Cool Science Radio

Today on Cool Science Radio, hosts John Wells and Lynn Ware Peek's guests include: (01:12) Dr. Andrew Shapiro, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Proteus Space, a new spacecraft company. Shapiro was previously manager of Technology Formulation for the Space Technology Office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he was responsible for the early development of technologies for future missions. Then (28:39) Paula Cain, a technician in NASA’s Thermal Blanket Lab. The lab is a vital part of ensuring that the important equipment that we send into space remains protected from getting either too hot or too cold. John and Lynn end the hour discussing (45:41) Apple's IOS 16 update which allows you to edit or unsend texts you instantly regret sending - for whatever reason, we won't judge.

On today's Cool Science Radio, Lynn and John replay a few of their favorite recent interviews. They speak with (01:44) Tim Menard, who asks the question: Why is it that our smartphones have so many capabilities, but it seems like the technology driving our traffic lights is stuck in the 1970s? Tim is the CEO and Founder of LYT, a company that provides intelligent traffic solutions. Then (27:52) Susan Tyler Hitchcock, who has just written INTO THE FOREST: The Secret Language of Trees. Writing for National Geographic, Hitchcock combines legendary photography with cutting-edge science to show exactly how trees influence the life of planet Earth―from our personal lives to the weather cycle.

Today on Cool Science Radio, Lynn Ware Peek and John Wells guests include: (01:08) Emma Louden, a Yale Ph.D. student in astrophysics studying 4000 planets in 500 solar systems, who talks about her goal of putting our own planet in context. Then, (26:52) Daniel Bergner, author of The Mind and The Moon, joins the show. He explores the history of drug development, modes of treatment, and the marketing of psycho-pharmaceuticals.

On today's Cool Science Radio, John Wells and Lynn Ware Peek's guests are Sophie Bushwick and Chris Cashwell. We start the show by discussing (01:36) why is it that for many of us cryptocurrency just seems so... cryptic? Sophie Bushwick, senior technology editor at Scientific American, helps us understand how crypto has become a mass-market product advertised to everyday buyers. But the risk of volatility that could bankrupt untold numbers of people is still high.Then, (28:20) artificial intelligence is ubiquitous and used for myriad applications most of us aren't aware of - like how it is being used to triage cancer patients. Chris Cashwell of Azra A.I. joins the show to discuss one evolving AI technology first developed to track down terrorists post 9/11, then later expanded to help law enforcement combat human trafficking, and now to help cancer patients.

On today's Cool Science Radio, Lynn and John speak with (01:29) Susan Tyler Hitchcock, who has just written INTO THE FOREST: The Secret Language of Trees. Writing for National Geographic, Hitchcock combines legendary photography with cutting-edge science to show exactly how trees influence the life of planet Earth―from our personal lives to the weather cycle.Then, (26:28) Tim Menard joins the show. He asks the question: Why is it that our smartphones have so many capabilities, but it seems like the technology driving our traffic lights is stuck in the 1970s? Tim is the CEO and Founder of LYT, a company that provides intelligent traffic solutions.

On today's Cool Science Radio, Lynn Ware Peek is doing a replay of some of her favorite recent interviews: (01:56) Writer, scientist and human Christopher Kemp. He is the author of Dark and Magical Places:The Neuroscience of How We Navigate. The book is a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. They talk with Chris about how we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world and about how navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have - older even than language. Then, (25:42) Ocean scientist, journalist and author Juli Berwald shares with John and Lynn about the far-reaching consequences of coral reef destruction and the persistence of efforts to keep them alive. Her new book is called Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs.

On today's Cool Science Radio, Lynn Ware Peek and Sarah Ervin, covering John Wells, speak with: (01:10) cognitive psychologist Doctor Brian Butterworth, who works on the abilities and disabilities of our numerical processing. His new book is, Can Fish Count? What Animals Reveal About Our Uniquely Mathematical Minds.Then, (27:17) world class pediatric surgeon, social scientist, and bestselling author Dr. Dana Suskind will share her revelatory new book, Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential.

On today's Cool Science Radio, John and Lynn's guests include: (01:18) David Quammen, author of 2012’s book Spillover that predicted in detail the 2019 Covid pandemic. These past 2 years David has been hard at work interviewing 94 virologists and infectious-disease experts about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its origins, evolution, and journey through the human population. Then, (29:18) Nicole Yunger Halpern who has written Quantum Steampunk: The Physics of Yesterday's Tomorrow. Halpern re-envisions the steam engine and the laws of thermodynamics from the 1880s Industrial Revolution through the lens of today's quantum information revolution.

On today's Cool Science Radio, Lynn Ware Peek and John Wells' guests include: (00:56) Ocean scientist and journalist Juli Berwald, who speaks about the far-reaching consequences of coral reef destruction and the persistence of efforts to keep them alive. Her new book is called Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs.Then, (25:27) world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of both human and animal behavior which comes together in his new book: DIFFERENT: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist.

On today's Cool Science Radio, Lynn Ware Peek and John Wells' guests include: (01:21) Salt Lake City's Dr. Joshua Schiffman, Peel Therapeutics’ co-founder, and CEO. We will speak with Joshua about how studying the evolution of elephants will help us fight cancer.Then, (26:44) America’s funniest science writer, Mary Roach who has written Packing for Mars for Kids.Finally, (39:36) NASA Hubble Senior Project Scientist Jennifer Wiseman. The Hubble Space Telescope has just discovered the farthest individual star ever observed. And just how far is it from earth? 12.9 billion light-years away.