Science Friday > Archives > 2004 > December
> December 17,
2004:
Hour One: News Roundup: Ice Cores / Heart Treatment / Teaching Math
While you've been hurrying about on holiday errands, the world of science has been busy too. In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at three stories, looking at the environment, health, and education.
First, we'll check in with a glaciologist about what ice cores taken from glaciers around the world can tell us about climate change today. Speaking this week at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Lonnie Thompson discussed finding 5000 year old plants embedded in deep ice cores -- a sign, he says, that the climate may have changed rapidly around that time. We'll talk with him about his research, and the implications it may have for modern climate research.
Then, we'll turn our attention to new medical research, and efforts to heal damaged heart tissue with an infusion of stem cells. Researchers at Johns Hopkins report that they've had luck in isolating and growing adult stem cells taken from tissue samples, and may be able to use those cells to help generate new tissue to heal the heart after an attack.
Finally, we'll look at methods of math education in the US. Recently released surveys of math and science education around the world put US students far from the top in performance. Could a different method of teaching math -- like the one used in Singapore -- help? We'll talk about it. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern).
Guests:
Lonnie Thompson
Professor, Department of
Geological Sciences
Senior Research Scientist, Byrd
Polar Research Center
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
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Eduardo Marban, MD, PhD
Chief of Cardiology
Michel Mirowski Professor in Cardiology
Director, The Donald W. Reynolds
Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center
Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
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Robyn Silbey
Member, National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics
Math Content Coach
Montgomery County Public Schools
Rockville, Maryland
This segment produced by Karin Vergoth
Archived Audio:
glaciers
listen
in RealAudio format
listen
in Windows Media format
heart
listen
in RealAudio format
listen
in Windows Media format
math
listen
in RealAudio format
listen
in Windows Media format
streaming audio help
from NPR
Related Links:
AGU
. American Geophysical Union. Earth - Oceans - Atmosphere ...
CNN/TIME
- America's Best - Deciphering the Ice
National
Geographic Adventure Mag.: Glaciologist Lonnie Thompson on Alaska's Bona-Churchill
Glacier
Sigma
Xi: The Scientific Research Society: Lonnie Thompson and Ellen Mosley-Thompson
Trends
in International Mathematics and Science Study
Program
for International Student Assessment (PISA)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Singapore Math
Scientists
try to heal heart with stem cells
Books/Articles Discussed:
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