Science Talk

Latest Episodes:

Tomorrow's Newspapers and Next Week's Cars Nov 29, 2006

Show notes

In this episode, MIT Communications Forum Director David Thorburn discusses the future of newspapers and news in light of new technology. Scientific American editor Steve Ashley talks about the magazine's "SA 50" picks in the areas of automobile and fuel technology advances. And we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include www.sciam.com/podcast; web.mit.edu/comm-forum; web.mit.edu/comm-forum/forums.html

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Tiny Technology and Talking Turkey Nov 22, 2006

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In this episode, Scientific American's "SA 50" research leader of the year, MIT's Angela Belcher, discusses her work using viruses and other organisms to help create nanoelectronics. Animal behaviorist and turkey expert Richard Buchholz brings us up to date on some turkey science. And we'll test your knowledge of some recent turkey science in the news and outer boroughs. Websites mentioned on this episode include http://home.olemiss.edu/~byrb; www.sciam.com/podcast

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Looking Into the Future At The World Science Forum; Poetry And Science with Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffmann Nov 15, 2006

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In this episode, Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie talks about the World Science Forum, held in New York City last week. Forum speaker Mike Roco, nanotechnology advisor to the National Science Foundation, shares some thoughts about our tiny tomorrow. Chemist Roald Hoffmann reads his own poetry and discusses the importance of fuzzy thinking in science. And we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include blog.sciam.com; www.sciam.com/podcast; www.hsm-us.com/wsf; www.roaldhoffmann.com

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Hide and Seen: Gestures and Facial Expressions Help Communication; Government Attempts to Keep Science Information Hidden Nov 08, 2006

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In this episode, Scientific American Mind executive editor Mariette Dichristina talks about a special section of the magazine devoted to the roles of gestures and facial expressions in communications. A panel discussion of government secrecy at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists featured climate researcher James Hansen; we'll play some highlights from his comments regarding secrecy and science. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include www.sciammind.com; www.sciam.com/news; www.sciam.com/podcast; http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/

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Shocking Research: Electroshock Therapy and Stem Cells Nov 01, 2006

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In this episode, journalist Larry Tye talks about his new book, SHOCK, written with electroshock patient Kitty Dukakis, wife of former governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. Following Tye, Charles Welch, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital electroconvulsive therapy program, discusses the treatments knowns and unknowns. Then Scientific American editor Christine Soares shares some insights about an unusual stem cell research conference held last week in New York City. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include www.egrandslam.com; www.sciam.com/news; blog.sciam.com.

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The Making of the Fittest: A Conversation with Evolutionary Biologist Sean Carroll Oct 25, 2006

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In this episode, evolutionary biologist Sean Carroll talks about his new book, "The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution." Even without fossils or comparative anatomy, vast amounts of evidence for evolution and its mechanisms exist in the genomes of the organisms alive today. Carroll discusses immortal genes, fossil genes and repetition in evolution, as well as environmental issues in light of evolutionary understanding. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include www.seanbcarroll.com; www.egrandslam.com; www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/babies; www.sciam.com/news; www.sciam.com/podcast

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Test Tube Babies; Old Time Radio; What's In A Name Oct 18, 2006

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In this episode, journalist Robin Marantz Henig discusses a TV program airing on October 23 based in part on Pandora's Baby, the title of her book and Scientific American article about the early days of In Vitro Fertilization. JJ Mirsky talks about the technology of early radios. And we'll look at what happens when a company's name or url becomes detrimental overnight because of some coincidental association with another name. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include blog.sciam.com; www.sciamdigital.com; www.egrandslam.com; www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/babies

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Virus-State Electronics; Baseball Oddsmaking; Star Trek Memorabilia Auction Oct 11, 2006

Show notes

In this episode, journalist Philip Ross discusses his article in the October Scientific American, called "Viral Nanoelectronics," about wires, batteries and microchips constructed out of viruses. New Jersey Institute of Technology mathematics professor Bruce Bukiet talks about his probability estimates for the first round of major league baseball's playoffs and how he managed to miss all four series winners while still being correct in his calculations. Scientific American magazine news editor Philip Yam recounts how he boldly went to the Star Trek memorabilia auction last week in New York City. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include www.sciam.com/news; blog.sciam.com; www.egrandslam.com; http://m.njit.edu/~bukiet/playoffs.htm

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Judging Science: Making Judges Scientifically Literate; Eating Like An Animal; Listener Mail Oct 04, 2006

Show notes

Court cases increasingly deal with complex science and technical issues. And the last time some judges were in a science classroom was before Watson and Crick published the structure of DNA (or at least before the beginning of the Human Genome Project). We'll talk about bringing judges up to science speed with Franklin Zweig and Robert Bell, the chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland. Zweig is the president and Bell is chairman of the board of directors of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource, an organization devoted to training judges in science (and the product of a Congressional mandate accompanying the Human Genome Project). Then, in the Ask A Scientist segment, the Wildlife Conservation Society's Paul Calle responds to a listener query about how some animals seemingly eat just about anything without any dire consequences. And we'll take a quick trip through a batch of other questions submitted by listeners. Websites related to this episode include www.einshac.org; www.wcs.org; www.sciam.com/news; blog.sciam.com.

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Six Big Science Debates; Missions to Map Planets; Breaking Down Barriers: Women in Science Sep 27, 2006

Show notes

Last week, the National Academy of Sciences and other institutions released a report titled Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering. Maria Zuber, head of the department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was one of the members of the committee that prepared that report. We talk to her about the findings and recommendations of the committee. She also discusses her research mapping Mars, Mercury and the Moon. Scientific American reporter JR Minkel chats about his web article called That's Debatable: Six Debates at the Frontier of Science. Plus, we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this episode include www.nap.edu; www.tinyurl.com/qa6bz; www.sciam.com/news; www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0005726E-214A-1514-A14A83414B7F013F

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