Science for the People

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."

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...