Science Shorts - Season 1 (2016)

Nick Moskovitz takes us inside the observation cameras set up for tracking meteors falling through the Earth's atmosphere, and talks about the challenges of recovering the meteorite after it lands.

New developments in nanotechnology may mean that the complex function of the retina in the eye could be at least partially replicated for those with severe retinal degeneration.

A worldwide study sponsored by the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England, finds that some basic assumptions about the development of babies in the womb have been incorrect.

Recently, fragments of papyrus have been matched to other, older discovered fragments and the result is newly reconstructed poems from the pen of the lyric poet of the ancient world, Sappho. How do professors match the text pieces to others of ancient and faded manuscripts to uncover the poetry?

How "identical" are identical twins? Well, even when living in different social environments, identical twins tend to weigh the same. What role does genetics play and when do they trump non-genetic factors?

Alzheimer's Disease and dementia are two of the biggest threats associated with maintaining a good quality of life as people age. This short program explores different ways that could help improve brain health and hold deterioration at bay.

Smartphones and computers are now integral parts of our everyday world. With the rapid rate of technological development, are our helpful devices the first step to a world of cyborgs in the future?

How does the human body gain and lose weight? The individual basal metabolic rate determines how the human body deals with calories from food. What role does genetics play, and can exercise make a difference?

Data privacy is more important than ever. Our web activities can have unintended, in some cases, dire, consequences. What can we do to maintain our digital privacy?

Our dependence on nuclear energy has left behind an abundance of long lasting atomic energy waste. How will this deadly substance impact future generations, and what can we do to help our descendants with this problem?

Everybody knows that brushing your teeth is important, but did you know that oral hygiene can be a matter of life or death? There is proof that bad teeth can increase the risk of heart disease.

Big Data is revolutionizing businesses of all kinds. Based on information held by a dating agency, we show what insights we can draw from Big Data. You might be surprised!

There are many different types of vegetarians, and they are as varied as the many reasons why people adopt the lifestyle.

Not too likely you could fit into a suit of armor from the Middle Ages. People in medieval times were much smaller than we are today. Researchers have analyzed archeological findings to measure the difference and explain why we are so much bigger in the 21st century.

Vegetarianism is a widely accepted lifestyle option in today's society. But it is nothing new, it has a long history in western civilization.

Are you aware of how much personal data is floating around the web? Some companies actually target advertising based on our digital fingerprint. Where are you leaving yours?

Building an artificial hand is an engineering and technological coup. Dr. Stefan Schulz has created the smallest and most flexible hand ever made, it even has sensory feedback for the wearer.

Do you think you waste time? Or just don't do enough with the time you have? What's the best way to use time efficiently? Time management methods can vary based on your personality traits.

Technology can help us save time, but with all the modern technology saving us time, why is it we sometimes feel as if though there is none left?

Is it true that "light" products can help you lose weight? Does how fast you eat impact weight gain? Learn the truths -- and myths -- about weight loss.

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest manmade structure in the world. It's also home to a whole lot of sand…

Children have a lot more taste buds than adults, and girls have a more distinct sense of taste than boys. But as we get older, tastes change...so what happens to our taste buds as we age?

Did medieval scholars and dignitaries know that the earth was round? Perhaps our understanding of medieval reasoning might not be as accurate as we think.

Oxytocin has been studied since the 1990s, and researchers have understood the hormone to be responsible for human intimate relationships. But how exactly does it affect the body and mind?