Category Archives: Travel

NASA, FAA Bring Bring Air Traffic Control into 21st Century

Image by NASA.

Air traffic snarls and communication breakdowns can leave holiday flight plans up in the air. But NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration are working on a system they hope will break the logjam.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
NASA, FAA Partner To Upgrade Air Traffic Control

The Potential Human Cost of Waiting For Perfect Self-Driving Cars

As companies like Waymo ramp up tests of their self-driving cars in Phoenix, state and federal officials continue to debate when “good” will be “good enough.”

Now, a report from the RAND Corporation says pumping our brakes and holding out for the perfect automated car is a mistake.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Waiting For Perfect Self-Driving Cars Could Cost Lives

Worth Doing Right: How Climate Change Could Throw a Wrench Into Road repairs

Repairing with the wrong materials for shifting climates could be a road to nowhere, like this spot in the Suffolk village of Covehithe. Picture by Timothyansell123.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has given America’s roads a D rating. But a recent study shows that trying to raise that grade without accounting for climate change could put the country’s roadways at risk.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Not Planning For Climate Change Could Cost Billions In Infrastructure Repairs Down The Road

Mt. Graham Telescopes Observe Frye Fire Up Close

Firefighters monitor Frye fire from atop Mount Graham’s Large Binocular telescope (photo courtesy LBTO).

The Frye Fire has burned tens of thousands of acres southwest of Safford, some of them uncomfortably close to Mount Graham International Observatory.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Frye Fire Has Close Encounter With Mt. Graham Telescopes

Arizona’s Kartchner Caverns Steeped in Science, Secrecy

Image of Kartchner Caverns
Photo courtesy Kartchner Caverns State Park.

When co-discovers Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts found the blowhole entrance to the caverns in 1974, they did something extraordinary: They kept it a secret.  And when they could no longer shield the caves through secrecy, they sought out science to help protect Kartchner Caverns post-development.

Research has supported Kartchner ever since, but the reverse is true as well. Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk to find out how:

At Arizona’s Kartchner Caverns, Science Supports Stewardship — And Vice Versa