Living Lab Radio: Time Change, Science Diplomacy, New Satellite And More

Tom Liberatore, a materials purchasing manager, walks past clocks being tested prior to shipping at the Electric Time Company in Medfield, Mass., Thursday, March 10, 2016.

Heather Goldstone is the science editor at WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR Station. She holds a Ph.D. in ocean science from M.I.T. and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and spent a decade as an active researcher before leaving the lab to become a writer.

November 06, 2017

Updated July 03, 2023

Nature news: This month’s check-in with Nature News covers efforts to transform the March for Science from a one-day event to a lasting movement, improvements to the CRISPR gene editing system, why mental illness isn’t weeded out by evolution, and a reconstruction of the coloration of a feathered dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx. (Guest: Anna Nagle, Chief Editor of Digital & Engagement)

New weather satellite: NASA and NOAA are teaming up to launch a new weather satellite on Friday, Nov. 10. It’s going to make it easier for meteorologists to predict extreme weather events up to seven days out. (Guest: Vanessa Griffin, NOAA’s Director of Satellite Operations)

Arctic science cooperation: The political relationship between the U.S. and Russia is tense right now, but scientific collaboration between the two countries is on the rise, particularly when it comes to the Arctic. Earlier this year, the U.S. and Russia were among the eight parties who signed the Arctic Science Agreement. And this week, the International Arctic Science Committee is meeting at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow to discuss next steps. (Guest: Paul Berkman, Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy)

Citizen scientist discovers exocomets: A very patient amateur astronomer pointed out something even computer algorithms missed — the first evidence of comets outside our solar system. All he had to do was sift through 200,000 graphs, representing some 1.2 million data points. (Guest: Andrew Vanderburg, University of Texas at Austin)

Set back by time change: Plenty of people feel jet-lagged after the time changes that mark the beginning and end of daylight saving time. For some, though, that one little hour can lead to much bigger problems. Researchers are learning that our body clocks influence everything from blood pressure to mental health. (Guest: Michael Rosbash, Brandeis University)