The KGNU Science Show
This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with author and planetary geologist Dr. Simon Morden. In his book, The Red Planet, he presents a tantalizing vision of our nearest neighbour, its dramatic history, and astonishing present.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennet
Additional Contributions: Joel Parker & Shelley Schlender
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:16 — 24.0MB)
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Birds and Dopamine (starts 1:00) If bird songs help a bird fall in love, does it get even better with a dose of dopamine?
Nature Wants us to be Fat (starts 13:56) CU-Medical School professor and researcher Richard Johnson discusses his latest book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat. The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent – and Reverse – It. GO HERE for extended version of this interview and transcript.
Hosts: Benita Lee & Shelley Schlender
Producer: Shelley Schlender and Benita Lee
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Feature contributors: Benita Lee, Shelley Schlender, Alexis Kenyon
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:55 — 37.0MB)
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Pre-dawn Summer Solstice Hike (Starts 1:00) We head out before 5:30 AM, to visit the NCAR Burn site, with Boulder Naturalists Steve Jones, Scott Severs and Ruth Carol Cushman
Hobbit Like Hominoids — Still Here? (Starts 12:06) Anthropologist Gregory Forth discusses his book, Between Ape and Human – On the Trail of a Hidden Hominoid, about an Indonesian Island that was home to Hobbit-sized, human-like creatures, and how it might STILL be home to these hobbit-like beings.
Hosts: Beth Bennett & Shelley Schlender
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Feature contributors: Shelley Schlender, Beth Bennett
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:57 — 37.0MB)
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Today’s show features headline news about new methods for detecting skin cancer and using “frequency comb” lasers to sniff out even the faintest traces of methane leaks. And then we have an encore presentation of How on Earth features about “Engineering Happiness” and a black holes.
Hosts: Joel Parker, Susan Moran, Beth Bartel
Producer: Joel Parker, Beth Bartel
Additional contributions: Shelley Schlender, Jim Pullen
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:37 — 36.6MB)
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This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Dr Seven Hussey about his recent book, Understanding the Heart: Surprising Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Heart Disease—and Why It Matters. Following his early (34 years old) heart attack, he delved into alternative therapies to heal his heart. In the book he lays out a comprehensive vision of the cardiovascular system and alternative therapies for heart disease.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:49 — 21.4MB)
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With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 2 of our annual “Graduation Special” (you can listen to Part 1). Our guests in the studio today are scientists who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what they have planned next.
Loren Matilsky – University of Colorado, JILA & Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences
Topic: Dynamics of Rotation and Magnetism in the Sun’s Convection Zone and Tachocline
Katie Gach – University of Colorado, ATLAS Institute
Topic: How to Delete the Dead: Honoring Affective Connections to Post-mortem Data
Jet Mante – University of Colorado, Biomedical Engineering
Topic: Promotion of Data Reuse in Synthetic Biology
Abhijit Suresh – University of Colorado, Computer Science
Topic: Automating Feedback to Improve Teachers’ Effective Use of Instructional Discourse in K-12 Mathematics Classrooms
Host / Producer : Joel Parker
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:00 — 37.1MB)
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With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 1 of our annual “Graduation Special” (you can listen to Part 2). Our guests in the studio today are scientists who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what they have planned next.
Varsha Koushik – University of Colorado, Computer Science
Topic: Designing Customizable Smart Interfaces to Support People with Cognitive Disabilities in Daily Activities
Sarah Aguasvivas – University of Colorado, Computer Science
Topic: Material-integrated Prediction, Control, and Distributed Learning in Soft Robots
Jessie Finocchiaro – University of Colorado, Computer Science
Topic: Designing Consistent Convex Surrogate Losses for General Prediction Tasks
Host / Producer : Joel Parker
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:02 — 37.1MB)
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Gold Lab Symposium and DeepMind’s Alpha Fold (starts 1:00) We continue our discussion with Boulder scientist and entrepreneur, Larry Gold, about the Gold Lab Symposium on the science of Health, taking place this Thursday and Friday. You can sign up here.
Off-Target Drug Effect (starts 5:48 – ends at 10:00) A local Boulder man recounts his experience with an off-target effect in an FDA approved medication that has left his kidneys permanently damaged.
Gold Lab Symposium Discussion Continues (Starts 10:00)
HostProducer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:58 — 37.1MB)
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We explore a wide range of science topics today.
Brains in Space (starts 1:00) Joel Parker explains how space travel may affect human brains
Climate Grief (starts 5:17) The United Nations warns that the changing climate will lead to increasing climate grief around the world. Kritee, a senior scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, has become a Zen priest and national expert on Climate Grief. She leads community grief circles throug, Boundless in Motion and other meditation gatherings , to help people deal with difficult feelings around climate change. Melissa Bailey reports.
GoldLab Symposium (starts 15:31) Founder Larry Gold shares a highlight coming up in this year’s symposium about science, human health and big data. The symposium takes place May 19th and 20th. You can check out topics at this year’s symposium here. This is the link to register to attend.
Hosts: Shelley Schlender & Joel Parker
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Feature contributors: Joel Parker, Melissa Bailey
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:00 — 30.2MB)
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This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Susan Allport, an award-winning writer who has written extensively on science. They talk about her book on omega 3 fats, The Queen of Fats, namely the touted omega-3 fatty acid. These essential fats can’t be synthesized by the human body and must be obtained from our diets. The conversation ranges widely, including details as to why they are so critical to health and some of the unique evolutionary history of our species that makes them so necessary. You can find out more about these amazing molecules at Allport’s site, and read about her experiment to replace dietary omega-3 with omega-6, an experiment millions of Americans are unwittingly engaging in.
Executive Producer Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:27 — 23.2MB)
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