BioTA Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Botany of Halloween 005 Oct 24, 2020

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The Halloween that many people think of with candy and trick-or-treating is dramatically different from the ancient traditions of Samhain. This episode of BioTA explores the origins of Halloween and its botanical iconography. So, pull up a seat, get a little closer to the fire, and bundle up against the October wind as we celebrate Halloween on Biota.

Bloodsucking Vectors 004 Oct 04, 2020

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Ticks are not just parasites that like to attach to animals for a blood meal, they can also be incredibly important vectors for spreading viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens to their hosts. In this episode, I interview Dr. Heather Ketchum, a medical, veterinary, forensic entomologist to learn what ticks do, how they transmit diseases, and what you can learn from a maggot. [note: Like many things now, this interview was conducted via video conference, so please excuse a few sound glitches.]

Models, Cholera, & COVID-19 003 Sep 16, 2020

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This episode turns back the clock to look at how scientists use models and systems-based thinking to study diseases and pandemics ranging from the Soho cholera outbreak of 1854 to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

Mutation, Selection, & Coronavirus 002 Sep 06, 2020

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This episode explores mutation, compare two types of selection, and looks at the differences between evolution and herd immunity. By exploring these topics, we can not only understand the source of the different traits we see in species, lineages, and populations, but also how different organisms ranging from dogs to viruses change in response to their environment. How they adapt. How they evolve.

Is Novel Coronavirus Alive? 001 Aug 22, 2020

Show notes

In late 2019, reports came out of Wuhan, China that there was an outbreak of a new respiratory disease that was spreading rapidly and having serious, often lethal consequences for some of its victims. Scientists identified the virus causing the disease as a new strain of coronavirus, a large group of viruses that contains at least eight viruses known to affect humans. In this episode, we explore three basic questions. Is the coronavirus alive? Where did it come from? And will it go away?

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