PRI: Science and Creativity from Studio 360

Science and Creativity from PRI's Studio 360: stories about the art of discovery and innovation. A Columbia University professor explains why the gold standard of facial recognition is still a long way off. Exploring science as a creative act since 2005. Produced by PRI and WNYC, and supported in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Science and Creativity from PRI's Studio 360: stories about the art of discovery and innovation. A Senior Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute describes the relationship between science and art. Produced by PRI and WNYC, and supported in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Wrapping your brain around the nature of time and the existence of multiple dimensions is a challenge, but comedian-musician Reggie Watts doesn't blink: he takes on mind-wrenching questions of theoretical physics in a fully-improvised song. Reggie joins Kurt and astrophysicist Janna Levin onstage to puzzle out how the universe works. Recorded live at th

When science fiction was just catching on in the early 20th century, writers looked to the field of quantum mechanics for ideas. They sensationalized scientific advancements and sparked public fear. Physics professor James Kakalios — author of The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics — tells Kurt about the real science behind death rays and atomic radiati

This is what Kurt Andersen considers a holiday tale... melting ice caps and extraterrestrial spies? Kurt's story, "Human Intelligence," was produced for radio by Jonathan Mitchell, and stars Melanie Hoopes, John Ottavino, and Ed Herbstman. The unabridged version was published this year in Stories: All New Tales, an anthology edited by Neil Gaiman and Al

To make art, a computer first needs to understand what art is. A group of computer scientists at Brigham Young University is attempting this by feeding their program images by the thousands and describing those images. Digital Artist Communicating Intent (she goes by DARCI) recognizes about 2,000 adjectives so far, including terms like peaceful, scary

In 1928 the Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming discovered the fungus from which penicillin is derived. Fleming made the discovery while trying an unusual experiment: painting with strains of bacteria. Lindsay Patterson talked with a team that's taking bacterial painting to a new level.

This week in Studio 360, the new culture of surveillance. Kurt Andersen talks to technologist and philosopher Jaron Lanier about why we have to watch the watchers. An artist meticulously tracks government spy satellites crossing the night sky. A computer scientist explains what goes into building a facial recognition system. And sitting silently in her

This week in Studio 360, art is changing medicine. Music helps patients recover in a burn unit, a children's cancer doctor turns to fiction writing, and medical students learn how honing their narrative skills will make them better doctors.

Neon signage has been around for exactly a century, but today the glowing lights face competition from cheaper LED technology. Physics professor Eric Schiff and Jeff Friedman, of New York's Let There Be Neon studio, explain what's behind neon's everlasting glow. Produced by Jordan Sayle.

Marc Branch works at NASA as an aerospace engineer testing instruments used on outer-space telescopes. When he's off the clock, Branch is one of the most sought after hip-hop DJs around the country. Leading a double life as "DJ Scientific" he hopes to attract young hip-hop fans to math and science. Produced by Jocelyn Gonzales.

When science fiction was just catching on in the early 20th century, writers looked to the field of quantum mechanics for ideas. They sensationalized scientific advancements and sparked public fear. Physics professor James Kakalios — author of The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics — tells Kurt about the science behind death rays and atomic radiation.

Until recently, mathematicians believed you couldn't represent hyperbolic geometry in real space, but a Latvian math professor discovered a way — using crochet. Some science educators realized those same hyperbolic shapes mimicked the forms in coral reefs. And now their Crochet Coral Reef Project has landed at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History

In William Gibson's first novel, 1984's Neuromancer, he coined the term "cyber-space" and introduced us to the concept of a computer-generated reality that became the movie "The Matrix." Now Gibson is back with another sci-fi tale set in the future-- except the future is now.

Felice Frankel spent the last 20 years photographing objects that only the most powerful microscopes can see. In her book No Small Matter, which she wrote with the Harvard chemist George Whitesides, Frankel shows what life on the nanoscale looks like. Produced by Studio 360's Sarah Lilley.