September 9, 2016 - MPR’s Dan Kraker investigates the warming waters of Lake Superior. In late August 2016, the average surface water temperature for the entire lake hit 68 and a half degrees (the second highest ever recorded). In Lake Superior, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth have found that summer surface water temperatures have increased by 5 degrees over the past 30 years.
September 14, 2016 - On this MPR News with Tom Weber program, Ken Merryman discusses hunting for shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Merryman and others discovered the Antelope, a Great Lakes steamship, that sank in Lake Superior in 1897.
October 30, 2017 - MPR News Host, Tom Crann, presents the Brains On!’s podcast episode about Down syndrome on All Things Considered. Molly Bloom, host of Brain’s On!, interviews 10-year-old Fiona Harris and 12-year-old Ezra Harris from St. Paul on the topic. They are also joined by Brains on! Producer Marc Sanchez who explains the science behind Down syndrome.
October 31, 2017 - MPR’s Dan Kraker looks into the ongoing battle to control sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. It was one of the earliest aquatic nonnative species to invade the U.S., long before zebra mussels and Asian carp garnered headlines. Its also been one of the most destructive, wiping out lake trout populations.
August 14, 2018 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on unprecedented algae bloom along the South Shore of Lake Superior. Researchers are trying to figure out the cause. They suspect the bloom may be related to recent historic heavy rains and flooding that washed tons of sediment into the lake. Researchers expect to see more periodic algae blooms in Lake Superior, in part because of that increased water temperature, an effect of climate change.
September 7, 2018 - MPR’s Elizabeth Dunbar reports on the removal of common carp from Stieger Lake in Victoria, Minnesota. The fish have become a nuisance in some lakes because they're so good at moving around and destroying the habitats of more desirable fish species.
September 13, 2018 - An APM Reports documentary, titled “Hard Words: Why aren't our kids being taught to read?,” which looks at the science of teaching children to read, and the disconnect of that science with educators. It’s a battle between phonics and whole language theory…leaving millions of children unable to read.
November 2, 2018 - MPR’s John Enger traveled to Wisconsin to see how Chronic Wasting Disease has changed everything for one deer hunter.
November 2, 2018 - MPR’s John Enger traveled to Wisconsin to see what he could learn from that state's efforts to contain Chronic Wasting Disease in it’s deer population.
February 25, 2022 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on Lake Superior research known as the “Winter Grab.” Scientists have a pretty good understanding of what goes on in the Great Lakes during the summer. But they don't know nearly as much about Lake Superior and the other lakes during winter. That's significant because winter is when the lakes are experiencing their most dramatic impacts from climate change.