Arizona Science Desk

Metas celebrity chatbots could blur the line between AI and real people
Meta reportedly paid millions for some of the biggest names around to “act out” different AI characters that you can chat with. The Show spoke with Arizona State University communications professor Liesel Sharabi about what it means.
Oct. 31, 2023
$8 million in grants to reduce AZ wildfire risk
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management has awarded nearly $8 million in grants to help reduce the risk of wildfire.
Oct. 31, 2023
Volunteers sought for Psilocybin Research Advisory Council
The state health department's Arizona Biomedical Research Centre is looking for volunteers to serve on a council that will provide advice on research into psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms.
Oct. 30, 2023
Energy Dept. announced $1.3B commitment in 3 transmission lines
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $1.3 billion commitment in three transmission lines crossing six states, including Arizona.
Oct. 30, 2023
Scientists may know how Earth got a pseudo-moon
Two years ago, KJZZ reported that Kamo'oalewa — a space rock co-orbiting the sun with the Earth — likely came from the moon, rather than from asteroids orbiting beyond Mars, as is typical. Now, University of Arizona scientists have explained how this surprising event might have occurred.
Oct. 30, 2023
AZ scientists find rare example of menopause in chimps
Aside from humans and some whales, most female mammals don’t live long past the end of their reproductive years. A new study involving ASU and UA finds a surprising exception to that rule – one that could shed light on why menopause evolved in humans.
Oct. 30, 2023
Satellites reveal surprising growth patterns follow fires in far-northern forests
Boreal forests comprise one-quarter of the world’s woodlands and exert a substantial influence on Earth’s climate. Now, research is changing our picture of how these massive carbon storehouses react to forest fires.
Oct. 26, 2023
Dropping eggs off a parking garage in honor of a new world record set in Arizona
In honor of a new world record set at the Arizona State Fair, The Show conducted an experiment of its own. Think of the egg drop you did in high school science class.
Hear more interviews from The Show
Oct. 26, 2023
Can a new way to graze cattle help climate change?
The Show spoke with Peter Byck, a professor of practice at Arizona State University, about his latest project looking at whether or not the way farmers and ranchers let their cattle graze has an effect on climate change.
Oct. 26, 2023
Tap water is cheap, but old pipes and a shrinking Colorado River could change that
Municipal water departments in the Colorado River basin are entering a time of change. Their infrastructure is aging and needs replacement, and they’re starting to invest in new systems that will help cities adapt to a future with a smaller water supply. But, that means big spending and costs that will get passed along to the millions of people who use that water in sinks, showers and sprinklers.
Oct. 26, 2023
CDC warns of RSV immunization shortage
This summer, the FDA approved a monoclonal antibody that can immunize babies against lower respiratory tract diseases caused by RSV. Now, the CDC warns supplies will fall short of demand as transmission rises in the coming months.
Oct. 25, 2023
Mohave County case negative for brain-eating amoeba
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a sample from Mohave County tested negative for brain-eating amoeba infection on Wednesday.
Oct. 25, 2023
Airbnb uses AI to crack down on Halloween parties
AI might soon come for our jobs, but first it’s going to shut down our parties – on certain rental properties, at least.
Oct. 25, 2023
Arizona Science Center breaks another world record, this time with eggs
Arizona Science Center set an official Guinness World Record at the Arizona State Fair this year. With the help of Arizona students, it broke the record for largest object drop inertia experiment on Oct. 19 at the fairgrounds.
Oct. 24, 2023
What happens to CALIPSO satellite after 17 years?
In 2006, NASA and France’s National Centre for Space Studies launched a satellite named CALIPSO. Through KJZZ's Q&AZ reporting project, a listener asked: Now that the satellite’s mission is over after 17 years orbiting Earth, what will happen to it?
Oct. 23, 2023
Why Arizona could be a hot spot for carbon loss
Arizona is one of a handful of states that a new report says is most at risk of carbon loss due to wildfires.
Oct. 23, 2023
More frequent hot flashes during menopause linked to heart disease
A study of roughly 3,000 women from across the United States that found a link between hot flashes and cardiovascular disease.
Oct. 20, 2023
UA opens the Arizona Astrobiology Center
The announcement comes on the heels of the return of the Bennu sample from the OSIRIS-REx mission.
Oct. 19, 2023
New ASU medical school will be located in downtown Phoenix
Arizona State University plans to vastly expand its footprint in downtown Phoenix. The university has announced it will build its new medical school in the center of the city.
Oct. 19, 2023
Valleywise opens behavioral health hub in Mesa for young people
A new behavioral health hub for young people just diagnosed with psychosis is now open in Mesa.
Oct. 19, 2023

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