As always. Working at NPR’s Science Desk is both enlightening and entertaining.
Check out our latest video - a surprising collection of pumpkin facts! And send pics of your science-y pumpkins to nprskunkbear@gmail.com.
As always. Working at NPR’s Science Desk is both enlightening and entertaining.
Check out our latest video - a surprising collection of pumpkin facts! And send pics of your science-y pumpkins to nprskunkbear@gmail.com.
What is beauty? We went to Brazil, the plastic surgery capital of the world, and asked 7 women to talk about it.
"For me, being beautiful is being skinny," says Thairine (in the pink dress).
More portraits by Jimmy Chalk + words from Thairine, Janet, Maria and Gisele (above) — and three other women:
—> Look At This <—
A video @skunnkbear and I made. Connecting the dots of evolution through a glass of beer.
Watch our latest video to find out what the history of the earth, ancient whales and the evolution of Homo sapiens have to do with a single pint of beer.
And if you can’t get enough of beer science, check out jtotheizzoe's recent video and my old scientific drinking song.
Robert Krulwich’s science blog “Krulwich Wonders" is ending, but we made one last video together about an animal that seems to be … immortal:
This was a good trip. Mauritania 2013. On the iron ore train. Nouadhibou, Nouakchot to Zouerat. Here the wonderful partsofreality stops at St. Exupery’s house.
The cool thing about working at NPR is the richness and diversity of its internship program. The interns are from all over the country and they’re at just about every desk and department at 1111 North Capitol Street.
Here’s a roundup of what some of us have been working on. Some of these stories…
Check out my Science Desk friends npr
NASA engineers use origami as inspiration when they fold up solar panels for their trip to space. Shown here: the Miura fold. Once a piece of paper (or solar array) is all folded up, it can be completely unfolded in one smooth motion. You can read more about origami in space here, and learn how to do the Miura fold in this video:
Image: Astronaut Scott Parazynski repairs a damaged ISS solar panel (NASA)
It’s been a busy week in wolverine news!
Wolverine spotted in Utah for the first time in 35 years
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced the sighting last Wednesday. UDWR biologist Adam Brewerton had set up a camera trap (that same technique used to catch those pics of the adorable Pallas’s cat) baited with a roadkill deer. When he collected the camera he found images of a curious wolverine snuffling around the (by that time empty) trap.
Should wolverines be listed as a threatened species?
Back in February of 2013, the Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that wolverines be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Here’s their logic:
- Wolverines build their dens in deep snow to protect their young.
- Climate change tends to melt snow.
- Wolverines have a small but stable population now (~300 individuals) but in the future they will be in trouble.
But now a regional FWS director, biologist Noreen Walsh, has raised questions about the proposal. She says there’s not enough scientific evidence to accurately predict climate change’s effect on wolverines. She even mentioned the Utah sighting as anecdotal evidence that wolverines are expanding further into their historic range. Critics say she was swayed by political pressure from state agencies. A final ruling from the FWS will be made by August 4th, so I’ll keep you posted.
Meet The Musicians And Storytellers Of Kenya
One musician traces his ancestry by playing his nyatiti while another uses his powerful vocals to express his frustration toward Kenya’s politicians. A storyteller makes the crowd giggle and roar as she shares timeless tales of domineering lions and clever hares. These were three Kenyan artists who gave visitors a virtual trip to Kenya during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this summer.
Eric Wainaina: A Million-Selling Musician Who Tells It Like It Is
Dressed in ripped jeans, T-shirt and fedora, Eric Wainaina quietly slips into the seat behind his keyboard. His smooth, powerful voice soon silences a chattering audience as he moves into his first performance at the festival – a song aimed at the politicians of Kenya.
"You wind up your window of your fancy car/ Turn on your AC/ You can’t feel the potholes/ You can’t feel the heat."
He’s definitely not shy about making politicians feel the heat. “Fancy Car” is about Kenyan officials who use taxpayers money to buy luxury goods.
The 40-year-old singer is one of the most popular musicians — and political activists — in Kenya. His songs are often banned on state-run radio but remain widely requested on private stations. And his award-winning albums are among the country’s top-selling records: His first sold more than 2 million copies. He’s even been appointed Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations Environmental Programme.
While studying at Berklee College of Music, Wainaina wrote “Kenya Only,” which became the country’s mourning song following a 1998 terrorist attack that killed more than 200 people in the capital city of Nairobi.
Since then, his music – a fusion of pop and benga, a Kenyan genre known for its fast-paced rhythmic beats and upbeat guitar riffs – has caught international attention. The lyrics reflect Wainaina’s social and political indignation and resonate with the millions who disapprove of Kenya’s authoritarian and corrupt political culture.
Photos (top to bottom): Eric Wainaina, Ayub Ogada, Alumbe Hellen Namai (Ryan Kellman/NPR)
The lovely Claire Harbage who did an amazing project about young adults of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, has had said project featured over at burn magazine which always does a great job feature interesting work. See more of Claire’s work here.