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Science June 22, 2022

From Data to Quanta

Niels Bohr’s Vision of Physics

Slobodan Perovic

Hosted by Ana Georgescu
Niels Bohr was a central figure in quantum physics, well known for his work on atomic structure and his contributions to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. In From Data …

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Interviews with scientists about their new books.

Biology and Evolution June 22, 2022

Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You

Busting Myths about Human Nature (Second Edition)

Agustín Fuentes

Hosted by Sine Yaganoglu
There are three major myths of human nature: humans are divided into biological races; humans are naturally aggressive; and men and women are wholly different in behavior, desires, and wiring …
Science June 21, 2022

Plan S for Shock

Science. Shock. Solution. Speed.

Robert-Jan Smits and Rachael Pells

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Plan S: the open access initiative that changed the face of global research.  Robert-Jan Smits and Rachael Pells's book Plan S for Shock: Science. Shock. Solution. Speed. (Ubiquity Press, 2022) tells …
Biology and Evolution June 20, 2022

The Silken Thread

Five Insects and Their Impacts on Human History

Robert N. Wiedenmann and J. Ray Fisher

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Insects are seldom mentioned in discussions surrounding human history, yet they have dramatically impacted today's societies. The Silken Thread: Five Insects and Their Impacts on Human History (Oxford UP, 2021) …
Critical Theory June 16, 2022

Science and Religion

A Very Short Introduction. Second Edition

Thomas Dixon and Adam Shapiro

Hosted by Morteza Hajizadeh
Debates about science and religion are rarely out of the news. Whether it concerns what's being taught in schools, clashes between religious values and medical recommendations, or questions about how …
Biology and Evolution June 16, 2022

Life on the Rocks

Building a Future for Coral Reefs

Juli Berwald

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Coral reefs are a microcosm of our planet: extraordinarily diverse, deeply interconnected, and full of wonders. When they're thriving, these fairy gardens hidden beneath the ocean's surface burst with color …
Grinnell College: Authors and Artists June 15, 2022

All About Dwarf Galaxies

A Conversation with Astronomer Charlotte Christensen

Charlotte Christensen

Hosted by Marshall Poe
Today I talked to astronomer Charlotte Christensen of Grinnell College. She studies (among other things) dwarf galaxies.  Dwarf galaxies, galaxies with masses about 10% that of the Milky Way or …
Science June 15, 2022

Hidden in Plain Sight

The History, Science, and Engineering of Microfluidic Technology

Albert Folch

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Hidden from view, microfluidics underlies a variety of devices that are essential to our lives, from inkjet printers to glucometers for the monitoring of diabetes. Microfluidics--which refers to the technology …
Biology and Evolution June 14, 2022

Sloth Lemur's Song

Madagascar from the Deep Past to the Uncertain Present

Alison F. Richard

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Madagascar is a place of change. A biodiversity hotspot and the fourth largest island on the planet, it has been home to a spectacular parade of animals, from giant flightless …
Neuroscience June 14, 2022

Brainspotting

Adventures in Neurology

A. J. Lees

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
As a trainee doctor, A. J. Lees was enthralled by his mentors: esteemed neurologists who combined the precision of mathematicians, the scrupulosity of entomologists, and the solemnity of undertakers in …
Science June 10, 2022

Spark

The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of Life

Timothy J. Jorgensen

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
When we think of electricity, we likely imagine the energy humming inside our home appliances or lighting up our electronic devices--or perhaps we envision the lightning-streaked clouds of a stormy …
Environmental Studies June 10, 2022

When the Sahara Was Green

How Our Greatest Desert Came to Be

Martin Williams

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, equal in size to China or the United States. Yet, this arid expanse was once a verdant, pleasant land, fed …
Environmental Studies June 9, 2022

Pandora's Toolbox

The Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention

Wake Smith

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Reaching net zero emissions will not be the end of the climate struggle, but only the end of the beginning. For centuries thereafter, temperatures will remain elevated; climate damages will …
Environmental Studies June 7, 2022

Geoengineering

The Gamble

Gernot Wagner

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Stabilizing the world's climates means cutting carbon dioxide pollution. There's no way around it. But what if that's not enough? What if it's too difficult to accomplish in the time …
Medicine June 6, 2022

The End of Genetics

Designing Humanity's DNA

David B. Goldstein

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Since 2010 it has been possible to determine a person's genetic makeup in a matter of days at an accessible cost for many millions of people. Along with this technological …
Biology and Evolution June 3, 2022

Sounds Wild and Broken

Sonic Marvels, Evolution's Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction

David George Haskell

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
We live on a planet alive with song, music, and speech. David Haskell explores how these wonders came to be. In rain forests shimmering with insect sound and swamps pulsing …
Biology and Evolution June 2, 2022

A Natural History of the Future

What the Laws of Biology Tell Us about the Destiny of the Human Species

Rob Dunn

Hosted by Galina Limorenko
Our species has amassed unprecedented knowledge of nature, which we have tried to use to seize control of life and bend the planet to our will. In  A Natural History …
Geography June 1, 2022

Nature's Broken Clocks: Reimagining Time in the Face of the Environmental Crisis

Paul Huebener

Hosted by Nicholas Pritchard
In Nature's Broken Clocks: Reimagining Time in the Face of the Environmental Crisis (University of Regina Press, 2020), Paul Huebener argues that "the environmental crisis is, in many ways, a crisis of time." …
Environmental Studies May 31, 2022

Song of the Earth

Understanding Geology and Why It Matters

Elisabeth Ervin-Blankenheim

Hosted by Matthew Brown
In today’s podcast, Elisabeth Ervin-Blankenheim explains how understanding harmonics of the earth provides a forward-thinking methodology to confront the challenges presented by the massive changes in the climate. In …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones May 31, 2022

The Future of the Brain

A Conversation with Daniel Graham

Daniel Graham

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
When people describe the brain they often compare it to a computer. In fact, the metaphor of the brain as a computer has defined the field for decades now. And …