KGNU - How On Earth

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KGNU - How On Earth episodes

June 09, 2021 Energy from Hot Air – Amina Belkadi & Garret Moddel

Microscopic Rectenna – CU Boulder

CU-Boulder Electrical Engineers Amina Belkadi and Garret Moddel explain how scientists are working to pull energy from radiantly heated air, and why their efforts might expand renewable energy production AND help cool the planet.
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
23 min
June 06, 2021 Water in the Arid West
Today on How on Earth, Beth replays a timely interview with Boulder author Bob Crifasi, a long time water resource manager. His book, on the history and consequences of Front Range water use, is especially relevant now during our longterm drought.Bob works in water management and planning and is an environmental scientist with over 25 yr experience. He was the Water Resources Administrator for the city of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Dept. He has served on board of directors of 11 ditch companies and as the president of several, supervising all aspects of ditch operation. We talked about his book, A Land Made from Water.
Executive Producer:
Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contribution: Shelley Schlender
Listen to the show:
25 min
May 25, 2021 Skunk Canyon Songbirds // Longmont Beavers

Skunk Canyon Songbirds (Starts 1:00) Scott Severs and Steve Jones hike Boulder’s Skunk Canyon Trail explaining why spring is late this year, plus why Skunk Canyon is home to so many song birds.
Longmont Beavers (Starts 12:00) Scott Severs, Wildlife Expert for the City of Longmont, explains how beavers can promote stream health, and why urban spring runoff makes it challenging for beavers to live in city streams.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Listen to the show:
27 min
May 21, 2021 What’s Your Genetic Risk?
In this week’s show, Beth talks with epidemiologist Genevieve Wojcik. We spoke about her work standardizing what is called the Polygenic Risk Score. This is a composite risk factor, extracted from information on many individual genes that can contribute to a disorder or genetic character. To find out more about her research visit her website.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions:Joel Parker
Listen to the Show:
29 min
May 11, 2021 GoldLab Symposium 2021 – Big Data and Healthcare
(Entire Show) Larry Gold, Boulder entrepreneur and scientist, invites listeners to register on line for the 12th annual GoldLab symposium. Due to COVID, it’s a virtual symposium this year, Thursday and Friday, May 13-14.
Extended version coming soon.

Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer & Host: Shelley Schlender
27 min
May 04, 2021 2021 Graduation Special
With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is our annual “Graduation Special”. Our guests in the studio today are scientists who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what they have planned next.
Kate Doubleday – CU Boulder, Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering
Topic: Development and Application of Probabilistic Solar Power Forecasts for the Day-Ahead Unit Commitment

Jason Silver – CU Boulder, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Topic: The Role of Stiffness and YAP/TAZ Mechanotransduction during Muscle Regeneration

Zach Ulibarri – CU Boulder, Physics
Topic: Experimental Studies of the Genesis and Detectability of Complex Organic Molecules and Isotopic Ratios in Hypervelocity Impact Ice Spectra
Host / Producer : Joel Parker
Listen to the show:
28 min
April 06, 2021 A Tour of Mycotopia
On this week’s show, Beth talks with author Doug Bierend about his new book, In Search of Mycotopia. He introduces us to an incredible, essential, and often denigrated kingdom of life: the fungi. A growing community of mushroom-mad citizen scientists and devotees are expanding the uses and availability of myriad fungi. From decontaminating landscapes and waterways to achieving food security and novel drugs, you’ll hear about it all.
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender
Listen to the show:
28 min
March 30, 2021 Burn- A New Look at Our Metabolism
BURNOn today’s show, Beth talks to Herman Pontzer about his new book, Burn, a deep dive into how the human body evolved, and how our species’ deep past shapes our health and physiology. His writing includes fascinating glimpses into both field projects in small-scale societies, including hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers, in Africa and South America, as well as lab research on energetics and metabolism.(Note: due to the tragic mass murder in Boulder last week, last week’s show was delayed.)
Host:Beth Bennett
Producer:Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:
28 min
March 16, 2021
Various Foods that are Perfect for the Keto DietOn today’s show, Beth talks to Dr. Brianna Stubbs. Brianna is the lead translational scientist at the Buck Institute, the world’s first research institute for the study of aging. As translational scientist, she spearheads efforts to move basic science research into clinical and daily application. We hear about her research background in the applications of ketosis for health, performance and resilience, and how ketosis can be attained by ingesting a product being developed at the Buck.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer:Beth Bennett
Host: Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:
28 min
March 11, 2021 The Alchemy of Us- How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another
This week on How on Earth we speak with Ainissa Ramirez, materials scientist and author of The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another. In this book, she examines eight inventions and reveals how they shaped the human experience. Listen to how our sleep and language were influenced by some of these inventions. Learn the history about how photographic film was developed, and the surprising use of technological advances in some of our most iconic cameras.
Hosts: Jill Sjong and Beth Bennett
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:
27 min