This week: the relationship between faith and science gets interesting, Jurassic Park is becoming too real for comfort, and Radio Lab tells us about the scary things we do while we’re asleep. Hot off the press - we bring you the best science reporting in the public broadcasting space this week.
Could this be the “God Particle”?
This week in history-making science news, scientists have discovered a new subatomic particle that could turn out to be the elusive Higgs boson particle (known on the streets as the “God particle”). NOVA talked with one of the scientists who conducted the groundbreaking study, and we must thank all parties involved with the interview for finally explaining all of this Higgs boson talk in language that we can understand.
Before you feel guilty for sleeping in on a Saturday, consider the fact that once we close our eyes close to go to sleep, the brain continues right on functioning. Often, that’s when things get really interesting. From children who run in their sleep to adults who bark like a dog or jump out of windows, this piece takes a deeper look at the action-packed events of our sleeping hours.
NPR Science: Do We Need Humans?
It’s all well and good to imagine a future where robots can scratch our backs and clean our toilets. But anyone who has ever called their cable provider knows that automated isn’t always better. How can we incorporate robotics into our lives and maintain our humanity?
Science Friday: Improving Healthcare, One Search at a Time
Today, a Google search can catch dangerous drug interactions earlier than the FDA’s warning system. We hope the good people over at the Food and Drug Administration are keeping an eye on their Google Alerts.
NPR Science: It’s Called ‘De-Extinction’ - It’s Like ‘Jurassic Park,’ Except It’s Real
Could Jurassic Park become a reality? It already has, with a twist. With no help at all from Steven Spielberg, scientists were actually able to use DNA from the very last bucardo to bring this recently-extinct species of wild goat back to life. That’s right, they’re bringing back extinct goats. This has us thinking about some serious ethical issues involved with de-extinction, and about how the next Jurassic Park sequel is practically going to write itself.
