Science & Technology

Since mid-July, comet NEOWISE, named for the ‘Near Earth Object’ explorer that found it, has been visible after sunset. This week a local astronomer admired it from College Hill in Eugene. 

Frequent use of marijuana by young adults may drive up risk-taking. That’s from a new study by Oregon State University.

Improvements to sustainability efforts at Lane Community College could involve students searching for bird carcasses around the campus.

On the outskirts of the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, there’s a wave research lab, where two giant concrete basins can simulate the impacts of big waves. KLCC learned about some of the current research. 

The Volcanic Listening Project features a group of scientists and artists who transform volcanic data into music. It works through a process called sonification, where mathematical algorithms turn plots on a graph into sound.

KLCC’s Melorie Begay caught up with a violin playing volcanologist in Eugene who’s highlighting Mount Kīlauea in this audio postcard.

Improved forecasts and warnings of tsunamis are the goal of university scientists in the Pacific Northwest.  KLCC’s Brian Bull explains.

Compared to babies and dogs, cats are often seen as more aloof and detached from their caregivers.  But as KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, the bond between human and feline is purr-fectly tight.

It's an innovative way to help solve problems for local groups: Put 200 people in a room and let them work for three days straight, competing to create the best solutions. Eugene's “Hack for a Cause," kicks off Friday evening.

The USDA says it’s officially ending a controversial experiment that involves kittens. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, Oregon lawmakers and animal welfare advocates are delighted.

After nine days, some McKenzie Bridge residents are seeing the first flickers of electricity following a power outage caused by last week’s snow storm.  For some, the loss of power created a serious risk. But for those river inhabitants secure with “the basics” to survive (warmth, water, food,) some found hidden joys in letting go of extras and just taking it easy.

A new license plate featuring a gray whale and her calf will be available in Oregon as of February 1st. Sales will help fund whale research.

The next generation of high-tech adhesives may get a jump-start from the science behind sticky frog tongues. New research led by Oregon State University’s College of Engineering finds the chemical makeup of frog mucus could guide design for glues used in mechanics and medicine.

As part of their 150th Anniversary Celebration, Oregon State University is hosting a free, day-long symposium Tuesday on “the promise and peril of artificial intelligence and robotics.”

Lane Bloodworks, a non-profit blood service in Eugene, is rolling out a new app today that’s intended to increase blood donations from millennials.

It’s common for kids to do headstands and blow bubbles. But whales? Marine researchers are seeing these creatures in a different light thanks to unmanned aerial systems, better known as drones. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

In the pre-dawn hours Sunday morning, the Parker Solar Probe blasted off from Cape Canaveral.  Among those watching was an astrophysicist who worked on the unique spacecraft…who’s also a Springfield native and survivor of the 1998 Thurston School Shooting. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

The Eugene Science Center is getting some new equipment after successfully matching a challenge grant for an updated planetarium.

Spring. A time when many Oregonians’ thoughts turn to…fresh, locally-grown produce.  And now a state organization says there’s an app for finding the grower closest to you, even while traveling. KLCC’s Brian Bull explains.

A Springfield boy will soon get his first prosthetics thanks to a clever collaboration between University of Oregon students and advocates for people with disabilities. As KLCC's Tiffany Eckert reports, the project is building more than limbs. It's creating opportunities to learn and use new technology for a greater good.

An epic, worldwide battle of robots has drawn local high schoolers to Texas. KLCC’s Brian Bull caught up with one robotics team as it prepared to leave this morning.

Last weekend’s 75 mile per hour winds brought an unexpected visitor to the region…more than a thousand miles away from its likely home. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.