American Scientist Podcast

By American Scientist Magazine

Education

What's American Scientist Podcast about?

Periodic audiocasts from American Scientist, a publication of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society.

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American Scientist Podcast episodes:

09.05.2023
Changing Policies on COVID-19 Transmission
An interview with Virginia Tech environmental engineer, Linsey Marr. Her expertise in aerosols came to center stage as she and her colleagues worked for years to change policies based on faulty ideas about the transmission of the coronavirus. Host, Katie...
07.27.2023
Why We Podcast: Sharing Your Voice in Science
We'll hear from science communication leaders and podcasters on why podcasting is an important platform for Science. Interviews from Samir Honwad—professor at the University of Buffalo, Wendy Zuckerman—host of Science VS and 2022 Sigma Xi IFORE award winner, and Aaron...
07.20.2023
How to Start a Fusion Fire
Andrea "Annie" Kritcher discusses her and her team's achieved ignition, raising new hopes for fusion as a practical energy source. Host Corey S. Powell and American Scientist Magazine.
07.20.2023
The Early Human Social Network
Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias is melding enviromental data and how these early populations interacted. Host Corey S. Powell and American Scientist Magazine.
07.10.2023
Physicians Need Caregiving Support Policies
The collision of the Great Resignation and long-standing gender inequities in medicine is heightening calls for improved family leave policies at American health care institutions. Host Jordan Anderson and American Scientist editor Katie L. Burke discuss caregiving support policies, bringing...
03.01.2023
Synthesizing Engineering and Biology
On using synthetic biology to create next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics -- an interview with James J. Collins of Harvard and MIT, one of founders of the field.
09.06.2022
Science Curious Through Science Fiction
How science fiction promotes science curiosity and why that matters. Hear from science communication practitioners and scholars Reyhaneh Maktoufi, Thomas DeFrantz, and Stephanie Castillo.
08.01.2022
Pulling Back the Cosmic Veil
The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are already transforming our view of the universe. Hear from John Mather, Nobel Laureate and senior project scientist for JWST at NASA.
07.01.2022
The Genes Behind Ecosystems
There are many ways organisms adapt to their environments, which can be seen both with the eye and in an organism's genetic sequence.
05.02.2022
The Brain Cartographer
Researchers are working to understand the cellular composition and diversity of the brain, creating a catalog of cell types as well as seeking to plot the relationships, structures, and functions of those cell types.
04.01.2022
3D Printing Medical Devices
Arrays of microneedles that could replace injections have been the subject of research for some 50 years, but have not yet been commercially successful. A new type of high-resolution 3D printing could change that.
03.01.2022
Beyond the Honeybee
As entomologist Suzanne W.T. Batra has long argued, there are far better pollinator bees than they honeybee. Hear an interview with the researcher whose colleagues at the USDA named a research conference "Batrafest" to honor her.
02.01.2022
Open Flow
Liquid-filled scaffolds that are not enclosed, but don’t leak? A team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory came with a 3D-printed unit with an internal structure that water clings to and flows into... even though it has holes.
12.01.2021
Platforms, Echo Chambers, and Misinformation
Rewards and pitfalls to communicating science on social media: a discussion with Michael Xenos at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, BlackInNeuro and SciComm Collective's Danielle Nadin, and Samantha Yammine, also known on the internet as Science Sam.
11.01.2021
Entanglement and Choice
Astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi discusses his memoir, A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the Stars.
10.01.2021
Fixing Broken Biological Clocks
Structural problems in STEM workplaces, and the importance of inclusivity in institutions -- a conversation with Shirley Malcom.
09.01.2021
A Sea Change in STEM
Structural problems in STEM workplaces, and the importance of inclusivity in institutions -- a conversation with Shirley Malcom.
08.02.2021
Guardrails for Biotech
Lessons from past biotechnology controversies and the potentials and concerns that lie ahead -- a conversation with Insoo Hyun.
07.01.2021
(Re)building trust in public health campaigns
Approaches to engage marginalized communities -- a conversation with Stephaun Elite Wallace.
06.01.2021
Data Communication
Exploring all things data visualization.
05.03.2021
Art and Environmental Education
Using art as a tool for environmental education.
01.04.2021
Science and Hip Hop: Using Music to Communicate Science
How science communicators are using music to make science more reflexive, equitable, and engaging to audiences.
11.02.2020
The Crazy Anatomy of Horned Dinosaurs
This remarkably diverse group of dinosaurs went far beyond Triceratops.
10.01.2020
A More Universal Language
Seeking to better describe the world, researchers are attempting to blend the languages of science and art.
09.01.2020
Developing New Vaccines
An interview with virologist Peter Jay Hotez on the anti-vaccine movement and other challenges to vaccine development, including poverty, war and conflict, urbanization, and climate change.
08.03.2020
Synesthesia’s Altered Senses
An interview with Anina Rich, who heads the Perception in Action Research Centre at Macquarie University and the Synaesthesia at Macquarie research group. She investigates synesthesia to learn about how the brain integrates information.
07.01.2020
The Human Need for Visible Data
An interview with Manuel Lima, Senior UX Design Leader for Google, avid historian, and author of books exploring how certain visual themes, such as circles, go back to the beginnings of human understanding.
06.01.2020
Channeling Lasers
New computing applications are ahead for soft materials that can guide light.
05.01.2020
Climate Modeler
An interview with atmospheric scientist Ben Santer, who helped to author the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's famous conclusion in 1995 of the “discernible human influence on global climate” and who has continued his research through to the present day...
04.01.2020
Family-Friendly Science Communication
All-ages programming is a challenge, but Tinkercast's "WOW in the World" is popular among both parents and children.
03.02.2020
Detecting Gerrymandering
Detecting gerrymandering is an active research field, particularly given new voting methods such as ranked-choice voting, but ending the practice takes more than mathematical know-how.
02.03.2020
The Hardest Tissue
New imaging reveals the hidden structure that makes enamel in human teeth so tough, inspiring researchers to use the knowledge to create tougher synthetic materials.
01.02.2020
Using Pop Culture to Teach Science
An interview with high school teacher Matt Brady -- author of "The Science of Rick and Morty: The Unofficial Guide to Earth's Stupidest Show" -- on his use of pop culture in the science classroom.
12.02.2019
Microsized Architecture
An interview with University of Maryland engineer Ryan Sochol, whose team has developed a technique to do three-dimensional printing at capillary sizes, for better modeling of living systems.
11.01.2019
Laser Pulses Examine Water Surface Chemistry
An interview with Geraldine L. Richmond, Presidential Chair in Science and professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon, and the current President of Sigma Xi, the organization that publishes American Scientist magazine.
10.01.2019
Water Quality versus Water Quantity
Coal-ash spills and water quality: an interview with Avner Vengosh, a geochemist at Duke University, on his latest research.
09.03.2019
Dying for a Drink
Overuse, population growth, and climate change are turning water into a powerful tool for conflict in many parts of the world.
08.01.2019
Air Quality Trade-Offs
Modern life is costing us months of our lives.
07.01.2019
Seeing the Sixth Sense
Live imaging of body-sensing neurons required both new techniques and new technology.
06.03.2019
The Future of Artificial Intelligence
An interview with Jeff Dean, head of artificial intelligence at Google, about the major advances and concerns facing current artificial intelligence research, and how it interfaces with human society.
05.01.2019
Drains on the Heart
Young women have a low risk of heart disease, and sex differences in this bodily system could help explain why.
03.29.2019
Precision Psychiatry
A new pharmaceutical specifically for postpartum depression is approved and a large, ongoing study may yield insight into depression generally, informing future treatment.
03.01.2019
Heart Waves
An interview with Ulrich Parlitz, a biomedical physicist, on using artificial intelligence to predict the propagation of the heart's electrical signals in order to make defibrillation safer.
02.01.2019
Viral Interpreter
An interview with Anna Marie Skalka, whose primary research focus has been understanding viruses’ many functions -- both harmful and helpful.
01.02.2019
Nerves of an Escape Artist
Studying the neurons of a most elusive and delicate animal, hydra, required a new trap, which worked... at least for a little while. Here's our interview with Jacob Robinson, a neuroengineer at Rice University, whose team developed that trap.
12.03.2018
Parker, Meet Parker
At age 31, astrophysicist Gene Parker, now 91, mathematically described what we now call the "solar wind." This August, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe -- the first mission named after a living person -- to study the Sun and...
11.01.2018
The People Vs Tech
Reading from "The People Vs Tech: How the Internet Is Killing Democracy (and How We Save It)," author Jamie Bartlett tells one story of Donald Trump's campaign's digital strategy and their collaboration with Facebook in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.
10.01.2018
A Chemical History of the Universe
Mapping "star stuff" onto the periodic table -- an interview with Jennifer Johnson, a professor of astronomy at the Ohio State University who studies the history of the Milky Way and its stars.
09.04.2018
What's Next for Finding Other Earth-like Worlds?
An interview with the TESS mission's Sara Seager, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT who focuses on theoretical models of atmospheres and interiors of all kinds of exoplanets as well as novel space science missions.
08.01.2018
Big Data and Democracy
An interview with Jamie Bartlett on his new book, "The People Vs. Tech: How the Internet is Killing Democracy (and How We Save It)."

What's American Scientist Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

American Scientist Podcast episodes:

Changing Policies on COVID-19 Transmission

Why We Podcast: Sharing Your Voice in Science

How to Start a Fusion Fire

The Early Human Social Network

Physicians Need Caregiving Support Policies

Synthesizing Engineering and Biology

Science Curious Through Science Fiction

Pulling Back the Cosmic Veil

The Genes Behind Ecosystems

The Brain Cartographer

3D Printing Medical Devices

Beyond the Honeybee

Open Flow

Platforms, Echo Chambers, and Misinformation

Entanglement and Choice

Fixing Broken Biological Clocks

A Sea Change in STEM

Guardrails for Biotech

(Re)building trust in public health campaigns

Data Communication

Art and Environmental Education

Science and Hip Hop: Using Music to Communicate Science

The Crazy Anatomy of Horned Dinosaurs

A More Universal Language

Developing New Vaccines

Synesthesia’s Altered Senses

The Human Need for Visible Data

Channeling Lasers

Climate Modeler

Family-Friendly Science Communication

Detecting Gerrymandering

The Hardest Tissue

Using Pop Culture to Teach Science

Microsized Architecture

Laser Pulses Examine Water Surface Chemistry

Water Quality versus Water Quantity

Dying for a Drink

Air Quality Trade-Offs

Seeing the Sixth Sense

The Future of Artificial Intelligence

Drains on the Heart

Precision Psychiatry

Heart Waves

Viral Interpreter

Nerves of an Escape Artist

Parker, Meet Parker

The People Vs Tech

A Chemical History of the Universe

What's Next for Finding Other Earth-like Worlds?

Big Data and Democracy