Bytesize Science

Episode 27 – A new cheese to yak about

Mon, 14 July 2008 10:00:04 -0400

In a finding that’s sure to get cheese lovers yakking, researchers in Nepal and Canada report that cheese from the milk of yaks, a big, hairy cow-like animal, may be better for you.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by acclivity and koops.

Episode 26 – Fighting global warming — at the dinner table

Mon, 31 June 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists say that eating chicken, fish or vegetables once per week in place of red meat can help the environment.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by mich3d, suonho, kjackson, fogma and acclivity.

Episode 25 – Munch-o-matic: Scientists develop the artificial mouth

Mon, 9 June 2008 10:00:04 -0400

For years, scientists have tried to build an electronic tongue, a robot that could taste and smell food like we do. But before machines learn to taste their food, they first need to learn how to chew it. Scientists recently designed an artificial mouth that mimics the first vital steps of human digestion -- chewing, saliva release and the initial breakdown of food.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Jamius and Koops.

Episode 24 – Bacteria Vs Man! Winning the war within YOU

Mon, 2 June2008 10:00:04 -0400

For almost 70 years, doctors have given people antibiotic medicines to help people defeat invading germs, or microbes. But there is a constant tug-of-war between these microscopic monsters and people.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ljudman, Matt G and UncleSigmund.

Episode 23 – Digging beneath the Martian surface

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Earthlings are about to visit Mars again to search for traces of life. But since we can’t go in person, we are sending another robot spacecraft. Named Phoenix, the vehicle is scheduled to land on Mars on May 25 after a 420 million mile, 9-month voyage from Earth. An article on the Phoenix by Elizabeth K. Wilson appears in the May 25 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the American Chemical Society's weekly newsmagazine.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ERH, suonho, DJ Chronos, Sruddi1 and Freqman.

Episode 22 – Alligator blood puts the bite on germs

Mon, 28 April 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists are working on ways of using gator blood to put the bite on germs that make cuts get infected and turn red and puffy with pus and pain.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by smcameron, hazure, thanvannispen, acclivity and Koops.

Episode 21 – Electric shocks can help plants boost production of useful chemicals

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Now for some shocking news about plants: Scientists in Arizona report that exposing plants to low doses of electricity can boost levels of useful plant chemicals. Their finding could lead to cheaper and faster ways to produce useful plant-based materials such as medicines and pesticides.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes electricity sounds by Halleck, apple crunch by Koops, farm sounds by acclivity, buzzing fly by galeku, laser sound by inferno and applause by SandyRB.

Episode 20 – The e-Nose: Scientists try to develop an electronic sniffer

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:00:04 -0400

For almost 25 years, chemists and other scientists have tried to build an electronic nose that can take a whiff of the air, food or other objects and say whether the odor is nasty or nice.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes factory sounds by kokuya, dog bark by mich3d and electricity sound by Halleck

Episode 19 – An egg-straordinary discovery to help kids with egg allergy

Tue, 3 Mar 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Have you ever heard someone say they have an allergy to eggs? Thousands of children and adults cannot eat that egg-straordinary food. Thankfully, chemists in Germany and Switzerland now are reporting some good news for the egg-allergic.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes chicken sound by mich3d, cricket sounds by reinsamba, scream sound by cdrk and stomach gurgle by nannygrimshaw.

Episode 18 – A Recipe for the Pitcher Plant’s Chemical Concoction

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:00:04 -0400

For more than 100 years, scientists have tried to discover the full chemical recipe for the pitcher plant’s digestive juices. Now two Japanese scientists have finally figured out this complex cocktail of digestive juices.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes zoo noises by freesound, fly audio by galeku and dobroide, splash by junggle, gurgle by Halion and bubbles by suonho.

Episode 17 – Rice that 'Snaps, Crackles and Pops' with Protein

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Researchers have created a new blend, or hybrid, of rice by mixing a common species with a wild one. The result is high in protein and might help feed millions of poor and malnourished people around the world.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes crowd sounds by Freqman, pop sound by Traveler and applause sounds by SandyRB.

Episode 16 – New ingredients may keep us screaming for ice cream

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists in Wisconsin have discovered an ingredient that prevents the formation of ice crystals that can spoil the smooth, silky texture of ice cream and other frozen foods. The substance, which acts like an antifreeze, is non-toxic and doesn’t change the taste of foods, the researchers say.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes yeah kids sound by Totya, scream by thanvannispen, applause sounds by SandyRB.

Episode 15 – Celebrating African-American Chemists

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 10:00:04 -0400

Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the contributions of African American scientists. So this week, we turn our focus on how their amazing work has improved peoples’ lives throughout history.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes chip crunch by FreqMan, truck backup sound by Corsica_S, gas stove audio by WIM, buzzing fly by dobroide, yeah kids sound by Totya.

Episode 14 – The mystery of shining fish solved at last!

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:00:04 -0400

The bright, reflective shine of fish skin is a source of endless fascination for fishermen and aquarium owners. But what gives these swimmers their striking appearance?

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Chill by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes coin drop by seejacksurf, wind chimes by acclivity, seagull audio by hazure, harp sound by zerolagtime, underwater sounds by suonho, laser by inferno and gasp by freqman.

Episode 13 – The secret jungles of ancient France

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:00:04 -0400

It seems unlikely, but scientists have discovered evidence that France may have been a hot, wet tropical rainforest 55 million years ago!

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Sancho Panza gets a Latte and Whimsy Groove by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes needle skip and gasps by Freqman, rainforest ambient sounds by reinsamba and dinosaur roar by acclivity.

Episode 12 – Germ chat: Learning the language of bacteria

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists are beginning to decode the secret chemical language that bacteria use to chat. This discovery could lead to new treatments for bacteria that shrug off existing medicine. Every year, these so-called 'superbugs' make more than 90,000 people in the United States very, very sick.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Highlights reel by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes ticking clock sound by acclivity, bell toll by dobroide and party sounds by Freqman.

Episode 11 – The water strider's amazing belly flop

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists in Korea have solved a big mystery about the water strider: How on Earth does this bug manage to leap onto the water without sinking?

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Cherry Blossom by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes pool splash by patchen, slap sound by scarbelly25, pained grunt by Sruddi1, underwater sounds by suonho, rowing sounds by hazure, bounce audio by FranciscoPadilla, water drop sound by junggle, camera shutter sound by Heigh-hoo, robot noise by Harri and racecar sound by prosounder.

Episode 10 – Good news about bad breath

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists have discovered a new weapon in the battle against bad breath: chewing gum or mints made with from material found in the bark of the sweet magnolia tree.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; song entitled Plain Loafer by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes ship sound by milo, toilet flush by megamart, toothbrush sound by samplecat, yeah vocals by totya and scream by thanvannispen.

Episode 9 – "Bald" Peanuts

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Boiled peanuts: the science of South Carolina’s official snack food.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes boiling sound by Dobroide, “woohoo” vocal by UncleSigmund and “eating chips” sound by FreqMan.

Episode 8 – Dragon's Blood

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Dragon's blood may sound like part of a magic potion that is used to fend off enemies in an epic battle. It actually is a bright red plant sap that has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine.

Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Noble Race by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes dinosaur roar by acclivity, scream sound by cdrk, harp audio by zerolagtime, violin sound by dobroide, balloon inflation and deflation sounds by Halleck, stomach gurgle by nannygrimshaw and toothbrush sound by samplecat.

Episode 7 – Underwater camouflage secrets

Wed, 13 Nov 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Scientists in Massachusetts learn the sneaky secrets of cephalopods, nature's ultimate camouflage artists.

Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; scheming weasel by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes pool splash sound by patchen, underwater sounds by suonho, squish sound by Jamius and balloon inflation sound by Percy Duke.

Episode 6 - Chocoholic science

Wed, 05 Nov 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Some stomachs simply cannot get enough of one sweet treat; chocolate. Find out why!

Intro theme by Adam Dylewski; Dvorak Polka by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes kiss sound by roscoetoon, burp sound by jppi_Stu, male scream by thanvannispen, gurgling stomach sound by nannygrimshaw and brute vocal by Xythe.

Episode 5 - Carbon dioxide vacuum slurps up air pollution

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:00:04 -0400

Thanks to a new gadget that gulps pollution right out of the air, scientists may be able to reduce the environmental damage caused by the hundreds of millions of cars worldwide.

Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Lasting Hope and Space Explorers music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes slurping sound by FranciscoPadilla, car ignition and horn sounds by Han1, single cough sound by zippi1, group cough sounds by Leady, gas stove sound by WIM, water drop sound by junggle, pool splash sound by patchen, brute vocal by Xythe and vacuum sound by tweeterdj.

Episode 4 - A hair-raising discovery about hairy roots

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:00:03 -0400

Sci-fi movies and comic books are not the only place you can find “hair-raising” mutants with super-powers. With the help of some special bacteria, scientists are giving plants mutant roots with abilities that may one day make super-heros turn green with envy. These roots may become biofactories — natural factories that churn out fuels, food flavorings, and even medicine.

Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; The Way Out music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes male scream by thanvannispen, factory sounds by kokuya, car ignition sound by Han1, underwater sounds by suonho and applause sounds by SandyRB.

Episode 3 - A new spin on used CDs and DVDs

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:00:02 -0400

The next time you rip a CD onto that shiny new iPod or cozy up with a DVD movie, give this some thought: Scientists have found a surprising new job for compact discs and players. Those silvery wafers of plastic may be taking a spin in a laboratory near you!

Intro theme by Adam Dylewski; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes ripping sound by batchku, music by bebeto, pop sound by anbo, buzzing sound by swuing, record scratch by jungle, laser sound by inferno and wooping vocal by UncleSigmund.

Episode 2 - Three nutritional cheers for a healthier cassava

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:00:01 -0400

Scientists find a way to make a tasty African veggie called cassava more healthy.

Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; “Whimsy Groove” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes crowd sounds by SandyRB.

Episode 1 - Water pollution threatens Shamu's wild brothers and sisters

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:00:00 -0400

Shows at family adventure parks featuring Shamu — an orca or killer whale — have made these gigantic mammals one of the most famous marine animals. Shamu’s wild brothers and sisters, however, face many threats to their survival in the open ocean.

Intro theme by Adam Dylewski; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes shore sounds by Volivieri, ambient music by Genghis Attenborough, foghorn sound by Kathol and seagull sounds by Hazure.