Assigned Scientist at Bachelor‘s

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Natural Sciences
**Assigned Scientist at Bachelor‘s**

ASAB is a podcast about science fact and science fiction, hosted by two trans scientists: Tessa (astrobiology) and Charles (entomology). Every other week we talk to each other or with another trans scientist about research, interesting facts, whether aliens can be gay, science fiction, and maybe sometimes about being trans. Transcripts available on our website: asabpodcast.com.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 56: Nona the Ninth (SPOILERS) Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

It's Nona time baby!!!!!!

A transcript and show notes are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/09/19/episode-56/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

RE-RELEASE: The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir (Books 1-2) Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

In anticipation of the release of the third entry in the Locked Tomb quartet by Tamsyn Muir (Nona the Ninth, out 13 September), we're re-releasing our conversation with friend of the pod Erin on the first two books: Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth. Spoilers, like a lot of them.

Our episode on Nona the Ninth will be released a week from now, so get reading!

A transcript of this episode is available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2020/10/31/episode-12/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 55: ”The Neutral Zone” (TNG 1x26) and the Past and Future of Cryonics Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we use the TNG episode "The Neutral Zone," in which three people from the 20th century are revived from cryopreservation to find themselves on the Enterprise 300 years later, to talk about cryonics. We touch on its history, whether it actually works (no), whether it could work (probably not), whether we'd do it (no way), and, just for fun, a little on the history and philosophy of death as a concept.

A transcript and show notes for this episode are available on our website: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/09/07/episode-55

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 54: What’s the Big Deal With the James Webb Space Telescope? Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about the significance of the new James Webb Space Telescope (and why it should have a different name) - how it works, why it's important, and what people are going to do with it. Also stay to hear the story of how Tessa proposed to her wife, which is extremely dorky and pretty sweet.

A transcript and show notes for this episode are available on our website: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/08/16/episode-54/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 53: Laurel Hiatt on What’s Really Happening in Your Colon Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we're joined by MD-PhD student Laurel Hiatt, whose work focuses on somatic mosaicism, or the differences between individual cells, specifically in the human colon. We talk about genetic mosaicism, cancer risk, why the colon causes so many problems, and how Laurel's work will (hopefully) help develop tools to improve screening and colorectal disease prevention.

You can find Laurel on Twitter @laurel_hiatt.

A transcript and show notes for this episode are available on our website: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/07/13/episode-53/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 52: Father’s Day Special - Seahorses and Male Pregnancy Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

In this special holiday episode, we talked about Syngnathidae (the family of ray-finned fishes including pipefish, seahorses, and sea dragons), particularly Hippocampus spp. (seahorses) and their unusual reproductive strategy of male pregnancy. We talk about the physiology of seahorses' pregnancy, with tangents about the complexity of biological sex and reproductive strategies, other fish, evolution, and philosophy of biology.

A transcript and show notes are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/06/20/episode-52/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 51: Robin Aguilar on Genetics Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we're joined by geneticist and artist Robin Aguilar to talk about their research using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to visualize DNA, brush up on some basic genetics, and discuss a new episode-ending question, of which era of geologic time we'd travel to if we somehow got a trip in a time machine. We also touch on Robin's advocacy work in science, particularly with Genome Sciences Association for the Inclusion of Marginalized Students (GSAIMS).

Robin can be found on Twitter @seesmallthings or their website here.

A transcript and show notes are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/06/09/episode-51/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 50: Lyra Cronin on Quantum Physics and When to Become a Robot May 23, 2022

Show notes

This week we're joined by quantum physics student Lyra Cronin. We talk about the meaning of quantum physics, Lyra's work with nitrogen vacancy centers in diamonds, the possibilities of quantum computing, and when to become (and die as) a robot.

We don't mention it in the episode, but Lyra can be found on Twitter @Seranyx.

A transcript and show notes are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/05/23/episode-50/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 49: The Science of Our Flag Means Death May 09, 2022

Show notes

Like most gay people, we have now watched the HBO series Our Flag Means Death (full season 1 available now!). Unlike most gay people, Charles is a PhD candidate in history and philosophy of biology. In this episode, we touch on several topics in history of science touched on in the show: Linnaean taxonomy and binomial nomenclature, phrenology, and scurvy (caused by humans' inability to synthesize our own Vitamin C, setting us apart from most vertebrates).

A transcript and show notes are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/05/09/episode-49/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 48: Lucianne Walkowicz on Space - Who Does It Belong To? How Gay Is It? Apr 23, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we're joined by science superstar (pun intended) Lucianne Walkowicz to talk about their research, who space belongs to (including whether it can "belong" to anyone), and how gay space is. Charles also defends leeches (they probably won't give you diseases!), the animal, but not leeches, metaphor for the capitalist class.

Lucianne is all over, but can be found on Twitter @RocketToLulu

Show notes (including sources) and a transcript are at our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/04/23/episode-48/

The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase.

Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich.

Thank you for listening!