"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation

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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation

We are offering produced 90-second "Discovery Files" audio vignettes from the National Science Foundation (NSF); each segment is available as 320 kbps stereo MP3. The segments are also available via an RSS feed on the NSF site. (Last updated on Thursday, February 2nd.)

"Mutation Revelation"

Researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves--which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. (Posted on February 2nd.)

"Evacuation Evaluation"

An NSF-sponsored study in Chicago-area communities where neighborhood evacuations are likely due to large amounts of toxic materials that are transported nearby found that most respondents felt that the evacuation of New Orleans residents to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina was a "failure"--and that this opinion has shaped their willingness to accept shelter, if offered, in an emergency evacuation. (Posted on January 25th.)

"Bug Juice"

A group of researchers at Case Western Reserve University report that an insect's internal chemicals can be converted to electricity--potentially providing power for sensors or recording devices, or even to control the bug itself. (Posted on January 16th.)

"Brain Train"

For the first time, scientists at the University of Southern California have unlocked a mechanism behind the way that short- and long-term motor memory both work together and compete against one another. The research could potentially pave the way to more-effective rehabilitation for stroke patients. (Posted on January 16th.)

"Health-Poor"

Low-income women with children who move from high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhoods experience notable, long-term improvements in some aspects of their health--specifically, reductions in diabetes and extreme obesity--according to a study led by the University of Chicago. (Posted on January 5th.)

"Flood Plan"

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, and The University of Nottingham have discovered how plants sense low oxygen levels to survive flooding--which could eventually lead to the production of high-yielding, flood-tolerant crops that would benefit farmers, markets, and consumers everywhere. (Posted on December 29th.)

"Mental Floss"

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to design antibodies that are aimed at combating disease. Specifically, the process was used to make antibodies that neutralize the harmful protein particles that lead to Alzheimer's disease. (Posted on December 20th.)

"Sound Mined"

A new software tool called MediaMined™ provides unprecedented searches of audio files that go beyond just keywords--because it analyzes and categorizes the actual characteristics of the sounds themselves. (Posted on December 13th.)

"Space Cadets"

Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that preschool children who hear their parents describe the size and shape of objects--and then use those words themselves--perform better on tests of their spatial skills. The study is the first to show that learning to use a wide range of spatial words predicts children's later spatial thinking--which, in turn, is important in mathematics, science, and technology. (Posted on December 4th.)

"Raw Data"

A first-of-its-kind study from Harvard shows that cooked meat provides more energy than raw meat. The finding may challenge the current food-labeling system--and suggests that humans are evolutionarily adapted to take advantage of the benefits of cooking. (Posted on November 26th.)

"Juicy Details"

A new study from researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute shows that cranberry juice is better than extracts at fighting urinary-tract infections. (Posted on November 14th.)

"Mind Control"

Scientists have created an EEG-based, noninvasive brain-computer interface that allows users to control a virtual helicopter using only their minds. (Posted on November 8th.)

"Defect Detect"

A decade-long study by a team of U.S. and Chinese researchers is one of the first to provide hard evidence that certain environmental pollutants are indeed linked to birth defects. (Posted on November 5th.)

"New Breed"

Cassava, banana, and plantain--staple foods for millions of the world's poorest people--are notoriously difficult to breed. But, an international team of scientists aims to change that--using a revolutionary new approach to plant breeding developed at the University of California, Davis. (Posted on November 5th.)

"Game Changer"

Gamers have solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme whose configuration had stumped scientists for more than a decade. The gamers achieved their discovery by playing Foldit, an online game that allows players to collaborate and compete in predicting the structure of protein molecules. (Posted on November 5th.)

"Power Nap"

Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing a new "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices that could greatly extend battery life. (Posted on November 5th.)