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Charles Bergquist

Charles Bergquist is the director and a contributing producer for PRI's Science Friday. His favorite stories involve chemistry, inventions, nanotechnology, and shiny things with blinking lights.

Since the inception of commercial air travel, the insides of airplane cabins have been associated with a higher likelihood of catching a cold or other spreadable disease. New research has sought out to see if scientific facts back up those sentiments.

Study examines how diseases really spread during air travel

Health

Airplane cabins have been labeled as strong sources of germs and spreadable diseases. But how likely is it we’ll really get sick from planes?

Those who have the neurological condition synesthesia often automatically see colors when they hear music or see numbers or letters.

Study begins to reveal genetic ties behind a neurological phenomenon

Music
Flamingos have enjoyed a resurgence in Florida over the last 50 years. Notice that the young flamingo in the middle is gray and not the iconic pink. Flamingos gain their pinkish color over time through their diet — mainly shrimp.

New study sheds light on the debate over the origins of flamingos in Florida

Science
This image is from a video made in 2011 that compiled visualizations of the Antarctic ozone hole. Recent findings have shown that the hole is filling up — while other parts of ozone remain on the decline.

The ozone hole over the Antarctic is beginning to fill up. Here’s the bad news.

Science
Activity using Strava's tracking technologies such as the one above has helped the company produce a heat map of the world using one billion total activities.

Recent discovery on Strava heat map points out the ease of leaking data through social media platforms

Technology
LED street lights

Even when it’s not the holiday season, outdoor lighting is on the rise

Technology

‘Tis the season for garish holiday displays. But outdoor lighting is a year-long phenomenon, and it might be having unintended consequences.

Coal

Another way to look at the fossil record? By examining coal.

Science

If you’re like most people, you probably think of coal as a chunk of black fossil fuel. Geologist Jen O’Keefe sees it differently.

Soccer ball

New research finds that heading the soccer ball may be riskier for women than men

Health

They “found that women tended to have damage to a greater part of their brain and to more discrete areas of the brain than the men who headed the ball the same amount.”

Florida panther

Keeping tabs on the elusive Florida panther

Science

A longtime program to collar the endangered cats may be coming to an end. What happens next?

Captcha

CAPTCHAs are supposed to separate humans from robots online, but now AI can crack them

Technology

Artificial intelligence can now crack CAPTCHAs, and the implications go far beyond our Internet surfing.