Science for the People

This week we're exploring the science of beauty products and procedures. We'll talk to cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski, co-founder of thebeautybrains.com, about his book "It's OK to Have Lead in Your Lipstick." And we'll speak to cosmetic surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Hall-Findlay about plastic surgery tourism, and safety regulation in the industry.

This week we're learning about the science and math on the cutting edge of computing research. We'll talk to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor Scott Aaronson about the hype and the hope for the field of quantum computing. And we'll discuss one of the most intriguing open problems in mathematics with Lance Fortnow, Chair of the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, and author of "The Golden Ticket: P, NP, and the Search for the Impossible." 

This week we're thinking about thinking, and the capacity of the not-so-humble human brain. We'll speak to science writer Fritjof Capra about his book "Learning from Leonardo: Decoding the Notebooks of a Genius." We'll take a look at IQ testing with author and psychology professor Scott Barry Kaufman. And we'll talk to Chelsea Du Fresne and Andrew Tripp about this year's Skeptech conference.

This week, we're looking back at four remarkable minds whose weekly meetings set the stage for a revolution in science and technology. We're joined by science historian Laura J. Snyder, to talk about her book "The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends who Transformed Science and Changed the World." And we'll speak to "Surly" Amy Davis Roth and Skepchick contributor Melanie Mallon, about the science track at CONvergence 2014.

This week we're looking at some ordinary life experiences that harbor extraordinary science and math secrets. Filmmaker and author Simon Singh joins us to talk about his book "The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets". Mathematician Christopher McKinlay shares his experience using statistics to hack online dating. And we'll talk to culinary columnist J. Kenji Lopez-Alt about the science of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

This week, we're looking at population and politics, and what we can do to make human life on Earth more sustainable. We'll speak to journalist and author Alan Weisman, about his book "Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth."And we're joined by Dr. Chris Tyler, Director of the UK’s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, to talk about the 20 top things scientists need to know about policy-making.

This week, it's another foray into the realm of science and politics, and the messy way they influence each other. We're joined by Dr. Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy, to discuss the evidence and the arguments about the controversial oil extraction technique known as "fracking." And we'll talk to science librarian and blogger John Dupuis, about the Canadian government and its closure of Department of Fisheries and Oceans libraries.

This week, we're looking at controversial topics at the intersection of healthcare and ethics. Law professor and author Timothy Caulfield returns to discuss the rise of stem cell tourism at clinics worldwide. And science writer David Dobbs joins us to explain the showdown between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and personal genomics company 23andMe.

This week, we're discussing taboo sexual practices, and whether they're really as unusual as we think. Psychologist and author Jesse Bering returns to the show to talk about his newest book, "Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us." And we'll speak to Nicole Prause, Principal Investigator at UCLA's Sexual Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN) Laboratory, on her neurological perspective that raises doubts about self-reported sex addiction.

This week, we're learning about the power and peril of the atom, with two books about women who were instrumental in helping us unlock its secrets. We're joined by Huffington Post editor Shelley Emling, to discuss her book "Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science's First Family." And we'll speak to author Denise Kiernan about her book, "The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II."