Podcasts and Vodcasts by Topic
Matter
Cleaner, Greener Metals - June 10, 2010
Metallurgists created a cleaner and safer alternative to chrome that is equally durable, providing a solution to the environmentally harmful processes of both making chrome and disposing of it.
The new coating is made by dipping metal into a mix of nickel and tungsten atoms. An electrical pulse is sent through the mix, causing the atoms to adhere to the metal, or "plate" the surface. The electrical current is pulsed according to the pattern chosen by the researchers.
Watch Video
Creating Science Masterpieces - May 31, 2010
Materials science and engineering students coincidentally created microscopic art out of particles of pollen they are studying.
Watch Video
Detecting Bombs, Saving Lives - May 17, 2010
Science and engineering students are developing a detection method to find improvised explosive devices (IEDs). detectors use magnetic waves to sense the magnetic field given off by the ferrous material in the IED.
Watch Video
Lasers: Transforming Life - May 16, 2010
In this wonderful video produced by the Optical Society of America, NPR Science Friday's host, Ira Flatow describes how lasers are used in optical fiber communication, surgery and more.
For more great laser innovations, visit:
www.laserfest.org and http://www.osa.org/
Watch Video
Laser Labels For Fruits And Veggies - April 19, 2010
Physicists Replace Pesky Fruit and Vegetable Sticker Labels with Edible, Permanent Laser Etchings
Watch Video
Science of Speed - December 18, 2009
Fluid Dynamics Engineers Help Potential Olympic Swimmers with Water Flow Technology
Watch Video
Smart Bridge Keeping Drivers Safe - November 06, 2009
Civil engineers installed approximately 400 sensors in a bridge to monitor how corrosion, temperature and traffic loans impact the structure.
Watch Video
Food Processing Cook Up Healthier Fried Foods With New Radiant Oven, No Deep Frying - October 16, 2009
Food processing engineers constructed an oven that uses radiant energy to fry food without oil.
Watch Video
A Brush with the Laws of Electromagnetism - August 21, 2009
Watch physicists Becky Thompson-Flagg and Ted Hodapp trade quips as they show how to take apart a small DC motor and find out how it works. They get the armature of the motor spinning with just a battery, a few wires, and a permanent magnet.
Watch Video
Keeping Cool on the ice - July 24, 2009
Scientists Design High Tech Hockey Jersey Using Lasers.
Watch Video
Science Behind Strikeouts - July 10, 2009
Kinesiologists use the principles of physics to explain why a fastball pitch in baseball is hard to hit and how a curveball gets its motion.
Watch Video
Dr. Chris Monroe on Quantum Entanglement - June 16, 2009
Dr. Chris Monroe from the University of Maryland describes his experiments with the curious properties of quantum entanglement.
Watch Video
Reducing Your Lead Footprint - May 15, 2009
Materials scientists created a lead-free piezoelectric material to replace the current one used in electronics that contains up to 40 percent lead. To make the material, tiny samples of bismuth ferrite and samarium ferrite are formed into puck shape pieces. A laser then fragments the pucks into different molecules and chemicals, creating a mist that is coated onto a chip.
Watch Video
Walk-In MRI - May 01, 2009
Physicists are Right Up Front with Upright, Walk-In MRI
Physicists created a low magnetic field walk-in MRI that enables them to obtain images of the patient in many positions--standing, sitting or laying down.
Watch Video
Rubberized Roads - April 24, 2009
Acoustical Engineers Rubberize Roads to Quiet Highway Noise.
Watch Video
Steve Avery: Battling Cancer with Protons - April 17, 2009
Dr. Steve Avery is an assistant professor or radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He works on the Proton project that uses proton therapy to treat tumors by bombarding them with subatomic particles.
Watch Video
Cars Powered by the Sun - April 03, 2009
Arts, Science, and Engineering Students Driven by Solar Energy to the Finish Line
Watch Video
Prosthetics that Grow - March 13, 2009
Doctors use electromagnetism to heat and melt plastic, which allows a spring to expand and lengthen a bone prosthesis.
Watch Video
Hi-Tech Cycling - February 13, 2009
Engineers Create a Strong But Lightweight Isotruss Bike Using Carbon Fibers
Watch Video
Next Generation of Heart Stents - January 23, 2009
Interventional Cardiologists Reduce Risk of Stents by Magnetizing Endothelial Cells
Watch Video
Cyclotron Kids - January 15, 2009
Ever wondered what you could do with all that space in your garage? Watch this video to learn how these three kids came together to build the greatest high school physics experiment ever, they are building a cyclotron! Its amazing what you can do if you try.
Watch Video
Anti-Freeze for Your Plants - December 17, 2008
Botanists Develop "Antifreeze" Spray for Plants
Watch Video
Diesel Guzzler - Money Saver - December 15, 2008
Engineers Propose Aerodynamic Improvements for Truck Trailers
Watch Video
Tongue-Drive Wheelchair - December 03, 2008
Electrical and Computer Engineers Design Wheelchair Controlled by a Magnet on the Userýs Tongue
Watch Video
Two New Tires: Safety on a Budget - December 01, 2008
Ergonomists Find New Tires Provide More Control When Replaced In Rear
Watch Video
Dangers of Going Green - November 26, 2008
Industrial Hygienists Suggest Watching Out for Mold When Going Green
Watch Video
Science of Origami - September 26, 2008
Mathematicians and Artists Use Algorithms to Make Complicated Paper Sculptures
Watch Video
Man-Made Hurricanes - September 15, 2008
Civil Engineers Create High-Powered Hurricane Simulator
Watch Video
Measuring Lightning - September 10, 2008
Electrical Engineers and Meteorologists Devise Method to Measure Strength of Lightning Strikes on Tall Buildings
Watch Video
Anti-Counterfeiting Money - September 03, 2008
Computer and Security Scientists Add New Technology to Redesigned Five Dollar Bill
Watch Video
Laura Greene - August 14, 2008
Dr. Greene is a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a woman interested in science in the 70s she overcame many barriers to become a physicist. Learn about her life long passion for science.
Watch Video
Knowing Where Tornadoes Will Strike - August 01, 2008
Meteorologists recently studied the effect of gravity waves on tornado formation. They found that when gravity waves push down on rotating thunderstorms the storm compresses and spins faster. Being able to recognize and track gravity waves before they reach thunderclouds allows meteorologists to better predict tornadoes, increasing both the accuracy of their predictions and the amount of warning time that they can provide.
Watch Video
Sniffing Out Bombs - July 01, 2008
A tiny sensor that monitors electrical conductivity allows scientists to detect the presence of explosives. The sensor measures the conductivity of two different thin films, one made of a cobalt compound and another made of a copper compound. When reacting to most fumes, the two films respond in similar ways, but when exposed to hydrogen peroxide the films show a difference in electrical conductivity. When the sensor indicates this difference, that means that trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide are present, a common ingredient of explosives.
Watch Video
Nanotechnology - Cleaning up our Water - April 01, 2008
Chemical engineers created nanoparticles out of gold and palladium to break down pollutants in groundwater. Adding the particles to groundwater converts dangerous contaminants like trichloroethylene into non-toxic compounds.
Watch Video
Kids Discovering New Asteroids - March 01, 2008
Astronomy students looking for supernovae examined photographs and found asteroids. They used both unaided eyes and computer analysis to identify the asteroids. The images were composited from three separate images, one each of green, red, and blue. When combined into one image, asteroids stand out because they move against the background.
Watch Video
Alejandro (Alex) Rodriguez - February 01, 2008
Meet Alejandro (Alex) Rodriguez, a physics graduate student at MIT. In this video, Alex talks about his background in Cuba and the US and about his love of physics.
Watch Video
Odorless Paint - December 01, 2007
Chemists have added polymers to a new paint that dries faster and requires no second coat or primer. The paint uses long polymer chains to surround pigments, which makes it easier for latex spheres to bond to it. That advance makes the color cover the wall more completely. Additionally, this technique means that the paint requires almost zero volatile organic compounds, which contribute to odor and also smog.
Watch Video
Creating 21st Century Video Games - November 01, 2007
A computer science student created an updated form of the classic video game Pong. The ball appears to move unpredictably, but is actually governed by algorithms that analyze the fluid dynamics of actual plasmas. Careful programming that considers the plasmaýs mathematical properties allows players to activate a vacuum effect or plasma jet that moves the ball in physically realistic ways as well.
Watch Video
Recycling Revolution - August 01, 2007
Chemical Engineers developed a way to break down plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate -- or PET, and recycle it back into high value uses like more soda bottles, water bottles, beer bottles. Inside the recycling plant's extruder, water is removed from ground up plastic. Then, the plastic is melted and chemically broken down -- in a process called depolymerization. The breakthrough in this process is to be able to go from chips of this plastic to the recycled material in about five minutes.
Watch Video
Making Waves - August 01, 2007
Scientists gives us a sneak peek into the world of wave pools, and explain how these huge pools make constant waves. Waves are made by a huge compressor that feeds four gigantic air blowers. Then a computer controls chambers that generate the waves. When the chamber lids are closed, air from the blowers pushes the water out and makes a wave. When the valve is open, the balance tank fills with water, getting ready to make the next wave. It works just like a toddler pushing a cup upside-down onto water in a bathtub.
Watch Video
Mystery Diamonds - June 01, 2007
Carbonados, black carbon formations that resemble diamonds, have been show to have a chemical spectrum that indicates they originated before the formation of the Earth; their high hydrogen content suggests they are from a star-like environment. Since this carbon is only found in two locations on our planet, it may have arrived via an asteroid.
Watch Video
Man-Made Diamonds - March 01, 2007
New and improved technology has now made growing diamonds cost-competitive with mining them. Diamond-making machines subject a graphite-carbon core and a diamond seed at a pressure of 850,000 PSI for four days, recreating conditions similar to those 100 miles below the earth's surface. The lab-grown diamonds that come out are optically, chemically and physically identical to those that occur in nature.
Watch Video
Ice, Ice, Baby! - February 01, 2007
When droplets of melted snow drip down an icicle, they release small amounts of heat as they freeze. Heated air travels upwards and helps slow down the growth of the icicle's top, while the tip is growing rapidly. Knowledge of the mathematical equations that govern icicle growth -- the same that apply to stalactites -- could help in the prevention of icicle formation on power lines.
Watch Video
Crime Alert! Molding Fingerprints - January 01, 2007
Photonic crystals -- materials with precise patterns of gaps that make them reflect only selected wavelengths of light -- could soon replace the traditional ink-based fingerprinting. In a new silica-based, photonic-crystal material, the spacing of the gaps changes in response to pressure applied. Corresponding changes in its color reveal fingerprints with high precision -- not only the ridges in the skin, but also the depth of the ridges, the shape of the finger, and the mechanical properties of the skin.
Watch Video
Liquid Body Armor - August 01, 2006
Rheologists have created a new way of bullet-proofing clothes using shear-thickening fluids. Fabric treated with shear-thickening granular suspensions can turn soft material into solid protective gear when struck by a projectile. The treatment can strengthen Kevlar to produce lighter, more comfortable bullet-proof vests, or it can be used to turn extend the bullet-proof protection to ordinary fabric.
Watch Video
Rip Current Secrets Revealed - August 01, 2006
Rip currents flow in very erratic patterns, not in steady courses as previously believed -- which may help explain why they can be so dangerous even for experienced swimmers. Oceanographers have discovered the behavior by tracking the motion of colored dye added to a wave pool generating rip currents.
Watch Video
Einstein Rings - April 01, 2006
Images from the Hubble telescope reveal eight new Einstein rings, joining only three others previously known. Einstein rings are pairs of galaxies, with a foreground galaxy bending the light of a background galaxy into a ring by gravitational effects. The ring helps astronomers precisely estimate the mass of the foreground galaxy.
Watch Video
Sun Darkens Electronics - March 01, 2006
Solar activity can wreak havoc in communications systems -- particularly during coronal mass ejections, when plumes of electrically charged particles hit earth's atmosphere. Scientists can now track the plumes down to the single affected cities, helping to predict disruptions.
Watch Video
Lights of the Future - February 01, 2006
Thanks to advances in physics, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will soon move from traffic lights and electronics panels to home lighting, bringing dramatic energy savings, adjustable colors for ambiance, and light-shining furnishings.
Watch Video
Fog-Free Glass - January 01, 2006
When moisture condenses on a cool surface, droplets can form that are the right size to scatter light, fogging up glass. A new polymer coating draws droplets into nanopores and transforms them into a transparent sheet, improving vision.
Watch Video
Firefighting with Fog - January 01, 2006
Firefighters usually don't aim hydrants at smoke, to avoid producing steam that can come back and burn them. But smoke sometimes contains dangerous, flammable gases. Some U.S. fire departments are now experimenting with brief bursts of water on the hot gasses, to cool them down and reduce the risk of explosion. Since it was adopted in Sweden, the technique has cut firefighter fatalities in half.
Watch Video
The Mystery of Black Holes - December 01, 2005
A satellite called Swift is revealing that black holes have a messier birth than previously thought. Instead of being created in one instant, astrophysicists now believe after a star dies and collapses -- ultimately forming a black hole -- it continues to cause havoc. The baby black hole devours material while at the same time spewing it back out, a process that is revealed in multiple outbursts of gamma rays.
Watch Video
Unbreakable Glass - September 01, 2005
Sponges are the homes of colonies of tiny marine animals, and wonders of miniaturized engineering. They employ complex structural arrangements, the strongest glasses known to man, and even microscopic fiber optics that glow in the dark. Scientists are trying to figure how to reproduce some of their tricks, such as producing glass at low temperatures.
Watch Video
Sonic Golf Club - July 01, 2005
A new golf club uses motion-detection sensors and wireless technology to coach players through the use of sound. A golfer can "hear" the speed of the swing in wireless headphones, and adjust swings accordingly. Professional golfers generate the loudest, highest-pitch sounds. Most golfers say they see improvements within 15 minutes.
Watch Video
Screens of the Future - July 01, 2005
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are plastic-based materials that are able to emit light. Engineers are beginning to make displays out of OLEDs by spraying the materials on a surface, the way an ink-jet printer works. The new OLED displays promise to provide a cheaper, brighter, less power-hungry alternative to liquid-crystal displays -- the ones commonly used in laptop computers and cell phones.
Watch Video
Portrait of America - July 01, 2005
One lone physicist hopes to create an ultra-high-resolution portrait of America by taking a series of gigapixel images with his own custom camera, created from parts of old spy planes and nuclear reactors. Each image fills an entire DVD with data.
Watch Video
New Combat Helmet - July 01, 2005
Wearing a helmet can make it hard to figure which direction sounds -- such as gunfire -- is coming from. Soldiers in Iraq are using a new helmet, called the Advanced Combat Helmet, which is padded internally to prevent sound from reverberating and masking its direction of origin.
Watch Video
Back Pain Relief - July 01, 2005
Up to 40 million American suffer from sciatica pains, but the condition is often not diagnosed correctly. A new imaging technique uses a specially tuned MRI scan to image nerves and highlight them deep inside tissues. Called Magnetic Resonance Neurography, the new technique promises to diagnose conditions such as sciatica -- in which a compressed nerve in the buttock causes persistent lower-back and leg pain -- in up to 95 percent of cases that were previously undiagnosed.
Watch Video
Inside the Brain - July 01, 2005
Children who have speech-impairing strokes often learn to talk again, while adult stroke victims can lose their verbal abilities for good. By giving reading and verbal tests inside the MRI, researchers are comparing the inner workings of both children's and adults' brains that suffered from strokes, as well as of healthy subjects'. The researchers hope to develop therapies to help the adult patients talk again.
Watch Video
Glass Bridges - February 01, 2005
To make bridges last longer and less expensive to maintain, engineers are working to incorporate glass into bridge design. Researchers say these longer-lasting glass-based bridges can withstand earthquakes better, and are faster to build, in addition to having high strength and durability.
Watch Video
Frostless Heat Pump - February 01, 2005
A new invention, the "frostless" heat pump, produces warmer air than a conventional heat pump by raising the temperature on the device's outer coils. This prevents frost on the coils while heat is suctioned more efficiently into the home.
Watch Video
A Better Golf Game - January 01, 2005
Researchers have designed a golf ball that tends to fly straighter even when a putter unintentionally "slices" it which ordinarily causes it to curve to one side. The new ball has a hollow, metal core that shifts the ball's mass -- or weight -- to the outside. This helps the ball spin less and fly straighter as it sails through the air.
Watch Video
Underwater Weather Watchers - January 01, 2005
Researchers are now collecting valuable information about ocean weather from a fleet of cost-effective instruments called Argo floats. Using hydraulic fluid in internal and external sacs, each float sinks about a mile and a half underwater. Every ten days, the float rises to the surface and transmits information on the ocean temperature and salt content. Researchers hope Argo will improve the ability to forecast the paths of hurricanes and where they will make their landfall.
Watch Video
Surviving Hard Hits - January 01, 2005
Engineers have developed more protective padding for football players. Unlike traditional padding, the new putty-like material can be molded into protective gear to fit a player's body and better guard against injury. The squashy material redistributes the force from a hit evenly through the material to lessen the impact on a player's body.
Watch Video
Out of This World - December 01, 2004
Designed to study gamma ray explosions in space, NASA's Swift satellite is the first spacecraft that automatically reorients itself to capture images of a gamma ray burst. When an explosion takes place in sensors pick up the flash of light, and the observatory swivels itself around to get the most ideal view. Researchers hope the Swift will help them discover the cause of the explosions and figure out what damage they do.
Watch Video
Jaw Bone - November 01, 2004
A new cell phone blocks out background noise by determining the difference between background noise and the vibrations from a user's voice. The phone's headset contains a mini-circuit board and signal processors that use mathematical formulas to figure out which sounds are the user's speech, then weeds out the other noise.
Watch Video
Protective Paint - October 01, 2004
A new paint fights corrosion by releasing a cerium-based "inhibitor." It interacts with oxidizing agents that would otherwise attack the metal and cause corrosion.
Watch Video
Nanoparticles - August 01, 2004
Scientists have developed a new brain imaging technique by using nanoparticles -- extremely tiny crystals which cross the blood-brain barrier when injected into the blood stream. Twenty-four hours after being injected, the patient undergoes an MRI. The resulting images show the nanoparticles, which outline tumors in the brain and other lesions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Watch Video
Spotting Sunspots - July 01, 2004
Sunspots, large dark spots that dot the Sun's surface, reach a peak every 11 years, unleashing magnetic storms and solar flares that can disrupt communications. A new model focuses on electrified gas -- or plasma -- that flows around the sun because the plasma holds onto magnetic information from past sunspots.
Watch Video
Playing It Cool - July 01, 2004
New shoulder pads keep players cool, by reflecting 90 percent of the heat from the sun. Made of aluminized polyester, a material originally designed by NASA for the space shuttle, the pads also contain a layer of air that prevents heat from reaching the skin.
Watch Video
Hurricane-Proof Glass - June 01, 2004
A new hurricane-resistant glass uses a traditional three-layer sandwich of material: two pieces of glass on the outside and an improved middle layer made of fiberglass reinforced polymer. The fibers run at different angles, so, when debris hits the window, the stress waves disperse through it, reducing the shock to the glass. The glass can withstand a bullet flying one hundred miles an hour, and it will hold together through storms with debris coming at similar speeds.
Watch Video
Cool Oven Rack - April 01, 2004
A snap-on shield for oven racks consists of fibers that thicken as they heat up, becoming a heat barrier. The shield uses novel materials that are sensitive to heat.
Watch Video
Zero-Energy Home - April 01, 2004
Mechanical engineers have produced a zero-energy model home -- one that produces as much energy as it consumes in a year -- by constructing a heat-conserving airtight building and using renewable resources such as solar energy.
Watch Video
Protecting Your Privacy - February 01, 2004
The physics of quantum cryptography is the basis for Quantum Privacy Network (QPN). This network can send a message that is hacker proof. Photons are attached to each message. If a hacker intercepts the message the photon is removed and the sender and receiver are alerted that the message has been intercepted.
Watch Video
Smart Fluids - February 01, 2004
Physicists have created a smart fluid for car suspension systems. When a magnetic field is applied to the fluid it becomes semi-solid and when the field is removed, the fluid returns to a free-flowing liquid. This aspect makes the fluid perfect for suspension systems that need to adapt to changing levels of shock. The fluid also means less mechanical parts are needed.
Watch Video
Meddling Microwaves - February 01, 2004
Physicists discovered that magnets stop the static caused by interference between your cordless telephone and microwave. Microwaves produce a number of unwanted frequencies, which can interfere with your calls. By placing magnets along the microwave's magnetron, the extra frequencies are reduced keeping calls static free.
Watch Video
Cloudy Glasses - February 01, 2004
Material scientists found that from the day glass is manufactured there are tine imperfections in the glassware. These scratches become more visible after the glass is cleaned. The tiny scratches make the glass cloudy because light gets spread out as it passes through the glass at different angles.
Watch Video
Take a Swing - August 01, 2003
Computer simulations and lab experiments are helping scientists understand what makes a good swing. When a baseball bat hits the ball in what players call its "sweet spot," less energy goes into making the bat vibrate and more goes into the ball, making it go further. The researchers have also studied the differences between wooden and aluminum bats.
Watch Video
Space-Age Windows - March 01, 2003
Aerogel, a new material first developed in space experiments and made of 97 percent air, could soon become an energy-saving solution for replacing glass in windows. It insulates from sound better and it is five times better than any other material at insulating heat. Aerogel is composed of a tight network of tiny pores and glass folded over and over.
Watch Video
Gadget Power - January 01, 2003
Physicists are developing a new technology that could soon result in cell phones or laptop computers that have a much longer life before they need recharging. Micro fuel cells use common wood alcohol as fuel and a special membrane that produces electricity by chemically separating electrons from the alcohol.
Watch Video