Episodes Archive
Superstorm #306
February 27, 2015
This week, we're exploring the evolving frontier of extreme weather, and how it's influenced by our warming planet. We'll talk about the largest Atlantic storm system ever recorded with writer Kathryn Miles, author of "Superstorm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy." And we'll talk about the relationship between climate change and hurricane strength and frequency with Christopher Landsea, Ph.D, Science and Operations Officer at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Read More
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Struck By Genius #305
February 20, 2015
This week we're looking at brain injuries, and the ways they change the lives of patients. We'll talk to Jason Padgett and Maureen Seaberg, authors of "Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel." And we'll speak to neuroscientist Dr. Adrian Owen about his brain imaging research detecting awareness in vegetative patients. Note: The article Accidental Genius by Darold A. Treffert can be found on page 52 of the August 2014 issue of Scientific American. Read More
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Alan Turing #304
February 13, 2015
This week, we're learning more about the groundbreaking work and too-short life of Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician, codebreaker and philosopher who laid the groundwork for the modern age of computing. We'll spend the hour with Oxford University Senior Research Fellow Andrew Hodges, talking about his book "Alan Turing: The Enigma." Read More
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Shocked #303
February 06, 2015
This week we're looking at medical advances that are blurring the lines between life and death. We're joined by physician and researcher Dr. David Casarett, to talk about his book "Shocked: Adventures in Bringing Back the Recently Dead." And we'll talk to Michael Kruse, founder of Bad Science Watch, about the history and application of CPR. Read More
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A Sting in the Tale #302
January 30, 2015
This week we're learning about the fascinating lives of bees, and the important role they play in our global ecosystem. We'll speak to University of Sussex biology professor Dave Goulson about his book "A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees." And we'll talk to Jocelyn Crocker, founding member of YEG Bees, about the rewards and challenges of urban beekeeping. Update: A listener of ours sent in some information about the "science says bees can't fly" myth, which he let us post on our news feed. Go have a look! Read More
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The Birth of The Pill #301
January 23, 2015
This week we're exploring the intersection of science, society and sex, and the origin story of the birth control pill. We'll speak to author Jonathan Eig about his book "The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution." And writer Rose Eveleth returns to talk about the history and design of the vaginal speculum. Read More
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Private Sector Space #300
January 16, 2015
This week we're learning how private enterprise has jumped in to fill the gap left by shrinking government budgets for space exploration. We're joined by journalist Elmo Keep, to talk about her article on Mars One, a nonprofit planning to make a reality show out of a one-way trip to colonize the red planet. And we'll get an update on the state of the for-profit space industry with Space News Senior Editor Jeff Foust. Read More
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Falling Into The Fire #299
January 09, 2015
This week, we get a gripping first person account of the challenges involved in mental health diagnosis and treatment. We'll spend the hour with Dr. Christine Montross, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and the Director of Counseling Resources at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, to talk about her book "Falling Into the Fire: A Psychiatrist's Encounters with the Mind in Crisis." Read More
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Technocreep #298
January 02, 2015
This week, we're learning about the ever-expanding streams of our personal information being collected by businesses and governments. We'll talk to author and futurist Tom Keenan about his book "Technocreep: the Surrender of Privacy and the Capitalization of Intimacy." And security expert Bruce Schneier returns to talk about the use and misuse of passwords to safeguard our most important data. Read More
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Falling Upwards REBROADCAST #297
December 26, 2014
This week, we're revisiting an epsiode about the science and history of lighter-than-air flight. We'll spend the hour with biographer and science writer Richard Holmes, to talk about his book "Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air." We'll talk about the technology of 19th century ballooning, and the pioneering men and women who took to the skies and changed our view of the world. And we'll share a list of science-based charities to help you spread evidence-based holiday cheer. Read More
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Amazons #296
December 19, 2014
This week we're learning how science can shed light on the stories told by our ancestors. We're joined by folklorist and science historian Adrienne Mayor, author of "The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World," to learn what archaeology can tell us about legendary warrior women in cultures from around the world. And we'll talk to anthropologist John Hawks to learn how researchers gain insights from ancient human remains. Read More
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Science Up Your Holidays 2014 #295
December 12, 2014
This week, we're observing our annual holiday tradition, helping you find gifts for the science lovers on your list. We'll hear from some of our favorite past guests as they share their most-treasured science books from 2014, as well as classics to help fill out anyone’s science library. And we'll speak to writer/illustrator James Lu Dunbar about "The Universe Verse," a scientifically-accurate rhyming comic book about the origins of the universe. Visit our blog for more information and links to the books mentioned in this episode. Read More
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Survival Doc #294
December 05, 2014
This week, we’re learning about the limits of the human body, and the essential science of survival. We'll talk to Dr. James Hubbard, creator of TheSurvivalDoctor.com, about emergency measures to take when a disaster has cut off your access to medical care. And Dr. Rob Tarzwell of One Minute Medical School returns to explain what to do - and not do - when you're stranded in the wilderness. Read More
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The Edge of the Sky #293
November 28, 2014
This week we're talking about the mindbending science trying to understand the inner workings of the Universe. Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel returns to discuss the BICEP2 experiment, and its search for the fingerprints of cosmic inflation. And we'll talk to theoretical cosmologist Roberto Trotta about his book "The Edge of the Sky: All You Need to Know about the All-There-Is," which explains the history and concepts of cosmology using the 1,000 most common words in the English language. Read More
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The Psychopath Whisperer #292
November 21, 2014
This week on Science for the People, we’re looking at the science of psychopathy. We’ll spend the hour learning about social science research, neuroimaging and behavioral therapies with Kent Kiehl, neuroscience researcher, lecturer and author of "The Psychopath Whisperer: The Science of Those Without Conscience." For more information on screenings of the "Silence of the Labs" documentary, visit Evidence for Democracy. Read More
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The One About Ebola #291
November 14, 2014
This week, we're talking about Ebola: how it works, how it spreads, and how we're trying to stop it. We'll talk to infectious disease epidemiologist, professor and blogger Tara C. Smith about how Ebola is being handled here in North America, and perceptions surrounding the Ebola outbreak. We'll also speak with physician Dr. Tim Jagatic from Doctors Without Borders Canada and discuss the situation on the ground in Africa, and we'll speak to immunology professor Vincent Racaniello about the race to create an Ebola vaccine. Read More
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Understanding Neuroscience #290
November 07, 2014
This week we're looking at the ways we try to understand the inner workings of the brain. We'll talk to University College London researcher Cliodhna O'Connor about patterns in the way the public interprets neuroscience news. And we'll ask Duncan Astle, Program Leader at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, about "neuromyths," popular misconceptions about the way the brain functions, and the strengths and weaknesses of modern brain imaging techniques. Read More
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Bodies Everywhere #289
October 31, 2014
This week we're looking at the morbid and fascinating history of our attempts to grapple with disease and death. We're joined by medical historian Richard Barnett to talk about his book "The Sick Rose: Disease and the Art of Medical Illustration." And we'll speak to mortician and blogger Caitlin Doughty about her new book "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory", and her ongoing YouTube series "Ask a Mortician", about the history, science and cultural attitudes attached to dealing with the deceased. Read More
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Science and Shakespeare #288
October 24, 2014
This week we're looking at the way science influenced the work of the greatest author in English, and what modern scholars think about its origins. We're joined by journalist and author Dan Falk, to talk about his book "The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe." And we'll speak to Shakespeare scholar and blogger Stanley Wells, for his perspective on the question of who actually wrote Shakespeare's works. Read More
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Troublesome Inheritance #287
October 17, 2014
This week, we're looking at the intersection of race, history and genetics in science writer Nicholas Wade's 2014 book "A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History." DNA researcher Jennifer Raff and science journalist David Dobbs share their critiques of the claim that differences between genetically distinct "races" are responsible for global divergence in cultural and political structures. And blogger Scicurious walks us through the (delicious) basics of the scientific method with Cookie Science. Read More
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