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Des Moines
At an all-season snow tubing hill, Newton’s second law of motion is observable at any time of year.
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Milford
Bees help move pollen from one plant to another.
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Center Junction
Purple martin populations are maintained, in part, through human-designed nests.
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Ames
The head costumer for a stage production must take several criteria into account to ensure all costumes are ready for showtime.
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Ames
Engineering a solution for “snow” to fall during a ballet performance requires thoughtful consideration and planning.
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Ames
Dancers apply several physical science concepts as they perform.
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Ames
A fly system is the primary mechanism which allows theater technicians to hang and quickly move curtains, background scenery, lights and more.
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Indianola
Effective application of anhydrous ammonia requires a variety of environmental factors be met.
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Appanoose County
Chronic Wasting Disease is a contagious neurological disease resulting in severe weight loss, behavioral changes, and ultimately death in affected animals.
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Knoxville
The chemical composition found in the karst landscape can lead to the formation of sinkholes.
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Altoona
Roller coaster engineers apply several physics principles to create a safe and thrilling experience.
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Fayette County
Diversity of appearance within a cattle herd can be influenced by genetics and the environment.
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Shenandoah
Molecular sieve beads play an important role in ethanol distillation.
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Parkersburg
Changes in the quantity of birds and the locations of travel are shown, demonstrating complex ecosystems and how animals move or change their ecosystems depending on whether or not their needs are being met.
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Storm Lake
Trees can be strategically planted to act as a windbreak or snow fence.
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Pleasant Hill
Everything we throw away has to go somewhere.
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Des Moines
Land use in Iowa has changed significantly over the last hundreds of years.
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Fairfield
Tree girdling is used to remove trees without cutting the tree down.
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Bedford
The northern lights have been frequently visible further south of the poles.
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Montgomery County
Many trees in Montgomery County were left damaged after an EF-3 tornado in May 2024.
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Red Oak
Boreal chorus frog songs are an excellent first sign of spring's arrival.
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Council Bluffs
This bee is covered in plant pollen.
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Buena Vista County
Parents teach their offspring a number of skills for survival, including hiding from predators.
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Cherokee
Owls tend to only interact together in a coupling and are territorial in order to protect their hunting grounds and their young.
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Monona County
The Loess Hills of western Iowa are a unique landform, the formation of which has resulted in characteristic "steps" in the hills.
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Ida Grove
Distinct differences in road surfaces across Iowa are connected to geologic processes over time and location.
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Charles City
Macroinvertebrates can help limnologists assess water quality when looking at the biodiversity of a stream
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Oxford
Data shows the changes in dissolved oxygen levels from various test locations over the summer months.
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Princeton
Reed canary grass grows natively in Europe and Asia, but it is taking over in some Iowa locations.
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Cedar Rapids
Indian Creek Nature Center land management planning includes surveying butterfly populations, and data shows how the 2020 derecho is impacting those survey results.
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Baldwin
Eden Valley Refuge features exposed limestone outcrops. Limestone is a sedimentary rock and is formed by an accumulation of skeletal fragments of marine organisms.
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Davenport
Rusty patched bumble bees were listed as endangered in 2017. This is just one species of bumble bee that has been on the decline.
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Clinton
Areas along the shores of the Mississippi River are experiencing a complete loss of trees which causes a decline in ecosystem biodiversity.
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Sioux County
Avian influenza is a virus that affects bird populations, both domestic and wild. Like all viruses, avian influenza changes over time due to mutations that affect proteins.
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Ackley
Using goats to control invasive trees, shrubs and other plants is a unique solution for maintaining remnant prairie.
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Spirit Lake
This time-lapse video captures two monarch caterpillars feeding on a milkweed leaf, and illustrates the caterpillars' role in the ecosystem as they consume plant matter.

Funding for Iowa Science Phenomena Provided By

Aliant Energy
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Musco Lighting
Pella
Reserve Endowment and Protection (REAP)