The Second Law of Thermodynamics can be stated as: Energy spontaneously tends to flow from being concentrated in one place to becoming diffused and spread out - or - disorder in a closed system will increase. This radio broadcast explains this law, its implications as to time and energy in the universe, and whether the Second Law tends to be refuted by the existence of life and the theory of evolution. ... Full description.

Huge advances in hurricane prediction have been made in recent years. This radio broadcast from the National Hurricane Center in Miami reports on the latest developments in hurricane science and technology, such as dropping canisters from aircraft, improvements in satellite images, and why it is still proving so difficult to predict the intensity of the storm. The clip is 3 minutes and 5 seconds in ... Full description.

This radio broadcast discusses the process of ethnobotany, or bioprospecting, how it fits into plans for conservation of habitats around the world, and how native peoples and countries worldwide should be compensated for sharing their knowledge of herbal medicine and resources. There is discussion of the role botanical gardens play in keeping endangered plants under cultivation; the ramifications ... Full description.

This radio broadcast discusses the effects of El Nino on the Galapagos Islands which, because of their location off the coast of South America, recieve El Nino's full effects. The discussion covers negative impacts on the nearby ocean, where warmer water temperatures have altered the food chain and led to huge die-offs of marine iguana, and the near disappearance of other creatures such as sea lions. ... Full description.

In 2001 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved a report that for the first time placed the blame for climate warming squarely on the burning of fossil fuels. This radio broadcast discusses that report, evidence that global temperatures have been rising in the last century, and evidence that temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing even faster. There is ... Full description.

This radio broadcast from 2000 describes how dandelions have appeared deep within the Denali National Park in Alaska. Topics include their potentially harmful effects and efforts to remove the invasive plants. The clip is 4 minutes in length. Full description.

Glaciers have layers and layers of ice that hold clues about the climate on Earth for the past 250,000 years. This radio broadcast reports on research on ice cores that reveal temperature changes and the level of greenhouse gases in the past. The clip is 2 minutes in length. Full description.

This radio broadcast discusses topics associated with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans in August 2005. In interviews with experts, the show explores predictions about the remainder of the 2005 hurricane season, including the possibility that more intense storms might form and the possibility that global climate change is responsible for the number and ... Full description.

This radio broadcast discusses a United States Geological Survey study of 139 streams in thirty states that detected dozens of drugs, hormones, and household chemicals in the waterways. Some of these pollutants appear to have passed through water treatment facilities (which are primarily designed to target bacterial contaminants) unscathed. The show discusses what scientists know about how these chemicals ... Full description.

This 48-minute radio broadcast discusses the future of cosmology with scientists from a meeting on that subject in Cleveland in October 2003. The conference aimed to tackle some big questions for thinking about the universe - from the prospects for the existence of extra dimensions, to the best tools to push the frontiers of astrophysics. Topics discussed include dark energy fueling the accelerating ... Full description.