Multimedia Features

 Veteran Space Correspondent Recounts Accomplishments in Space Exploration

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched “Sputnik,” the first man-made object ever to orbit the earth. We speak to reporter Jay Barbree about the most important achievements that have happened in space exploration in the last 50 years.

 Quality Ingredients Are Key to Making a Great Pizza

What separates the great pizzas from the rest? Is it the dough, is it the sauce, or is it the toppings? We speak to a couple local pizza heavy-weights to get their thoughts on making the perfect pizza pie. We also talk to a local pastry chef about the keys to making a great pizza at home.

 Cartoonist Steve Breen on the Top Political Stories of 2007

We take a look through the satirical eyes of cartoonist Steve Breen as he takes on the big political stories of the year.

 San Dieguito Lagoon Project is Half Way Complete

If you've driven north or south on I-5 near Del Mar you can't miss it. A major construction project is underway on either side of I-5 near the Via de la Valle exit. It's not a new subdivision. It's not a new shopping mall. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce says it's a new lagoon.

 Part 1: Palomar's One-Room Schoolhouse Faces Mounting Pressures

Palomar Mountain School is San Diego County's last operating one-room schoolhouse. It barely escaped the October wildfires, but now mounting political and economic pressures may threaten its existence. In this first of two reports, KPBS Education Reporter Ana Tintocalis gives us a glimpse of life at the school.

 On the Frontline With San Diego Firefighters

For the last week, firefighters have been working hard to beat the wildfires. KPBS reporter Nicole Lozare spent some time with them on the front lines.

 Sledghammer's Seven Crimes Even Scares Beth Accomando

It's time to celebrate the art of horror and gore and, to that end, KPBS film critic Beth Accomando searched San Diego stages looking for the spooky blend. She finds it at Sledgehammer Theater with their new production, Seven Crimes.

 Tijuana's Industrial Trash Turned Art

Tijuana artist Jaime Ruiz Otis has found inspiration in Tijuana city's industrial trash piles. During art school, Ruiz worked at one of the border region's hundreds of factories, called maquiladoras to make ends meet. In his hands, old fax toner became paint. Defective respirator tubes became sculpture. Now, Ruiz is turning discarded TV monitors into a Zen garden. Ruiz has shown his art at museums and galleries around the world. KPBS Border Reporter Amy Isackson spoke with him at his studio in Tijuana.

 Alternative Energy Industry Grows as Oil Supplies Decline

Politics, Middle East conflicts, the world market and global climate change are several factors that make energy alternatives to oil more necessary. Which kinds of other energy sources challenge the world's declining oil supply? We speak with several fuel experts about the viability of fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen and ethanol. We also discuss the various alternative energy options available to San Diego homeowners. [WEB EXTRA | Photo Slideshow]

 Micro-lending Aids Women of West Africa

A local micro-lending organization has dedicated itself to aiding the women of Ghana, West Africa. We speak with WomensTrust about how the micro-lending program works and how their program has positively impacted the village of Pokuase in Ghana.

 Climate Change in Popular Culture

Two documentaries, including one called Everything’s Cool, will deal with global warming this year. They join The Day After Tomorrow and An Inconvenient Truth as movies concerned with climate change. KPBS film critic Beth Accomando considers how popular entertainment affects us.

 Local High School Students Cooking Up Biodiesel

Today in our KPBS radio series "A Matter of Degrees: Climate Change in San Diego," we visit the San Diego High Educational Complex in downtown. Students there are cooking up batches of biodiesel. It's part of an alternative energy program that may find its way into more San Diego public schools. KPBS Education Reporter Ana Tintocalis has this report.

 Living Off the Grid

What would it be like to live off the electricity grid? In the next part of our KPBS radio series "A Matter of Degrees: Climate Change in San Diego," we visit Laura Silver. Silver lives in an energy-efficient straw bale house in San Diego's East County and runs her household on electricity from solar panels, supplemented by a small generator in the back yard. KPBS Radio's Alison St John has more.

 Powered by the Sun: Poway School Adopts Solar Energy

Monterey Ridge Elementary in the Poway Unified School District is the newest in a growing list of solar powered schools in San Diego County. KPBS education reporter Ana Tintocalis explains why there’s a lot more to this school than just solar panels.

 Going Green: City of San Diego's Efforts

San Diego is recognized as the leading local government in the United Stated using renewable energy. But is the city taking advantage of its sunny weather to move ahead with solar energy to meet its own goals? In the next installment of our series on what San Diegans are doing about global warming, KPBS reporter Alison St John looks at the city’s use of renewable energy.

 Marine Corps Tightens Tattoo Policy

Under a new policy, Marines are no longer allowed to get tattoos on certain visible areas of their bodies, such as the arms and legs. Commandant General James Conway says that "tattoos of an excessive nature do not represent our traditional values," but some Marines wonder what body art has to do with job performance. We talk to a former Marine about the controversy and take calls from the military community.

 High School Robotics Competiton Raises Enthusiasm for Science

About a month ago, more than 30 high school teams in California got a crate full of metal parts. Their mission was to build a robot to compete in San Diego's first regional robotics competition. Qualcomm and NASA sponsored the event which took place over the weekend in San Diego. KPBS education reporter Ana Tintocalis followed three local teams and has this report.