CU SCIENCE UPDATE

Seen the stars recently? We know them to be fusion reactors many light years away. But to our ancient ancestors, the stars were spirits from the heavens looking back at us. They formed patterns in the sky, conjuring images that were recognized at the time as common tools, or mythological heroes and beasties. Astronomy has come a long way since, but to marvel the mysteries of the Cosmos as it was once accepted, where all that was visible was seen to revolve around the Earth.

Mathematics is a precise language for science. But there are many people who can’t work out the numbers. The inability to reason with numbers is called Quantitative Illiteracy, or Innumeracy. People can begin to think critically of almost anything, including science news, if they can understand numbers. The United States lags behind other countries in science and math teaching. The problem is that students are taught by rote learning, where they are tested on anything they can memorize. Critics say that learning by rote is not the same thing as understanding.

Innovations and scientific breakthroughs have shaped humanity’s historic landscape. Many of these breakthroughs have made possible our continued survival. We’ve seen innovations as a response to certain needs and to changes in the environment. Modern quests have led to innovations that put men on the moon in the days of the Apollo program. Today, the challenge is to find solutions in a race against climate change. Our dependence on fossil fuels has released more carbon dioxide than ever, trapping the sun’s heat, which can have dire consequences on seasonal precipitation levels affecting our agriculture and economies.

Despite remarkable technological advances in medicine, there is a great need to devise new models for delivering healthcare. The challenge is to get doctors and patients to come together, to sift through all the complex information and come up with an understanding of the medical condition. This understanding will help the patient know what contributes to a disease such as lifestyle, genetics and environment, and will make it possible for them to research their condition and be better prepared to confront it.

When it comes to getting science information, the general public usually gets it from third party sources, such as television, newspapers, radio or the Internet. However, third party information is often susceptible to bias and misinformation. It would be ideal if the public can get their information from the primary source – the scientists themselves. But for the information to be accessible to a layman audience, scientists must be able to communicate their research plainly.

Some of the most interesting and challenging stories for journalists happens when they cover science. But with the economic downturn in newsrooms, science coverage has been considered expendable and the first to end up on the cutting block. Fortunately, many veteran science writers who have left traditional media found new opportunities in the world of science blogging.

It is the ultimate question, asking whether there is life out there in the Cosmos, and to know that we’re not the only kids on the block. Scientific efforts are underway to detect signs of extraterrestrial life, including intelligent life capable of sending and receiving radio signals. The mission of the SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is to explore and understand the nature of life in the Universe.

This is the first show in our series of interviews with participants from CU Boulder’s 63rd annual Conference on World Affairs. Jeff Lieberman is an artist, musician and roboticist who has explored the connections between the arts, sciences education, passion, creativity and the potential future of human consciousness. He was also host of Time Warp, the Discovery Channel series that used slow-motion video technology to see beyond the limits of human perception. His technological sculptures have been on display around the world, including Absolut Quartet and Cyberflora. Jeff has BS degrees in both physics and math and MS degrees in mechanical engineering and in media art and sciences. He joins us in our studio with correspondent Priscilla Carlson.

Hosted by CU graduate student, Stephanie Robinson.

Since its discovery in 1930, Pluto has always occupied a special place in our hearts as the ninth planet in the Solar System. But recent discoveries of new objects in the Sun’s neighbourhood have called into question the definition of a planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union established new criteria to define planets and, sadly, Pluto no longer ranked with the big boys. Instead, it was reclassified a dwarf planet, which sparked heated debates and protests among those striving to restore Pluto’s “planet-hood.”

As human populations grow, so do their influence on the oceans. In our cultural history, the ocean exerts a mighty force on our collective imaginations, a source of destructive power to be feared and respected. However, the oceans probably have more to fear from us.

Rapid climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is overwhelming ocean ecosystems, reducing their ability to support life and regulate the weather. Researchers at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences have been developing tools to forecast changes in ocean temperatures.