Thomas Edison's patent drawing for an improvement in electric lamps, patented January 27, 1880. Credit: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office; Record Group 241; National Archives.

While politicians debate over whether it's right to require vaccination for the human papillomavirus (HPV), researchers continue to investigate the effectiveness of the vaccine and whether it can truly reduce the incidence of certain cancers. Join Ira and guests in this hour for a look at the latest in HPV research.

We'll also take a look at wildfires around the country, and talk about how best to help an ecosystem recover after a fire. Should it be left alone, or replanted? What species should be reintroduced to a devastated area?

And are you ready to outfit your whole house with those curly compact fluorescent bulbs? What about LEDs? Ira looks at how engineers are working to build a better lightbulb.

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:
James Colgrove
Author, "State of Immunity: The Politics of Vaccination in Twentieth-Century America" (University of California Press, 2006)
Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences
Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
New York, New York

************

Russell Leslie
Professor and Associate Director, Lighting Research Center
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, New York

***********

Jon E. Keeley
Adjunct Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Research Scientist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Sequoia National Park
Three Rivers, California

Kevin M. Robertson
Fire Ecology Research Scientist
Tall Timbers Research Station
Tallahassee, Florida

Books/Articles Discussed:

"State of Immunity: The Politics of Vaccination in Twentieth-Century America" by James Colgrove. University of California Press, 2006.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

Search by keywords:

This segment produced by Annette Heist