Science for the People

This week we're learning how science can shed light on the stories told by our ancestors. We're joined by folklorist and science historian Adrienne Mayor, author of "The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World," to learn what archaeology can tell us about legendary warrior women in cultures from around the world. And we'll talk to anthropologist John Hawks to learn how researchers gain insights from ancient human remains.

This week, we're talking about powerful mind-altering substances, and their potential to help treat serious mental and physical illness. We'll spend the hour with Brad Burge, Director of Communications and Marketing at Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), talking about their research and advocacy around the medical, legal, and cultural context of the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

This week, we're talking about disease prevention, public health, and whether or not some types of vaccinations should be mandatory. We'll spend the hour in a panel discussion with Barry Bloom, Harvard University's Distinguished Service Professor of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto public health ethicist Alison Thompson, pediatrician and University of Pennsylvania vaccinology professor Paul Offit, and Nicholas Little, Vice President and General Counsel at the Center for Inquiry.

This week we're learning about distributed science projects that get the public involved in testing hypotheses and crunching data. We're joined by physicist Eric Donovan to talk about the Auroral Zone, a website that crowdsources the classification of auroras in Earth's atmosphere. We'll talk to molecular biologist Gabriel Licina of Science for the Masses about testing eyedrops to enhance night vision. Geography and environmental studies professor Robert McLeman introduces us to NatureWatch and RinkWatch, two projects that recruit people across Canada to report their observations of climate and the environment. And we'll speak to Anna Goldstein and Macon Lowman of Letters...

This week, we're talking about politics, and the prospects for pro-science politicians, parties and voters in Canada. We'll spend the hour with panelists Katie Gibbs, Executive Director of Evidence for Democracy, science librarian John Dupuis, journalist Mike De Souza, and former Canadian government scientist Steven Campana, for an in-depth discussion about the treatment of science by the current Canadian government, and what's at stake for science in the upcoming federal election.

This week we're celebrating exciting science and entertainment focused on Mars, by listening back to two interviews about the fascinating red planet. We're joined by "lifelong space nerd" Andy Weir, to talk about "The Martian," his gripping debut novel that was recently adapted into a big-budget movie. And we're joined by journalist Elmo Keep, to talk about her article on Mars One, a nonprofit that claims to be planning a reality show about a one-way trip to establish a Martian colony.

This week we're learning about a pair of 19th-century geniuses, and the friendship that gave rise to the era of modern computers. We'll speak to artist and animator Sydney Padua about her graphic novel "The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer." And we'll talk to Suw Charman-Anderson, founder of Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and math.

This week we're back at the intersection of science and politics, comparing economic data to partisan talking points and polling predictions to election results. We'll talk to Jim Stanford, economist at Unifor, about his report "Rhetoric & Reality: Evaluating Canada’s Economic Record Under the Harper Government." And we'll speak to pollster and consultant Donna Dasko about the science and art of polling in Canadian federal elections.

This week, we're learning about the history of optics, and how our perception of the world and how we see it underwent a radical transformation in 17th-century Holland. We'll spend the hour with historian, philosopher, and science writer Laura J. Snyder, talking about her book "Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek and the Reinvention of Seeing." Science for the People is now on Patreon, and is accepting your support and donations! Visit the Patreon page to get more information about how it works, and learn about the extra content you can access as a monthly supporter! You can...

This week we're learning about genetics research that could help preserve existing species, and might let us bring back others that have gone extinct. We'll talk to Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz about her book "How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction." And we'll speak to biologist Richard Frankham about the use of "genetic rescue" to keep isolated animal populations from becoming dangerously inbred.