In 2012 Fusa Miyake was a physics graduate student working on a project that involved traveling to a lush island in Southern Japan famous for its ancient cedar trees. She was doing a new type of carbon dating, and her findings created a buzz of excitement in archaeology and sent a frisson of fear through astronomers. But what do trees have to do with an event that could wreak havoc with satellites and power grids? 

The Doom Lurking Inside Trees

Distillations podcast explores the human stories behind science and technology, tracing a path through history in order to better understand the present.

New tracks tagged #Carbon Dating