Hopeful Surprises in Pancreatic Cancer Lab

Guest: Dannielle Engle, Assistant Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest diseases we’ve ever encountered—and it’s very difficult to detect.  But researchers have accidentally stumbled across one possible cause of the disease.  

 

Exotic Pets: Buyer Beware

Guest: Stephanie Jayson, Senior Scientific Officer in Exotics and Wildlife Trade, RSPCA

A pair of racoon dogs got loose in the English village of Clarborough, wreaking havoc. But the creatures are native to Japan. How did racoon dogs get to Western Europe? A cautionary tale about keep exotic pets. 

 

Baseball and the American City

Guest: Paul Goldberger, author, Ballpark: Baseball in the American City

Baseball parks and the structures that surround them offer us a window to understanding the evolution of American cities and our attitudes towards them. 

 

Dinosaur Fossils Like You've Never Seen Them Before

Guest: Hans Sues, Senior Scientist and Curator of Fossil Vertebrates, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

In the new "Deep Time" exhibit in the Smithsonian's new Fossil Hall, life is messy: dinosaur poop, fish who die of overeating, a lizard who decomposes before your eyes. And the piece de resistance: a t-rex taking a bit out of an unwitting triceratops. We get a behind-the-scenes radio tour of this new exhibit.

 

The Apple Seed

Guest: Sam Payne

The incredible true story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog. You've got to hear it to believe it. 

 

The Raspberry Pi Puts a Computer In Every Pocket  

Guest: Eben Upton, Creator of the Raspberry Pi

Since its creation in 2012 the Raspberry Pi has become an iconic part of the computer and programming network. This small, credit-card-sized computer has been used in everything from drones to homemade insulin pumps, and has created a thriving community of passionate users.