Arizona Science

Visitors imagine Biosphere 2 as a place for large scale research on plant life and ocean biology.

Arizona's ties to copper go back to the territorial era, but the mineral also plays a big part in human health.

Plants and their pollinators work together to promote successful natural growth.

People coping with clinical amnesia provide a window to the importance of memory.

Exchanging messages with aliens is the source material for science fiction stories, but scientists have been trying to communicate with outer space intelligence for decades.

Scientists are say the ability to recognize emotion is essential for advanced human-computer communication.

Diverse languages and cultures interact every day in Southern Arizona. University of Arizona Speech and Cognitive Science professor Genesis Arizmendi discusses how being bilingual shapes how we communicate and connect within our communities.

Scientists have long known Mars has annual seasons just like Earth. University of Arizona planetary scientist Shane Byrne describes how 20 years of observations by the U-of-A built HiRISE orbiting camera have given researchers new insight into what happens on the surface during the 687 Earth-day Martian year.

Advances in 3-D modelling are leading to new ways of visualizing the surface of the Moon, Mars and other objects in the solar system.

Medical researchers are shifting their attention to bird flu this season. University of Arizona professor Mohaned Al-Obaidi discusses how the H5N1 strain has created a challenge for scientists fighting the spread of the emerging virus.

Scientists studying eating disorders are focusing on a part of the brain that governs food consumption and emotions. University of Arizona neuroscientist Haijiang Cai discusses how understanding the two functions could help people coping with anorexia.

Researchers are finding chimpanzees have more in common with humans that was previously thought. University of Arizona anthropologist Jacob Negrey discusses how chimpanzees transition to old age and how that translates to the human experience.

The Corn Earworm attacks both corn and cotton in Arizona, causing millions of dollars in damage each year. University of Arizona director of Entomology Bruce Tabashnik discusses why genetically engineered crops developed to defeat the Earworm have failed to keep the pest at bay.

Plants and animals were not always as colorful as we see them today. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist John Wiens discusses the evolution of color for plant and animal species that developed hundreds of millions of years ago.

The fight against COVID-19 became part of our lives four years ago. Researchers are still working to find out how to it started. University of Arizona immunobiologist Michael Worobey discusses the latest findings and considers the possibilities of new pandemics brewing around the globe.

The James Webb Space Telescope is giving astronomers a closer look at the creation and development of planets. University of Arizona planetary scientist Ilaria Pascucci discusses a new study on protoplanetary disks, described as a cradle where new planets are born.

Kitt Peak National Observatory has reopened to the public after closures due to the pandemic and a mountain wildfire. Visitors Center Operations Manager Peter McMahon talks about what people can see and do among the largest collection of scientific research telescopes in North America.

Scientists are learning more about dogs and their special communicative link with people.

Developments over the past decade have demonstrated the complexities of collecting and interpreting big data.

Scientists are catching up with the evolution of diet among animal species.

The Large Binocular Telescope has been observing planets, stars, and galaxies from atop Mount Graham since 2005. Telescope staff scientist Al Conrad discusses the most recent pictures it captured of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io.

Astronomers with the University of Arizona-backed Vera Rubin Observatory are on track to start their work early next year. Project outreach and education director Alan Strauss discusses how they will use the largest camera ever built to take a highly-detailed time-lapse look at our universe.

Scientists say 95 percent of the thickest ice in the Arctic Ocean has already melted. Now they are focusing on ice melt from inland glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere and how it's affecting sea level rise. University of Arizona planetary scientist Jack Holt is leading a team trying to predict how glaciers build and retreat in response to climate change.

Atomic particles move at one quintillionth of a second. University of Arizona physicist Mohammed Hassan is developing instruments that can detect light pulses in attoseconds, providing a new tool to measure quantum states of matter.

External brain stimulation is being used to treat issues ranging from schizophrenia to depression. University of Arizona psychology professor Ying Hui Chou talks about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and its treatment potential for Alzheimer's patients.