Cool Science Radio

A Westminster College microbiologist and the co-founder and director of the Great Salt Lake Institute talks about the crisis of evaporation of Great Salt Lake. The Scientific American tech editor tells us what was behind the FAA grounding all planes on Jan. 11, resulting in thousands of canceled and delayed flights.

Learn the story of General Electric with William Cohen who has written "Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon."Then, we delve into the science of piracy on the high seas with historian Dr. Daphne Geanacopoulos.

Dr. Herman Pontzer, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, reveals new insight on how we burn calories. The good news? Our metabolisms don't gradually slow down as previously thought! (01:00) Then paleontologist Randy Irmis from the Natural History Museum of Utah discusses the long-unsolved mystery of why marine reptiles were fossilized in the Great Basin of Nevada 230 million years ago. (27:35)

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei about the record breaking 355-day mission aboard the International Space Station (1:31)Dr. Rama Chellappa, who along with Eric Niiler has written "Can we Trust AI?" discusses the book (23:16)

We speak with Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Humes about the bizarre world of genetic genealogy and how after three decades of one murder going unsolved, in two hours an amateur with access to a site like "23 and Me" found the killer. (01:11) Then, a new bipartisan bill aims to improve the relationship between poor maternal health outcomes and access to Telehealth. (26:32)

Colleen Begg, a South African conservation ecologist and managing director of the Niassa Carnivore Project in South Africa, shares how it facilitates a peaceful coexistence between individual people, communities of people, lions and other carnivores. (01:29) NASA image restorer Andy Saunders explains his work taking newly-available digital scans of 50-year-old analog photos and applying painstaking care and cutting-edge enhancement techniques to create the highest quality Apollo photographs ever produced. (24:28) NASA’s Chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office, Nujoud Merancy, discusses the historic Artemis 1 mission as a major step in efforts to send humans back to the Moon and what comes next. (38:00)

Author and professor Matthew Cobb discusses the morally-complex field of genetic engineering. (00:56)Chief Medical Officer of Mindstrong, Dr. Holly Dubois, talks about the virtual behavioral health organization that provides licensed therapists and psychiatrists who specialize in treating hard-to-reach patients with difficult-to-treat conditions. (27:52)

Cool Science Radio’s personal astrophysicist Neil deGrasse discusses using the rationality of the scientific mind to look at the political and cultural issues we talk about every day. Also, Professor Russell Foster explains using the science of the body clock to promote better sleep, better health and better thinking.

Oncologist and Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a Pulitzer Prize winner in non-fiction for his book, "The Emperor of All Maladies," explores medicine and the radical new ability to manipulate cells in his new book, "The Song of the Cell."Gastroenterologist Dr. Shilpa Ravella shares a riveting investigation of inflammation―the hidden force at the heart of modern disease―and how we can prevent, treat and even reverse it. Her book is, "A Silent Fire."

Tom Chamberlain, founder and CEO of EdLogics, explains EdLogics is a digital health communications company focused on transforming the way people learn about health. He said improvement in health literacy translates to better health decisions, better health outcomes and lower costs. (01:15) Anne Williams, general editor for National Geographic, shares her latest project, "Treasures of Egypt: A Legacy in Photographs from the Pyramids to Cleopatra." This book celebrates the vibrant beauty and rich cultural heritage of Egypt on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut's tomb. (27:00)