Physics
KQED Science
Hypothesis: Our Solar System Lacks ‘Super-Earths’ Because Jupiter Wrecked Them All
It turns out our solar system is weird: it doesn't have any rocky "super-Earths" orbiting closer to the sun than Mercury. Here's one theory as to why: like Miley Cyrus, Jupiter came in like a wrecking ball and smashed any nascent terrestrial planets just as the solar system was forming.
KQED Science
NASA’s Kepler Mission Reincarnated
Space exploration has suffered its share of setbacks and disappointments over the decades, but few of them stung as much as the 2013 mechanical failure of the Kepler spacecraft, a space telescope designed to accomplish one of the most exciting explorations of space ever: the search for potentially Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.
KQED Science
How Electric Light Changed the Night
Artificial light makes the modern world possible. But not all kinds of light are good for us. Electric light has fundamentally altered our lives, our bodies and the very nature of our sleep.
KQED Science
What Gives the Morpho Butterfly Its Magnificent Blue?
What does it mean to be blue? The wings of a Morpho butterfly are some of the most brilliant structures in nature, and yet they contain no blue pigment -- they harness the physics of light at the nanoscale.
KQED News
Where's Philae? Space Agency Narrows Search Area for Lost Comet Lander
Philae made a thud, bounced, and hasn't been seen since by the Rosetta mother ship.
KQED Science
Finding Faults: Scientists Close in on Napa Quake Origins
The South Napa Earthquake revealed how much we've yet to learn about seismic faults in the Napa Valley.
KQED Science
Environmentalists Sue Over Crude-by-Rail Safety
The environmental group Earthjustice is suing the U.S. Department of Transportation over the safety of the rail cars used to carry crude oil to California and around the country.
KQED Science
El Niño Fizzle: No Relief Likely for California Drought
Odds of a strong pattern of warm Pacific waters forming in time to bring winter rains are diminishing.
KQED Science
Fukushima Radiation: None Detected Yet on California Coast
Radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has not reached the California coastline. Scientists monitoring kelp forests on the West Coast announced their results on Wednesday.
KQED Science
This Week’s Cosmic Inflation Discovery: Five Big Questions Answered
Chances are you read a headline about the Big Bang earlier this week. Perhaps you clicked to an article about it and started reading up. But you may still have some burning what-is-this-Big-Bang-news-anyway questions.
KQED Science
Stanford Scientists Celebrate Evidence of Universe’s Early Growth
In one of the first tiny fractions of an instant after the Big Bang, the Universe expanded explosively, faster than the speed of light. That exponential expansion of, well, everything, is described by the theory of inflation, which may now be confirmed.
KQED Science
One Step Closer to Nuclear Fusion Reactions
Physicists at Lawrence Livermore National Lab's National Ignition Facility said they've taken a significant step toward achieving nuclear fusion ignition.
KQED Science
Mavericks Surf Competition Is Friday; How and Where to Watch
Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on Half Moon Bay to watch the big wave surf contest, but the beach and cliffs are off-limits to spectators. If you want to watch the competition, your options are on TV, online or at a festival near the beach.
KQED Science
Stunning Fish Skeletons Serve Science and Art
Cleared and stained skeletons are strikingly beautiful. But not many people outside the lab would ever know it—until now. "Cleared" is an exhibit of stained fish skeletons currently on display at the Seattle Aquarium, prepared and photographed by Adam P. Summers. Recently, Summers and his colleagues used a cleared and stained manta ray to discover how these curiously flat fish filter food out of the water.
KQED Science
Our Ten Favorite Science Sounds of 2013
From whales and elephant seals to brain music and killer electrons, our best sounds of the year.
KQED Science
Our Top Science Stories from 2013
From the debut of the world's largest solar plant to Comet ISON, zombified bees to the physics of sailing — it's been another year of diverse storytelling from the KQED Science team. Here's a round-up of our top 10 stories (based on page views) that you've enjoyed in 2013.
KQED Science
Why Does a Curveball Curve?
With the World Series in full swing, most Americans would probably say they know the basic rules of baseball: the pitcher throws it, the batter hits it, three strikes and you’re out. But underneath it all, the rules that truly govern this game are the laws of physics. “When you go to a ballgame you’re […]
KQED Science
What Makes ‘Sneaker Waves’ so Sneaky — and Dangerous
These insidious waves often seem to come out of nowhere and claim lives -- even on calm, sunny days. But how?
KQED Science
How Do These Boats Sail Faster Than the Wind?
It isn’t magic; it’s just physics. And it’s an idea as simple as rocket science, which in this case really breaks down to what you learned from riding a bike.
KQED Science
Stanford X-Rays Bring a 200-Year-Old Opera Back to Life
According to legend, Cherubini's 18th-century opera Medea dragged on a bit. Maybe that's why Cherubini, or someone, used charcoal to scratch out a page and a half of the score.
