Ready your tanks and zip up your vests as Mr. William Van Luven and I dive deep into the surf scene in Taiwan (0:40) and his diver training in UC Santa Cruz (11:50). Then, we touch on the topic of diversity and sexual orientation with ‘Evolution's Rainbow’ by Joan Roughgarden (15:54) before shifting to the topic of biology undergraduate degrees and how valuable it really is. (19:19)

Like the episode? General feedback? Comment here: https://open.firstory.me/story/ckz26wg1heapd0868f841z66h?m=comment

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I AM BACK! In this episode: my long-awaited interview with biology teacher and friend, Mr. William Van Luven. Listen in as Mr. Van Luven reflects on his past internship in NOAA & Long Marine Laboratory (3:19), favorite professors at UC Santa Cruz (6:42), why he became a teacher in Taiwan (12:16), education values he thinks every teacher should have (21:00), and more!

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The iGEM team and I are back with another episode! This time, I invited 4
members each from the wet lab, dry lab, and human practice team to talk about
their roles and how their products work! First, Leon and Plus give an in-depth
explanation of their antibiotic alternative – AMP (2:37). Then, Gina discusses
her work on coding/designing the team’s Wiki page (6:27). Lastly, Janet gives a
rundown of CCU’s marketing, educational goals, and international collaborations,
including their picture book and soup opera! (8:06)

The iGEM competition is an annual, worldwide synthetic biology event organized
by MIT. In this two-part series, I've invited college contestants from National
Chung Cheng University to discuss everything from the brainstorming process,
their superbug antidote, and their extensive education campaign – which includes
their very own picture book as you see on the cover! 

Link to everything: https://linktr.ee/ccuigem 

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The iGEM competition is an annual, worldwide synthetic biology event organized
by MIT. In this two-part series, I've invited college contestants from National
Chung Cheng University to discuss everything from the brainstorming process,
their superbug antidote, and their extensive education campaign – which includes
their very own picture book!

In this episode, human practice chief coordinator Janet Chen revisits her
decision to join the team (2:05), the team's slight detour towards reducing the
mosquito population (6:42), and the importance of open-mindedness (10:50).

Link to everything: https://linktr.ee/ccuigem

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When people think of biology or science in general, the first thing that comes
to mind is lab work: researching microorganisms, chemistry, lab procedures...
and all the jazz. What they may not know is the significance of field work in
science.

In this episode, we take a look at John Snow's tracing of the cholera outbreak
and China's vaccine controversy in Bahrain to see just how important field work
really is. Then, armed with my experience in both the field and the lab, I break
down the strengths and weaknesses of each. Strap on, my friends!

Music used:
Eimshore - Pillars of Eternity
Ilya Truhanov
Powerrun
Matt Large - Dusty Conscience
UncleBoris
(Anton Kazantsev)



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Thanks to my recent speech competition, I had the opportunity to chat with the
legendary DJ Joseph Lin about how I started learning English, my Xiaoliuqiu
trips, my podcast (META). Enjoy!

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Established in 2017, 社團法人台灣咾咕嶼協會 made its goal very clear: to protect the ocean
of Taiwan, In Xiaoliuqiu, they’ve managed to bring plastic reduction efforts to
the masses by promoting their renowned 琉行杯 lending system. In this episode, I
was lucky enough to have a chat with one of the founders, Ms. Zhang. We
discussed her motivation to save the ocean (1:49), where their creativity
originates (8:42), and the NGO’s future aspirations (27:13).

咾咕嶼協會: https://www.facebook.com/twlookoo/?ref=page_internal 
海湧工作室: https://hiinstudio.com/
TurtleSpot Taiwan: https://www.facebook.com/groups/turtlespotintw

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As I wrap up my visit to Xiaoliuqiu island, I recount my experience in the intertidal area, scuba diving 10 meters below the ocean floor, and finally, ponder the effects of anthropomorphism in animal-human relationships. Be sure to sit down for this wild ride.

This is the second episode of a 3-part series.

海龜點點名 TurtleSpot Taiwan Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/turtlespotintw

R36192 Natgeo:
https://www.natgeomedia.com/environment/article/content-11582.html

Music used:
Dream Machine
Ilya Marfin
Under Influence
Dream Machine
Anchors and Seagulls
Stanislav Vdovin
Nocturnal One
Moscillate
Vadim Derepa


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I started off 2021 by visiting Xiaoliuqiu Island in Southern Taiwan, where sea turtles are notably abundant. But I hope to go a little deeper than that. Why are there so many sea turtles? Are they in any danger? And what is it like swimming with them? With help from the locals and some research, I strive to find a comprehensive understanding of this unique island.

This is the first episode of a 3-part series.

Music used:
Max Sergeev
Dream Machine
Trees Die Standing

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What are the different ways cells can communicate with one another? How do hormones know which cells to target? And why are GPCRs so ubiquitous in humans? This episode dives deep into the components of signal transduction, transmembrane and intracellular receptors, second messengers, and regulation of signaling. Cell signaling is probably the most important topic in biology, so make sure you know this section fluently by listening to this episode!

The Campbell Biology Textbook (11th Edition) is referenced and advised for listeners.

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