“Diversity or die” could be your new health mantra. Don’t boost your immune system, cultivate it! Like a garden, your body’s defenses benefit from species diversity. Find out why multiple strains of microbes, engaged in a delicate ballet with your T-cells, join internal fungi in combatting disease. Plus, global ecosystems also depend on the diversity of its tiniest members; so what happens when the world’s insects bug out?Guests:  Matt Richtel – Author, most recently, of “An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of The Immune System”  Rob Dunn – Biologist and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. Author of “Never Home Alone”  David Underhill – Professor of medicine, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, California  Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson – Professor in conservation biology at the Institute for Ecology and Nature Management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Author of “Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects” Originally aired August 12, 2019Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Diversity or die” could be your new health mantra. Don’t boost your immune system, cultivate it! Like a garden, your body’s defenses benefit from species diversity. Find out why multiple strains of microbes, engaged in a delicate ballet with your T-cells, join internal fungi in combatting disease. Plus, global ecosystems also depend on the diversity of its tiniest members; so what happens when the world’s insects bug out?Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="https://www.mattrichtel.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matt Richtel</a> – Author, most recently, of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062698532/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0062698532&amp;linkId=d76f7d885337a06759945b3bd97ea7c2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of The Immune System</a>”</li> <li> <a href="http://robdunnlab.com/people/rob-dunn/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rob Dunn</a> – Biologist and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. Author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1541645766/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1541645766&amp;linkId=822dafdaf954dbafd28a66b07e576389" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Never Home Alone</a>”</li> <li> <a href="https://bio.csmc.edu/view/15170/David-Underhill.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Underhill</a> – Professor of medicine, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, California</li> <li> <a href="https://www.nmbu.no/fakultet/mina/forskning/prosjekter/anne-sverdrup-thygeson/anne" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson</a> – Professor in conservation biology at the Institute for Ecology and Nature Management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1982112875/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1982112875&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkId=c7d6edfb78b614ed031f1b0c76fb6130" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects</a>”</li> </ul>Originally aired August 12, 2019Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Granting Immunity*

UFOs are back. This time they’ve landed on Capitol Hill in the form of a public, congressional hearing. We watched the hearing with great interest, but felt dissatisfied when it came to evidence. Claims that the government has alien technology are obviously tantalizing. So tantalizing, in fact, that it’s easy to overlook logical fallacies in how these claims are presented. We identify a few of the missteps. But what would convince you that the government is aware of alien visitation? Is the word of an authority figure all we need to accept that “they’re here?” Guests:Benjamin Radford - Research fellow with the Committee for Skeptical InquiryNadia Drake - Science journalist and member of NASA’s UAP groupJames McGaha - Retired military pilot and astronomer he's a longtime investigator of UFO reports and claims and he's a scientific consultant to the Committee for Skeptical InquiryMick West - A skeptical investigator who looks at claims of UFOsFeaturing music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UFOs are back. This time they’ve landed on Capitol Hill in the form of a public, congressional hearing. We watched the hearing with great interest, but felt dissatisfied when it came to evidence. Claims that the government has alien technology are obviously tantalizing. So tantalizing, in fact, that it’s easy to overlook logical fallacies in how these claims are presented. We identify a few of the missteps. But what would convince you that the government is aware of alien visitation? Is the word of an authority figure all we need to accept that “they’re here?” Guests:<a href="https://benjaminradford.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Benjamin Radford</a> - Research fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry<a href="https://www.nadiadrake.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nadia Drake</a> - Science journalist and member of NASA’s UAP group<a href="https://centerforinquiry.org/speakers/mcgaha_james/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James McGaha</a> - Retired military pilot and astronomer he's a longtime investigator of UFO reports and claims and he's a scientific consultant to the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry<a href="https://mickwest.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mick West</a> - A skeptical investigator who looks at claims of UFOsFeaturing music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: UFO Conspiracy

Imagine tapeworms longer than the height of an adult human. Or microbes that turn their hosts into zombies. If the revulsion they induce doesn’t do it, the sheer number of parasites force us to pay attention. They are the most abundant form of animal life on Earth. Parasites can cause untold human suffering, like those that cause African River Blindness or Lyme disease, but their presence is also a sign of a health ecosystem. A parasitologist whose lab contains the largest parasite collection in the world gives us the ultimate inside story about these organisms. Guest:Scott Gardner - curator of parasites in the H.W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska State Museum, one of the largest collections of parasites in the world, and professor of biological sciences at University of Nebraska. Co-author of Parasites: The Inside Story.Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine tapeworms longer than the height of an adult human. Or microbes that turn their hosts into zombies. If the revulsion they induce doesn’t do it, the sheer number of parasites force us to pay attention. They are the most abundant form of animal life on Earth. Parasites can cause untold human suffering, like those that cause African River Blindness or Lyme disease, but their presence is also a sign of a health ecosystem. A parasitologist whose lab contains the largest parasite collection in the world gives us the ultimate inside story about these organisms. Guest:<a href="https://biosci.unl.edu/scott-gardner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scott Gardner</a> - curator of parasites in the H.W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska State Museum, one of the largest collections of parasites in the world, and professor of biological sciences at University of Nebraska. Co-author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Parasites-The-Inside-Story/dp/B0BTFB2VCT/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parasites: The Inside Story</a>.Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

We'll Always Have Parasites

Whether in miles or pounds, meters or kilograms, we take daily measure out our lives. But how did these units ever come to be, and why do we want to change them? From light-years to leap seconds, we look at the history of efforts to quantify our lives and why there’s always room for greater precision. Plus, we debate the virtues of staying imperial measurements vs. going metric.Guest:James Vincent - Author of Beyond Measure, the Hidden History of MeasurementFeaturing music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether in miles or pounds, meters or kilograms, we take daily measure out our lives. But how did these units ever come to be, and why do we want to change them? From light-years to leap seconds, we look at the history of efforts to quantify our lives and why there’s always room for greater precision. Plus, we debate the virtues of staying imperial measurements vs. going metric.Guest:James Vincent - Author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Measure-History-Measurement-Constants/dp/B0BKPD7D37/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beyond Measure, the Hidden History of Measurement</a>Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Measure For Measure

Thinking small can sometimes achieve big things. A new generation of diminutive robots can enter our bodies and deal with medical problems such as intestinal blockages. But do we really want them swimming inside us, even if they’re promising to help? You might change your mind when you hear what else is cruising through our bloodstream: microplastics! We take a trip into the human body, beginning with the story of those who first dared to open it up for medical purposes. But were the first surgeons really cavemen?Guests:  Ira Rutkow – Surgeon and writer, and author of “Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery”  Dick Vethaak – Emeritus professor of ecotoxicology, water quality and health at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Free University, Amsterdam) in The Netherlands  Li Zhang – Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong  Michael LaBarbera – Professor in organismal biology, anatomy and geophysical sciences, University of Chicago Originally aired June 20, 2022Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thinking small can sometimes achieve big things. A new generation of diminutive robots can enter our bodies and deal with medical problems such as intestinal blockages. But do we really want them swimming inside us, even if they’re promising to help? You might change your mind when you hear what else is cruising through our bloodstream: microplastics! We take a trip into the human body, beginning with the story of those who first dared to open it up for medical purposes. But were the first surgeons really cavemen?Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/about/leadership/health-advisory-board/board-members/ira-m-rutkow-md-phd-81-mph-78" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ira Rutkow</a> – Surgeon and writer, and author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Scalpel-Ira-Rutkow-M-D/dp/1501163744/www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Dinosaurs-Extinction-Beginning/dp/1250271045?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=090ed0e4dd4b1d8a0800c20c4c1d2fda&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery</a>”</li> <li> <a href="https://momentummicroplastics.nl/about-us/participants/dick-vethaak/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dick Vethaak</a> – Emeritus professor of ecotoxicology, water quality and health at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Free University, Amsterdam) in The Netherlands</li> <li> <a href="https://www.mrc-cuhk.com/people/prof-li-zhang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Li Zhang</a> – Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong</li> <li> <a href="https://pondside.uchicago.edu/oba/faculty/labarbera_m.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael LaBarbera</a> – Professor in organismal biology, anatomy and geophysical sciences, University of Chicago</li> </ul>Originally aired June 20, 2022Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Fantastic-er Voyage*

Do we have physical evidence of the last day of the dinosaurs? We consider fossilized fish in South Dakota that may chronicle the dramatic events that took place when, 66 million years ago, a large asteroid slammed into the Gulf of Mexico and caused three-quarters of all species to disappear. Also, what new discoveries have paleontologists made about these charismatic animals, and the director of Jurassic World: Dominion talks about how his film hews to the latest science. Hint: feathers!It’s deep history, as we look at what happened as terrestrial life experienced its worst day ever.Guests:  Colin Trevorrow – Director of Jurassic World: Dominion   Riley Black – Science writer and author of “The Last Days of the Dinosaurs”  Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan – Paleontologist at the University of Cape Town, South Africa *Originally aired June 13, 2022Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do we have physical evidence of the last day of the dinosaurs? We consider fossilized fish in South Dakota that may chronicle the dramatic events that took place when, 66 million years ago, a large asteroid slammed into the Gulf of Mexico and caused three-quarters of all species to disappear. Also, what new discoveries have paleontologists made about these charismatic animals, and the director of Jurassic World: Dominion talks about how his film hews to the latest science. Hint: feathers!It’s deep history, as we look at what happened as terrestrial life experienced its worst day ever.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="https://variety.com/exec/colin-trevorrow/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colin Trevorrow</a> – Director of Jurassic World: Dominion </li> <li> <a href="http://rileyblack.net/about-riley" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Riley Black</a> – Science writer and author of “The Last Days of the Dinosaurs”</li> <li> <a href="http://www.biologicalsciences.uct.ac.za/bio/staff/academic/chinsamyturan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan</a> – Paleontologist at the University of Cape Town, South Africa</li> </ul>*Originally aired June 13, 2022Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Dinosaurs' Last Gasp*

Runny nose. Itchy, watery eyes. Sneezing. If you don’t have allergies, you probably know someone who does. The number of people with allergies, including food allergies and eczema, is increasing. What is going on? A medical anthropologist describes how our hygiene habits, our diets, and our polluted environment are irritating our bodies. Also, the case for skipping your shower. Is skin healthier when we stop lathering?Guests:James Hamblin – Preventive medicine physician and a lecturer in public health at Yale and author of Clean: the New Science of SkinTheresa MacPhail – medical anthropologist, professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology and author of Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World.Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Runny nose. Itchy, watery eyes. Sneezing. If you don’t have allergies, you probably know someone who does. The number of people with allergies, including food allergies and eczema, is increasing. What is going on? A medical anthropologist describes how our hygiene habits, our diets, and our polluted environment are irritating our bodies. Also, the case for skipping your shower. Is skin healthier when we stop lathering?Guests:<a href="https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/james-hamblin/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Hamblin</a> – Preventive medicine physician and a lecturer in public health at Yale and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clean-New-Science-Skin/dp/B082MTCYYR/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clean: the New Science of Skin</a><a href="http://theresamacphail.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Theresa MacPhail</a> – medical anthropologist, professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Allergic-Irritated-Bodies-Changing-World/dp/0593229193/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World.</a>Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Allergy Reason

Do you have what it takes to survive on Mars? Beginning this month, four people will spend a year in a prototype Martian habitat meant to simulate living on the Red Planet. It’s part of NASA’s efforts to prepare us for real human missions to Mars. Find out how well we can replicate that world on Earth and what we might learn from doing so.Also, a new robotic mission aims to be the first to bring back a piece of the Red Planet, and why Mars has enchanted us for centuries.Guests:Scott Smith – Lead for the nutritional biochemistry lab at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and member of the CHAPEA team.Matthew Shindell – Historian of science and Curator of Planetary Science and Exploration at the National Air and Space Museum. Author of For the Love of Mars; a Human History of the Red Planet.Pascal Lee – Planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, principal investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project, and co-founder of The Mars InstituteMichela Muñoz Fernández – Program Executive for NASA’s Mars Sample Return MissionFeaturing music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have what it takes to survive on Mars? Beginning this month, four people will spend a year in a prototype Martian habitat meant to simulate living on the Red Planet. It’s part of NASA’s efforts to prepare us for real human missions to Mars. Find out how well we can replicate that world on Earth and what we might learn from doing so.Also, a new robotic mission aims to be the first to bring back a piece of the Red Planet, and why Mars has enchanted us for centuries.Guests:<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/researchers/scott-smith" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scott Smith</a> – Lead for the nutritional biochemistry lab at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and member of the CHAPEA team.<a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/people/staff/matthew-shindell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew Shindell</a> – Historian of science and Curator of Planetary Science and Exploration at the National Air and Space Museum. Author of For the Love of Mars; a Human History of the Red Planet.<a href="https://www.seti.org/our-scientists/pascal-lee" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pascal Lee</a> – Planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, principal investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project, and co-founder of The Mars Institute<a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/14/michela-munoz-fernandez/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michela Muñoz Fernández</a> – Program Executive for NASA’s Mars Sample Return MissionFeaturing music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Made for Mars

NASA is studying more than 800 sightings of unidentified objects in our sky as part of its investigation into the UFO phenomenon. We get an update on the agency’s study in a conversation with a member of the NASA UAP panel. We also hear why the belief that aliens exist has broad consensus, but that’s not the same as saying they routinely visit Earth. Plus, a UFO investigator analyzes the startling claim that the military is hiding evidence of alien technology. Guests:Nadia Drake – Science journalist and member of NASA’s UAP groupMick West – Science writer, skeptical debunker, former video game programmer. Author of “Escaping the Rabbit Hole” Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NASA is studying more than 800 sightings of unidentified objects in our sky as part of its investigation into the UFO phenomenon. We get an update on the agency’s study in a conversation with a member of the NASA UAP panel. We also hear why the belief that aliens exist has broad consensus, but that’s not the same as saying they routinely visit Earth. Plus, a UFO investigator analyzes the startling claim that the military is hiding evidence of alien technology. Guests:<a href="https://www.nadiadrake.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nadia Drake</a> – Science journalist and member of NASA’s UAP group<a href="https://mickwest.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mick West</a> – Science writer, skeptical debunker, former video game programmer. Author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1510755772/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1510755772&amp;linkId=f1a785fcd22b659719793fced6b4ebff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Escaping the Rabbit Hole</a>” Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: NASA UFO Study

What’s the difference between a bird call and the sound of a pile driver? Not much, when you’re close to the loudest bird ever. Find out when it pays to be noisy and when noise can worsen your health. Just about everyone eventually suffers some hearing loss, but that’s not merely aging. It’s an ailment we inflict on ourselves. Hear how a team in New York City has put sensors throughout the city to catalog noise sources, hoping to tame the tumult.And can underwater speakers blasting the sounds of a healthy reef bring life back to dead patches of the Great Barrier Reef?Guests:Mark Cartwright – Research Assistant Professor at New York University’s Department of Computer Science and EngineeringCharles Mydlarz – Research Assistant Professor at New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) and the Music and Audio Research Lab (MARL)David Owen – Staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening WorldJeff Podos – Professor in the Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, AmherstSteve Simpson – Professor of Marine Biology and Global Change, Exeter University, U.K.Originally aired January 20, 2020Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the difference between a bird call and the sound of a pile driver? Not much, when you’re close to the loudest bird ever. Find out when it pays to be noisy and when noise can worsen your health. Just about everyone eventually suffers some hearing loss, but that’s not merely aging. It’s an ailment we inflict on ourselves. Hear how a team in New York City has put sensors throughout the city to catalog noise sources, hoping to tame the tumult.And can underwater speakers blasting the sounds of a healthy reef bring life back to dead patches of the Great Barrier Reef?Guests:<a href="https://engineering.nyu.edu/faculty/mark-cartwright" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Cartwright</a> – Research Assistant Professor at New York University’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering<a href="http://www.cmydlarz.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charles Mydlarz</a> – Research Assistant Professor at New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) and the Music and Audio Research Lab (MARL)<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/david-owen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Owen</a> – Staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525534229/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0525534229&amp;linkId=bef131cd42bb811ed34396ccf7f6e71b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World</a><a href="https://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/about/directories/faculty/jeffrey-podos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeff Podos</a> – Professor in the Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst<a href="http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=Stephen_Simpson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Simpson</a> – Professor of Marine Biology and Global Change, Exeter University, U.K.Originally aired January 20, 2020Featuring music by <a href="http://www.deweydellay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dewey Dellay</a> and <a href="https://www.junmiyake.com/biographyenglish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jun Miyake</a>Big Picture Science is part of the <a href="http://airwavemedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airwave Media</a> podcast network. Please contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=advertising@airwavemedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">advertising@airwavemedia.com</a> to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bigpicturescience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

The Ears Have It*

The surprising connections in science and technology that give you the Big Picture. Astronomer Seth Shostak and science journalist Molly Bentley are joined each week by leading researchers, techies, and journalists to provide a smart and humorous take on science. Our regular "Skeptic Check" episodes cast a critical eye on pseudoscience.

Uhhmmm

The Episode “Math’s Paths” made my mathematician heart so happy!

Getting good!

Big Picture Science

(repeat) We all may retreat to our protective shells, but evolution has perfected the calcite variety to give some critters permanent defense against predators. So why did squids and octopuses lose their shells? Find out what these cephalopods gained by giving up the shell game.Plus why Chesapeake Bay oyster shells are shells of their former selves. What explains the absence of the dinner-plate sized oysters of 500,000 years ago, and how conservation paleobiology is probing deep time for strategies to bring back these monster mollusks.Also, was the Earth once encased in a giant, continental shell? A new theory of plate tectonics. Land ho!Guests:   Rowan Lockwood – Conservation paleobiologist at the College of William and Mary.   Al Tanner – Ph.D. student in paleobiology at the University of Bristol, U.K.  Mike Brown – Professor of Geology, University of Maryland  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(repeat) We all may retreat to our protective shells, but evolution has perfected the calcite variety to give some critters permanent defense against predators. So why did squids and octopuses lose their shells? Find out what these cephalopods gained by giving up the shell game.Plus why Chesapeake Bay oyster shells are shells of their former selves. What explains the absence of the dinner-plate sized oysters of 500,000 years ago, and how conservation paleobiology is probing deep time for strategies to bring back these monster mollusks.Also, was the Earth once encased in a giant, continental shell? A new theory of plate tectonics. Land ho!Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://www.wm.edu/as/geology/people/faculty/lockwood_r.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Rowan Lockwood</a> – Conservation paleobiologist at the College of William and Mary. </li> <li> <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/al-tanner-185195" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Al Tanner</a> – Ph.D. student in paleobiology at the University of Bristol, U.K.</li> <li> <a href="https://www.geol.umd.edu/directory.php?id=10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike Brown</a> – Professor of Geology, University of Maryland</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Shell on Earth

It’s one of the biggest questions you can ask: has the universe existed forever? The Big Bang is supposedly the moment it all began. But now scientists wonder if there isn’t an earlier chapter to our origin story. And maybe chapters before that! What happened before the Big Bang? It’s the ultimate prequel.Plus – the Big Bang as scientific story: nail biter or snoozer?Guests:  Roger Penrose – Cosmologist, Oxford University  Sean Carroll – Theoretical physicist, Caltech, author of The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World   Simon Steel – Astronomer, Tufts University  Andrei Linde – Physicist, Stanford University  Jonathan Gottschall – Writer, author of The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human   Marcus Chown – Science writer and cosmology consultant for New Scientist magazine Descripción en españolFirst released December 17, 2012 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s one of the biggest questions you can ask: has the universe existed forever? The Big Bang is supposedly the moment it all began. But now scientists wonder if there isn’t an earlier chapter to our origin story. And maybe chapters before that! What happened before the Big Bang? It’s the ultimate prequel.Plus – the Big Bang as scientific story: nail biter or snoozer?Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/roger.penrose" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roger Penrose</a> – Cosmologist, Oxford University</li> <li> <a href="http://preposterousuniverse.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sean Carroll</a> – Theoretical physicist, Caltech, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525953590/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0525953590&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/tufts/people" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Simon Steel</a> – Astronomer, Tufts University</li> <li> <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/~alinde/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrei Linde</a> – Physicist, Stanford University</li> <li> <a href="http://jonathangottschall.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jonathan Gottschall</a> – Writer, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547391404/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0547391404&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.marcuschown.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marcus Chown</a> – Science writer and cosmology consultant for New Scientist magazine</li> </ul><a href="http://www.seti.cl/antes-de-la-gran-explosion/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Descripción en español</a>First released December 17, 2012 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Before the Big Bang

We’ve all had an “oops” moment. Scientists are no exception. Sometimes science stumbles in the steady march of progress. Find out why cold fusion is a premier example why you shouldn’t hold a press conference before publishing your results. Also, how to separate fumbles from faux-science from fraud.Plus, why ignorance is what really drives the scientific method.And our Hollywood skeptic poses as a psychic for Dr. Phil, while our Dr. Phil (Plait) investigates the authenticity of a life-bearing meteorite.Guests:•  Phil Plait – Skeptic and author of Slate Magazine’s blog Bad Astronomy•  Michael Gordin – Historian of science at Princeton University, author of The Pseudoscience Wars: Immanuel Velikovsky and the Birth of the Modern Fringe•  David Goodstein – Physicist, California Institute of Technology•  Stuart Firestein – Neuroscientist, chair of the biology department, Columbia University, and author of Ignorance: How It Drives Science•  Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, Los Angeles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all had an “oops” moment. Scientists are no exception. Sometimes science stumbles in the steady march of progress. Find out why cold fusion is a premier example why you shouldn’t hold a press conference before publishing your results. Also, how to separate fumbles from faux-science from fraud.Plus, why ignorance is what really drives the scientific method.And our Hollywood skeptic poses as a psychic for Dr. Phil, while our Dr. Phil (Plait) investigates the authenticity of a life-bearing meteorite.Guests:•  <a href="http://www.slate.com/authors.phil_plait.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phil Plait</a> – Skeptic and author of Slate Magazine’s blog <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Astronomy</a>•  <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/history/people/display_person.xml?netid=mgordin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Gordin</a> – Historian of science at Princeton University, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226304426/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0226304426&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Pseudoscience Wars: Immanuel Velikovsky and the Birth of the Modern Fringe</a>•  <a href="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~dg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Goodstein</a> – Physicist, California Institute of Technology•  <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/faculty-data/stuart-firestein/faculty.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stuart Firestein</a> – Neuroscientist, chair of the biology department, Columbia University, and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199828075/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0199828075&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ignorance: How It Drives Science</a>•  <a href="http://www.centerforinquiry.net/speakers/underdown_james/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jim Underdown</a> – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, Los Angeles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Science Blunders

(repeat) The Earth is not round. Technically, it’s an oblate spheroid. But for some people, the first statement is not even approximately correct. Flat Earthers believe that our planet resembles – not a slightly squashed grapefruit – but a thick pancake.  A journalist who covered a Flat Earth convention describes the rationale behind this ever-more popular belief. So how do you establish science truth? We look at the difference between a truly scientific examination of extraordinary claims and approaches that feel and look science-y but aren’t. Find out how one man will use telescopes and balloons in the desert to demonstrate that the Earth is a globe, while a biologist runs a test on the waters of Loch Ness to see if it contains prehistoric reptile DNA.And what happens when amateur investigators chase ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot with science instruments, but without an understanding of the scientific method.Guests:  James Underdown– Executive Director of the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles and of the Independent Investigations Group. The results of his experiment will be posted here.   Alex Moshakis– Journalist who writes for the Observer, the Guardian, and Esquire.  His article on the U.K.’s first Flat Earth convention appeared in May, 2018 in the     Harry Dyer–  Lecturer in education at the University of East Anglia. His article about the flat earth convention is titled "I Watched an Entire Flat Earth Convention for my Research, Here is What I Learned."   Neil Gemmell– Professor in the Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, New Zealand  Sharon Hill– Geologist, science writer, speaker, and author of "Scientifical Americans: The Culture of Amateur Paranormal Researchers."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(repeat) The Earth is not round. Technically, it’s an oblate spheroid. But for some people, the first statement is not even approximately correct. Flat Earthers believe that our planet resembles – not a slightly squashed grapefruit – but a thick pancake.  A journalist who covered a Flat Earth convention describes the rationale behind this ever-more popular belief. So how do you establish science truth? We look at the difference between a truly scientific examination of extraordinary claims and approaches that feel and look science-y but aren’t. Find out how one man will use telescopes and balloons in the desert to demonstrate that the Earth is a globe, while a biologist runs a test on the waters of Loch Ness to see if it contains prehistoric reptile DNA.And what happens when amateur investigators chase ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot with science instruments, but without an understanding of the scientific method.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="https://centerforinquiry.org/speakers/underdown_james/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Underdown</a>– Executive Director of the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles and of the Independent Investigations Group. The results of his experiment will be posted <a href="http://iighq.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li> <li> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alex-moshakis-is-a-writer-and-editor-based-in-london--he-has-written-for-esquire--gq--the-guardian--t-magazine--and-wallpaper-" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Alex Moshakis</a>– Journalist who writes for the Observer, the Guardian, and Esquire.  <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/may/27/is-the-earth-pancake-flat-among-the-flat-earthers-conspiracy-theories-fake-news" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">His article on the U.K.’s first Flat Earth convention</a> appeared in May, 2018 in the   </li> <li> <a href="https://harrytdyer.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harry Dyer</a>–  Lecturer in education at the University of East Anglia. His article about the flat earth convention is titled "<a href="https://www.livescience.com/62506-flat-earth-convention.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Watched an Entire Flat Earth Convention for my Research, Here is What I Learned</a>."</li> <li> <a href="https://gemmell-lab.otago.ac.nz/our-team/16-team/group-leader/12-professor-neil-gemmell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Neil Gemmell</a>– Professor in the Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, New Zealand</li> <li> <a href="http://sharonahill.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sharon Hill</a>– Geologist, science writer, speaker, and author of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077DS32FC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B077DS32FC&amp;linkId=cdf63a1915c1d529214b941c3430a9a9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scientifical Americans: The Culture of Amateur Paranormal Researchers</a>."</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Flat Earth

We all talk about the weather. And now scientists are doing something about it: providing more accurate warnings before big storms hit. Discover how smart technology – with an eye on the sky – is taking monster weather events by storm.Plus, why severe weather events caused by a warming planet may trigger social and economic chaos.Also, meet the storm chaser who runs toward tornadoes as everyone else flees… and why your cell phone goes haywire when the sun kicks up a storm of its own.Guests:• Michael Smith – Meteorologist, founder of WeatherData and author of Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather• George Kourounis – Explorer and storm chaser• Jeffrey Scargle – Research astrophyscisit in the Astrobiology and Space Science Division at NASA Ames Research Center• Ken Caldeira – Climate scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Deparment of Global Ecology• Christian Pareti – Contributing editor of The Nation, visiting scholar at the City Univeristy of New York, and author of Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all talk about the weather. And now scientists are doing something about it: providing more accurate warnings before big storms hit. Discover how smart technology – with an eye on the sky – is taking monster weather events by storm.Plus, why severe weather events caused by a warming planet may trigger social and economic chaos.Also, meet the storm chaser who runs toward tornadoes as everyone else flees… and why your cell phone goes haywire when the sun kicks up a storm of its own.Guests:• <a href="http://www.weatherdata.com/about_us/mike_smith.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Smith</a> – Meteorologist, founder of WeatherData and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Warnings-Story-Science-Tamed-Weather/dp/1608320340" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather</a>• <a href="http://www.stormchaser.ca/Stormchaser.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">George Kourounis</a> – Explorer and storm chaser• <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/2007/scargle.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeffrey Scargle</a> – Research astrophyscisit in the Astrobiology and Space Science Division at NASA Ames Research Center• <a href="http://dge.stanford.edu/labs/caldeiralab/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ken Caldeira</a> – Climate scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Deparment of Global Ecology• <a href="http://www.christianparenti.com/bio/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Pareti</a> – Contributing editor of The Nation, visiting scholar at the City Univeristy of New York, and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tropic-Chaos-Climate-Geography-Violence/dp/1568586000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1315606019&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Whither the Weather?

It’s the starkly beautiful setting for the new film “The Martian,” and – just in time – NASA has announced that the Red Planet is more than a little damp, with liquid water occasionally oozing over its surface. But Mars remains hostile terrain. Mark Watney, the astronaut portrayed by Matt Damon, struggles to survive there. If he has a hard time, what chance does anyone else have?Find out how long you could last just eating Martian potatoes. Also, author Andy Weir describes how he prevailed upon his readers to turn his serialized blog posts into a technically accurate thriller that inspired the film.  Plus, the NASA advisor to “The Martian” sorts the science from the fiction.And, how the discovery of water on Mars might change NASA’s game plan.Guests:  Andy Weir – Author, “The Martian”  James Green - Director, NASA’s Planetary Science  Christopher Wanjek - Health and science reporter based in Baltimore, Maryland  James Watzin – Director, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the starkly beautiful setting for the new film “The Martian,” and – just in time – NASA has announced that the Red Planet is more than a little damp, with liquid water occasionally oozing over its surface. But Mars remains hostile terrain. Mark Watney, the astronaut portrayed by Matt Damon, struggles to survive there. If he has a hard time, what chance does anyone else have?Find out how long you could last just eating Martian potatoes. Also, author Andy Weir describes how he prevailed upon his readers to turn his serialized blog posts into a technically accurate thriller that inspired the film.  Plus, the NASA advisor to “The Martian” sorts the science from the fiction.And, how the discovery of water on Mars might change NASA’s game plan.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://www.andyweirauthor.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andy Weir</a> – Author, “The Martian”</li> <li> <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/organization-and-leadership/division-bios/dr-jim-green/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Green</a> - Director, NASA’s Planetary Science</li> <li> <a href="http://www.livescience.com/topics/bad-medicine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christopher Wanjek</a> - Health and science reporter based in Baltimore, Maryland</li> <li> <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/mars-exploration-program-director-named/#.Vgw9rPlVhBc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Watzin</a> – Director, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Martian Madness

The march of computer technology continues. But as silicon chips and search engines become faster and more productive – can the same be said for us?The creator of Wolfram Alpha describes how his new “computational knowledge engine” is changing – and improving - how we process information. Meanwhile, suffering from data and distraction burnout? Find out what extremes some folks take to stop their search engines.Also, the Singularity sensation of humans merging with machines… and, why for the ancient Greeks all of this is “been there, done that.” A deep sea dive turns up a 2,000 year old computer!Guests:  Jo Marchant - Freelance science journalist and author of Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer-and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets   Stephen Wolfram - Mathematican, computer programmer, and founder of Wolfram Research and Wolfram Alpha  Fred Stutzman - PhD student at the University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science  Peggy Orenstein - author and contributing editor to the New York Times Magazine, which is where we found her article “Stop Your Search Engines”   Ray Kurzweil - Inventor, futurist and author, most recently, of The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology  Descripción en español Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The march of computer technology continues. But as silicon chips and search engines become faster and more productive – can the same be said for us?The creator of Wolfram Alpha describes how his new “computational knowledge engine” is changing – and improving - how we process information. Meanwhile, suffering from data and distraction burnout? Find out what extremes some folks take to stop their search engines.Also, the Singularity sensation of humans merging with machines… and, why for the ancient Greeks all of this is “been there, done that.” A deep sea dive turns up a 2,000 year old computer!Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://www.decodingtheheavens.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jo Marchant</a> - Freelance science journalist and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030681742X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=030681742X" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer-and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.stephenwolfram.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen Wolfram</a> - Mathematican, computer programmer, and founder of Wolfram Research and Wolfram Alpha</li> <li> <a href="http://fredstutzman.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fred Stutzman</a> - PhD student at the University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science</li> <li> <a href="http://peggyorenstein.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peggy Orenstein</a> - author and contributing editor to the New York Times Magazine, which is where we found her article <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25FOB-WWLN-t.html?_r=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Stop Your Search Engines”</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://singularity.com/aboutray.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ray Kurzweil</a> - Inventor, futurist and author, most recently, of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143037889?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143037889" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology</a> </li> </ul><a href="http://www.seti.cl/podcast-del-instituto-seti-%C2%BFlas-computadoras-nos-aventajan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Descripción en español</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Do Computers Byte?

Ever gone bungee jumping on Venus? Of course not. No one has. However your great-great-great grandchildren might find themselves packing for the cloudy planet … or for another locale in our cosmic backyard. That’s what we picture as we accelerate our imagination to escape velocity and beyond – and tour vacation spots that are out of this world. An enormous mountain and an impressive canyon await you on Mars. If the outer solar system is more your thing, consider making a ten minute free-fall on Miranda, a moon of Uranus, or step up to the challenge of playing catch on an asteroid. Also, just opened up: Pluto. A member of the New Horizons science team describes why the dwarf planet could be a holiday haven. Bring your crampons for ice climbing!Guests:•  Andrew Fraknoi – Chair of the astronomy department, Foothill College•  Lori Fenton - Planetary scientist, SETI Institute •  David Grinspoon – Astrobiologist, author of Venus Express•  Mark Showalter – Planetary scientist, SETI institute, and member of the New Horizons team•  Michael Busch – Planetary scientist, SETI Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever gone bungee jumping on Venus? Of course not. No one has. However your great-great-great grandchildren might find themselves packing for the cloudy planet … or for another locale in our cosmic backyard. That’s what we picture as we accelerate our imagination to escape velocity and beyond – and tour vacation spots that are out of this world. An enormous mountain and an impressive canyon await you on Mars. If the outer solar system is more your thing, consider making a ten minute free-fall on Miranda, a moon of Uranus, or step up to the challenge of playing catch on an asteroid. Also, just opened up: Pluto. A member of the New Horizons science team describes why the dwarf planet could be a holiday haven. Bring your crampons for ice climbing!Guests:•  <a href="http://www.foothill.edu/ast/fraknoi.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrew Fraknoi</a> – Chair of the astronomy department, Foothill College•  <a href="http://www.seti.org/users/lori-fenton" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lori Fenton</a> - Planetary scientist, SETI Institute •  <a href="http://funkyscience.net/home/david-grinspoon-at-the-library-of-congress-astrobiology-chair/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Grinspoon</a> – Astrobiologist, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201328399/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0201328399&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkId=PGHLNT2LGOENEQBH%22%3EVenus%20Revealed:%20A%20New%20Look%20Below%20The%20Clouds%20Of%20Our%20Mysterious%20Twin%20Planet%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=arweal-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0201328399%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Venus Express</a>•  <a href="http://www.seti.org/users/mark-showalter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Showalter</a> – Planetary scientist, SETI institute, and member of the New Horizons team •  <a href="http://www.seti.org/users/michael-busch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Busch</a> – Planetary scientist, SETI Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Solar System Vacation

They’re heeeere! Yes, aliens are wreaking havoc and destruction throughout the land. But these aliens are Arizona beetles, and the land is in California, where the invasive insects are a serious problem.And what of space-faring aliens? We have those too: how to find them, and how to protect our planet – and theirs.From Hollywood to SETI’s hi-tech search for extraterrestrials, aliens are invading Are We Alone?Guests:  Paul Davies - Physicist and author of The Eerie Silence: Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence   Frank Drake- Senior Scientist, SETI Institute  Andy Ihnatko - Journalist and tech blogger  Margaret Race - Biologist and Principal Investigator at the SETI Institute  Margaret McLean - Director of bioethics at the Markkula Center for Ethics, Santa Clara University  Mark Hoddle - Biological Control Specialist at the University of California, Riverside  Vanessa Lopez - Graduate student in entomology, University of California, Riverside Descripción en español Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They’re heeeere! Yes, aliens are wreaking havoc and destruction throughout the land. But these aliens are Arizona beetles, and the land is in California, where the invasive insects are a serious problem.And what of space-faring aliens? We have those too: how to find them, and how to protect our planet – and theirs.From Hollywood to SETI’s hi-tech search for extraterrestrials, aliens are invading Are We Alone?Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://cosmos.asu.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Davies</a> - Physicist and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547133243?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0547133243" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Eerie Silence: Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=418" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frank Drake</a>- Senior Scientist, SETI Institute</li> <li> <a href="http://ihnatko.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andy Ihnatko</a> - Journalist and tech blogger</li> <li> <a href="http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=447" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Margaret Race</a> - Biologist and Principal Investigator at the SETI Institute</li> <li> <a href="http://www.scu.edu/ethics/about/people/directors/healthcare/mclean/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Margaret McLean</a> - Director of bioethics at the Markkula Center for Ethics, Santa Clara University</li> <li> <a href="http://www.biocontrol.ucr.edu/hoddle/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Hoddle</a> - Biological Control Specialist at the University of California, Riverside</li> <li> Vanessa Lopez - Graduate student in entomology, University of California, Riverside</li> </ul><a href="http://www.seti.cl/podcast-del-instituto-seti-invasion-extraterrestre/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Descripción en español</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Alien Invasion

You know the joke about the car and the snail. Look at that escargot? Well, snails may be the only thing not powering the automobiles of the future. Trees, grass, algae, even the garbage you toss on the sidewalk has potential for conversion into biofuel. What is America’s next top model fuel? Join us on a tour of the contenders.Meet a man who’s mad about miscanthus … an astrobiologist’s attraction to algae… and the blueprint for building your own biofuel bugs.Also, discover whether any of these next-generation fuel sources could take us to the stars. Put that in your rocket and burn it!Guests:•  Madhu Khanna – Professor of Agriculture and Environmental Economics at the University of Illinois and at the Energy Biosciences Institute•  Stephen Long – Professor of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign•  Michelle Chang – Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley•  Bret Stroegn – Graduate student researcher, Energy Bioscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley•  Jonathan Trent – Bioengineering Research Scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center and founder of Global Research into Energy and the Enviornment (GREEN )•  Richard Obousy – Physicist and co-founder and project leader for Project Icarus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the joke about the car and the snail. Look at that escargot? Well, snails may be the only thing not powering the automobiles of the future. Trees, grass, algae, even the garbage you toss on the sidewalk has potential for conversion into biofuel. What is America’s next top model fuel? Join us on a tour of the contenders.Meet a man who’s mad about miscanthus … an astrobiologist’s attraction to algae… and the blueprint for building your own biofuel bugs.Also, discover whether any of these next-generation fuel sources could take us to the stars. Put that in your rocket and burn it!Guests:•  <a href="http://www.ace.illinois.edu/khanna1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Madhu Khanna</a> – Professor of Agriculture and Environmental Economics at the University of Illinois and at the Energy Biosciences Institute•  <a href="http://miscanthus.illinois.edu/?page_id=24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen Long</a> – Professor of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign•  <a href="http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/mccgrp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michelle Chang</a> – Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley•  <a href="http://www.younoodle.com/people/bret_stroegn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bret Stroegn</a> – Graduate student researcher, Energy Bioscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley•  <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/2009/jonathan_trent.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jonathan Trent</a> – Bioengineering Research Scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center and founder of Global Research into Energy and the Enviornment (GREEN )•  <a href="http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/team_members.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Obousy</a> – Physicist and co-founder and project leader for Project Icarus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Fuel's Paradise

Monsters don’t exist. Except when they do. And extinction is forever, except when it isn’t. So, which animals are mythical and which are in hiding?Bigfoot sightings are plentiful, but real evidence for the hirsute creature is a big zilch. Yet, the coelacanth, a predatory fish thought extinct, actually lives. Today, its genome is offering clues as to how and when our fishy ancestors first flopped onto land.Meanwhile, the ivory-billed woodpecker assumes mythic status as it flutters between existence and extinction. And, from passenger pigeons to the wooly mammoth, hi-tech genetics may imitate Jurassic Park, and bring back vanished animals.Guests:•  Donald Prothero – Paleontologist, geologist, former professor at Occidental College, co-author of Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids•  Chris Amemiya – Biologist and geneticist at the University of Washington and the Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle•  John Fitzpatrick – Ornithologist and director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University•  Ben Novak – Visiting biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, lead coordinating scientist of “The Great Comeback” at the Revive and Restore project, Long Now Foundation First released December 9, 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monsters don’t exist. Except when they do. And extinction is forever, except when it isn’t. So, which animals are mythical and which are in hiding?Bigfoot sightings are plentiful, but real evidence for the hirsute creature is a big zilch. Yet, the coelacanth, a predatory fish thought extinct, actually lives. Today, its genome is offering clues as to how and when our fishy ancestors first flopped onto land.Meanwhile, the ivory-billed woodpecker assumes mythic status as it flutters between existence and extinction. And, from passenger pigeons to the wooly mammoth, hi-tech genetics may imitate Jurassic Park, and bring back vanished animals.Guests:•  <a href="http://www.donaldprothero.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donald Prothero</a> – Paleontologist, geologist, former professor at Occidental College, co-author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0231153201/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0231153201&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids</a>•  <a href="https://www.benaroyaresearch.org/what-is-bri/scientists-and-laboratories/scientific-staff/chris-amemiya" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Amemiya</a> – Biologist and geneticist at the University of Washington and the Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle•  <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/page.aspx?pid=1736" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Fitzpatrick</a> – Ornithologist and director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University•  <a href="http://longnow.org/revive/about-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Novak</a> – Visiting biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, lead coordinating scientist of “The Great Comeback” at the Revive and Restore project, Long Now Foundation First released December 9, 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Monster Mashup

You’re right: it’s a show about ESP. And, correct again: we’re excited about the publication of a paper that claims precognition exists. You’ve already divined what our paranormal investigator says about the paper, whether the statistics that it cites are significant, and what the editor-in-chief of a major scientific journal has to say on the tricky matter of publishing such a result at all.You’re not surprised that Brains on Vacation takes on the matter of Armageddon-by-exploding-star, because, you knew that. You also knew that it will be an excellent show. But, tune in anyway – consider it a repeat.Guests:  Bruce Alberts – Editor-in-chief of Science   Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry – Los Angeles  Jeff Rouder – Quantitative psychologist, University of Missouri  Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of the website badastronomy.com   Steve Macknik – Neuroscientist, author of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’re right: it’s a show about ESP. And, correct again: we’re excited about the publication of a <a href="http://www.dbem.ws/FeelingFuture.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">paper</a> that claims precognition exists. You’ve already divined what our paranormal investigator says about the paper, whether the statistics that it cites are significant, and what the editor-in-chief of a major scientific journal has to say on the tricky matter of publishing such a result at all.You’re not surprised that Brains on Vacation takes on the matter of Armageddon-by-exploding-star, because, you knew that. You also knew that it will be an excellent show. But, tune in anyway – consider it a repeat.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://biochemistry.ucsf.edu/labs/alberts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bruce Alberts</a> – Editor-in-chief of <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Science</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.cfiwest.org/contact.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jim Underdown</a> – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry – Los Angeles</li> <li> <a href="http://psychology.missouri.edu/rouderj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeff Rouder</a> – Quantitative psychologist, University of Missouri</li> <li> <a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/info/whois.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phil Plait</a> – Skeptic and keeper of the website <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">badastronomy.com</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.sleightsofmind.com/about-the-authors/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Macknik</a> – Neuroscientist, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805092811?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0805092811" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions</a></li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: ESP or Think Again

(repeat) Looking to boost your brainpower? Luckily, there are products promising to help. Smart drugs, neurofeedback exercises, and brain-training video games all promise to improve your gray matter’s performance. But it’s uncertain whether these products really work. Regulatory agencies have come down hard on some popular brain training companies for false advertising. But other brain games have shown benefits in clinical trials. And could we skip the brain workout altogether and pop a genius pill instead? In our monthly look at critical thinking, we separate the pseudo from the science of commercial cognitive enhancement techniques.Guests:  Caroline Williams– Science journalist and author of “My Plastic Brain: One Woman’s Yearlong Journey to Discover If Science Can Improve Her Mind”  Adam Gazzaley– Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco, and the executive director of Neuroscape. His book is “The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High Tech World.”    Amy Arnsten– Professor of neuroscience and psychology at Yale Medical School  Kevin Roose– Journalist for the New York Times.  Leonard Mlodinow– Physicist and author of “Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(repeat) Looking to boost your brainpower? Luckily, there are products promising to help. Smart drugs, neurofeedback exercises, and brain-training video games all promise to improve your gray matter’s performance. But it’s uncertain whether these products really work. Regulatory agencies have come down hard on some popular brain training companies for false advertising. But other brain games have shown benefits in clinical trials. And could we skip the brain workout altogether and pop a genius pill instead? In our monthly look at critical thinking, we separate the pseudo from the science of commercial cognitive enhancement techniques.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="https://www.carolinewilliams.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Caroline Williams</a>– Science journalist and author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1633883914/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1633883914&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkId=290c2613771c4f7d1a91b4d233752bab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Plastic Brain: One Woman’s Yearlong Journey to Discover If Science Can Improve Her Mind</a>”</li> <li> <a href="https://neuroscape.ucsf.edu/profile/adam-gazzaley/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adam Gazzaley</a>– Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco, and the executive director of Neuroscape. His book is “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262534436/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0262534436&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkId=b43c093bf301c84053e35943b61455db" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High Tech World</a>.” </li> <li> <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/neuroscience/people/amy_arnsten.profile" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Amy Arnsten</a>– Professor of neuroscience and psychology at Yale Medical School</li> <li> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/kevin-roose" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kevin Roose</a>– Journalist for the New York Times.</li> <li> <a href="http://leonardmlodinow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leonard Mlodinow</a>– Physicist and author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1101870923/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1101870923&amp;linkId=4625c57d62b62cb0279d0cb25292bd1e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change</a>”</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Brain Gain

The tools of forensics have moved way beyond fingerprint kits. These days, a prosecutor is as likely to wave a fMRI brain scan as a smoking gun as “Exhibit A.” Discover what happens when neuroscience has its day in court.Meanwhile, research into the gold standard of identification, DNA, marches on. One day we may determine a suspect’s eye color from a drop of blood.Plus, why much of forensic science – from fingerprinting to the polygraph – is more like reading tea leaves than science. And will future crime victims be robots?Guests:• Owen Jones – Professor of law, Professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee• Manfred Kayser – Forensic molecular biologist, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands• Marc Goodman – Founder, The Future Crimes Institute• David Faigman – Law professor, University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tools of forensics have moved way beyond fingerprint kits. These days, a prosecutor is as likely to wave a fMRI brain scan as a smoking gun as “Exhibit A.” Discover what happens when neuroscience has its day in court.Meanwhile, research into the gold standard of identification, DNA, marches on. One day we may determine a suspect’s eye color from a drop of blood.Plus, why much of forensic science – from fingerprinting to the polygraph – is more like reading tea leaves than science. And will future crime victims be robots?Guests:• <a href="http://law.vanderbilt.edu/jones" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Owen Jones</a> – Professor of law, Professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee• <a href="http://www.erasmusmc.nl/MScMM/faculty/CVs/kayser_cv?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Manfred Kayser</a> – Forensic molecular biologist, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands• <a href="http://www.futurecrimes.com/about/mg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marc Goodman</a> – Founder, <a href="http://www.futurecrimes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Future Crimes Institute</a>• <a href="http://www.uchastings.edu/faculty-administration/faculty/faigman/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Faigman</a> – Law professor, University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Whodunit, Who'll Do It?

(repeat) Two heads may be better than one. But what about three or more? A new study shows that chimpanzees excel at complex tasks when they work in groups, and their accumulated knowledge can even be passed from one generation to the next. But group-think also can be maladaptive. When humans rely on knowledge that they assume other people possess, they can become less than rational.Find out why one cognitive scientist says that individual thinking is a myth. Most of your decisions are made in groups, and most derive from emotion, not rationality.Also, why we know far less than we think we do. For example, most people will say they understand how an everyday object like a zipper works, but draw a blank when asked to explain it. Plus, why we have a biological drive to categorize people as “us” or “them,” and how we can override it.  Guests:    Steven Sloman - Professor of cognitive linguistics and psychological sciences at Brown University and editor-in-chief of the journal, Cognition   Robert Sapolsky - Professor of neuroscience at Stanford University and author of Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst   Laurance Doyle - Scientist at the SETI Institute  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(repeat) Two heads may be better than one. But what about three or more? A new study shows that chimpanzees excel at complex tasks when they work in groups, and their accumulated knowledge can even be passed from one generation to the next. But group-think also can be maladaptive. When humans rely on knowledge that they assume other people possess, they can become less than rational.Find out why one cognitive scientist says that individual thinking is a myth. Most of your decisions are made in groups, and most derive from emotion, not rationality.Also, why we know far less than we think we do. For example, most people will say they understand how an everyday object like a zipper works, but draw a blank when asked to explain it. Plus, why we have a biological drive to categorize people as “us” or “them,” and how we can override it.  Guests: <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.brown.edu/Departments/CLPS/people/steven-sloman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Steven Sloman</a> - Professor of cognitive linguistics and psychological sciences at Brown University and editor-in-chief of the journal, Cognition </li> <li> <a href="https://profiles.stanford.edu/robert-sapolsky" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert Sapolsky</a> - Professor of neuroscience at Stanford University and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594205078/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1594205078&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkId=7219fc86f14215f51d5b8704d2a46283" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.seti.org/users/laurance-doyle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laurance Doyle</a> - Scientist at the SETI Institute</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Rational Lampoon

(repeat) Stephen Hawking felt gravity’s pull. His quest to understand this feeble force spanned his career, and he was the first to realize that black holes actually disappear – slowly losing the mass of everything they swallow in a dull, evaporative glow called Hawking radiation. But one of gravity’s deepest puzzles defied even his brilliant mind. How can we connect theories of gravity on the large scale to what happens on the very small? The Theory of Everything remains one of the great challenges to physicists.Also, the latest on deciphering the weirdness of black holes and why the gravitational wave detector LIGO has added colliding neutron stars to its roster of successes.Plus, a fellow physicist describes Dr. Hawking’s extraordinary deductive abilities and what it was like to collaborate with him. And, a surprise awaits Molly when she meets a local string theorist to discuss his search for the Theory of Everything.Guests:  Leonard Mlodinow– physicist and author of “The Grand Design” with Stephen Hawking, and most recently, “Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change.”   Janna Levin– Physicist and astronomer, Barnard College, Columbia University, and the author of, “Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space.”   Richard Camuccio– Graduate research assistant at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, a LIGO collaborator.   Wahltyn Rattray – Grad-student, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy.   Raphael Bousso– Physicist, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, University of California-Berkeley.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(repeat) Stephen Hawking felt gravity’s pull. His quest to understand this feeble force spanned his career, and he was the first to realize that black holes actually disappear – slowly losing the mass of everything they swallow in a dull, evaporative glow called Hawking radiation. But one of gravity’s deepest puzzles defied even his brilliant mind. How can we connect theories of gravity on the large scale to what happens on the very small? The Theory of Everything remains one of the great challenges to physicists.Also, the latest on deciphering the weirdness of black holes and why the gravitational wave detector LIGO has added colliding neutron stars to its roster of successes.Plus, a fellow physicist describes Dr. Hawking’s extraordinary deductive abilities and what it was like to collaborate with him. And, a surprise awaits Molly when she meets a local string theorist to discuss his search for the Theory of Everything.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://leonardmlodinow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leonard Mlodinow</a>– physicist and author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055338466X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=055338466X&amp;linkId=8f647589446aac5685f00b81b5864b8f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Grand Design</a>” with Stephen Hawking, and most recently, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1101870923/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1101870923&amp;linkId=209092a9b0af4131a92a6d59a2275842" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change</a>.” </li> <li> <a href="http://jannalevin.com/bio-and-contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Janna Levin</a>– Physicist and astronomer, Barnard College, Columbia University, and the author of, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030794848X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=030794848X&amp;linkId=265bb2b7f5968d30b138011993699a01" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space</a>.” </li> <li> <a href="http://www.rcamuccio.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Camuccio</a>– Graduate research assistant at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, a LIGO collaborator. </li> <li> Wahltyn Rattray – Grad-student, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley <a href="http://www.utrgv.edu/cgwa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy</a>.</li> <li> <a href="http://physics.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/Raphael-Bousso" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Raphael Bousso</a>– Physicist, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, University of California-Berkeley.  </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Hawkingravity

What’s it all about? And we mean ALL. What makes up this vast sprawling cosmos? Why does it exist? Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Ow, my head hurts!For possible answers, we travel to the moment after the Big Bang and discover all that came into being in those few minutes after the great flash: time, space, matter, and light. Plus, the bizarre stuff that makes up the bulk of the universe: dark energy and dark matter.Also, what we set in motion with the invention of the light blub. How artificial light lit up our homes, our cities and – inadvertently – our skies.Guests:  Sean Carroll - Theoretical physicist at California Institute of Technology  Leonard Susskind - Theoretical physicist, Stanford University  Jane Brox - Author of Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light   Peter Fisher - Physicist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Descripción en españolFirst aired September 6, 2010 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s it all about? And we mean ALL. What makes up this vast sprawling cosmos? Why does it exist? Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Ow, my head hurts!For possible answers, we travel to the moment after the Big Bang and discover all that came into being in those few minutes after the great flash: time, space, matter, and light. Plus, the bizarre stuff that makes up the bulk of the universe: dark energy and dark matter.Also, what we set in motion with the invention of the light blub. How artificial light lit up our homes, our cities and – inadvertently – our skies.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://preposterousuniverse.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sean Carroll</a> - Theoretical physicist at California Institute of Technology</li> <li> <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/dept/physics/people/faculty/susskind_leonard.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leonard Susskind</a> - Theoretical physicist, Stanford University</li> <li> <a href="http://www.janebrox.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jane Brox</a> - Author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547055277?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0547055277" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/fisher_peter.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Fisher</a> - Physicist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology</li> </ul><a href="http://www.seti.cl/podcast-instituto-seti-luz-universo-y-todo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Descripción en español</a>First aired September 6, 2010 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Light, the Universe, and Everything

If Bigfoot walks through a forest and no one sees him, does he exist? It’s the job of paranormal investigator Joe Nickell to find out! Discover whether eyewitness accounts are reliable when it comes to tracking down the hirsute big guy and other monsters.Also, on the subject of “seeing is believing”: how magic fools the brain.Plus, in our potpourri show: can music boost brain power? A new study says listening to music makes brains happy. Does this support the dubious “Mozart Effect,” that claims listening to Wolfie’s compositions boosts IQ?And, skeptic Phil Plait on why the so-called “super moon theory” doesn’t predict devastating earthquakes.It’s Skeptic Check… but don’t take our word for it.Guests:•  Joe Nickell – Paranormal investigator and author of Tracking the Man-beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies, and More•  Stephen Macknik – Director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona•  Susana Martinez-Conde – Director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona•  Phil Plait – Astronomer, and author of the Bad Astronomy blog at Discover Magazine•  Valorie Salimpoor – Researcher at Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, Canada•  Penny Glass – Developmental psychologist and associate professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Bigfoot walks through a forest and no one sees him, does he exist? It’s the job of paranormal investigator Joe Nickell to find out! Discover whether eyewitness accounts are reliable when it comes to tracking down the hirsute big guy and other monsters.Also, on the subject of “seeing is believing”: how magic fools the brain.Plus, in our potpourri show: can music boost brain power? A new study says listening to music makes brains happy. Does this support the dubious “Mozart Effect,” that claims listening to Wolfie’s compositions boosts IQ?And, skeptic Phil Plait on why the so-called “super moon theory” doesn’t predict devastating earthquakes.It’s Skeptic Check… but don’t take our word for it.Guests:•  <a href="http://www.joenickell.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joe Nickell</a> – Paranormal investigator and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616144157/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=arweal-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1616144157" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tracking the Man-beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies, and More</a>•  <a href="http://macknik.neuralcorrelate.com/node/16" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen Macknik</a> – Director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona•  <a href="http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Susana Martinez-Conde</a> – Director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona•  <a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/info/whois.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phil Plait</a> – Astronomer, and author of the <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Astronomy blog</a> at Discover Magazine•  <a href="http://cogneurosociety.org/membership/student-association/officers/valorie-salimpoor-chair" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valorie Salimpoor</a> – Researcher at Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, Canada•  <a href="http://www.childrensnational.org/research/faculty/bios/cnr/glass_p.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Penny Glass</a> – Developmental psychologist and associate professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Monsters, Magic, and Music

What’s for dinner? Meat, acorns, tubers, and fruit. Followers of the Paleo diet say we should eat what our ancestors ate 10,000 years ago, when our genes were perfectly in synch with the environment.We investigate the reasoning behind going paleo with the movement’s pioneer, as well as with an evolutionary biologist. Is it true that our genes haven’t changed much since our hunter-gatherer days?Plus, a surprising dental discovery is nothing for cavemen to smile about.And another fad diet that has a historical root: the monastic tradition of 5:2 – five days of eating and two days of fasting.It’s our monthly look at critical thinking, Skeptic Check … but don’t take our word for it.Guests:  Loren Cordain – Professor of health and exercise science, Colorado State University, founder of the modern-day paleo diet, author, The Paleo Diet Revised: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat   Andrew Jotischky – Professor of medieval history, Lancaster University  Louise Humphrey – Archeologist, Natural History Museum in London  Marlene Zuk – Evolutionary biologist, University of Minnesota, and author of Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live  First released February 19, 2014. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s for dinner? Meat, acorns, tubers, and fruit. Followers of the Paleo diet say we should eat what our ancestors ate 10,000 years ago, when our genes were perfectly in synch with the environment.We investigate the reasoning behind going paleo with the movement’s pioneer, as well as with an evolutionary biologist. Is it true that our genes haven’t changed much since our hunter-gatherer days?Plus, a surprising dental discovery is nothing for cavemen to smile about.And another fad diet that has a historical root: the monastic tradition of 5:2 – five days of eating and two days of fasting.It’s our monthly look at critical thinking, Skeptic Check … but don’t take our word for it.Guests:<ul> <li> <a href="http://thepaleodiet.com/dr-loren-cordain/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Loren Cordain</a> – Professor of health and exercise science, Colorado State University, founder of the modern-day paleo diet, author, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470913029/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0470913029&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Paleo Diet Revised: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/history/profiles/andrew-jotischky" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrew Jotischky</a> – Professor of medieval history, Lancaster University</li> <li> <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/about-science/staff-directory/earth-sciences/l-humphrey/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Louise Humphrey</a> – Archeologist, Natural History Museum in London</li> <li> <a href="http://www.cbs.umn.edu/explore/departments/eeb/faculty-research/directory/marlene-zuk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marlene Zuk</a> – Evolutionary biologist, University of Minnesota, and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393347923/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0393347923&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=arweal-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live</a> </li> </ul>First released February 19, 2014. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Skeptic Check: Paleo Diet

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