Sleepless not just in Seattle

In this week’s show Beth speaks with author Annabel Abbs-Streets about her new book, SLEEPLESS: Unleashing the Subversive Power of the Night Self, in which she dives into both the science of sleep and sleeplessness, and a new perspective on life after midnight.

Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer: Beth Bennett

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Myths and Facts about Plastic Recycling

This week on How on Earth Beth speaks with Mattie Matsch, deputy director of Boulder’s Eco-Cycle. We spoke about the challenges of recycling plastics. As consumers, it’s vital to be aware of these challenges and the limitations they impose on the types of plastic we can toss in the barrel for pickup.

Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Engineer: Sam Fuqua

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A New Year and the Same Old Environmental Issues

On this week’s show, we focus on the ongoing challenge of climate change. In addition to headlines about this issue, we replay an interview with author John Vaillant, who has written extensively about the natural world over his long career. In his new book, Fire Weather:A True Story from a Hotter World, he explores the phenomena of fire, the wildland urban interface, and climate change in the context of a precedent-shattering combustion in a modern city.This colossal wildfire in Alberta in 2016 almost consumed a city of nearly 100,000. In the process the fire blew up expectations and responses to wild fires. Vaillant gives an in depth exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind along with personal stories of loss and bravery on the front lines of this horrifying event.

Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional contribution: Susan Moran

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Chronic Pain: A New Approach

On this week’s show, Beth speaks with Dr Afton Hassett, psychologist and pain researcher about her book, Chronic Pain Reset: 30 Days of Activities, Practices, and Skills to Help You Thrive. Not just a guide for evaluating pain and its triggers, her book offers straightforward and often fun strategies to move past chronic pain. Dr. Hassett is Associate Professor and Director of Pain and Opioid Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan, and a principal investigator at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center there. Her book and research explore the key role that your brain plays in processing pain and how small, simple actions can make profound changes in how you experience chronic pain. Chronic Pain Reset is written for people with chronic pain and those who care for them.

Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer:Beth Bennett

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Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence

In this episode of How on Earth we hear the full interview Beth did with physician and author Gavin Frances.

CU Kite Fall Flying Expo (starts 1:00) CU Boulder collaborates with NASA and the kite/toy store Into the Wind to share a Kite Flying Expo about how kites can be used for atmospheric science study.

RECOVERY: The Lost Art of Convalescence. (starts 8:05) Author Gavin Frances emphasizes the importance of taking an active role in one’s recovery and outlines many paths one can take in doing so. It is an act that we engage in and that has the potential to transform our lives, if only we can find ways to learn its rhythms and invest our time, energy, and participation.

Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producers: Beth Bennett, Susan Moran, Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Sam Fuqua

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Western Water

This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Robert Crifasi about his new book, Western Water A to Z: The History, Nature, and Culture of a Vanishing Resource. This book is the first ever field guide to Western water. Organized as a collection of terms, the book addresses the most salient water issues and provides helpful background information regarding their origins and implications.

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

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The Science of Sex in Sports – Women Athletes

This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Christine Yu – an award-winning journalist who has turned her reporting on women athletes and the relationship between science and athletic performance into a comprehensive book on the subject. In UP TO SPEED:The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes, she covers topics ranging from a historical overview of women in sports to the role of hormones on performance to the physics of designing jog bras, and much more. If you’re an athlete, a woman, or simply interested in sports, you’ll enjoy the conversation with Christine.

Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Engineering and Headline Contribution: Shannon Young

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Biomechanics for Dummies

On today’s show Beth speaks with biomechanics Katy Bowman about her new book, Rethink Your POsition. Are you a fitness fanatic? Or a couch potato? Whichever, there’s something for you here. Katy’s biomechanics background, allows her to assess the movements of everyday life and describe how to perform them correctly, based on human anatomy. Moving from the head down, she dissects everything from sitting at the computer to running marathons and gives easy-to-follow instructions for improving. You can find video and more at her website.
Executive and Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Rosanna Longo-Better and Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young
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Fire in a Hotter World

In this week’s How on Earth, Beth speaks with author John Vaillant about his new book, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World. He explores the phenomena of fire, the wildland urban interface, and climate change in the context of a precedent-shattering combustion in a modern city.This colossal wildfire in Alberta in 2016 almost consumed a city of nearly 100,000. In the process the fire blew up expectations and responses to wild fires. Vaillant gives an in depth exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind along with personal stories of loss and bravery on the front lines of this horrifying event.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Headline: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young

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Honeybee Trials and Tribulations

This week on How on Earth, Beth replays in interview with Professor Mike Breed, who has been studying social insects, including ants and bees, at the University of Colorado here in Boulder, for decades. She spoke with him last year about the fascinating biology of these important pollinators, in an interview that is still timely, because the many problems facing honeybees, and other bees are continuing to mount. He describes the challenges these important insects face in the modern world, and what we can do to protect them.

Executive Producer: HOE Team
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions:Benita Lee & Joel Parker
Engineer: Sam Fuqua

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