How On Earth

Animal Creativity

This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Professor Carol Gigliotti about her new book, The Creative Lives of Animals. She provides a new perspective on animals as agents in their own lives, as valuable contributors to their world and ours, and as guides in understanding how creativity may contribute to conserving the natural world. Presenting a powerful argument for the importance of recognizing animals as individuals and as creators of a healthy, biodiverse world, this book offers insights into the creativity of animals.

Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Susan Moran, Tom McKinnon, Joel Parker
Engineer: Shannon Young

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:26 — 17.8MB)

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New Alzheimer’s Drug . . . and Dale Bredesen Challenge

Cognitive Scores on New Drugs versus Bredesen Program (on right) source Apollo Health

Various experts share pros and cons about Lecanemab (starts 1:00) the newly approved drug for Alzheimer’s.

Dale Bredesen of Apollo HealthCo (starts 5:30) shares his criticisms of the new Alzheimer’s drug and gives recommendations for better ways to improve cognition.

Links to topics mentioned in this show:

American Alzheimer’s Association Statement urging Medicare and Medicaid pay the (estimated) $26,000 annual cost for Lecanemab, per person.

Olive Oil reduces Dementia Risk Harvard Study shows a 29% reduction in risk of dying from Dementia among people who consume a little olive oil every day, compared to people who don’t consume olive oil.

Aricept is associated with faster long-term memory decline Aricept is often prescribed for improving cognition among people diagnosed with memory impairment. A second study reports that among people who take drugs like Aricept, “previous analysis of observational studies indicates such individuals experience greater rate of decline on cognitive testing than those not receiving such medications.”

Previous Science Show Interviews . . . about Dale Bredesen: Alzheimer’s Reversal (The Health Hacker’s Group, APOE4.Info and Dale Bredesen’s book The End of Alzheimer’s ) New Treatments for Alzheimer’s (Dale Bredesen’s book, The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s)

Salmonella Biofilms (How non-human, Curli Amyloid Protein similar to the beta amylooid proteins created within our bodies, can enter the bloodstream from intestinal infections such as e-coli and salmonella)

Leprosy Tango This skit is by a health expert on leprosy. It includes the lyrics.

Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Stacie Johnson and Beth Bennett
Engineer: Shannon Young

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:55 — 37.0MB)

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Colorado’s Solid Power Car Battery (and other Breakthrough Batteries)

Colorado’s Solid Power Solid State electric car battery

Better Electric Car Batteries are a key to moving toward all-electric cars. While the standard liquid lithium ion/graphite battery is making advancements, this week’s show focuses batteries that add new materials to the mix for batteries that could be safer, faster charging and longer range. Featured are Colorado’s Solid Power solid state battery, the Sila Battery that includes silicon, and the new Nyobolt‘battery that uses the rare earth metal niobium. Experts who provide explanations include Doug Campbell, Solid Power cofounder and former CEO, John Capodilupo, CoFounder of WHOOP! Fitness tracker (WHOOP is the first commercial product using a new – in this case, Sila’s), industry analyst Mark Newman, plus a common sense look at batteries from Shelley’s neighbor Bill.

RELATED SHOW: Recycling Lithium Ion Batteries

Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer> Shannon Young

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:58 — 37.0MB)

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The Health of the US Public Health System

On today’s show, Beth speaks with Michael Stein, primary care physician and researcher, who has been writing about medicine and public health for decades. In Me Vs Us, he instigates a conversation about how we might change the current situation in which public health loses out to individual medicine and how public health nevertheless holds the solutions to our most concerning health crises, such as Covid-19 and obesity. In the end, Stein argues, we need to recover and sharpen our sense of health based on a reverent appreciation of both the health care and public health perspectives.

Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Benita Lee and Shelley Schlender
Engineer Shannon Young

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:31 — 25.2MB)

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James Webb Space Telescope (Part 1)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – JWST – was launched one year ago on December 25th, 2021. We talked with scientists and engineers about JWST’s first year and some of the projects it is being used for. In this first part of our JWST special, our guests are:

Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney (Planetary Scientist Postdoctoral Researcher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland) gives an overview of the JWST instrument suite
Dr. Christine Chen (Associate Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute) talks about the JWST proposal process and how the scientists get their data
Dr. Ryan Lau (Assistant Astronomer, NOIRLab) discusses his project: Establishing Extreme Dynamic Range with JWST: Decoding Smoke Signals in the Glare of a Wolf-Rayet Binary

Check out Part 2 of this feature (2023 Jan 31)

Host & Producer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Featured Music: “Floating in Heaven” by Graham Gouldman and Brian May

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:00 — 37.1MB)

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Looking for a Good Night’s Sleep?

In today’s show Beth talks with Aric Prather, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, where he co-directs the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Center. A licensed clinical psychologist, he has helped hundreds of patients improve their sleep. In his new book, The Sleep Prescription, Dr. Prather describes the solutions that he uses in the clinic to regain normal sleep. In our conversation, Dr. Prather shares the science behind the simple yet effective techniques that can restore one’s sleep.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contribution: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:08 — 23.0MB)

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Finding Home in a Changing Climate

Unruly Planet (start time: 5:31) This week on How On Earth Susan Moran interviews science journalist Madeline Ostrander about her recently published book, At Home On An Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge On A Changed Earth. The author reflects on what it means to reimagine the concept of home, and to literally find a secure home, in this era of upheaval and change. The book, and our conversation today, explore the predicament of climate refugees as well as heroic individuals who are proactively working to preserve and recreate communities.

Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Headline Contributors: Beth Bennett, Shelley Schlender

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:47 — 36.8MB)

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Can Your Microbiome Protect You Against Covid?

This week on How on Earth Beth talks to Dr. Robynne Chutkan, about her newest book, The Anti-Viral Gut, in which she describes research elucidating the protective role of the microbiome. Many studies have confirmed the link between the health of our microbiome—the trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive tract—and our likelihood of getting devastating viral illnesses like COVID-19. Low-fiber diets, limited exposure to nature, and overzealous use of antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome. In her recent book, Chutkin lays out a plan for anyone trying to avoid or recover from a viral illness to rehab their gut microbes and restore their health.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:58 — 20.2MB)

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Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World

How on Earth’s Beth Bennett talks with authors Ridge Shinn and Lynne Pledger about how regenerative grazing can replace corn-based feedlots, which are responsible for significant climate emissions, nitrogen pollution, and animal suffering. Their book, Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World, outlines a hopeful path out of our broken food system via regional networks of regeneratively produced meat. They talk about how this ancient method of animal husbandry can restore degraded farmland, increase biodiversity, combat climate change by reducing emissions and sequestering carbon and produce nutrient-dense, healthy meat for consumers. More information at Big Picture Beef.

Also, Shelley Schlender talks with Sarah Johnson, a professor of food, science and human nutrition at Colorado State University, about a recent study indicating that in mice prone to artery disease, those that ate belgian endive reduced the instability of artery plaques. That may be important, because in people, unstable plaques can trigger heart attacks.

Hosts: Joel Parker, Beth Bennett
Producer: Joel Parker
Additional contributions: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Susan Moran

Listen to the show:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:01 — 37.1MB)

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