Arizona Science

A retired University of Arizona educator is making science available for kids learning at home. Optical Science professor emeritus Richard Powell talks about the challenge of writing a physics textbook that can be used by families dedicated to homeschooling education.

Polluted ground and water in the Arctic have gone unnoticed for decades. University of Arizona environmental health scientist Frank von Hippel is working with Native American tribes in Alaska to locate and clean up pollution from military installations dating back to the Cold War.

Some former COVID-19 patients are still suffering symptoms years after first encountering the coronavirus. University of Arizona immunologist Janko Nikolich is contributing to an ongoing national study on Long COVID. He discusses why Long COVID continues to mystify researchers looking into the different COVID-19 variants.

Scientists are studying how sounds, smells, and other natural elements make a difference in how comfortable we feel in our homes and offices. University of Arizona Architecture professor Altaf Engineer focuses his research on health and well-being in the built environment. He's researching the ways designers can impact social and behavioral issues through the buildings they create.

As our climate changes, growing seasons and migration patterns are happening at different times than in the past. University of Arizona environmental researcher Theresa Crimmins describes how seasonal data collection is revealing changes in the common design of nature.

Parkinson's disease affects an estimated 1 million Americans. University of Arizona neurology professor Lalitha Madhavan describes how a simple extraction of skin cells can uncover biomarkers that could help doctors diagnose Parkinson's in their patients.

Scientists are trying to get more accurate measurements of conditions in the continent of Antarctica. University of Arizona Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences professor Ali Behrangi describes how using a satellite in space can deliver data about snow and ice in one of the world's harshest environment.

Wildlife scientists are exploring which species are best adapting to the effects of climate change. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist Lauren Petrullo describes a long-term field project focusing on wild North American Red Squirrels and their everyday resilience habits.

Not much is known about the science of imagination because few studies have asked the question of what triggers creativity. University of Arizona psychology professor Jessica Andrews-Hanna talks about what develops in our brains when we turn our thoughts inward.

The growth of computing systems and artificial intelligence is creating barriers for institutions trying to navigate cyberinfrastructure. University of Arizona Data Science Institute director Nirav Merchant talks about his research helping people crunch massive amounts of data.

Motor vehicle crashes are preventable but accidents are still ranked as the top cause of death for Americans under the age of 40. University of Arizona civil engineering professor Alyssa Ryan studies transportation crash data. She's looking deeper into why certain populations experience higher traffic mortality rates than others.

Astronauts left the last seismometers on the moon's surface during the Apollo program 50 years ago.

Scientists studying the world's oceans are finding proof that the Earth is responding to efforts by populations fighting climate change.

The pace of local extinctions is on the rise in the sky islands of the Sonoran Desert. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist John Wiens is tracking lizard populations in mountainous regions of southern Arizona and western Mexico and found some species are struggling with the changing climate.

REPEAT. Researchers studying prostate cancer have found introducing the disease in mice does not always produce accurate results.

Tree ring researchers are exploring the lives of sea creatures that document climate change just like trees do. The University of Arizona's Bryan Black reveals studies of underwater life like corals and rockfish which match a climate history also revealed in tree rings on land.

Elderly dogs can suffer from cognitive dysfunction, similar to dementia in humans. Evan MacLean with the Arizona Canine Cognition Center in Tucson explains how games and puzzles that provide mental stimulation for dogs helps researchers understand how human brains respond at an advanced age.

The saguaro cactus has been a source of study for southern Arizonans for decades. Saguaro National Park wildlife biologist Don Swann is among the scientists asking why saguaros are biologically fit to survive the ongoing drought, and looking deeper into its role in the desert ecosystem.

Our cognitive abilities change as we grow older.

Artificial intelligence is being put to work solving the challenge of feeding the planet. University of Arizona professor Murat Kucira talks about how advanced computing can help deal with issues like farming efficiency and the impact of climate change due to global warming.

Studies found that traditional farmers did not suffer from lung diseases usually caused by dust in the fields where they worked.

Researchers say people perceive sound based on where they are when they hear it.

Economists often describe how consumer confidence drives spending decisions, but scientific researchers are asking if it's the other way around.

The best way to observe the universe is with a telescope above the Earth's atmosphere, and the least expensive way to get there is using a stratospheric balloon. University of Arizona astronomy professor Chris Walker explains how he and his team are mapping the Milky Way with a balloon-mounted telescope above Antarctica.

Researchers are looking at chemistry in sea water that affects coral reefs. University of Arizona Geosciences professor Diane Thompson talks about how events recorded in corals can help investigate climate change.