Aug 22

How does camouflage work?

Camouflage isn't just for chameleons! Military forces around the world deck their soldiers out in those distinctive green and brown uniforms, to give them the best chance of staying safe, and remaining undetected. But how do they work? Why do they look so different from country t ... Show More

36m 39s

Aug 15

How long does light last?

When listener Rob from Devon, UK, heard of a newly detected planet light years away, he was struck by the sheer scale the light must travel to reach us here on Earth. It got him wondering: How long does light last? What is the oldest light we have ever observed? And does light ev ... Show More

26m 29s

Aug 8

Can we stop the rain?

CrowdScience listener Rit, from Pune in India, is staring out of his window at the falling rain. It’s been pouring for four days now, and shows no sign of stopping. The laundry is piling up, all his shoes are wet, and he’s worried about the effect it’s having on the environment, ... Show More

32m 21s

Apr 2024

Is turbulence injuring more and more flyers?

After a number of incidents around the world so far this year that have left dozens of flyers needing hospital treatment, we look at how a rise in air turbulence because of global warming is leading to more and more injuries to passengers.Professor Paul Williams from the Universi ... Show More

26m 28s

Oct 2022

Odd Quirks of the Human Brain & A Peek Behind the Scenes of Air Travel

You have likely never ordered a milkshake from room service at a hotel because milkshakes are most likely not on the room service menu. Still, if a hotel has a kitchen there is a good chance they have ice cream milk and a blender which is what you need to make a milkshake. So why ... Show More

48m 43s

Nov 2023

Flying Cars & Pilotless Planes with NASA Engineer, Wendy Okolo, PhD.

How would flying on Mars be different? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen explore aeronautics, aerodynamics, airplanes and more with NASA aerospace engineer and author Wendy Okolo, PhD. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: ht ... Show More

47m 3s

May 2020

Can The Aviation Industry Afford To Keep You Safe?

The aviation industry is wrestling with ways to control the coronavirus and get people back to flying. Airports have seen a 90 percent drop in passengers since mid-March. But as states ease lockdown restrictions, more people are expected to fly. Airports today are starting to mak ... Show More

13m 51s

Mar 2023

Ep 115 Altitude Sickness: Balloons though?

In our episode on the bends, you joined us as we explored how low we can go. Now we’re back with a similar invitation: come along to learn how high we can fly (and what happens to our bodies when we get up there). In this very special episode, we examine the short-term effects an ... Show More

2h 1m

Jun 2022

What's up with airline food?

Aeroplane food doesn’t have the greatest reputation. Though it might be easy to blame an airline for serving lacklustre meals, the problem is more complex. Ruth Alexander discovers how the physics of flying wreaks havoc on our senses, the extraordinary lengths airlines have gone ... Show More

27m 56s

Jun 2022

Body scan reveals HIV's hideouts

Researchers have developed a medical imaging technique which reveals where in the body HIV lies hidden, even when people have their infection well controlled by antiviral drugs. The team at the University of California, San Francisco hope this will lead to better treatments and e ... Show More

1 h

Mar 2023

Do you know about airplanes? ✈️

Did you know? In this episode we are going to learn about airplanes. We will answer some questions that have been sent in by our listeners and we are also going to look at the four principles that allow an airplane to fly which are lift, thrust, drag, and weight. We look at the d ... Show More

24m 30s

What does flying do to my body?