Science (Audio)

In a public talk in front of the Great Pyramid of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza, Berkeley Lab's Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist George Smoot discusses the remarkable precision that ancient Mayan astronomers achieved solely with the naked eye and comments on the significance of the approaching end of the current World Age of the 5,000-year-long Mayan Long-Count Calendar, due to conclude on the 2012 winter solstice. No, the end of the world is not at hand, Smoot says, but it's true that we're undergoing a fantastic transition in cosmology. The Mayan view of the universe was based on the sun and moon, a handful of planets, and a couple of thousand stars. Ours is an evolving cosmos reaching back over 13 billion years, based on a cornucopia of data accumulating almost daily and including hundreds of billions of galaxies. [Science] [Show ID: 23616]

With the apparent end of the Kyoto Protocol era at hand, the role of market forces to drive emission mitigation is entering an uncertain era. Marc Stuart, Founding Partner at Allotrope Partners, discusses what Kyoto accomplished and the lessons to be learned as we move to Carbon 2.0. [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 23614]

Matthew Herbst addresses what it means to be human from an ancient Christian perspective. This lecture is part of the “To Be Human” series presented by the Making of the Modern World program at Eleanor Roosevelt College at UC San Diego. Series: "To Be Human " [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23244]

Technological advancements over the last decade mean that many fish are now swimming around with their own personal computers. These new tools allow researchers to track movements and behaviors in more complex ways without ever getting wet. Join NOAA marine biologist Heidi Dewar to learn about the intriguing discoveries researchers have made and how these high-tech efforts have advanced ocean management and conservation. Series: "Perspectives on Ocean Science" [Science] [Show ID: 23110]

Too often, ethnicity and socioeconomic status affect access to medical services. A lack of scientific knowledge can impede a patient’s ability to understand and influence their healthcare. Stanley Maloy, the dean of the College of Sciences at San Diego State University, offers a path to help diverse communities understand science well enough to make informed health care choices. This lecture is part of the Henrietta Lacks series sponsored by the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology in San Diego. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 23213]

Using Hollywood movie trailers, UC Berkeley researchers have succeeded in decoding and reconstructing people's dynamic visual experiences. Series: "UCTV Prime Cuts" [Science] [Show ID: 23543]

Why are we the only two-legged creature to develop an exclusively upright gait? And what did it mean to the development of the human species? CARTA brings you foremost experts to explore the many facets of these questions in this fascinating series with presentations from Dan Lieberman, Leslie Aiello and Matt Cartmill that explore the effect of running, walking and the upright gait on hominid evolution. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 23442]

For millennia, humans have harnessed common resources — atmosphere, water, land, and biotic resources — to enrich and nurture their well-being with little regard for sustainability and stewardship of these precious resources . Dennis Ojima, Colorado State University, argues that as a result, we are now faced with serious degradation of ecosystem services. Given our current knowledge of how ecosystems operate and how human activities have altered ecosystem services, we need to develop strategies that restore these ecosystem services. These strategies can be developed to reduce catastrophic collapse of social-ecological systems in ways that enhance system resilience and lead to sustainability of ecosystem services. A select set of strategies will be explored to deal with ecosystem resilience relative to security of energy, food, and water resources. [Science] [Show ID: 23501]

James A. Lake, Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and Human Genetics, is a UCLA scientist whose research has focused on understanding molecular evolution at its earliest stage. In the course of his career, he has invented new techniques and often challenged current scientific views. This prestigious UCLA Faculty Research Lecture focuses on the changes in understanding evolution. Series: "UCLA Faculty Research Lectures" [Science] [Show ID: 23421]

Over the past twenty years, accurate measurement of the seawater carbon dioxide system has become a high priority for scientists who have worked to understand just how much of the carbon dioxide created by man’s activities has ended up in the ocean, where it is distributed, and how it has changed the chemistry of the oceans; a process known as ocean acidification. Andrew G. Dickson, Professor of Marine Chemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography UC San Diego, has been measuring carbon dioxide in seawater for over 30 years. In this two-part series, he introduces the basic chemical processes underlying the study of carbon dioxide in the oceans, and provides an overview of the experimental techniques that are in use to measure the levels of carbon dioxide in seawater indicating how a newcomer to this field might make decisions as to what research tools best suit them. Series: "Scientific Horizons " [Science] [Show ID: 23499]

Over the past twenty years, accurate measurement of the seawater carbon dioxide system has become a high priority for scientists who have worked to understand just how much of the carbon dioxide created by man’s activities has ended up in the ocean, where it is distributed, and how it has changed the chemistry of the oceans; a process known as ocean acidification. Andrew G. Dickson, Professor of Marine Chemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, has been measuring carbon dioxide in seawater for over 30 years. In this two-part series, he introduces the basic chemical processes underlying the study of carbon dioxide in the oceans, and provides an overview of the experimental techniques that are in use to measure the levels of carbon dioxide in seawater indicating how a newcomer to this field might make decisions as to what research tools best suit them. Series: "Scientific Horizons " [Science] [Show ID: 23500]

New digital technologies that are transforming the conduct of science create challenges regarding access, ownership, quality, and validation of data. Katherine Kantardjieff, the dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at CSU San Marcos, addresses technical, social and ethical implications of conducting science in the information age. This lecture is part of the Henrietta Lacks series sponsored by the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology in San Diego. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 23212]

A broad network of regional marine reserves went into effect in 2011 amid criticism that such areas do not produce a significant amount of marine life. Results from a decade-long study led by Scripps researchers show the opposite – that no-take areas can restore marine ecosystems even better than previously thought. Join lead author Octavio Aburto-Oropeza as he showcases the success of the Cabo Pulmo National Park, a thriving undersea park near the southern tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula, which has experienced a dramatic 460-percent increase in its fish population since 1999. Discover why Cabo Pulmo is such a success and how conservationists can apply lessons learned to Southern California's new marine reserves. Series: "Perspectives on Ocean Science" [Science] [Show ID: 23109]

Why are we the only two-legged creature to develop an exclusively upright gait? And what did it mean to the development of the human species? CARTA brings you foremost experts to explore the many facets of these questions in this fascinating series - starting with presentations from Steven Churchill, Jeremy DeSilva and Matt Tocheri that compare different aspects of hominid anatomy and their relation to bipedalism. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 20872]

Learn how the Advanced Light Source is improving medicine, paving the way for clean energy, changing the future of computers, and much more. Featured speakers are Berkeley Lab's Roger Falcone, Rachel Segalman, Andrew Westphal, and Stanford University's Axel Brunger. Series: "Science at the Theater" [Science] [Show ID: 23303]