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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 robotsListen 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...

Secretary Cheng at First Robotics Kickoff Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the kick-off day at the VCU Students Commons for this year's Virginia First Robotics Competition in March.

Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade, will be at the Virginia Fir

NASA Langley Wraps Up Year Of Advances In Space Travel

Virginia’s NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton has just concluded a year that included a key role in the Curiosity Mars Rover Landing and advanced research into the next generation of space vehicles.

Charles Fishburne has more in this Science Matters report.

Watch the video and discover more here.

Virginia Helps Pioneer New Nuclear Reactor Technology

Virginia is at the forefront of the design and testing of what could be the next generation of electricity from small, modular nuclear reactors. Charles Fishburne has more in this WCVE Public Radio Science Matters report.

Watch the Science Matters video report here.

Navy Solar Array is Completed

The solar farm that has just been installed in Norfolk is the Navy's largest on the East Coast and the largest solar energy project in Virginia.

VCU Doctor Succeeds in Reversing Obesity in Mice Using Enzyme Therapy

With the upcoming holidays, many of us might wish for that "magic pill" to curb the effects of overeating.  As Charles Fishburne tells us in this Science Matters report, Andrew Larner and an international team of scientists havesuccessfully reversed the obesity in mice by manipulating the production of an enzyme known as Tyk2.