Science for the People

This week, we’re pouring over the science of that most beloved beverage, beer! Guest host Rachelle Saunders is joined by Dr. Charlie Bamforth, Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at UC Davis. We’ll take an in-depth look at the chemistry of the brewing process, and everything from flavor to foam. And Dr. Rob Tarzwell explains why an effective hangover cure continues to elude us.

This week, we’re looking at the ways that people are changing the planet, and the consequences for all of us if we don’t start doing it responsibly. We’re joined by Fred Guterl, Executive Editor at Scientific American, to discuss his book The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How We Can Stop It. From climate change to superbugs, we’ll talk about the ways humanity could take itself out, and how (or if) we can stop it before it’s too late. And we’ll talk to John Cook, creator of Skeptical Science, about the political arguments...

This week, we’re looking at some of the amazing abilities exhibited by our animal cousins. We’ll speak to James Gould, co-author of Nature’s Compass: The Mystery of Animal Navigation, about the varying strategies animals use to find their way across all kinds of distances. And biological anthropologist Greg Laden discusses new research on the surprising reasoning abilities of some extremely intelligent crows.

This week, we’re looking at the debates over the ethics of medicine and medical research, and the future of new medical technology. We’ll talk bioethics and public policy with Center for Inquiry CEO Ronald Lindsay. And we’re joined by Dr. Rob Tarzwell, to discuss Nootropics, the so-called “smart drugs” that might make designer brains a reality.

This week, we team up with Scientific American, to learn more about the technologies profiled in their World Changing Ideas feature article. We talk to Sci-Am editors and writers about cutting edge research. From artificial life forms to new ways to measure sustainability, these technologies just might shape our collective future.

This week, we’re taking a closer look at the variety of organs that evolved to deliver reproductive cells. Evolutionary biologist John Logsdon, biologist and YouTube sensation Carin Bondar and blogger and researcher Scicurious return to the show to talk about penises (and penis-like organs) of every shape, size and species.

This week, we’ll listen back to an episode featuring some of nature’s most accomplished materials scientists, and the amazing substance they produce. We’re joined by Leslie Brunetta, co-author of Spider Silk: Evolution and 400 Million Years of Spinning, Waiting, Snagging, and Mating. We’ll discuss the form, function and uses of the sticky wonder material, and the ways that its study can help us understand evolution. And science writer EdYong tells us about silkworms with spider genes and the hybrid silk they spin.

This week, we’re looking back at some of the most important science news of 2012. Writers Maryn McKenna and David Dobbs, BoingBoing Science Editor Maggie-Koerth Baker, and paleontology blogger Brian Switek join us to share the stories that made headlines, and others that made an impact, without receiving as much attention.

Whether you’re dropping a last-minute hint to a relative, or buying science books for the people you love, Skeptically Speaking has you covered. We’ve enlisted two dozen scientists, science writers and bloggers, including some of our favorite past guests. They’ll bring you their favorites from 2012, and some classics to help fill out anyone’s science library. Happy holidays! 2012 Science Book Suggestions Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova Recommended by Scott Huler The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea by Philip Hoare Recommended by Leslie Brunetta Gravity’s Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule...

This week, we’re looking at one of the biggest science stories of 2012, and one of the largest instruments in the history of science. Guest host Marie-Claire Shanahan spends the hour with theoretical physicist Sean Carroll, author of the new book The Particle at The End of The Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World. They’ll discuss the search for the particle that gives all the others their mass, the story of the Large Hadron Collider, and the challenge of communicating with a broad audience about difficult topics in cutting-edge physics.