Cool Science Radio

Thomas Mullaney explains the complex task of developing a typing keyboard for the Chinese language which has thousands of characters but no alphabet.Then Dr. Keith Coper (co-per) talks about the University of Utah’s Seismograph Stations and the important work they do monitoring earthquakes in our area.

Immaculata De Vivo, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, discusses her book, "The Biology of Kindness: Six Daily Choices for Health, Well-Being, and Longevity," co-written with mindfulness and meditation expert Daniel Lumera.Then, Joshua Glenn talks about his collection of science fiction stories and books from 1900-1935 and his efforts to preserve these forgotten classics and to discover the origins of enduring tropes like berserk robots, tyrannical supermen, and dystopian wastelands.

Authors Aram Sinnreich and Jesse Gilbert share where our data is going, and what is being done with it in their new book, "The Secret Life of Data: Navigating Hype and Uncertainty in the Age of Algorithmic Surveillance."Then, FIRST, a global robotics community helps prepare students for the future through their programs, competitions, and fun.

As a total eclipse approaches on April 8, 2024, solar eclipse enthusiast and former science correspondent for National Public Radio, David Baron, tells about the earliest eclipse chasers in 1878 in his book "American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World." Then, Ann Burg talks about her new young adult biography on the life of Rachel Carson, "Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson."

Plasma physicist Sierra Solter talks about the effects of decaying space junk on Earth’s ionosphere. As satellites and other orbital objects decay and burn up in the atmosphere, they are leaving a layer of conductive, electrically charged particles around the planet and the dangerous effects this could have on the Earth's ionosphere, and life as we know it.Evidence-based explanations and critical thinking can help us all better understand paranormal beliefs and why we have them. Chris French, author of the new book "The Science of Weird S***," sheds light on where these beliefs come from and how we can explain these bizarre experiences.

Longtime National Public Radio science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about her new book about the intersection of life and science, "Transient and Strange." Then, Lisa Thompson, exhibit developer and interpretive planner at the Natural History Museum of Utah, developed the "Nature All Around Us" exhibit. She has just released her new book, "Wild Wasatch Front," an urban nature guide.

Thanks to the work of researchers, including guest Sian Harding, and other scientists, we are beginning to understand more about the vital and exquisite organ - the heart. Sian Harding, Professor Emeritus of Cardiac Pharmacology at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, discusses her new book, “The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart.”Then, in order for humans to survive, it begins with us starting to act with the rest of the biosphere, and each other, in accordance with Darwinian principles that center around figuring out survival. Daniel Brooks, Professor Emeritus at University of Toronto, and Salvatore Agosta, Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, discuss their new book “Darwinian Survival Guide: Hope for the Twenty-First Century.”

Karim Aly of NOZE, a medical technology company that identifies, captures, and interprets odors released from our breath and skin to detect disease, shares how they use “digital odor perception” technology.Then, Reuters journalist Ernest Scheyder, who has written extensively about the green energy transition, discusses his newly released book "The War Below: Lithium, Copper and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives."

John Wells speaks with George Musser about his new book titled "Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation Why Physicists Are Studying Human Consciousness and AI To Unravel The Mysteries of The Universe."Then, Eric Siegel, author of the new book “The AI Playbook, Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment," talks about how machine learning can enhance business operations.

John Wells speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson who has co-written "To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery" with StarTalk senior producer Lindsey Walker. (0:45)Then, as much as you might think it’s just a craving – sugar is an addiction! We speak with neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Avena, who pioneered research on sugar addiction and has a new book on the subject called "Sugarless." (25:42)