#431 Memory and Emotion

July 21, 2017 Rachelle Saunders General Science, Multimedia

This week we look at how our brains process memory and emotion. We talk to Michael Yassa, Associate Professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and Behavior, and Neurology at UC Irvine, about how our brains discriminate similar memories from each other and the conditions that compromise that ability. And we speak with James McGaugh, Research Fellow and Founding Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and Founding Director of the Center for the Neurobiology…

Special – Alternative Health Conversations 2

July 20, 2017 Jonathan Jarry Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia

Jonathan talks to a Reiki Grand Master about therapeutic touch, the clinical trials that allegedly show that it works, the concept of "energy", and her nutritional advice.

Sketchbook Snapshot: Mystery Moth

July 19, 2017 Bethann Garramon Merkle Communication, Education and Outreach, Multimedia

The other morning, I found this moth on the back steps of the cabin where I spent almost two weeks in June (at the UW Research Station in Grand Teton National Park). I spent a fair bit of time with this one, like I do with nearly every moth I can get my hands on. … Continue reading Sketchbook Snapshot: Mystery Moth

Need for Speed: Cretaceous Drift

July 18, 2017 Liz Martin-Silverstone Multimedia

“Must go faster!” yells Dr Ian Malcolm, as his mangled, yet rather toned, body was hauled away in the Jurassic Park jeep, his lovely hair swaying in the wind as they fled from the Tyrannosaur paddock, chased by a particularly hungry and particularly nimble T. rex. He needn’t have worried. Today’s news brings with it a novel attempt to calculate the king of the tyrant lizard’s preferred gait and maximum speeds, combining two established methodologies…

Book Review: Stephen Fry’s The Hippopotamus

July 15, 2017 Jonathan Jarry Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia

"So is that why you came here, then? Just to pour cold water all over us? Just to sneer up your snotty sleeve? If you can't take it seriously, why try and ruin our happiness?" You might be forgiven for thinking that Stephen Fry's The Hippopotamus--a 1994 novel and now a theatrical release--is a British comedy of manners featuring a cantankerous, cynical drunk. But the novel itself, written in Fry's delightfully brilliant voice, is…

#430 Bacteria in Bodies and On The Farm

July 14, 2017 Rachelle Saunders General Science, Multimedia

This week we look at how new science and new challenges are pushing us to think differently about the role of bacteria in healthcare and pest control in agriculture. We speak to award-winning science writer Ed Yong about his book I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life" and how our understanding of how microscopic organisms affect our life and health has changed. And we talk with Emily Monosson, environmental…

Teaching teachers to integrate cichlid phylogeny, resin sculptures, and drawing in k12+ classrooms

July 11, 2017 Bethann Garramon Merkle Communication, Education and Outreach, Multimedia

The longer I am involved with art-science integration, the more time I get to spend teaching teachers — teaching them how to use drawing in science education. It’s an incredible perk of the work I do, as I’ve written about before. In June, I co-taught a Summer Teaching Institute focused on “Exploring Art & Science.” … Continue reading Teaching teachers to integrate cichlid phylogeny, resin sculptures, and drawing in k12+ classrooms

Oxygen Isotopes and Oviraptorosaurs

July 7, 2017 Liz Martin-Silverstone Multimedia

Implications for Dinosaur Nesting Behaviour and Thermophysiology Oviraptorosaurs had received a pretty bad reputation when they first popped onto the scene. Initially, palaeontologists branded these creatures as “egg plunderers”, due to the discovery of an individual, Oviraptor, atop of a pile of eggs that were thought to belong to Protoceratops, a sheep-sized, desert-dwelling ceratopsian. Henry Osborn, describing the animal in 1924, gave the supposed egg-thieving theropod its ignominious name, although he did note that despite…

#429 Gene Drives

July 7, 2017 Rachelle Saunders General Science, Multimedia

This week on Science for the People: who is driving this genetic bus? We'll talk with Kevin Esvelt about gene drives, what they are, where they come from what they can be used for, and why the science on gene drives should be done as openly as possible. Then, we'll speak with Laurie Zoloth about the ethical questions surrounding their use, why people are so afraid, and who should be making the decision to use…

030 – Vitamin D and Clinical Trials

July 6, 2017 Jonathan Jarry Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia

Bizarre behaviour on the beach leads Chris and Jonathan to discuss the merits of vitamin D. Where exactly in the sun's rays does this vitamin hide? Is there a deficiency epidemic? And can this miraculous vitamin reverse the course of diseases? Also: a Superman geek fail; putting the "randomized" back in "randomized clinical trials"; why 1 and 2 are dirty numbers; and pot cures epilepsy (sort of... not really). Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos…

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