ISGP's "The Forum"

PAPER TOPIC: Xenobiology (within “synthetic biology”).

Xenobiology involves making new organisms with an altered genetic code, by using XNA instead of DNA, for instance. Could this be the tool we've been looking for to help us safely use synthetic biology in the real world?

Featuring: A Position Paper by Markus Schmidt (Biofaction KG)

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum. This episode has been re-released in celebration of The Forum’s four-year anniversary.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts reflect the views expressed by conference participants. ISGP conferences follow a unique debate-and-caucus format. Distinguished scientists write 3-page policy position papers, then engage in 90 minutes of intensive debate with invited subject matter experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders collectively known as “the debaters.” Following the debates, participants engage in small, moderated caucus sessions to identify areas of consensus and actionable next steps. All conference participants then reconvene for a plenary session to compare the outcomes from each caucus group. For more information, please visit www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

PAPER TOPIC: Coastal adaptation (within “sea level rise and severe storms”).

New Jersey is home to one of the many coastlines already feeling the impact of climate change in the form of storm surge and coastal flooding. For how long can we simply rebuild following severe storms?

Featuring: A Position Paper by Tom Knutson (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum. This episode has been re-released in celebration of The Forum’s four-year anniversary.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts reflect the views expressed by conference participants. ISGP conferences follow a unique debate-and-caucus format. Distinguished scientists write 3-page policy position papers, then engage in 90 minutes of intensive debate with invited subject matter experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders collectively known as “the debaters.” Following the debates, participants engage in small, moderated caucus sessions to identify areas of consensus and actionable next steps. All conference participants then reconvene for a plenary session to compare the outcomes from each caucus group. For more information, please visit www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

PAPER TOPIC: Science storytelling (within “science communication”).

Is storytelling the best way to translate scientific information to nonscientific audiences?

Featuring: A Position Paper by Liz Neeley (Story Collider)

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum. This episode has been re-released in celebration of The Forum’s four-year anniversary.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts reflect the views expressed by conference participants. ISGP conferences follow a unique debate-and-caucus format. Distinguished scientists write 3-page policy position papers, then engage in 90 minutes of intensive debate with invited subject matter experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders collectively known as “the debaters.” Following the debates, participants engage in small, moderated caucus sessions to identify areas of consensus and actionable next steps. All conference participants then reconvene for a plenary session to compare the outcomes from each caucus group. For more information, please visit www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

PAPER TOPIC: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs; within “food safety”).

GMOs - Are they the solution to widespread food insecurity in the face of rapid population growth?

Featuring: A Position Paper by Jennifer Thomson (University of Cape Town)

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum. This episode has been re-released in celebration of The Forum’s four-year anniversary.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts reflect the views expressed by conference participants. ISGP conferences follow a unique debate-and-caucus format. Distinguished scientists write 3-page policy position papers, then engage in 90 minutes of intensive debate with invited subject matter experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders collectively known as “the debaters.” Following the debates, participants engage in small, moderated caucus sessions to identify areas of consensus and actionable next steps. All conference participants then reconvene for a plenary session to compare the outcomes from each caucus group. For more information, please visit www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

PAPER TOPIC: Antimicrobial resistance (within “public health”).

Why is antibiotic resistance occurring so quickly, and is there anything we can do to stop it?

Featuring: A Position Paper by Eili Klein (Johns Hopkins University)

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum. This episode has been re-released in celebration of The Forum’s four-year anniversary.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts reflect the views expressed by conference participants. ISGP conferences follow a unique debate-and-caucus format. Distinguished scientists write 3-page policy position papers, then engage in 90 minutes of intensive debate with invited subject matter experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders collectively known as “the debaters.” Following the debates, participants engage in small, moderated caucus sessions to identify areas of consensus and actionable next steps. All conference participants then reconvene for a plenary session to compare the outcomes from each caucus group. For more information, please visit www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

HOT TOPIC: Diet trends.

Diets like keto, paleo, alkaline, intermittent fasting, and carb cycling are all the rage, but how much do you know about the effects they have on human and environmental health?

Featuring: Gary Frost, Imperial College London; Debbie Fetter, University of California Davis; Mirthe Eckl, Mirthe Functional Medicine

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts within the "Hot Topics Series" (Episodes 75+) reflect the views expressed by featured guests. For information on The Forum, please visit www.ISGPforum.org, and to learn more about the ISGP, check out www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

HOT TOPIC: Rainforests.

Rainforests are intertwined with everyone's lives, whether via the materials they produce or their role in regulating climate. Learn what constitutes a healthy rainforest, the challenges they face, and how fires fit into the picture.

Featuring: Daniel Nepstad, Earth Innovation Institute; Angelica Almeyda Zambrano, University of Florida; Robin Chazdon, University of the Sunshine Coast

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts within the "Hot Topics Series" (Episodes 75+) reflect the views expressed by featured guests. For information on The Forum, please visit www.ISGPforum.org, and to learn more about the ISGP, check out www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

HOT TOPIC: Screen time.

The ubiquity of screens has caused an increase in discretionary sedentary behavior, which has negative health impacts. But screens have benefits, too. How can we maximize the benefits of screen time while minimizing the drawbacks, and how does physical activity fit into the picture?

Featuring: Bill Kohl, UTHealth School of Public Health

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts within the "Hot Topics Series" (Episodes 75+) reflect the views expressed by featured guests. For information on The Forum, please visit www.ISGPforum.org, and to learn more about the ISGP, check out www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

HOT TOPIC: Coral reef conservation.

Learn about the laundry list of challenges currently facing corals and coral reefs, as well as why (and how) we might want to conserve and protect them.

Featuring: John McManus, University of Miami

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts within the "Hot Topics Series" (Episodes 75+) reflect the views expressed by featured guests. For information on The Forum, please visit www.ISGPforum.org, and to learn more about the ISGP, check out www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

HOT TOPIC: Invisible diseases.

The co-hosts shine a spotlight on the "invisible diseases" anxiety and depression by discussing neurological, psychoanalytical, and cognitive approaches to understanding how they manifest. Plus, learn how access challenges are hindering treatment of these common afflictions.

Featuring: Ted Bradshaw, University of Nottingham

Socialize with science on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @ISGPforum.

Disclaimer: The ISGP is a nonprofit organization that does not lobby for any position except rational thinking. Podcasts within the "Hot Topics Series" (Episodes 75+) reflect the views expressed by featured guests. For information on The Forum, please visit www.ISGPforum.org, and to learn more about the ISGP, check out www.scienceforglobalpolicy.org.