Sauropodcast

A decade ago, the very first self-driving cars were still figuring out how to avoid obstacles and cross intersections.

Today, although they’re still in testing mode, autonomous vehicles are a common sight on the streets of Pittsburgh and other cities.

And by 2035, some business forecasters say we’ll be entering the passenger economy – where it will be routine for a computer do the driving while you nap, catch up on work or watch a movie.

What’s behind this rapid progress in autonomous vehicles, and what’s on the road ahead? Our guest today will help us understand the fascinating, fast-changing science of self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Wyatt Newman is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, where he’s taught since 1988. He’s an expert in robotics and artificial intelligence. He holds 12 patents and has written more than 150 technical publications, including a new textbook on robot programming. Professor Newman led student teams competing in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge for autonomous vehicles, and the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge.

Normally, lack of sunlight on a summer day wouldn’t be a reason to celebrate.

But on Monday, August 21, that’s exactly what lots of people across the country will be doing.

On that day, tens of millions of Americans will have the chance to see a rare coast-to-coast total solar eclipse, something that hasn’t happened since 1918. During this historic 90-minute event, the moon’s shadow as it blocks out the sun will trace a path from Oregon to South Carolina, tracking across 14 states.

What’s the best and safest way to view this extraordinary phenomenon, and what can eclipse-watchers expect? Jason Davis, our guest on today’s Sauropodcast, has the answers.

Jason is an astronomer, educator, and manager of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium, where he’s worked since 2001. For natural history museum members, he’ll be leading an overnight bus trip from Cleveland to a site in Kentucky on the eclipse’s path. You can find out more about that trip at cmnh.org/eclipse.

Normally, lack of sunlight on a summer day wouldn’t be a reason to celebrate.

But on Monday, August 21, that’s exactly what lots of people across the country will be doing.

On that day, tens of millions of Americans will have the chance to see a rare coast-to-coast total solar eclipse, something that hasn’t happened since 1918. During this historic 90-minute event, the moon’s shadow as it blocks out the sun will trace a path from Oregon to South Carolina, tracking across 14 states.

What’s the best and safest way to view this extraordinary phenomenon, and what can eclipse-watchers expect? Jason Davis, our guest on today’s Sauropodcast, has the answers.

Jason is an astronomer, educator, and manager of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium, where he’s worked since 2001. For natural history museum members, he’ll be leading an overnight bus trip from Cleveland to a site in Kentucky on the eclipse’s path. You can find out more about that trip at cmnh.org/eclipse.

Science is increasingly recognizing the advantages of spending time in nature, even if it’s just half an hour in the park at lunch.

A growing body of research shows the mental and physical benefits of green spaces, including reduced stress and depression, better immunity and improved work performance.

Our guest on this episode of the Sauropodcast will help us understand the importance of nearby nature.

Kathleen Wolf, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized expert in urban forestry and green infrastructure. She’s a research social scientist with the University of Washington's College of the Environment in Seattle, and has a joint appointment with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Dr. Wolf’s website, Green Cities: Good Health, summarizes a variety of studies that show how experiencing nature improves human health and well-being.

Science is increasingly recognizing the advantages of spending time in nature, even if it’s just half an hour in the park at lunch.

A growing body of research shows the mental and physical benefits of green spaces, including reduced stress and depression, better immunity and improved work performance.

Our guest on this episode of the Sauropodcast will help us understand the importance of nearby nature.

Kathleen Wolf, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized expert in urban forestry and green infrastructure. She’s a research social scientist with the University of Washington's College of the Environment in Seattle, and has a joint appointment with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Dr. Wolf’s website, Green Cities: Good Health, summarizes a variety of studies that show how experiencing nature improves human health and well-being.

Ladies and gentlemen, the beetles! Dung beetles, that is. If it’s been a hard day’s night for you, consider what these poor guys go through. They spend their lives crawling in manure, and yet they’ve found a way to thrive, by exploiting the stuff that mammals’ bodies get rid of. They’re nature’s recycling engineers.

Our guest, Dr. Nicole Gunter, is an expert on the lifestyles and evolution of dung beetles. Dr. Gunter is an entomologist and the collections manager of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Department of Invertebrate Zoology.

She’s spent years studying dung beetles in her native Australia and other international locations. She’s discovered some surprising things about when and how they first appeared on Earth. She’ll tell us about how dung beetles have inspired ancient art and mythology, about their surprising navigational abilities, and why anyone who’s enjoyed an outdoor meal or a beer Down Under has dung beetles to thank.

Ladies and gentlemen, the beetles! Dung beetles, that is. If it’s been a hard day’s night for you, consider what these poor guys go through. They spend their lives crawling in manure, and yet they’ve found a way to thrive, by exploiting the stuff that mammals’ bodies get rid of. They’re nature’s recycling engineers.

Our guest, Dr. Nicole Gunter, is an expert on the lifestyles and evolution of dung beetles. Dr. Gunter is an entomologist and the collections manager of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Department of Invertebrate Zoology.

She’s spent years studying dung beetles in her native Australia and other international locations. She’s discovered some surprising things about when and how they first appeared on Earth. She’ll tell us about how dung beetles have inspired ancient art and mythology, about their surprising navigational abilities, and why anyone who’s enjoyed an outdoor meal or a beer Down Under has dung beetles to thank.

In this episode, we explore the science of breastfeeding.

Making milk is something that only mammals do, but why did it evolve, and what benefits does it provide? What’s actually in breast milk, and what impact does breastfeeding have on the health of the baby and the mother? Our guests have the answers.

Katie Hinde, Ph.D., (https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/2740008) is an evolutionary biologist and lactation specialist who studies the biology of mother’s milk. She’s an associate professor in Arizona State University’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change. Her blog, Mammals Suck … Milk!, (http://mammalssuck.blogspot.com/) is a funny, informative summary of breastfeeding research, written for the general public.

Nicole Burt, Ph.D., (https://www.cmnh.org/burt) is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Curator of Human Health and Evolutionary Medicine. She’s a biological anthropologist whose research involves breastfeeding and weening patterns in ancient and modern humans, and the impact of breastfeeding on maternal and child health. Her work in breastfeeding education aims to reduce infant mortality in Northeast Ohio.

In this episode, we explore the science of breastfeeding.

Making milk is something that only mammals do, but why did it evolve, and what benefits does it provide? What’s actually in breast milk, and what impact does breastfeeding have on the health of the baby and the mother? Our guests have the answers.

Katie Hinde, Ph.D., (https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/2740008) is an evolutionary biologist and lactation specialist who studies the biology of mother’s milk. She’s an associate professor in Arizona State University’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change. Her blog, Mammals Suck … Milk!, (http://mammalssuck.blogspot.com/) is a funny, informative summary of breastfeeding research, written for the general public.

Nicole Burt, Ph.D., (https://www.cmnh.org/burt) is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Curator of Human Health and Evolutionary Medicine. She’s a biological anthropologist whose research involves breastfeeding and weening patterns in ancient and modern humans, and the impact of breastfeeding on maternal and child health. Her work in breastfeeding education aims to reduce infant mortality in Northeast Ohio.

In this episode, Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeon and researcher Andre Machado, MD, PhD, talks about deep brain stimulation and its potential to help stroke patients recover. Introduced in the 1990s, deep brain stimulation has been described as a pacemaker for the brain and has been used to treat a variety of disorders. Recently, Dr. Machado became the first to implant a deep brain stimulator in a stroke patient with paralysis. The Clinic will evaluate whether the brain stimulation, along with physical therapy, helps the patient regain movement.