PNAS Science Sessions

Latest Episodes:

Honeybees: Nature's puzzle solvers Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Orit Peleg, Golnar Fard and Francisco López Jiménez explain how honeybees overcome geometric constraints to construct honeycombs.

Cultural identity in sperm whales Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Taylor Hersh explores how patterns of clicks produced by sperm whales suggest the exchange of cultural information between the whales.

Tuning into nature's music Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Researchers discuss what animal soundscapes can tell us about the health of ecosystems.

Point sources of methane emission Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Daniel Cusworth discusses combining aircraft-based and satellite-based measurement to identify methane emission point sources.

How climate warming releases ocean methane Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Syee Weldeab describes what researchers can learn from ancient global warming about the risks posed by ocean floor methane hydrates.

U-turn in occupational gender segregation Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Ling Zhu and David B. Grusky explore intergenerational factors influencing occupational gender segregation in the United States.

Activated patients reduce implicit bias Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Izzy Gainsburg and Veronica Derricks discuss how patient activation can disrupt implicit bias in physician-patient interactions.

How bumblebees respond to noxious stimuli Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

Matilda Gibbons, Lars Chittka and Jonathan Birch discuss the possibility that bumblebees may feel pain.

Science of Misinformation Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

Researchers explore how misinformation spreads and what can be done to stop it.

Bias and the placebo effect Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

Lauren Howe and Alia Crum explore the interactions of societal biases with the placebo effect.