Ryan Rykaczewski describes one of the most massive migrations on the planet, driven by the sun. Image by Tintinnidguy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 

#ExplainTheSun  - The Largest Migration on The Planet

The popular anti-terrorism slogan, “If you see something, say something,” asks citizens to speak up if they see a potential threat. But does that apply to scientists? If they see a risk to the planet, for example, should they say something about it? Naomi Oreskes, co-author of Merchants of Doubt and a science historian at Harvard, talks about scientists as science advocates. On the other end of the spectrum, she says, some scientists undersell the conclusions of their work, and this “scientific conservatism has led to under-estimation of climate-related changes.”

Do Scientists Have the Duty to Speak Out?

Once, there was the ordinary incandescent light bulb. It shone brightly, but wasted much of the energy put into it as heat. Then came the compact fluorescent. And as costs have dropped, consumers have increasingly been switching to light-emitting diode (LED) technology for many lighting applications, in an ongoing search for a more efficient bulb. Now, in work published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, researchers report that nanophotonic devices may be able to breathe new life into old incandescent technology. Marin Soljačić and Ognjen Ilic, two authors of the study, explain how they’ve been able to “recycle” some of the incandescent bulb’s wasted heat and re-emit it as visible light, boosting efficiency.

For the Lowly Incandescent Bulb, a Ray of Hope

Science, technology, and other cool stuff from public radio's Science Friday. It's brain fun, for curious people. From WNYC Studios.

Do Scientists Have the Duty to Speak Out?

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