Whether you’re on a plane or an astronaut in space, you can see cities around the world lit up at night. The amount of lighting increases every year and has affected wildlife and how we view the night sky. This is known as light pollution, and there’s probably more than we are aware. The way we measure light pollution does not pick up on LED lighting making the light not trackable to scientists. Listen to learn where the most and least light pollution is and why it should be considered a problem.
Story Length: 2:16
Socrative users can import these questions using the following code: SOC-1234
April 28, 2016
4:19
Outside Reno, Nevada, the company Tesla is constructing a giant battery factory. The batteries will be made for the company’s electric cars as well as other things. Known as the Gigafactory, the building will allow the company to scale up battery production and reduce the price of their electric cars. Tesla is planning to revolutionize energy use by producing something new in their Gigafactory: a “Powerwall,” or a battery for the home. Listen to the story to learn more about how Tesla’s Gigafactory may inspire innovation and lead to cleaner energy use.
Read MoreFebruary 11, 2016
1:59
Li-Fi is a lot like Wi-Fi, but it uses light to transmit data. In tests, it is 100 times faster than an average home Wi-Fi connection. Li-Fi uses LED lights to transmit data and these lights can become communication devices. The spectrum is larger and slow downs that are often seen in Wi-Fi are not an issue. Listen to hear more about this exciting invention.
Read MoreDecember 28, 2015
7:20
The field of bioacoustics, studying the sound of animals, extends far below the surface of oceans. Whale vocalizations can be used as data to track migration and populations. Researchers have found ways to identify which whales are making which sounds. But in oceans, human-made sounds are often louder than other noises, making it hard for marine animals to hear the sounds in their own world. Listen to this story about what can be learned by tracking whale sounds, and how new guidelines are helping whales communicate with each other.
Read MoreNovember 6, 2015
4:03
Every spring and fall Americans turn the clocks back or forward one hour to make the best use of the daylight. It’s called Daylight Savings Time. When the clocks are turned back in the fall, it will be brighter in the mornings as we go to school and to work. New research shows this time change has a big downside: an increase in crime. By looking at crime patterns, researchers discovered that robbery rates increase when it's darker for a longer time in the evenings. Listen to this story and have students gather evidence for a debate about whether or not we should keep Daylight Savings Time.
Read More