Teachers and Parents

Scientist Audio Programs for All Topics

 

Kids' Science Challenge and the Pulse of the Planet have teamed up to create KSC topic-specific audio programs. On this page you will find a comprehensive list of all the audio-programs that have explored the diverse KSC topics over the last few years. Each program is 2 minutes long and includes a one-of-a-kind interview with participating KSC scientists. We hope you enjoy this listening experience!

To download the mp3 file to your computer, right-click on name of program, and select "Save."

Animal Smarts

KSC - Animal Smarts - Successful [mp3; 1.83MB]
How have dogs have managed to "nose" their way into the lives of humans around the world?
Click for transcript.
KSC - Animal Smarts - Breed Smarts [mp3; 1.83MB]
If Einstein was a dog, would he have been a Jack Russell Terrier or a Labrador Retriever?
Click for transcript.
KSC - Animal Smarts - How Smart [mp3; 1.83MB]
Will Fetch For Food! - How do dogs go about solving their everyday problems?
Click for transcript.


Bio-Inspired Design

Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Magical Mucus [mp3; 2.79MB]
Mucus plays many roles. In fact, without it, we wouldn't be here.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Collecting Mucus [mp3; 2.81MB]
Everything you ever wanted to know about how to collect giraffe drool and hippopotamus sweat, but were afraid to ask.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Giraffes [mp3; 2.79MB]
Aided by mucus, giraffes routinely swallow sharp thorns without hurting themselves.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Hippo Sweat [mp3; 2.78MB]
If you want to protect yourself from the sun, insects, and disease, just slather on some hippo sweat!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Reading Slug Slime [mp3; 2.81MB]
In the slug world, much can be gleaned from the trail of slime a slug leaves behind.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Wasps [mp3; 2.79MB]
Without so much as a diet, wasp waists are incredibly thin; and their structure is inspiring engineers to create a new kind of packaging.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Pogo Stick [mp3; 2.78MB]
If you've bounced on a pogo stick, you're already well on your way to understanding how animals run.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Novel Robots [mp3; 2.77MB]
Robots can be so, well, robotic. But bio-inspired engineering is pointing the way to a new and nimble breed of robots.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Pink Sweat [mp3; 2.83MB]
Pink sweat? That's not the half of it. Hippopotamus sweat has an array of uses.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Mini-bots [mp3; 2.78MB]
Miniature robots: going where no person can.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Cardboard Robots [mp3; 2.78MB]
Robots may be high-tech, but the materials used to make them can be quite ordinary.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Neuromechanics [mp3; 2.78MB]
For animals, movement is second nature, but otherwise sophisticated robots have to calculate every step.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Gecko Adhesion [mp3; 2.79MB]
Gecko feet aren't sticky, but they adhere to almost any surface.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Gecko Release [mp3; 2.79MB]
When geckos release from a surface they're climbing, their feet act as tiny party favors, enabling them to adhere to practically anything.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Adhesive Cloth [mp3; 2.78MB]
To develop a fabric that can adhere to any surface, scientists are looking to geckos for clues.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Gecko Inspired [mp3; 2.78MB]
If scientists are able to successfully mimic the adhesive properties of a gecko's foot, the uses for such material will be limitless.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Gecko Tails [mp3; 2.79MB]
A gecko's tail is used for gripping and gliding; engineers are building its attributes into a new breed of miniature robots.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Running Roaches [mp3; 2.78MB]
Cockroaches might love junk food, but that's not why they're running on treadmills.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Gecko Fingers [mp3; 2.79MB]
A gecko's ability to adhere to surfaces is leading to advances in manmade materials. Gecko tires, anyone?
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Toothbrush Toes [mp3; 2.79MB]
If you want to understand gecko-inspired adhesion, just pick up a toothbrush and follow along.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Running Like Roaches [mp3; 2.79MB]
Roaches and humans have at least one thing in common – the way we run.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Toe Hair [mp3; 2.80MB]
Hairy toes – REALLY hairy toes – are essential to a gecko's wall-climbing ability.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Biomimicry - Unexpected Adhesion [mp3; 2.78MB]
By way of an accidental discovery, engineers are now developing "sticky" material based on the properties of a gecko's toes.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Floppy Flyer [mp3; 2.76MB]
Maple tree seed pods are the inspiration for a new way to deliver relief supplies via airplane.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Maple Seed Drop - New from Nature [mp3; 2.76MB]
A 5th-grade winner of the Kids' Science Challenge comes up with a great idea, inspired by nature.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Maple Seed Drop - How it Works [mp3; 2.76MB]
Scientists are baffled by the way in which a maple seed spins to the ground to slow the rate of its descent.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Maple Seed Drop - Scaling [mp3; 2.76MB]
When you're building a larger invention from a smaller scale model, the design is likely to change!
Click for transcript.

 

Detective Science

Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Fingerprints [mp3; 2.78MB]
For more than a century, fingerprints have proven a useful tool in forensic science.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Super Prints [mp3; 2.79MB]
Using Super Glue? Be sure to keep it off your fingers! But for a forensic scientist keeping this adhesive handy is a good idea.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Glass Mystery [mp3; 2.78MB]
How can you tell a shard of clear house window glass from a seemingly identical piece of auto glass? Density!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Secret Message [mp3; 2.79MB]
When incriminating evidence is written on a pad of paper, forensic scientists can reveal that message long after the page is removed.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Deciphering a Hidden Message [mp3; 2.78MB]
A forensic document examiner takes us through the process of deciphering evidence from a blank pad of paper.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Detective Science [mp3; 2.79MB]
Real-world forensic investigations can be exciting, but it's quite different from what we're exposed to on TV.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Making a Match [mp3; 2.78MB]
While matching evidence to a suspect can be gratifying, proving a mismatch is equally important.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Gathering Evidence [mp3; 2.79MB]
Declaring someone dead is one thing, but if you want a definitive cause, you'll want to give forensic investigator Mo Lupia a call.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Crash Case [mp3; 2.80MB]
When alcohol or drugs are involved in an auto accident, the driver's identity is not always evident. So how do you find out who really was driving the car?
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Forensics - Public Sentinel [mp3; 2.78MB]
Investigating death may very well protect the health of others.
Click for transcript.

 

Flavor Science

KSC: Winners - Flavor Meeting [mp3 - 2.8MB]
What happens when kids bring a winning idea to an experienced flavor chemist?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Winners - Candy Doctors [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Open up and say, aah. Don't worry, your doctor's visit will be flavorful.
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Flavor - Ingredients [mp3 - 2.85MB]
What kinds of chemicals are in food, and how do flavor chemists use them?
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Flavor - All in the Taste [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Most scientists know not to eat anything in their labs. But when it comes to flavor science, tasting chemicals is part of the job!
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Flavor - Layers of Flavor [mp3 - 2.79MB]
For flavor chemists, designing long-lasting chewing gum flavors is a high tech process.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Animal Derived [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Beef and pork may not be listed in a candy's ingredients, but they're often used.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Mint [mp3 - 2.79MB]
If you're a flavor chemist, peppermint gum can suggest lots of different flavors.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Secrets [mp3 - 2.80MB]
Want to know what's in Dr. Pepper? Don't ask the company's flavor director.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Eye Candy [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Hmm, tastes like strawberry. But wait, it's blue!
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Recreating the Banana [mp3 - 2.78MB]
How do you mimic the flavor of a fresh banana?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Compounding [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Mmm. Is that isoenyl acetate I smell?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Flavor - Vocabulary [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Everyone has likes and dislikes, but if you're a flavorist, you'll have to identify all kinds of flavors.
Click for transcript.

 

Magical Microbes

Compostable Plastic [mp3; 2.76MB]
Conventional plastic can persist for hundreds of years, but bag your produce in bio-based plastic, and you can toss the scraps AND the bag right into the compost bin.
Click for transcript.
Microbe Fermentation [mp3; 2.76MB]
With a little coaxing, microbes can be trained to create a variety of useful materials.
Click for transcript.
Geobacter - Discovery [mp3; 2.84MB]
Iron-breathing creatures on the banks of the Potomac? Stay tuned!
Click for transcript.
Geobacter - Cleaning Up Toxic Waste [mp3; 2.80MB]
A recently discovered group of microorganisms have the ability to clean up contaminated groundwater.
Click for transcript.
Carbon-Friendly Plastic [mp3; 2.76MB]
Not only does bio-based plastic degrade in the environment, but when it does, no extra carbon dioxide is released.
Click for transcript.
Geobacter - Electricity From Mud [mp3; 2.80MB]
Iron breathing creatures that live in the mud and create their own electricity?
Click for transcript.
Geobacter - Strain 121 [mp3; 2.84MB]
A recently discovered group of microorganisms have the ability to clean up contaminated groundwater.
Click for transcript.
Geobacter - Origins of Life [mp3; 2.79MB]
A recently discovered group of hardy microorganisms are giving scientists clues to the evolution of life on earth.
Click for transcript.

 

Meals on Mars

Meals on Mars: Mars - How Far [mp3; 1.61MB]
Mars may be Earth's neighbor, but getting there can take years!
Click for transcript.
Astrobiology: Moving to Mars [mp3; 1.61MB]
If human beings ever live on Mars, the first colonists on the Red Planet will likely be farmers.
Click for transcript.

Sensational Sounds

Sounds - Sound Wheel [mp3; 1.61MB]
What does it take to design a completely new kind of musical instrument?
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Categories [mp3; 1.61MB]
Experimental musician Bart Hopkin describes how he created an uncategorizable instrument.
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Steel Vibration [mp3; 1.61MB]
How can you keep a piece of steel vibrating for a long time? Are the balloons ready?
Click for transcript.
Sounds- Corrugahorn [mp3; 1.61MB]
It looks like an Octopus and creates its own brand of musical sound.
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Anything Goes [mp3; 1.84MB]
The tools you need to create you own musical instruments may be hiding in plain sight in your kitchen or garage.
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Frequency and Math [mp3; 1.84MB]
They're playing my favorite equation!
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Rattle Tyne [mp3; 1.84MB]
Creating new music on an instrument that's never been heard before...
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Sound Analysis [mp3; 1.53MB]
Our ears are giving us clues to our surroundings - Are you listening?
Click for transcript.
Sounds - Spritzer Whizzer [mp3; 1.84MB]
A third-grader has designed the "Spritzer Whizzer" - a new musical instrument made from water spay bottles. The "Ode to Joy" never sounded like this!
Click for transcript.

 

S.E.T.I.

KSC: Winners - Kamau [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Extraterrestrials may not speak a common language, but can they relate to the sounds of earth?
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Math Speak [mp3 - 2.77MB]
Aliens might not speak English or Chinese, but try math!
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Broadcasting [mp3 - 2.80MB]
Talking with E.T. is a VERY long-distance call.
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Messages [mp3 - 2.84MB]
If we're to craft a message to extraterrestrials, what can we do to engage them?
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Andes [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Searching for life on Mars is expensive and complex, but an expedition to the Andes can be a fruitful alternative.
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Earth Martians! [mp3 - 2.80MB]
Looking for Martians? Ooh, there's one in the mirror!
Click for transcript.
KSC: Drake - Pioneer [mp3 - 2.78MB]
When it comes to extraterrestrial intelligence, Frank Drake is something of a legend.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Drake - Why We Search [mp3 - 2.78MB]
For decades we've been searching for extraterrestrials, but why?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Drake - Drake Equation [mp3 - 2.78MB]
What exactly should we be looking for in our search for extraterrestrials?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Drake - Language Barrier [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Monitoring our radio broadcasts? Even if extraterrestrials learn to speak English, they'll likely be using an ancient version of the language.
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Messages in Sound [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Inspired by a 6th-grader, the SETI Institute has launched a site for the worldwide submission of Earth sights and sounds.
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - News from E.T. [mp3 - 1.76MB]
If aliens landed on Earth, how would you spend YOUR day?
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Earth Speaks [mp3 - 2.78MB]
The sounds of sneakers squeaking and chicken grilling may not be new for us, but for extraterrestrials they could be a window on humanity.
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Sounds into Space [mp3 - 2.80MB]
Without companion images, Earth sounds can be ambiguous, especially to an alien!
Click for transcript.
KSC: SETI - Greetings from Earth [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Put 'er there! How to introduce yourself to an alien.
Click for transcript.

 

Skateboard Engineering

KSC: Lindsay - Marbles [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Silly ideas? No such thing, says skateboard engineer Paul Schmitt.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Winners - Skateboard Meeting [mp3 - 2.8MB]
A major player in the skateboarding business is anxious to test a 10-year-old's innovative design.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Winners - Lindsay [mp3 - 2.8MB]
What do you get when you cross a skateboard with a vacuum cleaner? Fifth-grader Lindsay Carnes has a winning idea.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboard - Skateboard 101 [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Want to make a skateboard? Want to ride one? Here are some basics.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboard - Ollie [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Skateboarding tricks begin with a basic trick called the Ollie.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboard - Wood [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Skateboards are built using layers of Maple wood from the Great Lakes region.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboard - Waffled [mp3 - 2.79MB]
A skateboard manufacturer has found more strength in wood that's corrugated.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboard - Violin [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Like a fine wine, a skateboard can improve with age. The catch? Don't ride it!
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboards - Envirofriendly pt. 1 [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Skateboard manufacturing may not truly be "earth friendly," but Michael Bream is trying new ways to go easy on the planet.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Skateboards - Envirofriendly pt. 2 [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Water based inks and recycled glass are part of the recipe for a greener skateboard.
Click for transcript.

 

Sports on Mars

Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - Giant Chutes [mp3; 2.78MB]
Not your ordinary parachute: what it takes to slow a speeding Mars rover to avoid a crash landing.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - Playground [mp3; 2.78MB]
In lieu of traveling to the Red Planet, scientists can experiment in a California-based Mars playground!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - Golf [mp3; 2.79MB]
If you want to drive golf balls like Tiger Woods, no need for practice. Just head on up to Mars!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - Robot Arm [mp3; 2.80MB]
A giant arm on the new Mars rover will drill rocks, scoop sand, and collect tiny samples from the Red Planet.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - Dirty Chamber [mp3; 2.80MB]
To test equipment bound for Mars, JPL scientists head to their "dirty chamber," a low-pressure tank that can handle abrasive Mars-like sand.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - How Far [mp3; 2.79MB]
Mars may be Earth's neighbor, but getting there can take years!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Mars - Sending an Arm [mp3; 2.81MB]
If we can't send an Armstrong to Mars, how about a strong arm?
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Sports on Mars - Mars Ball [mp3; 2.76MB]
A 20-foot slam-dunk? Imagine basketball on Mars!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Sports on Mars - Playing the Game [mp3; 2.76MB]
In Martian Soil Ball, the player who gathers the most magnetic dust wins!
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Sports on Mars - Prototype [mp3; 2.76MB]
NASA engineers collaborate with 5th-grader Tyrone Hutchinson, a Kids' Science Challenge winner, to come up with a sport that astronauts could play on Mars.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Sports on Mars - Spirit Stuck [mp3; 2.76MB]
At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, engineers are testing a rover in a simulated sand pit, in hopes of freeing Spirit's rover that's been stuck in a real sand pit on Mars.
Click for transcript.
Kids' Science Challenge: Sports on Mars - Cleanroom [mp3; 2.76MB]
Before stepping inside the lab where NASA's Mars rovers are built, you'll need to put on a 'bunny suit' and jump into the air shower.
Click for transcript.

 

Super Stuff for Sports

Material Science - Making Chains [mp3; 1.61MB]
Monomers, polymers - what is it that makes plastics so versatile?
Click for transcript.
Material Science - Helmets [mp3; 1.61MB]
Why are some sports helmets designed to break on impact?
Click for transcript.
Material Science - Sports [mp3; 1.84MB]
Want to design some cool new sports stuff? Better know your polymers.                       
Click for transcript.
Material Science - Silly Putty [mp3; 1.84MB]
Silly Putty - is a liquid or a solid?
Click for transcript.
Golf Ball Warmer [mp3; 1.83MB]
Will a warmer golf ball improve your game?
Click for transcript.

 

Water Quality

KSC: Claire - Germy Turf [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Artificial turf fields may look clean, but with no natural means of replenishment, are they magnets for germs?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Claire - Sampling [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Grade school kids are told to write legibly, and when practicing science, third-grader Claire Dworsky now understands why.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Claire - Crumb Rubber [mp3 - 2.8MB]
You won't find pesticides or fertilizer in artificial turf, but what else is showing up in the water runoff from these fields?
Click for transcript.
KSC: Claire - Importance [mp3 - 2.8MB]
There's an important water quality study underway, and the lead investigator is a third-grader.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Claire - Lab [mp3 - 2.8MB]
If you've ever tested pool water, then you'll understand how a flow injection analyzer works.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Claire - Reagents [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Our Kids' Science Challenge water winner learns how to test for nutrient contaminants in water.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Claire - Filtration [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Kids' Science Challenge winner Claire Dworsky learns about the importance of filtering water before testing it.
Click for transcript.
KSC: Winners - Claire [mp3 - 2.8MB]
Does artificial turf pollute more than a grass field during a rainstorm? Only one way to find out!
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Beach Sand - Beach [mp3 - 2.77MB]
Could bacteria in beach sand be polluting ocean water? Two middle school students are trying to find out.
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Beach Sand - Sand [mp3 - 2.78MB]
A school science fair project has caught the attention of an oceanographer, who is helping to guide their research.
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Beach Sand - Testing [mp3 - 2.80MB]
Two resourceful middle school students use a household iron and a homemade incubator to conduct bacterial research.
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Beach Sand - Results [mp3 - 2.78MB]
After heat sealing and incubating samples of ocean water, bacteria counting can begin!
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Water - Fingerprints [mp3 - 2.78MB]
Bodies of water have unique fingerprints that enable scientists to trace pollutants to their source.
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Water - Moon [mp3 - 2.78MB]
You may want to think twice before taking a dip in the ocean during a full moon!
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Water - Metals [mp3 - 2.80MB]
A beach sign warns against swimming due to water contamination. But is that notice up to date?
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Water - Pharmaceuticals [mp3 - 2.80MB]
Dive into the ocean, and you may be swimming in more than just salty water!
Click for transcript.
Science Diary: Water - Tracking [mp3 - 2.79MB]
Ecologists can use chemical tracers to track the movement of water.
Click for transcript.

 

Zero Waste

Sustainable Packaging - Energy [mp3; 1.83MB]
As if you weren't feeling tired from all the gift shopping, there's a different kind of energy that is also used up in the holiday season.
Click for transcript.
Sustainable Packaging - Recycling Bank [mp3; 1.83MB]
Getting paid for paying it forward: Recycle banks are a new incentive to recycle.
Click for transcript.

 

Each weekday, the Pulse of the Planet radio series provides its listeners with a two-minute sound portrait of Planet Earth, tracking the rhythms of nature, culture and science worldwide, blending interviews with extraordinary natural sound.  To learn more about Pulse of the Planet or to hear one of the many other programs visit www.pulseplanet.com