Science for the People

This week, we're learning about the past and the future of the human race on the planet we've come to dominate. Rachelle Saunders talks to Chip Walter, founder of AllThingsHuman.net, about his book "Last Ape Standing:The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived." And she speaks to University of Cincinnati paleoecologist Brooke Crowley about the evidence that human activity is the primary driver of change in our ecosystem.

This week, we're discussing some science surrounding our favorite adult beverages. We'll revisit our interview with Dr. Charlie Bamforth, Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at UC Davis, about the chemistry of the brewing process. And we'll speak to researcher and winery owner Robert Hodgson, about his study exposing the shaky science of wine tasting.

This week, we're talking about the people, passions and personalities that shape the pursuit of science. Desiree Schell sits down with Dr. Morton Meyers, Distinguished Professor of Radiology and Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, to talk about his 2012 book "Prize Fight: The Race and the Rivalry to be the First in Science." And she'll speak with linguists James Winters and Sean Roberts, about their study on the strange and sometimes spurious correlations between linguistic and cultural features.

 

This week, we're helping add some science to your holiday season. We'll hear from some of our favorite past guests, and members of the Science for the People team, as they share their most-treasured science books from 2013, as well as classics to help fill out anyone’s science library. Physicist and author Aaron Santos joins us to run some fascinating Christmas-themed Fermi Equations. We'll speak to Rose Eveleth and Ben Lillie, creators of Science Studio, who'll help us stay entertained over the holidays with some of the best multimedia science on the web. And we'll share a list of science-based charities to help...

This week, we're learning more about the fourth dimension, with a look at the brain science and the physics of time. Desiree Schell speaks to BBC journalist Claudia Hammond about her book "Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception." And astrophysicist and blogger Ethan Siegel returns to talk to Rachelle Saunders about the physics of time travel.

This week, we're looking at what happens when medical research clashes with basic ethics. Desiree Schell speaks to author Allen Hornblum about his book "Against Their Will: The Secret History of Medical Experimentation on Children in Cold War America." And she'll talk to science journalist Erika Check Hayden about the controversy over genetic tests for social traits.

This week, we'll speak to a trio of online experts for a look at the lighter side of science. Desiree Schell welcomes favorite guest Scicurious, to talk about the 2013 IgNobel Prizes. Rachelle Saunders speaks to researcher and blogger Derek Lowe, about the chemicals that he refuses to work with.  And we're joined by online video veteran Ze Frank to talk about his "True Facts" series.

When the United States Congress forced a 16-day government shutdown, nearly all government research funding was put on hold. Now that the latest budget impasse is over, we'll discuss the lingering effects of that funding gap. We're joined by Andrew Rosenberg, Director of the Center for Science and Democracy, John Sonntag, Instrument Team Lead for NASA's Operation IceBridge,  J. Marshall Shepherd, Director for the Program in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia, and Casey Dreier, Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for the Planetary Society, to learn how long-term projects were disrupted by the shutdown, and how they're trying to recover.

This week, Rachelle Saunders spends the hour discussing the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear reactor. She'll examine the impacts on the environment,  public health and the reputation of nuclear power, with Dr. Charles Ferguson, president of the Federation of American Scientists, and former project director of the Independent Task Force on U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Dr. Rob Tarzwell, specialist in nuclear medicine and psychiatry, and creator of the One Minute Medical School video series.

This week, we're exploring the technological, environmental and economic challenges of feeding the human race. Desiree Schell spends the hour with Valentine Cadieux, professor of Sociology and Geology at the University of Minnesota, and graduate researcher Emily Cassidy. They'll discuss the sustainability of current global food production, and look forward to how those systems can adapt to keep up with an expanding human population. And we'll speak to researcher and blogger Danielle N. Lee, about a recent controversy in the science blogosphere.