Science

The Discovery Center of Idaho is the state's one-stop shop for all things science and it recently made some changes, making the space more accessible with new exhibits in store.

The diversity principle – the idea that people with different backgrounds, identities, and viewpoints produce better work – was a core tenet of the first modern research university and the inspiration for John Stuart Mill’s classic treatise, On Liberty. But as a war on diversity upendsgovernment, corporate, and education policies, the history of the idea of diversity has never been more important. In his latest book, The Diversity Principle: The Story of a Transformative Idea, David B. Oppenheimer, a diversity skeptic turned believer, chronicles how diversity became a foundation of education over the last 200 years, how it evolved in commerce and science, and the inevitable implications of the current backlash.

Note: This is an encore edition of Reader’s Corner. The episode originally aired in June 2023.An interview with David Michaels, author of The Triumph of Doubt. In the book, Michaels details how corrupt science becomes public policy, through the aid of dark money, and where it's happening today.

An interview with Oren Harman, author of the new book, Metamorphosis. The book is a modern classic of natural history, offering an inspiring look at why so many of Earth’s creatures undergo transformations.

An interview with Sy Montgomery, author of What the Chicken Knows. Part science writing, part personal narrative, the book explores the surprising traits and unique personalities of the world’s most recognizable bird.

Studies have shown that time in nature can increase mental health. In 2023, Idaho-born Professor Nils Peterson with North Carolina State University got curious about how wildlife activities affected people.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological disease affecting hoofed animals. Idaho just received its second case from a domestic elk that was not connected to the originally infected one. This concerns our hunting and agricultural economies as well as our health.

In a biology lab on the Boise State campus, a rare and mysterious creature sits in a tank. It has a rich cultural background and looks like it’s wearing a feather boa around its neck. It swims and it sways as if dancing to a Latin rhythm from its homeland, but its livelihood is threatened in the wild.

“Transient and strange” is how Walt Whitman described a “year of meteors” in the mid-19th century, weaving his poetry through his observations of all-things celestial.

Idaho Mattes meets two young inventors who took home prizes in a national competition.