Category: Science

That's One Smart Puppy!

8232Hey! Do you want to know what causes magnetism, have a real sense of how small atoms are, or see that sometimes physics allows things that, well, seem like magic?

Or, do you just want to watch cute puppies and kitties?

Well, now you can have both!

Smart Puppy and Friends is a new series of short science videos for kids. (Hey, we’re all a kid inside somewhere, right?) With support from both the American Physical Society and the Materials Research Society, the wacky duo at Not Too Serious Labs decided to turn science educa – er, I mean science entertainment on its head to bring physics and materials concepts like magnetism and quantum tunneling to unsuspecting internet visitors in search of cute animal tricks.

What? That’s cheating you say!? You bet! People looking for physics can find physics online — a lot of it. But people not looking for physics? Well, we don’t want anyone to miss out. So we’re putting a friendly, lovable and entertaining face on the sometimes intimidating subjects of physics and science in general. Who doesn’t like the antics of a cute puppy or kitten? And when it’s a lovable puppy and kittens that talk, the kid in all of us responds. Khan Academy it’s not – there are no long lessons. But you will still learn something… and you won’t even know that you did!

Watch Smart Puppy and Friends today!

If you like this, you may also like When Things Get Small from Not Too Serious Labs.

Genome: Unlocking Life's Code

8232Have you ever wondered where your eye color comes from, or why a certain disease runs in your family? As DNA sequencing becomes more common, you may soon have the opportunity to learn how your genomic makeup contributes to your traits and to your health.

New discoveries in genomic medicine are being made every day. Not only have researchers identified thousands of genetic variants that cause or contribute to common and rare diseases, they’ve also found some that can protect you from disease.

In this UCSD-TV presentation, Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code, Dr. Eric Green, the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute offers an update on the human genome and medical genomics; Dr. Gary Firestein, director of UC San Diego’s Clinical and Translational Research Institute explains how we are more than our genes; and Dr. Razelle Kurzrock, the director of the Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy at the Moores Cancer Center looks ahead to the future of genomics and cancer medicine. This program is presented by the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology in San Diego.

Watch Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code.

How Does an El Niño Affect California?

8232Mola-Mola in Valdez Alaska? Striped Marlin off Oregon?

On one hand, an El Niño event may bring torrential rains, flooding, mudslides, huge pacific storms and coastal erosion.

On the other, it warms the ocean, generates big surf, saves on heating costs, and increases surplus water supplies.

Is it all bad?

Renowned El Niño prediction expert David Pierce explains the conditions that predict an El Nino event, what we can do to prepare for one, and if one is coming our way.

Watch How Does an El Niño Affect California?

Sharks Without Borders: A Binational Effort to Study and Conserve Threatened Shark Species

8232Sharks have been around, essentially unchanged, for 400 million years. Their size, power, and massive jaws fill us with terror and fascination. And even though sharks kill fewer people than dogs each year, media coverage and movies of shark attacks have portrayed them as insatiable killing machines.

They may rule the ocean, but sharks are vulnerable. They grow slowly, produce few young, and are exceptionally susceptible to overfishing. Sharks are being depleted faster than they can reproduce. This threatens the stability of marine ecosystems around the world. A healthy and abundant ocean depends on predators like sharks keeping ecosystems balanced.

Sharks migrating between California and Baja California, Mexico, are threatened by commercial fishing activity in both countries. Join Scripps shark expert Dan Cartamil as he explores the ecology and behaviors of these fascinating animals, and discusses the issues relevant to the sustainability of our local shark populations.

Watch Sharks Without Borders: A Binational Effort to Study and Conserve Threatened Shark Species.

Browse more programs in the Perspectives on Ocean Science series, taped at Birch Aquarium at Scripps since 2001.

Crustaceans: Armed and Armored!

8232Did you know that crustaceans can be as tiny as 1 millimeter or as large as 12 feet wide; can be found in the ocean, on land, or in the trees; and some can strike an opponent as fast as a 22-caliber bullet and produce heat almost as hot as the sun?

Welcome to the amazing world of Crustaceans!

These armed and armored animals have strong, light-weight exoskeletons that have inspired the structure of safety helmets and the bodies of automobiles. The Mantis shrimp can stun its prey with “smashers” that move as fast as 20 meters per second in water and have been known to crack aquarium glass. And if you’ve ever been pinched by your pet hermit crab, you know these guys can take care of themselves.

Yet these hardened, diverse creatures have a soft side, too. Crustaceans continuously grow and shed their exoskeletons in a process called molting. During this time they are extremely vulnerable and utilize a completely different type of skeletal support system that uses water or air to move their bodies – making them more like worms, sea anemones, and even balloons, than armed warriors.

Watch this fascinating program with Scripps Oceanography marine biologist Jennifer Taylor as she describes research on crustacean biomechanics and tells us how 500 million years of evolution has shaped crustaceans into the remarkable array of animals we see on Earth today.

Armed and Armored: The Amazing Evolutionary Story of Crustaceans.