Proving Einstein Right, Reef Noise, Lifeguards

Proving Einstein Right: The Daring Expeditions That Changed How We Look at the Universe. (0:36) Guest: S. James Gates, Jr., Theoretical Physicist, Brown Theoretical Physics Center Director, Co-Author of Proving Einstein Right: The Daring Expeditions That Changed How We Look at the Universe. Scientists have just proven that Einstein’s theory of relativityy works, even for massive objects like stars. But a century ago, before Einstein was famous, he was just an academic with some intriguing ideas about gravity.  Some adventurous astronomers thought he was on to something, though, so they set out to test his theory. To do it, they needed to take pictures of the stars during total solar eclipses. And to do that, they had to travel to Russia on the brink of war and deep into the Brazil’s Amazon jungles. Finally, in 1919, after eight years of failed attempts, astronomers captured the evidence they needed to prove Einstein was right. (Originally aired 10/16/2020) Scientists Lured Fish Back to Dying Coral Reefs With Loudspeakers. (27:37) Guest: Tim Gordon, Marine Biologist, PhD Student, University of Exeter The world’s coral reefs are in dire straits. Extreme heat killed off half the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2017. Those damaged areas of coral become like a ghost town. But if fish could be drawn back to the reef, their very presence could trigger other parts of the coral ecosystem to come back, too. Marine biologist Tim Gordon has struck on an ingenious strategy to lure fish to patches of dead coral. Playing recordings of what a healthy coral reef sounds like. Apparently fish dig it. (Originally aired 1/9/2020) Your Kid Might Have a Good Reason to Whine (39:22) Guest: Rose Sokol-Chang, PhD, Journal Publisher at the American Psychological Association “How do I stop my kids from whining?” is one of the top questions parenting experts get. But Rose Sokol-Chang studied whining at Clark University and she says it’s actually an important part of a child’s social development. That it’s even a sign of love and affec