Why do we harvest horseshoe crab blood? - Elizabeth Cox
AdultsAnimalsNatureScience...During the warmer months, especially at night during the full moon, horseshoe crabs emerge from the sea to spawn. Waiting for them are teams of lab workers, who capture the horseshoe crabs by the hundreds of thousands, take them to labs, harvest their cerulean blood, then return them to the sea. Why? Elizabeth Cox illuminates the incredible properties of horseshoe crab blood.
Most hurricanes that hit the US come from the same exact spot in the world
AdultsEcologyNatureWorld...As Hurricane Irma bears down on the East coast, Floridians may be wondering where all the hurricanes come from, and why they all follow a similar course. In fact, Irma, Harvey, and Jose were all born on the other side of the Atlantic, off the coast of Africa, and the Sahara desert may be to blame.
The amazing ways plants defend themselves - Valentin Hammoudi
AdultsEcologyNatureScience...Plants are constantly under attack. They face threats ranging from microscopic fungi to small herbivores like caterpillars, up to large herbivores like elephants. But plants are ready, with a whole series of internal and external defenses that make them a less appealing meal - or even a deadly one. Valentin Hammoudi explains some of the fascinating ways that plants defend themselves.
The science of smog - Kim Preshoff
AdultsCitiesGlobal WarmingNature...On July 26, 1943, Los Angeles was blanketed by a thick gas that stung people's eyes and blocked out the Sun. Panicked residents believed their city had been attacked using chemical warfare. But the cloud wasn't an act of war. It was smog. So what is this thick gray haze actually made of? And why does it affect some cities and not others? Kim Preshoff details the science behind smog.
Will the ocean ever run out of fish? - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jennifer Jacquet
AdultsAnimalsNatureWorld...When most people think of fishing, we imagine relaxing in a boat and patiently reeling in the day's catch. But modern industrial fishing -- the kind that stocks our grocery shelves -- looks more like warfare. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jennifer Jacquet explain overfishing and its effects on ecosystems, food security, jobs, economies, and coastal cultures.
Lasers Are Great, But Diamond Superlasers Are Better, Here's Why
AdultsNatureScienceTechnologyScientists have discovered how to create a real life 'superlaser' using an ultra-pure diamond. How exactly does it work?2
More ice is about to break off of Antarctica - and it's what scientists feared most
AdultsGlobal WarmingNatureWorld...The giant crack that's been racing across Antarctica Larsen C ice shelf finally met its breaking point between July 10 and 12. The result was an iceberg the size of Delaware and weighing a trillion metric tons.
The bizarre physics of fire ants
AdultsAnimalsNatureTechnology...They're not just an animal, they're a material. And that's got engineers interested.
How does fracking work? - Mia Nacamulli
AdultsGlobal WarmingNatureTechnology...Deep underground lie stores of once-inaccessible natural gas. There's a technology, called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," that can extract this natural gas, potentially powering us for decades to come. So how does fracking work and why is it a source of such heated controversy? Mia Nacamulli explains the ins and outs of fracking.
Wildlife crossings stop roadkill. Why aren't there more?
AdultsAnimalsNatureEnvironment...A better way for animals to cross the road.
Can you solve the fish riddle? - Steve Wyborney
AdultsCreativityNatureProblem-SolvingAs the cargo director on the maiden voyage of the S.S. Buoyant, you've agreed to transport several tanks containing the last specimens of an endangered fish species to their new aquarium. Unfortunately, the boat is battered by a fierce storm, throwing your precious cargo overboard. Can you get the fish to safety and save the day? Steve Wyborney shows how.
The ferocious predatory dinosaurs of Cretaceous Sahara - Nizar Ibrahim
AdultsAnimalsHistoryWorld...In Cretaceous times (around 100 million years ago), North Africa was home to a huge river system and a bizarre menagerie of giant prehistoric predators -- including the Spinosaurus, a dinosaur even more fearsome than the Tyrannosaurus rex. Nizar Ibrahim uses paleontological and geological data to reconstruct this "River of Giants" in surprising detail.
Why wildfires are necessary - Jim Schulz
AdultsEcologyNatureEnvironment...Our early ancestors relied on lightning to cause forest fires, from which they could collect coals and burning sticks to help them cook food and clear land. Yet, it wasn't just humans who benefited from these natural phenomena. Even as they destroyed trees, fires also helped the forests themselves. Jim Schulz outlines the benefits of wildfire.