Sometimes, the desire to fit in stops people from doing things they really love. Morley Bankston, a computer programmer in Nashville, avoided anything related to math or science in high school because she was afraid of being labeled a “nerd.” She talked to WPLN’s Emily Siner as part of our live series Movers & Thinkers […]
Vanderbilt Doctors Make Progress On Diagnosing Rare Mystery Diseases
Listen Over the past year and a half, doctors and researchers in Nashville have diagnosed eight of the rarest genetic diseases. One doctor on the team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center says its progress is now speeding up.
Tennessee Astronaut Butch Wilmore Tours The State To Tout Science
Listen You could say Butch Wilmore has star power. The Tennessee native is an astronaut who spent six months on the International Space Station, and students at William Henry Oliver Middle School in Nashville were clearly excited that he was visiting Thursday. The school band welcomed him with a Star Wars medley. Students lined up […]
Vanderbilt Doctor Blames Tennessee Congressman For Being Pulled Into Fetal Tissue Probe
Listen A video that purported to show Planned Parenthood selling fetal tissue has been discredited. But it spawned an inquiry that carries on, led by Congressman Marsha Blackburn. Her investigative panel has been forcing researchers to turn over emails and billing information. They’re trying to root out people who may have profited from the sale […]
Oak Ridge Scientists Are Writing Code That Not Even The World’s Fastest Computers Can Run (Yet)
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are starting to build applications for a supercomputer that might not go live for another seven years. The…
Tennessee Researchers Name Newly Discovered (And Slightly Alarming) Bacteria After Cookeville
Listen Scientists from Tennessee recently discovered — and named — two species of bacteria growing in man-made water sources in Putnam County. Next, they want to find out just how big of a threat the bacteria pose to humans.
Everyone Agrees Rural Tennessee Needs Help Getting Online, But How?
Listen Gigabit-speed internet has been a buzzword around Nashville, with several companies competing to roll out super-fast connections. But a recent report from the state’s economic development office pointed out that some parts of the state are far behind when it comes to getting online. Nearly everyone — 98 percent of people — in urban areas of Tennessee […]
Tennessee Needs More Competition Between Internet Providers, According To State Report
Listen A new survey on broadband Internet, commissioned by the state’s economic development office, has a simple takeaway: High-speed internet access is good for business, and Tennessee needs more of it.
Vanderbilt Leads Project To Help Clinical Trials Recruit More Minority Participants
Listen Vanderbilt University Medical Center is trying to solve a problem that is currently hindering research: how to get enough participants — especially from minority groups — to take part in clinical trials.
How Scientists Plan To Enshrine Tennessee On The Periodic Table Of Elements
Listen One of the newest elements on the periodic table could soon be named “tennessine,” in honor of the state’s role in helping to discover it six years ago. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, which oversees the periodic table, announced the tentative names of four new elements Wednesday morning — including element 117, tennessine.
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