Science for the People

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.

This week, Skeptically Speaking becomes Science For The People. Hosts Desiree Schell, Rachelle Saunders and Marie-Claire Shanahan discuss the new name, the motivation for the change, and how it conveys their vision for the show. We'll speak to researcher Alice Bell about the history and politics of the radical science movement of the 1970's. And researcher and blogger Scicurious gives us a preview of GirlGeekCon 2013.

This week, we’re skipping to the tail end of the digestive tract, to learn some fascinating facts about feces. Rachelle Saunders welcomes science journalist Maryn McKenna back to the show to discuss human gut bacteria, and the biome-boosting power of fecal transplants. Desiree Schell speaks to anthropologist Cecil Lewis about what studying ancient poo can tell us about the evolution of the human microbiome. And Rachelle speaks to zoologist Eric Warrant about how some species of dung beetles can navigate by the light of the night sky.

This week, we’re exploring the everyday experiments that take place in our very own kitchens. Desiree Schell speaks to Guy Crosby, Science Editor for America’s Test Kitchen, about his book “The Science of Good Cooking.” And geneticist and science writer Torah Kachur returns to the show, to take a scientifically informed look at the future of food.

This week, we’re diving back into neuroscience, to learn how common conceptions of the brain stand up to real research. Desiree Schell speaks to neurologist and author Robert Burton, about his book A Skeptic’s Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves. She’s joined by neuroradiologist Jeff Anderson, to get the scientific perspective on the differences between the brain’s right and left hemispheres. And she’ll speak to cognitive scientist Gary Marcus, about the promise and peril of the push back against pop neuroscience.