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The best of the year in science & nature

Science and nature are in the spotlight today.

While the worst of COVID-19 appears to be history, scientists and researchers continue to draw lessons about what happened and how well-prepared we might be for the next pandemic.

How a Texan is trying to help answer questions about science in a new podcast aimed at non-scientists curious about the world around us.

Girl Scouts take a deep dive on science – quite literally – with the help of scuba gear.

And our conversation with an astronaut picked for our next return to the moon.

How this man survived in the West Texas desert for 27 hours

What does Congress’ budget deal to avert a partial government shutdown mean for food and the farmers and ranchers who produce it? We’ll hear more on the Farm Bill extension, and the implications for Texas.

The push for police accountability: An investigative report from the Austin American-Statesman reveals that police indictments rarely lead to convictions.

Last weekend’s destructive rocket launch was a big fail for SpaceX – or was it? What explains radically mixed reviews of the Starship test launch.

Plus the harrowing account of a Texas hiker, lost in Big Bend Ranch State Park in triple-digit heat, and his near-miraculous survival.

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Texas Standard: March 01, 2022

We’re tracking primary day in Texas as voters head to the polls on this first day of March. Also, the effects of a new policy by Governor Abbott to classify gender affirming medical treatment for transgender kids as child abuse. And, what the Russian invasion of Ukraine could mean for continued cooperation in space. Plus, a conversation with country music’s Carson McHone. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 1, 2020

Texans across the state join nationwide protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, as officials try to control nighttime looting and violence. In cities large and small, peaceful protests over police brutality devolve into violent clashes, vandalism and mayhem over the weekend. And the governor calls in state troopers and national guard troops. We’ll survey the state of the state, now officially declared a state of disaster. Also a look at why some social justice activists see police contracts as central to a solution. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 5, 2018

There’s Abbot and Valdez and White and who else? What does it take to make a mark in a contest like this? We’ll have details. Also, With just hours to go before primary day: gimme 5 takeaways: the university of Houston’s Brandon Rottinghaus on the big themes going into Tuesday. And 3-2-1-will we ever see liftoff by SpaceX in south Texas? We’ll have the view from the launch pad. And not since the days of sputnik: a milestone for a major Texas export. Hank Hill would be proud. All those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 6, 2018

ISIS: mostly defeated. But is the Taliban gaining ground? Military engagements may be changing overseas but the message to troops here in the US: deploy or get out. We’ll take a closer look at the situation. And a new TV series is retelling the story of the FBI siege on the Branch Davidian compound outside of Waco. Why it wasn’t filmed in Texas. Plus… What’s the deal with that proposed Dallas to Houston bullet train? We’ll check in on that and on the state of the state’s private space industry. And pinning down the shakeup that is Texas High School UIL realignment. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 1, 2018

It could be more penny-pinching ahead for Texas lawmakers and the state budget. We’ll get the economic outlook from the Texas controller. Plus one year after President Trump announced an executive order restricting travel from some Muslim-majority countries. Now Texas immigrants from those countries still face uncertainty. We’ll have the story. And taking the pulse of US-Mexico relations as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heads south of the border. Also kids these days are exposed to a lot of technology from a very young age. What we should consider when it comes to childcare tech. Plus remembering the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew 15 years after it disintegrated in the skies over east Texas. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 26, 2018

The pot is sweetened: a proposed path to citizenship for 1.8 million. But is the overall flavor of the deal too terrible for many lawmakers? We’ll explore. Plus, the hub of Harris County’s criminal justice system has been closed because of Hurricane Harvey flooding, and could be for years to come. And in Marfa a secretive company opens up to school kids. And in Montreal NAFTA negotiations that could have big effects on Texas. All that plus the Typewriter Rodeo and a wrap of the week in Texas politics, today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 28, 2017

Is it okay for Texas colleges and universities to use race as a factor in deciding who gets in and who doesn’t? We’ll explore a new legal challenge. Also, the opioid crisis is bigger than an addiction problem. In Houston, city officials warn of the arrival of an opioid variant so toxic, incidental contact could be lethal. We’ll have the latest. Plus Texas and other states offer incentives to boost the space business. Caliornia, meanwhile,is taking quite the reverse approach. We’ll hear what’s up. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: