Science (Audio)

Using satellites and sensors to project California's water supply. Think of the Sierra Nevada as California's water tower. Sixty percent or more of our water comes from this mountain range. Roger Bales, director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at UC Merced, heads into the mountains to measure the water and geochemical balance of the landscape. The impact of climate change on California's water supply is more than an environmental concern -- it's at the forefront of economic sustainability. Series: "Onward California" [Science] [Show ID: 24469]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Jeff Hawkins, founder of both Palm Computing and Handspring and creator of the Redwood Neuroscience Institute, to promote research on memory and cognition. Hawkins traces his intellectual journey focusing on his lifelong passion to develop a theory of the brain. Hawkins explicates the brain’s operating principles and explores the implications of human intelligence for engineering intelligent machines, the goal of his new company Numenta. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 24454]

This fascinating and important series from CARTA explores the newest understandings of the roots of autism disorders from the foremost researchers in the world. In this episode, Jonathan Sebat and Eric Courchesne of UC San Diego are joined by Andrew Meltzoff of the University of Washington as they discuss Genetic Etiology, Surprising Findings in Autism: Insights into Anthropogeny and The 'Like-Me' Theory for Connecting Self and Others. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 23435]

1.4 billion people don’t have electricity. John Bowers, Director, Institute for Energy Efficiency at UCSB, talks about some of the research that is going into making solar-powered lighting for those who live off the grid in Africa and elsewhere. Series: "Onward California" [Science] [Show ID: 24470]

A conversation about creativity among San Diego’s leading medical researchers and La Jolla Playhouse artists, including Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Des McAnuff, director of La Jolla Playhouse’s world premiere science fiction musical, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.” Participants on the panel include: Gerald Joyce, professor in the departments of chemistry and molecular biology at The Scripps Research Institute, Thomas Albright, director of the Vision Center laboratory at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Pamela Itkin-Ansari, adjunct assistant professor at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Daniel Einhorn (moderator), medical director of Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute. Series: "La Jolla Playhouse" [Humanities] [Science] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 24355]

Modeling climate change and how fast species will have to move to endure changes in climate. Series: "UCTV Prime Cuts" [Science] [Show ID: 24608]

How the brain creates intelligence is viewed by many as the greatest scientific quest of all time. We are living at the time when rapid progress is being made and a comprehensive theory of brain function is emerging. Jeff Hawkins, an inventor, engineer, neuroscientist, author and entrepreneur, presents the big picture of what we know so far and describes recent progress in a core issue: why neurons are arranged as they are in the neocortex, how this arrangement builds models of the world, and how these models make predictions and generate actions. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Council Lectures" [Science] [Show ID: 24411]

Shashi Buluswar, the executive director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT), chats with Jeff Miller, head of Public Affairs. LIGTT’s mandate is to foster the discovery, development, and deployment of a generation of low-carbon, affordable technologies that will advance sustainable methods to fight global poverty. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Summer Series" [Science] [Show ID: 24391]

Kathy Yelick, Associate Berkeley Lab Director for Computing Sciences, an organization that advances computational science throughout lab’s research programs, chats with Jeff Miller, head of Public Affairs. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Summer Series" [Science] [Show ID: 24390]

The North Pacific gray whale has been called an "ecosystem sentinel" because it appears this species responds to large-scale environmental changes. Global climate change may ultimately make the biggest impact on these ocean giants. Join us as special guests Wayne Perryman and Dave Weller of Southwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA) discuss how novel information on gray whales is reshaping scientists' understanding of this species. Series: "Perspectives on Ocean Science" [Science] [Show ID: 24247]

Omar Yaghi, director of the Molecular Foundry, the nanoscience facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, talks with Jeff Miller, head of Public Affairs. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Summer Series" [Science] [Show ID: 24389]

In developing countries, more than 3.4 million people die each year due to water-related diseases, while the U.S. and Europe routinely face E. coli and salmonella contamination in their food supplies. In response, UCLA engineering professor Aydogan Ozcan developed the first-of-its-kind microscopy tool that enables public health workers to test for harmful bacteria in the field using only a cell phone. Series: "UCTV Prime Cuts" [Science] [Show ID: 24210]

Take a journey to two of the UC Natural Reserve Systems’ reserves in southern California, the James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve and Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center. Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 24031]

Go behind the scenes at UC San Diego as a five story mockup of a hospital, including a surgical suite, is subjected to dramatic earthquakes in order to better understand how the many complex systems within hospital buildings perform after earthquakes. Teaming up with the California Seismic Safety Commission, this UCSD-TV documentary explores the history of seismic safety for California's hospital infrastructure, and what is being done to secure its future. Series: "Earthquake and Seismology Programs" [Science] [Show ID: 21399]

From the field to the table, UC Davis researchers are on the front line of research, working to make safe, healthy and flavorful food. Hear from a family caught in the deadly 2006 E. coli outbreak, chemists working on improving the taste of food, chef Martin Yan, and California almond farmers, all benefiting from discoveries that lead to enhance the safety, quality and taste of our food supply. [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 24199]