11:52
Ben Franklin: Sonic Explorer
Ben Franklin’s sonic experiments included inventing a new musical instrument and testing the limits of the human voice.
17:43
Do Your Patriotic Duty: Learn Math
Mathematician Edward Frenkel says a well-educated public is essential to democracy—and that includes being knowledgeable about math.
15:47
Meet the Mohawk Behind NASA’s Curiosity Mission
NASA’s “Mohawk Man,” Bobak Ferdowsi, talks public and private space exploration, plans for Europa, and whether or not we’ll be putting a human on Mars.
17:28
How New Rules and Smart Tech Are Reinventing the Grid
After Superstorm Sandy, there was a lot of talk of a more distributed smart grid—a more resilient system. But how far have we come?
Sock Puppets on Steroids: The Internet’s Fake Personalities
An excerpt from “Virtual Unreality: Just Because The Internet Told You, How Do You Know It’s True?”
The Chemistry Behind How Fireworks Get Their Colors
Investigate what colors metal salts can make as you burn them and discover how chemical reactions make brilliant fireworks colors.
Physics Secrets for Hula Hooping
In this activity from Science Buddies, kids will create their own hula hoops and investigate how the hoops’ masses affect how they spin. Which do you think will spin better, a heavy hoop or a lighter one?
29:38
Reinventing How City Dwellers Get Around
Portland, Oregon, is a hotbed for transit innovation. Will other cities catch on?
16:13
What Happens After the Robot Apocalypse?
In “Robogenesis,” sci-fi author Daniel H. Wilson imagines the world post-robot uprising.
How Tails Help a Kite to Fly
In this activity from Science Buddies, you will experiment with how a kite’s tail affects how it flies.