Cool Science Radio

Thomas Laakso is a former engineer in many different industries that focus on composites science and technology, and is now the Senior Vice President at DPS Skis. He talks about the ski technology industry.Then, Thomas Quayle of the Clark Planetarium shares astronomical highlights we can look forward to in 2024. From a total solar eclipse visible in parts of the US, to comets, to meteor showers, and hopefully northern lights, 2024 will be delivering quite the show in the night sky.

Gabe Bowen, professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah, discusses how geoscientists have mapped changes in atmospheric CO2 over past 66 million years.Then, John Wells, co-founder and co-host of Cool Science Radio, talks about the last decade hosting this science and technology show — what he has learned and loved as he departs the show for new endeavors.

Physicist, professor, and author Shohini Ghose illuminates the unsung heroines of math, physics, and science in her new book “Her Space, Her Time: How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe.”We have all seen the images FROM the James Webb Space Telescope — the galaxies, stars, and nebulas — but we haven’t really seen images OF the telescope. Science writer Chris Wanjek and NASA photographer Chris Gunn talk about their time documenting the building of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Co-hosts John Wells, Katie Mullaly, and Lynn Ware Peek look back at some of their favorite interviews from the year:Can quantum computing solve humanity's biggest problemsTheoretical physicist Michio Kaku talks about his new book, “Quantum Supremacy: How The Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything.” (0:57)Writer Paul Bogard explains impact of darkness on all forms of lifeWriter Paul Bogard discusses the importance of the night sky and the impact of darkness on all forms of life in his book "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light." (27:19)

Renowned cat behavior scientist Dr. Sarah Brown has been in the forefront of research on cat communication, studying how cats interact not only with each other, but with humans.Then, is it reasonable and responsible to talk about inhabiting other planets? Zack Weinersmith explores this question in his serious, yet hilarious, book called "A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?"

Evans & Sutherland, the world's first computer graphics company, talks about their ground-breaking history and the cutting edge technologies in planetarium dome projections they continue to develop.Mary Hall, a Professor and the Director of the Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah shares the history of the computer science program and the companies and technologies that came from it like Pixar, Atari, and Adobe.

Cosmologist Roberto Trotta reveals how stargazing has shaped the course of human civilization in his new book, "Starborn: How the Stars Made Us (and Who We Would be Without Them)." (00:46) Then, planetary scientist Dr. Sabine Stanley explores the beating heart of planets and what created them — from the building blocks of swirling cosmic dust, pebbles, and gas, to the birth of planets and the worlds we see today. (26:48)

Paleontologist Andrew Milner talks about his amazing fossil discovery at Lake Powell.Then, does Utah really have the Greatest Snow on Earth? We find out from Jim Steenburg, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah and author of the book “Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth.”

Katie Mullaly and Lynn Ware Peak speak with the most interesting mathematician and statistician you’ll ever talk to, Kit Yates. He discusses his book, "How to Expect the Unexpected?" Ever since the dawn of human civilization, we have been trying to make predictions about what the world has in store for us. For just as long, we have been getting it wrong. (00:48)Then, local resident Karen Strauss spent her career in the nuclear energy arena. Is nuclear energy safe enough now use its potential? Hear all about it from a lifelong scientist. (23:45)

National Geographic Explorer Anand Varma shares his new book, "Invisible Wonders: Photographs of the Hidden World." (01:09)Then materials scientist, engineer and author Ainissa Ramirez discusses her book, “The Alchemy of Us, How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another.” (26:23)