Science, Spoken

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Biology's Roiling Debate Over Publishing Research Early Jul 11, 2017

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Five years ago, Daniel MacArthur set out to build a massive library of human gene sequences—one of the biggest ever. The 60,706 raw sequences, collected from colleagues all over the globe, took up a petabyte of memory. It was the kind of flashy, blockbuster project that would secure MacArthur a coveted spot in one of science’s top three journals, launching his new lab at the Broad Institute into the scientific spotlight.

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Let’s Geek Out With the Physics of Spider-Man’s Webs Jul 10, 2017

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When I get excited about a movie, my only way of calming down is to do a little physics. That explains why I found myself pondering Hooke's law and Young's modulus while watching a trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Oh, wait. Before going further, I should provide a spoiler alert, just in case you're the type who doesn't even watch trailers. I consider trailers fair game. You have been warned. I'm not sure just what's happening in this scene, but it looks exciting.

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Scientists Map the Receptor That Makes Weed Work Jul 07, 2017

Show notes

Add marijuana to humans, and you get some fairly predictable results: euphoria, hunger, introspection, anxiety, and a whole panoply of other effects. Also known as being high. Most of that complicated reaction is thanks to a single cellular structure known as cannabinoid receptor 1. Your body has CB1 receptors lacing the surfaces of cells in the brain, liver, lungs, fat, uterus, and sperm. And whenever your .

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Jill Tarter Never Found Aliens—But Her Successors Might Jul 06, 2017

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In December 2016, three generations of women astronomers joined me for a phone call. Debra Fischer, Natalie Batalha, and Margaret Turnbull have dedicated their careers to comprehending planets beyond the solar system, the signs of microbial life that might be on those planets, or both of those out-there topics.

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Put Down That Ketchup and Step Away From the Hot Dog Slowly Jul 05, 2017

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In my family, I grew up knowing that my parents would support me no matter the mistakes I made. Bad grades, underage drinking, becoming an English major? All could be forgiven. Unless, of course, I put ketchup on a hot dog. Then I’d be out on my ass. In advance of the Fourth of July holiday, I emailed my dad to see if his opinions on hot dogs and ketchup had changed at all.

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What's Inside Triple-Action Mace? Chili Peppers and UV Dye Jul 04, 2017

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In the late 1960s, a Pennsylvania man named Alan Litman fretted that his wife wouldn’t be safe coming home late on the mean streets of Pittsburgh. So he did what any doting husband would do—he figured out a way to fill a portable, easily deployed spray can with tear gas. Then he started marketing the product to law enforcement. Today his invention is known as Mace, a brand now synonymous with private citizens packing a ton of heat.

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Pentagon ‘Space Corps’ Plan Leaves Earth Science in the Dust Jul 03, 2017

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Scientists and the military have often tussled over who calls the shots in space. The first astronauts were military test pilots. NASA made the space shuttle extra big to accommodate the spy satellites Pentagon planners wanted to launch. And it took 15 years for the Defense Department to release topographical maps gleaned during a classified shuttle mission so scientists could use them.

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Your Connected Devices Are Screwing Up Astronomy Jun 30, 2017

Show notes

By now, “Here Are Some Stupid Things on the Internet of Things” has become a full-on article genre. There’s even a Tumblr dedicated to the idea: “We Put a Chip in It,” it’s called. In some visions of the future, smart devices capture, quantify, and control most aspects of daily life. The oven knows you forgot about your cookies and cools them off for you at peak crisped-edginess. The fan knows you have entered the room and desire a breeze.

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Google Unveils an AI Investment Fund. It's Betting on an App Store for Algorithms. Jun 30, 2017

Show notes

Google just placed yet another bet on the idea that artificial intelligence will remake the world—and throw off wild profits. The company disclosed today that it has created a new venture fund dedicated to investing in AI and machine learning companies. The initiative's first public investment: lead investor in a $10.5 million funding round for Seattle startup Algorithmia, which has built a kind of app store for algorithms.

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Prisoners of Gravity: Hey, TV Sci-Fi Can Have Ideas After All Jun 29, 2017

Show notes

Most sci-fi TV is more about action and spectacle than anything thoughtful, but one show that really did the intellectual side of science fiction justice wasPrisoners of Gravity, which aired on TVOntario from 1989 to 1994. On the show,host Rick Green used science fiction to explore far more serious topics. “You’re talking with people who are really imaginative,” Green says in Episode 261 of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.

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