Science Studio: Podcasts 2008
Give us less than 30 minutes and you can enter the world of up and
coming researchers in the School of Life Sciences. This program is
released twice each month. In each episode you can learn about our guest
scientist, what innovations are on the horizon, and what has them so
excited about their current research.
You can subscribe to the Podcasts below. You will need iTunes or similar
subscription software to subscribe to the show. We also have individual
MP3 files that you can download and play on your computer and portable
MP3 player.
To hear more Science Studio Podcasts, please visit our 2007 Podcast page.
The birth of a science: genetics and biomedicine
Human and biomedical genetics may seem like new sciences; key to many cutting–edge breakthroughs in medicine and reproductive health, but biomedicine has been more than fifty years in the making. Nathaniel Comfort, associate professor from Johns Hopkins University’s Institute of the History of Medicine, explains how Mendel’s pea crosses gave way to McClintock’s insights, from the unique perspective of a reporter–historian. (Length–24:54, Transcript)
Oral history: the embrace of subjective understanding
An interview technique used by folklorists, sociologists, historians, and public health experts, professor Nathaniel Comfort offers insight about how to conduct oral histories and shows how their “co–creation,” as historical documents or a cradle–to–grave family narratives, can enrich present thinking and future understanding of the past. (Length–15:29, Transcript)
Biofuels and bioenergy
Willem Vermaas, professor in the School of Life Sciences and member of the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis at ASU, is leading a team of researchers delving into hydrogen production and capturing carbon dioxide to create biodiesel, with some "green" engineering ingenuity, a tiny cyanobacterium, and a little help from the sun. (Length–34:04, Transcript coming soon)
The future of oceans: BOFFF or bust?
What was bountiful a century ago is now seriously threatened, with dwindling food fish and tales of dead zones, algal blooms, and ocean acidification. Environmental scientist and marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco talks about how changing common practices, better communication of science, and Big, Fat, Female Fish may be the secret to saving the largest biome on our planet. (Length–25:35, Transcript coming soon)
Special Feature: Building a science career
One of the most highly cited ecologists in the world, Jane Lubchenco trod her own unique path to success. In this live recording with the Association for Women in Science, she explains how assertiveness, the art of negotiation, and knowing the currency for promotion and tenure can make the difference between achieving balance between family and career and dropping out the leaky academic pipeline that leads to advancement. (Length–50:27, Transcript coming soon)
Biosensors and Biocomputers
ASU professor Wayne Frasch has harnessed the world’s smallest rotary motor, an enzyme nanometers in size, to produce a biosensor that could revolutionize health screenings. Listen to how his basic research in biology is pioneering better technology, from biosensors to DNA-based biocomputers. (Length–22:20, Transcript coming soon)
Iridescence: Nature and emergent technology
Peter Vukusic, a physicist from the Natural Photonics Laboratory at the University of Exeter, UK, reflects on the products of nature’s own R & D, structural color and photonic crystals, and the forces that shaped their emergence in animal communication. How can study of insects, fish and hummingbird’s visual chatter shed light on new technologies in paper, paint, cosmetics, ceramics, communications, and more? Listen in!
(Length–24:07, Transcript coming soon)
Climate Change and the Antarctic
Take a journey with Thomas (Tad) Day, from Phoenix to Palmer Station in the Antarctic. What does it take to research climate change there? Listen in and hear what drives scientists to study plants, insects and animals in the coldest, driest, highest continent on earth.
(Length–29:32, Transcript coming soon)
Evolution of cooperation
According to evolutionary theorist David Sloan Wilson, focus on the concept of the selfish gene and the “dark side” of selection has overshadowed the daily positives that Darwinian thought exposed: the evolutionary forces within humans that lead to the emergence of cooperation, and which set the framework for our modern obsessions, from sports teams to corporate units, to civilization.
(Length–36:18, Transcript coming soon)
Science Studio podcasts are recorded on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University. We thank the Applied Learning Technologies Institute, Guy Mullins, and Jason Landers for their help with the creation of these programs.
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