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Skeptic Check: Cell Phone Bans
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The idea that the universe is made of tiny vibrating strings was once the science theory du jour. String theory promised to unite the disparate theories describing particles and gravity, and many people, not just scientists, were optimistic that a theory of everything might be within our grasp. But here we are, many years later, and string theory doesn’t seem to have delivered on its initial promise. What happened? We consider the science around string theory in this episode of Skeptic Check.
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Skeptical Sunday: I’ll Buy That!
Smoking is good for you! Doctors want you to light up! Discover how cigarette companies of the 1950s manipulated the media to peddle their tobacco – and why not much has changed since then. Also, what goes on in our brain when we buy; the results of a global neuroscience… Listen ⇢
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Time’s Mysteries Part II: Warping Time
Ever since Einstein, we’ve known that time doesn’t barrel willy-nilly into the future. Moving clocks tick at a different rates, and by riding a fast rocket, we can slow time to a crawl. Such tricks may give you a way to see the distant future, but can you go back… Listen ⇢
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Time’s Mysteries Part I: Marking Time
Time’s a mystery, yet we’ve invented clever ways to capture it. From sundials to atomic clocks, trace the history of time-keeping. Also, discover the surprising accuracy of nature’s dating schemes – from the decay of carbon to laying down tree rings. Plus, why the “New York minute” stretches to hours… Listen ⇢
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War of the Worlds: Happy Anniversary!
It’s been 70 years since malevolent Martians landed in Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. Orson Welles described the dramatic events as they unfolded on CBS’s Mercury Theater On The Air. Some listeners were so frightened, they became hysterical and fled their homes. We revisit the famous radio adaptation of H.G. Well’s… Listen ⇢
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What Were You Thinking?
Say what you mean. That’s difficult, if you don’t know what you’re thinking. But the neuromarketers do, and they’ll be happy to tell Madison Avenue what’s on your mind. Discover why this marketing strategy is wired for success. Also, Steven Pinker on how language reveals private thoughts as well as… Listen ⇢
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Senses Census
Don’t worry if you’ve lost your senses – we’ve found them. Find out why we’ve evolved taste, sight, hearing, touch, and smell the way we have, and why we don’t sense our world through antennae or echolocation. Discover what part of the tongue recognizes anchovies and why cats can’t taste… Listen ⇢
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Humans in Space… ace… ace
When the economy’s down, will humans still be going up – into space, that is? We investigate the future of human spaceflight at the International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow, Scotland and find out whether sending Homo sapiens to the Moon and Mars is still a good idea. Also, the chief… Listen ⇢
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Formula One: The Drake Equation
When it comes to contacting ET, SETI scientists do the math. They’ve been filling in values for the Drake Equation ever since 1961. That’s when Frank Drake proposed his simple formula for estimating the number of communicating civilizations in the galaxy. It’s one equation that everyone can understand. We’ll talk… Listen ⇢
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Get Your Boson
What happens when particles collide? The answer may tell us the dark secrets of the cosmos. At least, that’s the hope for the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator. When it fires up this summer, colliding protons may produce the elusive Higgs Boson – the so-called God particle… Listen ⇢
