Science

The year 2013 is here. And during this year, astronomers will be seeing deeper into space than they ever have before.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel have been playing in the sand again--that is to say, the sands of Mars. We talk with one of the researchers about what they've discovered about the moving sand dunes of the Martian landscape
 
Then, Baltimore native Laurel Snyder talks about her novel for kids called "Bigger Than a Breadbox," about a girl who misses Charm City when her family moves away. 

This segment originally aired on May 30, 2012

Dr. Nathan Bridges of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has his head in the sand--the sands of Mars. (Well, only figuratively.)

We talk with him about his research on the shifting sands of Mars. Some scientists thought the dunes didn't shift at all --but now we know sand on Mars moves farther and faster than on Earth.

A popular American tradition before about 1900 was the Side Hunt. Hunters would traipse through the woods on Christmas day, shooting and killing whatever birds or other small animals they could find. They'd then haul everything back home to compare their kills. Bird populations suffered.

An estimated one out of every eight older Americans has Alzheimer’s Disease, a type of dementia that affects memory and cognition. There’s no proven way to prevent it, cure it, or even slow it down.

Whether it was Super Storm Sandy, the Mars landing of NASA’s Curiosity rover or the discovery of the Higgs boson, 2012 was marked by major science news. Midday science contributor John "Mad 4 Science" Monahan counts down his top 10 science stories from the year, and takes our Midday science quiz.

Brain Talk - The Science of ADHD 11/8/12

The Brain Science Institute

Brain Talk - The Science of Touch 11/1/12

The Brain Science Institute

Brain Talk - The Science of Memory 10/25/12

The Brain Science Institute

Experts in modern medicine are constantly looking for ways to improve the human condition, frequently turning to genetic medicine for answers to some of the body’s most troublesome problems. Nathaniel Comfort, associate professor at Johns Hopkins' Department of the History of Medicine, takes us through the promises of medical genetics, the medical dimension of eugenics and the moral risks of seeking human perfection. He is the author of “The Science of Human Perfection: How Genes Became the Heart of American Medicine.”