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Sunscreen / Earthquakes / Einstein and Relativity

Five moderate-to-strong earthquakes struck last week in California, including one quake that triggered tsunami warnings for the west coast. Could the cluster of quakes, ranging in strength from 4.9 to 7.2 on the Richter scale, be a harbinger of the Big One? Join Ira and guests in this hour of Science Friday for a look at the recent quake cluster. We'll also talk about new studies of another earthquake-prone area -- New Madrid, near Memphis, Tennessee. Even though the zone is far from the plate boundaries usually associated with strong quakes, the New Madrid zone has had more than its share of impressive quakes. New data based on years of GPS measurements may give scientists more information. Plus, an online 'earthquake forecast' map for the next 24 hours -- how do they do it? We'll try to find out.

We'll also look at sun exposure and summer skin care. How do sunscreens work? How can they be made to work better? And why is it that some of the more effective sunscreens aren't available in this country?

Plus, the one-hundredth anniversary of Einstein's relativity paper. On June 30, 1905, Albert Einstein submitted a paper entitled "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies," which introduced the ideas that would become known as the special theory of relativity. We'll talk about the paper, and its effects on the world of physics. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Cheryl Rosen
Head, Division of Dermatology
Toronto Western Hospital
Chair, Ontario Sun Safety Working Group
Chair, National Sun Safety Committee
Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario Canada

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Michael Ellis
Professor of Geology, Center for Earthquake Research and Information
The University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Program Director, Geomorphology and Land Use Dynamics
National Science Foundation
Arlington, Virginia

Ross Stein
Geophysicist
U.S. Geological Survey
Menlo Park, California

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David Kaiser
Associate Professor of the History of Science
Program in Science, Technology & Society
Lecturer, Department of Physics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth