Episode 436: Tracking the dietary habits of animals
Scientists are catching up with the evolution of diet among animal species.
Nov 01, 2024•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 435: Exploring the universe with the Large Binocular Telescope
The Large Binocular Telescope has been observing planets, stars, and galaxies from atop Mount Graham since 2005. Telescope staff scientist Al Conrad discusses the most recent pictures it captured of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io.
Oct 25, 2024•5 min
Episode 434: Surveying the sky with one of the world's most advanced telescopes
Astronomers with the University of Arizona-backed Vera Rubin Observatory are on track to start their work early next year. Project outreach and education director Alan Strauss discusses how they will use the largest camera ever built to take a highly-detailed time-lapse look at our universe.
Oct 18, 2024•5 min
Episode 433: Measuring glacier ice and its impact on sea level rise
Scientists say 95 percent of the thickest ice in the Arctic Ocean has already melted. Now they are focusing on ice melt from inland glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere and how it's affecting sea level rise. University of Arizona planetary scientist Jack Holt is leading a team trying to predict how glaciers build and retreat in response to climate change.
Oct 11, 2024•5 min
Episode 432: Measuring light pulses at super high speeds
Atomic particles move at one quintillionth of a second. University of Arizona physicist Mohammed Hassan is developing instruments that can detect light pulses in attoseconds, providing a new tool to measure quantum states of matter.
Oct 04, 2024•5 min
Episode 431: Expanding research techniques to fight Alzheimer's
External brain stimulation is being used to treat issues ranging from schizophrenia to depression. University of Arizona psychology professor Ying Hui Chou talks about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and its treatment potential for Alzheimer's patients.
Sep 27, 2024•5 min
Episode 430: Creating physics textbooks for homeschooling
A retired University of Arizona educator is making science available for kids learning at home. Optical Science professor emeritus Richard Powell talks about the challenge of writing a physics textbook that can be used by families dedicated to homeschooling education.
Sep 20, 2024•5 min
Episode 429: Uncovering hidden pollution in the Arctic
Polluted ground and water in the Arctic have gone unnoticed for decades. University of Arizona environmental health scientist Frank von Hippel is working with Native American tribes in Alaska to locate and clean up pollution from military installations dating back to the Cold War.
Sep 13, 2024•5 min
Episode 428: Investigating the mystery of Long COVID
Some former COVID-19 patients are still suffering symptoms years after first encountering the coronavirus. University of Arizona immunologist Janko Nikolich is contributing to an ongoing national study on Long COVID. He discusses why Long COVID continues to mystify researchers looking into the different COVID-19 variants.
Sep 06, 2024•5 min
Episode 427: How the design of places where we live and work affects our physical and mental well-being
Scientists are studying how sounds, smells, and other natural elements make a difference in how comfortable we feel in our homes and offices. University of Arizona Architecture professor Altaf Engineer focuses his research on health and well-being in the built environment. He's researching the ways designers can impact social and behavioral issues through the buildings they create.
Aug 30, 2024•5 min
Episode 426: How plants and animals are responding to climate change
As our climate changes, growing seasons and migration patterns are happening at different times than in the past. University of Arizona environmental researcher Theresa Crimmins describes how seasonal data collection is revealing changes in the common design of nature.
Aug 23, 2024•5 min
Episode 425: How skin cells are delivering clues to the mystery of Parkinson's
Parkinson's disease affects an estimated 1 million Americans. University of Arizona neurology professor Lalitha Madhavan describes how a simple extraction of skin cells can uncover biomarkers that could help doctors diagnose Parkinson's in their patients.
Aug 16, 2024•5 min
Episode 424: Using satellites to measure ice and snow in Antarctica
Scientists are trying to get more accurate measurements of conditions in the continent of Antarctica. University of Arizona Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences professor Ali Behrangi describes how using a satellite in space can deliver data about snow and ice in one of the world's harshest environment.
Aug 09, 2024•5 min
Episode 423: Studying the survival instincts of squirrels
Wildlife scientists are exploring which species are best adapting to the effects of climate change. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist Lauren Petrullo describes a long-term field project focusing on wild North American Red Squirrels and their everyday resilience habits.
Aug 02, 2024•5 min
Episode 422: How the mind keeps active during the brain's “down time”
Not much is known about the science of imagination because few studies have asked the question of what triggers creativity. University of Arizona psychology professor Jessica Andrews-Hanna talks about what develops in our brains when we turn our thoughts inward.
Jul 26, 2024•5 min
Episode 421: Shrinking cyberinfrastructure down to size
The growth of computing systems and artificial intelligence is creating barriers for institutions trying to navigate cyberinfrastructure. University of Arizona Data Science Institute director Nirav Merchant talks about his research helping people crunch massive amounts of data.
Jul 19, 2024•6 min
Episode 420: What data research teaches us about traffic safety
Motor vehicle crashes are preventable but accidents are still ranked as the top cause of death for Americans under the age of 40. University of Arizona civil engineering professor Alyssa Ryan studies transportation crash data. She's looking deeper into why certain populations experience higher traffic mortality rates than others.
Jul 12, 2024•5 min
Episode 419: A mission to detect moonquakes on the lunar surface
Astronauts left the last seismometers on the moon's surface during the Apollo program 50 years ago.
Jun 21, 2024•6 min
Episode 418: Seeking evidence of a climate change turnaround
Scientists studying the world's oceans are finding proof that the Earth is responding to efforts by populations fighting climate change.
Jun 14, 2024•5 min
Episode 417: Updating an endangered species count in the Sky Islands
The pace of local extinctions is on the rise in the sky islands of the Sonoran Desert. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist John Wiens is tracking lizard populations in mountainous regions of southern Arizona and western Mexico and found some species are struggling with the changing climate.
Jun 07, 2024•5 min
Episode 416: Using different methods to investigate cancer
REPEAT. Researchers studying prostate cancer have found introducing the disease in mice does not always produce accurate results.
May 31, 2024•5 min
Episode 415: Tree ring scientists take their research underwater
Tree ring researchers are exploring the lives of sea creatures that document climate change just like trees do. The University of Arizona's Bryan Black reveals studies of underwater life like corals and rockfish which match a climate history also revealed in tree rings on land.
May 24, 2024•5 min
Episode 414: What dogs can tell us about aging
Elderly dogs can suffer from cognitive dysfunction, similar to dementia in humans. Evan MacLean with the Arizona Canine Cognition Center in Tucson explains how games and puzzles that provide mental stimulation for dogs helps researchers understand how human brains respond at an advanced age.
May 17, 2024•5 min
Episode 413: Learning more about a Sonoran Desert Icon
The saguaro cactus has been a source of study for southern Arizonans for decades. Saguaro National Park wildlife biologist Don Swann is among the scientists asking why saguaros are biologically fit to survive the ongoing drought, and looking deeper into its role in the desert ecosystem.
May 10, 2024•5 min
Episode 412: Studies show how mental abilities improve for seniors as they age
Our cognitive abilities change as we grow older.
May 03, 2024•5 min
Episode 411: Introducing artificial intelligence to resolve issues in agriculture
Artificial intelligence is being put to work solving the challenge of feeding the planet. University of Arizona professor Murat Kucira talks about how advanced computing can help deal with issues like farming efficiency and the impact of climate change due to global warming.
Apr 26, 2024•5 min
Episode 410: Researching Asthma in Traditional Rural Communities
Studies found that traditional farmers did not suffer from lung diseases usually caused by dust in the fields where they worked.
Apr 19, 2024•5 min
Episode 409: The Geometry of Sound
Researchers say people perceive sound based on where they are when they hear it.
Apr 12, 2024•5 min
Episode 408: Measuring how our mood moves the markets
Economists often describe how consumer confidence drives spending decisions, but scientific researchers are asking if it's the other way around.
Apr 05, 2024•5 min
Episode 407: Exploring space with balloon-borne telescopes
The best way to observe the universe is with a telescope above the Earth's atmosphere, and the least expensive way to get there is using a stratospheric balloon. University of Arizona astronomy professor Chris Walker explains how he and his team are mapping the Milky Way with a balloon-mounted telescope above Antarctica.
Mar 15, 2024•5 min
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