Science Underground: Recent Episodes
Ainissa Ramirez of Science Underground
Science Underground is a two-minute podcast hosted by TED speaker and scientist Ainissa Ramirez. By the time you sip your coffee or eat your cereal, Science Underground explains a science topic in a fun and understandable way. The show explores a range of topics—some that are pulled right from the headlines, others are topics you’ve been wanting to know. Ainissa interviews tops scientists and translates their work in everyday language--arming you with science nuggets for the next lunch table chat, water cooler klatch, or cocktail party. Each week there is a separate topic that can be listened to before class or when you have a brief moment to spare. The ideas will give you much to think about long after the podcast is over. New episodes are released on Sunday mornings. (Many topics align with NGSS.)
The fog on your mirror after you shower can be prevented with a little dab of science. Find out how in just two minutes.
Our ancestors used to sleep differently. If you looked back you would see them sleep in two parts. The inventions of the light bulb and the clock changed this old way of sleeping.
The way to make pure silicon chips was discovered when a chemist accidentally dipped his fountain pen into a crucible of molten tin instead of his inkwell.
Deep in your watch is a small piece of quartz, which creates your clock's ticks and tocks.
In the late 19th century, there was a woman in London name Ruth Beliville who sold time.
Fireworks are a display of color and chemistry. Everyone loves fireworks, especially astronomers. Find out why.
Fireflies light up the summertime night, but the glowing molecules inside them are also used by scientists to make new drugs.
Lots of technologies on Star Trek have become a reality. But what is missing is the transporter. Lawrence Krauss, physicist and author, sheds some light on the possibilities.
Ketchup takes a long time to come out of the bottle. Fortunately, science has a few answers for how to help ketchup hurry up.
Honeybees are turning into zombie bees after a small fly injects a parasite into them. Scientists are asking everyone to report weird bees at zombeewatch.org.
In the future, you will be able to download data from your shirt, which has electronics embedded in the fabric.
When lightning bolts zap iron minerals they make magnets called lodestones. NASA scientists coax bolts to strike rocks using a trick from Ben Franklin.
There are special cameras, called thermal cameras, that can detect heat. These cameras are the first defense against threats and diseases.
Twenty years ago, there were a billion monarch butterflies. Now, there are less than 10 percent of them left. Their disappearance is linked to a weed.
Scientists can now grow beef outside of the cow. In the not-so-distant future, you might get your burger from a beaker.
Imagine if we could talk to the animals. To do so, we will have to think about time differently.
Seeds that are buried deep in the soil need to figure out which way their roots and stem should go. Ends up they have special cells to tell them what's up.
Deep in your ink jet printer are millions of explosions, which cause bubbles that help you print.
Astronauts wear special suits so that they can work many hours in space. Find out about a special accessory they wear, which is very useful if they drank too much Tang in the morning.
Scientists have made invisibility cloaks in the laboratory. What does it take to make something invisible? A bit of brain trickery.
Pi is the mysterious number of 3.14 that keeps our appliances running, our GPS going, and our clocks ticking. This number is pretty sweet.
We keep time by measuring repeating patterns, like a swinging pendulum or the earth's rotation. But, the best way to measure time is with atoms inside atomic clocks.
In the 1700s, a scientist was dissecting frogs and found the legs twitched when touched with his tools. This freaky experiment allows us to make golden statues and get power from batteries.
To send messages over long distances, the ancients used a drum. Recently, scientists have discovered how drum beats travel for miles with the help of the surface of the Nile.
Chocolate is tasty chemistry. What takes weeks to prepare, takes moments to enjoy. The steps from tree to your tongue are described.
Concussions seem to be in the news lately. A leading expert explains what is going on in the brain during a concussion.
The design of the high heel shoe is over a century old. However, there are new materials and modern technologies that can make shoes more comfortable. Fashion engineers are on a mission to rescue hurting feet.
Water is clear, but snow is white. Light dances on the snowflake edges creating this white color.
Cold dry air from Canada traveling over clear lakes are the ingredients for a miserable winter.
The Gateway Arch is a beautiful example of the marriage between materials and mathematics. The secret behind this monument's longevity is revealed.
Our waistlines are increasing partly because of our modern diet, but also because of our Stone Age bodies. Back then, food was rare. Now? Not so much.
LEDs are small lights that come from a material that is under your feet at the beach--sand. The uses of LEDs are almost as numerous as the grains of sand that make them.
Snowflakes have six sides. The answer to why can be found in your local supermarket in a stack of oranges.
Boston University's Dr. Robert Stern tells us about a brain disease that has been in the news recently -- CTE.
Snowflakes have six sides. The answer to why can be found in your local supermarket in a stack of oranges.
Origami is the ancient art of paper folding. Today, origami can be seen in pizza boxes and fancy napkins, but it can also save your life in a car accident.
The colors we see in a chameleon's skin is not really what it seems. Their skin is playing with light in the same way soap bubbles do.
Sitting in a hot car is the same thing that is happening to the earth. Molecules are trapping heat and warming the planet. If we all work together we can stop this trend.
While we think the tongue is responsible for taste, actually the nose has a nose for it. Food without your nose would be pretty boring.
Soap bubbles are not just for kids. Foams can help you from spilling your coffee and can help scientists understand the origin of our solar system.
There are 2 billion tires sold every year and each takes several gallons of oil to make it. Scientists have found an unusual source of natural rubber that is hidden in your salad.
The secret for how leaves change color is uncovered. Find out how yellow and orange colors are made and how they are made differently from the reds and the purple colors. The best tree to see in the fall is also revealed.
NFL legend Jerry Rice discovered something that perplexes rocket scientists. The football looks different if thrown by a left-handed or right-handed quarterback and will drift off its target. The reason? The spin.
The host of Science Underground invites you to explore the wonders of the world and to get back in touch with your inner scientist. Welcome the the Underground ... Science Underground.