 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! 5 Mar 2010 at 6:17pm When writer John D'Agata moved his mother to the suburbs of Las Vegas, he began looking at the history of the government?s plan to store nuclear waste deep in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. The resulting boo—-- About a Mountai—-- is a reporter's notebook that reads like poetry. Listen 5 Mar 2010 at 6:16pm President Obama has pledged support for nuclear power, but problems including how to dispose of the waste persist. Ira Flatow and guests look at the latest nuclear technology, from microreactors to waste storage, and compare the cost of nuclear to other energy sources. Listen 5 Mar 2010 at 6:16pm Energy Star labels and miles-per-gallon vehicle ratings aren't enticing enough consumers toward energy-saving options, according to economist Hunt Allcott. Allcott explains how new research in behavioral economics might help lead consumers to more energy-efficient choices. Listen 5 Mar 2010 at 6:15pm Forget the air guitar solos, go electric for under $10. Sound artist Ranjit Bhatnagar, a member of NYC Resistor, specializes in building cheap, DIY instruments. He explains how to make an electric guitar from a plank of wood, some wire, a magnet and a guitar string. Listen 5 Mar 2010 at 6:15pm A fossil in Tanzania suggests dinosaurs appeared 10 million years earlier than previously thought, according to a Nature study. Christian Sidor, of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, discusses the origin of dinosaurs. Listen 5 Mar 2010 at 6:15pm Researchers decoded electrical brain signals without implanting electrodes, according to a new study. Instead, Jose L. Contreras-Vidal and colleagues monitored brain activity with EEG sensors placed on the scalp, using those signals to reconstruct hand movement and drive a robot. Listen |