 NPR: Science Friday Podcast Science Friday, as heard on NPR, is a weekly discussion of the latest news in science, technology, health, and the environment hosted by Ira Flatow. Ira interviews scientists, authors, and policymakers, and listeners can call in and ask questions as well. Hear it each week on NPR stations nationwide -- or online here! 26 Jun 2009 at 6:11pm From sci-fi to documentaries, good science films tell the human story behind scientific ideas. Which films get the science right, and which don't? Physicist and movie critic Sidney Perkowitz runs through some of this summer's top science flicks. Listen 26 Jun 2009 at 6:10pm Meet the V-Bat: it's about 70 pounds, eight feet tall, equipped with computers and flies without a pilot. Engineer Stephen Morris, the president and CEO of MLB Co., describes how the plane works and what it might be good for. Listen 26 Jun 2009 at 6:10pm Algae-based biofuel is made by grinding up algae cells and extracting the oil. Reporting in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Richard Gordon, of the University of Manitoba, and colleagues suggest that engineering algae to secrete oil might be a more efficient approach. Listen 26 Jun 2009 at 6:10pm Wind alone could provide more than 16 times the electricity needs of the U.S., according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Harvard professor Michael McElroy and Revis James, of Electric Power Research Institute, discuss the challenges of harnessing wind power. Listen 26 Jun 2009 at 6:10pm Each year, the agricultural industry must dispose of billions of pounds of chicken feathers. Richard Wool, a chemical engineer at the University of Delaware, says when feathers are heated, they develop nano-sized caverns in which hydrogen can be stored. Listen 19 Jun 2009 at 6:09pm For years, long-line fishermen in Alaska have complained that whales have been stealing their sablefish catch. A team of researchers mounted a video camera to a fishing line and caught a sperm whale in the act, providing new insight into whale behavior. Listen |