25:51
How Games Move Us
Some of today’s video games are pushing players into new emotional territory, engaging complex feelings like complicity, empathy, and grief.
16:13
The Road to LIGO
Janna Levin’s book Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space reveals what it took to pull off one of “big science’s” biggest experiments: the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
34:05
From Clipper Chip to Smartphones: Unlocking the Encryption Debate
In the ‘90s, the Clipper Chip was the big government encryption case. Two Science Friday guests involved in that early debate rejoin us to weigh in on the Apple argument.
Catching Sonic Wisps of Cataclysmic Mayhem
Author Janna Levin on gravitational waves and how the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories help us detect them.
Design a Better Vortex Cannon
Build an air vortex cannon that shoots air across the room, then modify and test your design to make an air cannon that shoots even farther.
How Do You Create Moral Robots?
As we move towards self-aware artificial intelligence, engage students in discussion and writing about teaching robots the difference between right and wrong.
How Do You Teach a Robot Right From Wrong? Story Time.
Stories are a great medium for communicating social values.
Botanicals In Blue: A Victorian Woman’s Take On Algae
Anna Atkins, the first person to publish a book of photography, showed a predilection for botany.
13:43
The Ultimate Parallel Processor: Quantum Bits
The world’s most time-consuming calculations could someday be solved by quantum computers.
17:26
Inside NASA’s Planetary Defense Office
How does NASA plan to protect the planet against an asteroid or comet strike?