We've all heard of "The Paleo Diet", but what did our paleolithic ancestors

actually eat? Well we found exactly the scientist to ask. Briana Pobiner

is a paleoanthropologist whose research centers on the evolution of human

diet. We discuss when and why humans started eating meat. We also had to

ask her about the dream job she has at the Smithsonian National Museum of

Natural History, where she helped put together the Human Origins exhibit.

Listen in to hear more about education, evolution and the history behind

our eating habits.

Sunlight, blue light, red light, sleep tight!

Virginie Gabel is a neuroscientist and a specialist in light and sleep

cycles. Why do we sleep less when we're older and why do screens ruin our

sleep? Why is our circadian rhythm important to our health, and how long

should a "disco nap" be?

These are all important questions we tackled with her over our coffee and

croissants.

In preparation for our 5th season we're offering you a little taste of

what's to come and giving some thanks to our supporters.

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D. is a marine biologist, policy expert, and

founder of Ocean Collectiv, a consulting group for ocean conservation

solutions that center social justice. She writes about how we can use the

ocean without using it up on the National Geographic blog and @ayanaeliza.

As a defender of science, after hearing about the march she knew she had to

get involved. Tune in to hear more about the overwhelming support science

has received from the public and how scientists can and should be doing

more to help influence the policies that affect all our lives.

Andrew Steele is an astrobiologist who is most at home hiding in his lab analyzing his data. Given that he is looking for life on other planets - so would we be! But Andrew is one of many scientists who realizes that hiding away is no longer an option. They need to be out there communicating their work to a public that deserves to hear about it.

The March for Science was a global celebration of science. Attended across the world by scientists and non-scientists from every background. It was a demonstration of support for a field of work that affects our health, our economies and our planet. It was a vote of confidence for the importance of evidence. We spoke to three special guests about what the march meant to them. In part I, meet Paul Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky - artist and friend of the sciences. Listen in to how he's inspired by researchers and mathematicians to bring their work to a wider audience.

Andrea Wiggins rather confusingly is a scientist that studies other people

doing science. The technologies they use, how they work together and how

they share information. Did you think research was just for scientists?

Well Andrea looks at how citizen science works. How people without formal

scientific training are helping to push the boundaries for research in

fields ranging from ornithology to astronomy.

Taegan McMahon, of the University of Tampa, has pretty much grown up in the

wild. Destined to become an ecologist, she studies fungal infections that

are killing off entire frog populations. And she's run into jungles,

crossed rapidly flowing rivers and battled crocodiles to do so! OK maybe

battled is a slight exaggeration, but there seems to be little she won't do

to protect her amphibious friends.

Peter Bentley is a scientist's scientist. A man who thinks you should only

be doing science as long as you love it (as he does). His subjects of study

range from brain networks to hunter-gatherers to autopilots on planes. He

looks at how the natural world works through the medium of IT, and in turn

how IT can benefit from how the world works. 

Peter's love of science extends to writing numerous books on the subject

and coming out to talk to us.

A chicken, an alligator and a turtle walk into a lab...

Just a few of the weird and wonderful species that Richard Wingate uses to

study the cerebellum or the "little brain". When not wearing his

anatomist's hat, he explores the fine line between science and art working

with artists and non scientists to find out how they see the world of

scientific research. Stay tuned in to hear the tale of the mysterious

headless chicken.