PNAS Science Sessions

Latest Episodes:

Stardust predating the Solar System Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Philipp Heck tells the story of interstellar stardust grains that predate the Solar System.

The Science of Science Communication Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Baruch Fischhoff, a decision scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the ingredients necessary for effective science communication.

Impact crater in southern Laos Jan 21, 2020

Show notes

Kerry Sieh recounts the hunt for a meteorite impact crater in Southeast Asia.

Human–clam cohistory Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

Dana Lepofsky describes ancient sustainable clam gardening practices.

Artificial intelligence in the laboratory Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

Theoretical physicists Hans Briegel and Hendrik Poulsen Nautrup describe an artificial intelligence that can design quantum experiments.

Rhetoric of the French Revolution Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

Simon DeDeo and Alexander Barron discuss the rhetoric that shaped the French Revolution.

Ocean eddies and shark foraging Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Cam Braun explains how ocean eddies allow sharks to dive and forage in deep water.

Signs of admixture in fossil record Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

Shara Bailey explains the significance of a three-rooted lower molar in an archaic jaw.

Nucleic acid liquid crystals Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

Noel Clark and Tommaso Bellini describe how nucleic acids form double-helical liquid crystals, with implications for the origins of life.

Eye movement and visual perception Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

Benjamin de Haas explains individual differences in eye movement patterns.