Cosmologist and author of "Losing the Nobel Prize" Brian Keating tells the inside story of BICEP2’s mesmerizing discovery and the scientific drama that ensued in this interview with science fiction author David Brin. Keating describes a journey of revelation and discovery, bringing to life the highly competitive, take-no-prisoners, publish-or-perish world of modern science. Along the way, he provocatively argues that the Nobel Prize, instead of advancing scientific progress, may actually...

The first detection of gravitational waves from the cataclysmic merger of two neutron stars, and the observation of visible light in the aftermath of that merger, finally answer a long-standing question in astrophysics: Where do the heaviest elements, ranging from silver and other precious metals to uranium, come from? Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Science] [Show ID: 33299]

What effect does space travel have on our bodies and minds? As NASA looks to explore Mars and beyond, it is critical to understand the impacts of spending extended time in space. Brinda K. Rana, Phd, shares the results of NASA's Twins Study that focused on astronaut Scott Kelly who spent nearly one year living on the International Space Station and his identical twin brother, Mark, who remained on Earth. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Professional Medical Education] [Show...

In this candid and heartwarming interview, Tam O'Shaughnessy, the life partner of the late astronaut Sally Ride, describes her long relationship with the first American woman in space. From their days on the teen tennis circuit in California through Sally’s historic flights on the Space Shuttle Challenger to their parallel academic careers and later, founding their own company, Tam tells how their deep friendship blossomed over time into a romance that ended with Sally’s death from cancer in...

Explore the dust between the stars - and why it is so important, see how researchers explore molecules on the nanoscale to improve materials, discover why natural extremes are critical to Mediterranean ecosystems, the fate of California Oak trees, and sustaining the heritage of agriculture in California, all on this edition of On Beyond. Series: "On Beyond" [Science] [Show ID: 30667]

Karin Sandstrom studies the interstellar medium - the dust and gas in galaxies and between stars, and especially how ultraviolet light interacts with soot-like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. That, she says, is key to everything - how stars (and planets) form, how galaxies evolve, and perhaps how life emerged. Series: "Women in Science" [Science] [Show ID: 30014]

Chris Impey is a distinguished professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona whose work has been supported by $20 million in grants from both NASA and the National Science Foundation. His research interests include observational cosmology, gravitational lensing, and the evolution of galaxies. He's also the author of six critically acclaimed books, the most recent of which is called: "Beyond: Our Future in Space." In this edition of Up Next, Professor Impey discusses the prospects for...

Berkeley Lab scientist David Schlegel discusses his research on mapping the universe and understanding dark energy. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 29636]

Berkeley Lab scientist Haimei Zheng discusses the future of electron microscopy and her breakthrough research into examining liquids using an electron microscope. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 29637]

UC San Diego astrophysicist Brian Keating presents cosmological observations that have revealed a mysterious universe, pointing to the startling possibility that our cosmos might be just the most insignificant speck of what is now called “the Multiverse.” New telescopes such as the BICEP based in Antarctica hint at an infinite universe with the possibility of unimaginable fecundity, yet devoid of life other than here on Earth. Keating explores what this implies about free will in an infinite...

Producer Lisa Bruce and screenwriter/producer Anthony McCarten join host Matt Ryan for a lively discussion of their film “The Theory of Everything.” Starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, the movie follows the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 29040]

Saul Perlmutter, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, describes the research that led to his 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 28609]

Eight Berkeley Lab scientists present eight game-changing concepts in eight minutes each. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 28806]

NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft, launched in June of 2012, uses technology developed in part by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to take pictures of the sky in the most energetic X-rays ever to be focused. Bill Craig and Michael Pivovaroff talk about the innovative technology at the heart of NuSTAR and discuss some of the exciting science results from the first few months of NuSTAR's mission. Series: "Field Trip at the Lab: Science on Saturday" [Science] [Show ID: 25748]

UC San Diego graduate student Morgan Nunn Martinez presents her research on extracting and analyzing water in extraterrestrial samples. She has measured the oxygen isotopic composition of water found in meteorites from asteroids and Mars, and rock and soil samples from the moon. These studies will be used to refine theories of how water formed and was distributed throughout our solar system. Series: "UC San Diego Founders’ Symposium" [Science] [Show ID: 27680]

We live in a time where miraculous medical discoveries are occurring all the time. Regrettably many of the miracle tools, because of their size and complexity, are confined to state of the art medical centers in large cities. Learn about efforts to build new medical tools in the hope of saving lives in remote and hard to reach places in the world. Hear about new efforts to build medical tools to determine life threatening traumatic injuries to the head and torso by using the Micropower...

Charles Kennel, Former Scripps Institution of Oceanography director and chair of the National Academy's Space Science Board, reviews what NASA's space program has accomplished, what it is doing now, and what the future holds for human space exploration. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 25202]

NASA Mars Science Laboratory team geologist Dawn Sumner gives a tour of the Curiosity rover and the instruments the probe carried to the red planet. An array of cameras, lasers and drills will conduct experiments to determine the composition of the planet's rocks. Series: "Onward California" [Show ID: 25182]

Seven Berkeley Lab scientists present BIG ideas. Learn about the game-changing concepts scientists work on every day. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 25465]

Berkeley Lab's David Schlegel discusses what's next in the quest to understand dark energy. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 25470]

Steve Vogt, Professor, Astronomy and Astrophysics, UC Santa Cruz, shares how he got his start in astronomy and gives a tour of the Lick Observatory. Series: "Onward California" [Science] [Show ID: 24475]

After traveling through the inner solar system for seven years, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft reached Mercury in March 2011 and became the first ever mission to orbit this mysterious planet. Since then MESSENGER has been making measurements with its suite of scientific instruments including gamma-ray, neutron and x-ray spectrometers, magnetometer, laser altimeter, cameras and other instruments. Join Morgan Burks, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to explore the mysteries...

Most of the universe is incredibly hostile, it's a vacuum, it's freezing-cold space or burning hot near a star. The first habitable planet found outside our solar system is in a habitable-zone orbit; it's a place of refuge from the unbelievable harshness of the universe. Steve Vogt, a UC Santa Cruz professor of astronomy and astrophysics, takes you into the Lick Observatory, where he has devoted years of research to find earth-like planets Series: "Onward California" [Science] [Show ID: 24476]