the Martian interior contains much more water than previously suspected.
Martian Carbon
Researchers have discovered organic carbon in meteorites from Mars.
Vesta the Protoplanet
The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter contains an embryonic planet in arrested development.
Podcast for 27 April 2012
Why some planets are on the run. How to harpoon a comet. And counting penguins from space.
Raindrop Fossils
Raindrop impressions, preserved for 2.7 billion years, reveal clues about the early Earth's climate.
Podcast for 13 April 2012
CHEMISTRY & LIFE - What 2-billion-year-old raindrop fossils can tell us about conditions on the early earth. What science is revealing about the artwork of Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh. And a breakthrough in materials science technology yields plastic that can repair itself.
Earthquakes & Cyclones
Bad storms in Taiwan and Haiti may have contributed to earthquakes there.
Mercury’s Volcanoes
The planet Mercury seems placid compared to others in the solar system. But the MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing a more tumultuous past.
Mercury’s Make-up
The MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing new details about the tiny planet’s chemical composition.
Not-So-Precious Metals
If you’re wearing a gold ring, it began as a meteeorite that struck the earth billions of years ago, but vast deposits of precious metals are also hidden deep in the earth’s core.
Podcast for 7 October 2011
MERCURY SPECIAL REPORT - The MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing new discoveries about the planet closest to our Sun.
Mercury Hollows
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft has identified mysterious hollows on the planet's surface.
Mercury Origins
The MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing surprising details about the origins of the planet Mercury.
Tsunamis & Sealife
A listener asks: What happens to the seafloor and to sealife when tsunamis hit?
Crusty Microbes
A diversity of microorganisms lives in the hot rocks deep beneath the ocean floor.
Mica Life Hypothesis
A new hypothesis suggests that life began between ultra-thin sheets of minerals.
Podcast
AIR & SPACE: The moon is shrinking - slowly, astronomers discover a solar system similar to our own, exploring the moons of Jupiter, how satellite-based mapping programs can help during natural disasters, and why clouds have distinct borders.
Podcast
FLU SEASON: Can exercise help stave off illness? Changes to the seasonal flu vaccine, bacterial surprises, and better ways to purify water in developing countries. Also: did life originate between mica sheets?
Rare Earth Roundup
Rare earth elements make many modern technologies possible, but extracting them results in large amounts of toxic waste.
Mountaintop Removal Mining
Mountaintop removal mining has long-term consequences for the environment and human health.
Volcanoes on Mercury
Ancient volcanoes found on the planet mercury challenge assumptions about the planet's chemical composition.
Podcast
Mountaintop removal mining's devastating effects on the environment, ancient Martian lakes, an herbal disappointment, fish that punish cheaters, and reading and writing in the brain.