Episode 466:How southern Arizona could hold clues to Mars' past
The Sonoran Desert region called Pinacate is often compared to other worlds in our Solar System.
Jul 25, 2025•5 min
Arizona Science
Explore the latest scientific research and technological innovations taking place in Southern Arizona and at the University of Arizona, all in under six minutes.
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Episodes
Episode 465:How magic tricks can help us understand how our brains work
Magicians have fascinated audiences for centuries. University of Arizona psychologist Eve Isham describes how magicians and illusionists use science to develop their effects and the connection with the inner workings of the mind. Eve Isham spoke with Leslie Tolbert Ph.D Regent's professor emerita in Neuroscience at the University of Arizona.
Jul 18, 2025•5 min
Episode 464:Seeing the tiniest objects in the human body
Nanotechnology is allowing scientists to go beyond the microscope to see the smallest structures.
Jun 27, 2025•5 min
Episode 463:Exploring the lives of the earliest humans
Neanderthals existed at the same time as Homo sapiens hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Jun 20, 2025•5 min
Episode 462:Building the next generation of 3-dimensional imaging
Scientists are finding ways to improve pictures to better align with the way our eyes see them.
Jun 13, 2025•5 min
Episode 461:Tracking solar storms through tree ring research
Some of the most traumatic highlights in Earth's history can be found in ancient tree rings.
Jun 06, 2025•5 min
Episode 460:Exploring the mystery of dark energy
Dark energy can't be seen but space scientists say it can be measured through the outward movement of supernovae and galaxies.
May 29, 2025•5 min
Episode 459:Tracking advances in endoscopic technology
Researchers are revolutionizing medical imaging by creating extremely small devices that can see inside the human body.
May 15, 2025•5 min
Episode 458: Studying the natural partnerships occurring among and between plant and animal species
Scientists are studying the biological connections within and between species that benefit both. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist Judith Bronstein identifies examples of mutualism, ranging from bacterial organisms to plant pollinators.
May 09, 2025•6 min
Episode 457: Discovering the most distant galaxies
Astronomers are focusing on the smallest and most distant galaxies in the universe. University of Arizona researcher David Sand describes how he locates dwarf galaxies through digital sky surveys and gathers information about them using ground-based telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere.
May 02, 2025•5 min
Episode 456: Fueling airborne transportation with transmitted electricity
Now that people are driving electric cars and buses, researchers are working on the feasibility of all-electric airplanes.
Apr 24, 2025•5 min
Episode 455: Studying medical science at Biosphere 2
Visitors imagine Biosphere 2 as a place for large scale research on plant life and ocean biology.
Apr 17, 2025•5 min
Episode 454: Examining the health benefits of copper
Arizona's ties to copper go back to the territorial era, but the mineral also plays a big part in human health.
Apr 11, 2025•5 min
Episode 453: Why do certain plants respond better to extreme weather events?
Plants and their pollinators work together to promote successful natural growth.
Apr 04, 2025•5 min
Episode 452: How our brains can cause us to forget our memories
People coping with clinical amnesia provide a window to the importance of memory.
Mar 28, 2025•5 min
Episode 451: Communicating with alien intelligence
Exchanging messages with aliens is the source material for science fiction stories, but scientists have been trying to communicate with outer space intelligence for decades.
Mar 21, 2025•5 min
Episode 450: Can computers recognize human feelings?
Scientists are say the ability to recognize emotion is essential for advanced human-computer communication.
Mar 14, 2025•5 min
Episode 449: What science tells us about bilingual communication
Diverse languages and cultures interact every day in Southern Arizona. University of Arizona Speech and Cognitive Science professor Genesis Arizmendi discusses how being bilingual shapes how we communicate and connect within our communities.
Mar 07, 2025•5 min
Episode 448: Tracking the seasons on Mars
Scientists have long known Mars has annual seasons just like Earth. University of Arizona planetary scientist Shane Byrne describes how 20 years of observations by the U-of-A built HiRISE orbiting camera have given researchers new insight into what happens on the surface during the 687 Earth-day Martian year.
Feb 14, 2025•5 min
Episode 447: Producing astronomy for the sight-impaired
Advances in 3-D modelling are leading to new ways of visualizing the surface of the Moon, Mars and other objects in the solar system.
Feb 07, 2025•5 min
Episode 446: Updating the fight against infectious diseases
Medical researchers are shifting their attention to bird flu this season. University of Arizona professor Mohaned Al-Obaidi discusses how the H5N1 strain has created a challenge for scientists fighting the spread of the emerging virus.
Jan 31, 2025•5 min
Episode 445: Tracing the cause of eating disorders
Scientists studying eating disorders are focusing on a part of the brain that governs food consumption and emotions. University of Arizona neuroscientist Haijiang Cai discusses how understanding the two functions could help people coping with anorexia.
Jan 24, 2025•5 min
Episode 444: Finding new similarities between chimpanzees and humans
Researchers are finding chimpanzees have more in common with humans that was previously thought. University of Arizona anthropologist Jacob Negrey discusses how chimpanzees transition to old age and how that translates to the human experience.
Jan 17, 2025•5 min
Episode 443: Using genetic science to control damaging plant pests
The Corn Earworm attacks both corn and cotton in Arizona, causing millions of dollars in damage each year. University of Arizona director of Entomology Bruce Tabashnik discusses why genetically engineered crops developed to defeat the Earworm have failed to keep the pest at bay.
Jan 10, 2025•5 min
Episode 442: How color evolved in the plant and animal kingdom
Plants and animals were not always as colorful as we see them today. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist John Wiens discusses the evolution of color for plant and animal species that developed hundreds of millions of years ago.
Dec 20, 2024•5 min
Episode 441: Continuing research into the source of COVID-19
The fight against COVID-19 became part of our lives four years ago. Researchers are still working to find out how to it started. University of Arizona immunobiologist Michael Worobey discusses the latest findings and considers the possibilities of new pandemics brewing around the globe.
Dec 13, 2024•5 min
Episode 440: A new look at how planets are formed
The James Webb Space Telescope is giving astronomers a closer look at the creation and development of planets. University of Arizona planetary scientist Ilaria Pascucci discusses a new study on protoplanetary disks, described as a cradle where new planets are born.
Dec 06, 2024•5 min
Episode 439: Exploring the telescopes atop Kitt Peak
Kitt Peak National Observatory has reopened to the public after closures due to the pandemic and a mountain wildfire. Visitors Center Operations Manager Peter McMahon talks about what people can see and do among the largest collection of scientific research telescopes in North America.
Nov 22, 2024•5 min
Episode 438: Why is our connection with canines so strong?
Scientists are learning more about dogs and their special communicative link with people.
Nov 15, 2024•5 min
Episode 437: Exploring the pros and cons of big data
Developments over the past decade have demonstrated the complexities of collecting and interpreting big data.
Nov 08, 2024•5 min
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