Author: Shelley Schlender

Fall bird migration is reaching its peak, with billions of birds traveling thousands of miles, mostly at night.  We talk with Kyle Horton, director of Colorado State University’s AEROECO Lab, and a key member of BirdCast, which is a collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Kyle Horton shares the history of “weather radar” use in bird forecasting, plus refinements and algorithms, that fine tune the forecasts.  We learn about BirdCast’s nationwide live migration maps, and bird migration forecasts for a city or a county, such as Boulder County Migration Forecasts.  Additionally, we talk with AeroEcolab scientists Annika Abbott and Mikko Jimenez.

In the last 50 years, North American bird populations have dropped 30%.  Light pollution draws many migrating birds to their death.  The BirdCast Lights Out program encourages people and cities to turn out nonessential lights during key periods of bird migration in their areas.

Host/Producer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:56 — 37.2MB)

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AI for Police Worn Body Cameras (Starts 3:45) Body Cam AI uses artificial intelligence analysis for body cam transcripts.  Can this new tech reduce excessive use of force and help restore public trust in policing?  To learn more, we talk with Anthony Tassone, CEO of Truleo.  Truleo is an AI system for analyzing body cam transcriptions.  We also talk with  City of Aurora Police Chief, Art Acedvdeo, who helped design this new tech, and is testing it out this year to evaluate its effectiveness in the field.  And we talk with Anaya Robinson, Senior Policy Analyst for the ACLU of Colorado.

Host/Producer: Shelley Schlender

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:58 — 37.2MB)

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Master Hummingbird bander Steve Bouricius does workshops about hummingbirds.   Today, Boulder Naturalists Scott Severs and Ruth Carol Cushman join Steve Bouricius to see the thousands of hummingbirds that visit his mountain cabin, and to talk about their lives and migration.

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

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:58 — 37.1MB)

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West Nile Virus and other Mosquito Borne Diseases  (Starts 4:45)  Colorado’s case count from West Nile Virus is starting to rise, with state health officials predicting a histoically high season ahead for West Nile Virus.  How on Earth’s Panisara Jaijongkit explains the origins of mosquito borne diseases, how, even in Colorado, people have stories of tropical mosquito borne diseases, such as painful Dengue fever.    She also explains how Colorado health experts track West Nile Virus and disease prevention.

Hosts: Beth Bennett, Joel Parker
Producers: Panisara Jaijongkit, Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:56 — 37.0MB)

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NCAR and NOAA open for visitors (Starts 1:00)  COVID pandemic rules were lifted earlier this year, so Boulder’s  National Center for Atmospheric Research and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are once again open for public tours.

LASP Artist in Residence Applications due July 21 (starts 2:12) CU-Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics is accepting applications for an Artist in Residence program, where three artists  will shadow a scientist or engineer, to learn about the work done at LASP, and to produce artwork inspired by their time at LASP.

Boulder Society for Scientific Exploration (starts 3:05) has many fans among well-known scientists, but it also has many critics, who charge that much of the society’s work promotes pseudo-science.  We speak with Paul Sperry, Co-Founder of the Boulder Society for Scientific Exploration, about why he values “fringe science” and how be believes more intuitive approaches to Life and science can benefit scientific discovery.  We also discuss the next SSE talk on June 23rd, and how to reserve a seat.

Show Producer/Engineer:  Shelley Schlender

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:46 — 36.8MB)

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We share news about upcoming science events, cancer-causing additives in Easter candy, and we hunt for Colorado’s native Easter Daisies.

Tibetan Watershed in Danger (Starts 1:00)  Lobsang Yangtso speaks 11 AM Wednesday at CU Boulder about the crucial need to protect Tibet’s “Roof of the World” and its role in the world water supply.  Wednesday’s 11 AM Seminar is also on Zoom.

The Nuclear Legacy of Rocky Flats.  (Starts 3:52) Regis University conducts this symposium tonight with  keynote speaker Kris Iversen, author of Full Body Burden, Growing up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats.

Cancer Causing Additives in Easter Candy   (Starts 10:20) The Environmental Working Group  wants to ban Easter Candy ingredients that carry a cancer risk

Boulder’s Native Easter Daisies  (Starts 15:20) We join Boulder Naturalists Steve Jones and Ruth Carol Cushman, as they hunt for a deep-rooted little flower called the Easter Daisy along Boulder’s geologic wonder known as the Six Mile Fold.

Host & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:58 — 37.1MB)

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