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Tomorrow’s Jets Could Fly with Flower Power

Camelina Jet Fuel

Due to rising oil prices and environmental concerns, the aviation industry is now looking at many biofuels as alternatives to petroleum derived fuel. NASA researchers conducted a series of test flights recently that proved a commercial jet can fly safely with a blend of jet fuel made from Camelina plant oil.

WCVE Public Radio’s Charles Fishburne has more in this Science Matters report.

Question Your World: How Did Everyone Really End Up Everywhere?

For about 200,000 years humanity has been making its way from Africa to just about every corner of this planet. The study of our past helps explain the evolution of life here on Earth. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into digging through the past and have constructed the time line of our story, all the while continually making new discoveries. So, what happens when we make a new discovery that totally contradicts what we've learned? Listen to the latest Question Your World Radio Report from the Science Museum of Virginia to learn more.

Question Your World: How Do You Feel About Robots?

robot

Would you be happy if a robot gave you flowers? Would you be sad if you saw someone hurt a robot? Those are the types of questions that were on a recent German scientific survey, but why? Why do we need to understand how we feel about robots? Listen to the latest Question Your World Radio Report from the Science Museum of Virginia to learn more.

Question Your World: How Far Does Our Solar System Stretch?

Voyager

Our lovely and comfortable home here on Earth is a long way away from the end of our solar system. Here on Earth concepts of boundaries involve rivers, lakes, mountains, human imposed borders, and so on. However, this is not how the limits of our solar system are established. There is not one point that defines the end, but there is definitely an end and it’s really far from here. Listen to the latest Question Your World Radio Report from the Science Museum of Virginia to learn more.

Question Your World: Why Do We Like the Music We Like?

music headphones

Think about all the music you’ve ever listened to. Everything from Beethoven’s 5th to “Call Me Maybe” are processed through the brain, but what about them allows the brain to say yay or nay? Listen to the latest Question Your World Radio Report from the Science Museum of Virginia to learn more.

More From WCVE Public Radio...

Virginia Scientist Describes "Curiosity's" Work on Mars

John Ogle in Science Matters

Early Monday morning, William and Mary Science Professor Joel Levine was at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as the Mars Science Laboratory made its perfect landing. He said he's looking forward to so much more than breathtaking pictures.

Discover more on this topic in this Science Matters Special Report.

Dr. Joel Levine standing in front of a model of Curiosity.

NASA Langley Instruments Now Helping To Probe Mars

Charles Fishburne in Science Matters

Yesterday, we reported the contributions that NASA Langley researchers in landing  the Mars Explorer Curiosity. Today, in this WCVE Science Matters reports...Charles Fishburne tell us there is still a lot of Langley expertise on the surface of Mars.

NASA Langley Plays Key Role In Curiosity Mission

Charles Fishburne in Science Matters

The successful landing of the Mars Scientific Laboratory “Curiosity” Rover, is due in part to research at Virginia’s NASA Langley Research Center that goes back decades. Charles Fishburne has more in this WCVE Science Matters report.

William and Mary Professor Watches Mars Landing

John Ogle in Science Matters

A William and Mary scientist was there at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California when NASA's Mars Science Laboratory made its perfect landing on the red planet early yesterday morning.

Dr. Joel Levine

Science Pub on Energy

John Ogle in Science Matters

Tonight at The Camel, the second Science Pub RVA will feature a physics professor from VCU talking about "Energy: The Crisis we face and the prospect of solar cells."

Read more in this Science Matters article here.