Noise--it's all around us, whether it's the wind in the willows or the whine of your neighbor's lawn mower. Is it all an irritation--or can some of it be useful? In this hour, Ira talks with electrical engineer and writer Bart Kosko about noise. Kosko says it's not all bad, and could even help make you smarter. We'll talk about how noise can help with tasks such as signal processing.

Plus, fish with both male and female sex traits have been pulled from the Potomac. We'll talk with a biologist about the discovery of these 'intersex' fish, and whether their discovery bodes ill for water quality.

We'll also talk about the first sequenced genome of a tree related to the poplar. Though scientists have sequenced other plant genomes, such as rice and arabidopsis, this is the first published genome of a big, woody, long-lived tree. Researchers think the finding could be a new milestone in the push for biofuels. We'll find out more. 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:
Vicky Blazer
Fish Pathologist
United States Geological Survey
Leetown, West Virginia

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Gerald Tuskan
Plant Geneticist
Environmental Sciences Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Bart Kosko
Author, "Noise" (Viking Adult, 2006)
Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering--Systems
Signal and Image Processing Institute
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Noise," by Bart Kosko. Viking Adult, 2006.

"The Genome of Black Cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray)," by G.A. Tuskan et al. Science, September 15 2006.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Annette Heist