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Tagged: science

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Food Allergies
11:00 am
Mon March 25, 2013

Don't Eat That! You Could Be Allergic

Credit Flickr Photo/Jay Wilson
A buffet table can be a nightmare for people with food allergies.
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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of food allergies in the US has more than doubled over the past decade. The New York Times recently estimated that there are now about 5.9 million children in the United States with food allergies, not to mention another 2.3 million adults. So what’s new in food allergy research? Ross Reynolds talks with Dr. Dave Naimi, board certified in pediatrics and allergies and immunology. Dr. Naimi treats patients in the Everett branch of the Northwest Asthma and Allergy Center.

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Science & Technology
2:06 pm
Wed March 20, 2013

Forensic Advances Raise New Questions About Old Convictions

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Credit Courtesy of Jan Stiglitz
After a forensic dentist used software to correct a distortion in the image a decade later, the original expert witness recanted his testimony.
Credit Courtesy of Jan Stiglitz
A jury convicted Richards after a photo of what was thought to be a bite mark on the victim's hand was submitted as evidence at trial.
Credit Courtesy of the California Innocence Project/California Western School of Law
An undated photo of William Richards. After several trials, he was convicted of killing his wife in 1997.
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Originally published on Wed March 20, 2013 4:48 pm

Advances in forensic technology are showing that what used to be considered clear-cut proof of guilt may be nothing of the kind. A California case highlights a growing problem facing courts: what to do when an expert witness changes his mind because of better science and technology.

William Richards was convicted of brutally murdering his wife and is serving 25 years to life. The evidence against him was mostly circumstantial and two different juries were unable to reach a verdict. A third trial was aborted because the judge recused himself.

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Science Education
9:00 am
Wed March 20, 2013

NPR's Ira Flatow: Science Is Sexy

Credit Courtesy Ira Flatow
NPR science correspondent Ira Flatow.
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Is science sexy? Public radio and TV journalist Ira Flatow thinks so. Every week, he turns scientific discoveries into conversation pieces on his radio program Science Friday. In his talk “Science is Sexy,” he argues that museums, zoos, TV shows and films have overtaken formal education as the main ways people learn about science. Whether it’s the Mars rover or the Large Hadron Collider, scientific research is a hot commodity. Is popular science good for science as a whole?

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Food Science
10:30 am
Mon March 18, 2013

Synesthetes Really Can Taste The Rainbow

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Credit Photo illustration by Daniel M.N. Turner / NPR
A select group of synesthetes can truly "taste the rainbow."
Credit Photo illustration by Daniel M.N. Turner / NPR
For Jaime Smith, a synesthetic sommelier, a white wine like Nosiola has a "beautiful aquamarine, flowy, kind of wavy color to it."
Credit Dominic Davies / Courtesy of James Wannerton
James Wannerton worked with photographers Dominic Davies and Andrew Stellitano to create this conceptual image, which for him elicits the taste of a roast lamb dinner with all of the trimmings.
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Originally published on Tue March 19, 2013 8:23 am

Plenty of us got our fill of green-colored food on St. Patrick's Day. (Green beer, anyone?) But for some people, associating taste with color is more than just a once-a-year experience.

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Biotech
12:07 pm
Thu March 14, 2013

Bionic Bulldogs And Spider Goats: The Future Of Biotech's New Beasts

Credit Flickr Photo/Adam Brandejs
Artistic interpretation of the future of pets, the Genpet by Adam Brendejs.
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How is biotechnology changing our pets, our livestock and other wild things? Ross Reynolds talks with Emily Anthes, the author of "Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts," about how biotech will change our pets and livestock.

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