EpiSTEM

Can nurture and nature have an impact on you today? In this conclusion to the NvN series we look into the effects of maternal care, such as nurturing young, on brain development as an adult. Can the actions of parents on their young have a lasting neural effect? Tune in to find the answers you’re looking for!

Stress affects everyone’s life at some point but some can be more overwhelmed than others when handling this stress. This week’s paper looks into the way that different phenotypes of rat’s deal with stressors and how nurture and nature play a role into their responses. This study’s findings could be a stepping stone towards learning more about ways to combat stress for those with high anxiety!

Why is 4th of July celebrated with fireworks? Why is anything celebrated with fireworks for that matter? This episode we review the history of fireworks and talk about the science that makes the fire work! This break from the Nurture vs. Nature series was brought on by the celebration of Independence Day in the United States.

Where did the idea of Nurture vs. Nature come from? This episode tackles that question and briefly goes through the history of Nurture vs. Nature. From ancient philosophers to Nazi eugenics researchers, this topic has had a winding road and is moving towards a bright and (hopefully) successful future! Tune is as we bring you Up to Speed in this episode.

The age-old question: is there a difference between male and female brains? Sexual dimorphism is the differences found between sexes and this week the paper we found looks into the differences (or lack thereof) between the male and female brain. Tune in to learn the answer to that posed question and embark on a journey as we start a mini-series on nurture vs. nature. This mini-series will offer topics to showcase the nurture and nature side of behavior learning.

With rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere scientists are looking for carbon capture help wherever they can get it. Our unlikely hero is kelp, some biologists and climate change experts are looking into utilizing kelp to help with carbon capture and storage on the ocean floor. This episode we talk about carbon capture as a whole and look into many innovative ways that carbon capture is being used and methods that could be used in the future.

This episode goes into how cloning works and where the field is going in the future. We have conversations on cloning ethics, problems, and possible ways to move forward in the field. Cloning is an ever-growing field and we try to get you caught up on some great movements occurring.

Is cloning just part of science fiction? This episode dives into a new method of cloning known as nimble cloning.  It is a faster and more efficient method of cloning that could lead to even more advances in the field moving forward. Maybe one day we will move from cloning sheep to viable human cloning.

This episode we had the pleasure of talking with Orlando Hoilett, who is a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University.  Orlando was able to give us insight into some very interesting research involving wearable technologies. We go over topics including devices that detect cocaine in sweat, technology to help warm premature babies, and many more fantastic biomedical advances. 

What if wearable smart devices never had to be charged? This week’s episode goes over research into flexible thermoelectric generators. These devices could use the heat from someone’s body to help charge device components. Listen in if you want to learn about the possible upcoming revolution of wearable technology!