Science Night

It’s Star Wars Day and we’ve gathered a plucky team to talk about the science of this beloved saga. We have four great pieces of Star Wars scicomm covering lightsabers and blasters, languages, midichlorians, and Wookie anatomy, plus so much more. Don’t forget to checkout scinight.com for links to learn more about the topics we cover in this episode.

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Star Wars, and all character names, sounds, and clips are property of the Walt Disney Compay and Lucasfilm Ltd.

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This week we're featuring a conversation with Dr. Alma Cristal Hernandez Mondragon, a science policy advocate from Mexico City that is paving the way for a generation of science advocates in Mexico. In the news, we're talking about troubling transmissions, frog tinder, and anti-venom achievements.

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Earth Day is here, and what better way to celebrate than bringing back our favorite climate scientist, and Vancouver City Council hopeful, Dr. Devyani Singh! We share our feelings about the modern Earth Day holiday, talk about some counter-environmental efforts by large companies, counter that with how scientists are pushing back, and finally share some things you can do to help.

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Special thanks to Windsor, VT community members: Autumn Siegler, Mike Welker, and Vi Welker for taking the time and putting in the effort to ensure that our community remains resiliant and vibrant.

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This week we're talking to Gabe Verduzco from the UC Cooperative Extension. He's taken to social media to raise awarness about invasive beetles that could destroy native forests. Gabe also dropped some great advice for anyone that is thinking about starting their first garden, but isnt quite sure where to start. In the news we're talking tiny T-Rex arms, laternfly labels, and bendy batteries.

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Gabe is a surfer, self-described "garden bro", and research associate that has taken it upon himself to make sure the public is aware of the affect some invasive species could have on our environment. He's been featured in the SF Chronicle, and was recently highlighted as one of the LA Times' "Plant PPL". Gabe's social media presence show the speed and voracity with which invasives can alter the environment, but also takes care to feature the natural beauty of his world to show that it's worth protecting. He's also full of great advice for gardeners at every stage, and anyone that wants to know more about the plants that make our green places beautiful.

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This week we’re highlighting another scientist that is blending art with science.  Dr. Naila Kuhlmann is a Parkinson’s researcher from McGill University that has found an interesting way to include dance in her work, which led to the creation of the Piece of Mind Collective.  She’s also a host of the AMiNDR (A Month in Neurodegenerative Disease Research) Podcast and co-founder of the Green Labs Initiative at McGill.  In the news, we’re talking about Dr. Diem’s trip to the White House, medicinal mollusks, and pollen proliferation.  It’s another instant classic just waiting for you to listen.

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Naila is a postdoctoral student at McGill, co-supervised by Dr. Stefanie Blain-Moraes and Dr. Aliki Thomas. She obtained her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia, in which she studied the neurobiology of Parkinson's disease in a genetic mouse model. Given a particular interest in dance and circus, Naila dabbled in art-science collaborations throughout her studies, including with Vancouver-based Curiosity Collider and the Convergence Initiative in Montreal. This prompted her to start the Piece of Mind Collective with several enthusiastic, like-minded individuals back in 2018, and to pursue a postdoc in arts-based knowledge translation in 2020. Naila is also co-founder of the "Green Labs Initiative @ McGill", which aims to reduce the environmental impact of research, and a regular host on the "AMiNDR: A Month in Neurodegenerative Disease Research" podcast.

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This week we're talking to paleontologist turned anatomist and craniofacial researcher, Dr. Richard Sherwood, from the Univ. of Missouri. He tells us all about the path that brought him to his current work, and an approach to work-life balance that we should all listen to. In the news, we solve daylight saving time. We also talk about sunken ships, de-extinction debacles, and dino disagreements. It's a jam-packed episode that you won't want to miss a second of!

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This week we are talking to climate science, Canadian Green Party political candidate, and generally incredible person Dr. Devyani Singh. We talk about potential solutions to the climate crisis and ways to make green energy work for everyone. In the news, we talk about new ways of identifying invasive species, the best-laid plans of a research team being thwarted by Australian Magpies, and a new policy that could help keep plastic out of our oceans.

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Dr. Devyani Singh is a Post-Doctoral Economist Fellow working on Energy and Climate policy. her inter-disciplinary research has included energy access & transitions in the Global South, air-quality (GHG emissions accounting), evaluating climate impacts of national policies, natural resource economics, environmental [carbon] finance, forest sustainability, and methane emissions from oil and gas production. As a result, Dr. SIngh has coordinated multiple research projects across sectors (industry, academia, government, Indigenous communities, and non-profits) and countries (India, Canada, US), where she led research design, research execution, and communication (via peer-reviewed papers, reports, presentations, social media etc.).

Outside of academia, Devyani has consulted on carbon markets and policy for New Forests Inc., and worked with the First Nations on non-timber forest products. In the past (until 2010), she also worked as a Senior Financial Analyst for various Fortune 200 companies after obtaining an MBA in Finance. However, inspired by the magnitude and importance of global climate change, she changed career paths and obtained an M.Sc. in Environmental Science, and a Ph.D. in Energy & Climate Policy. Devyani actively promotes engagement with policy makers and the public for evidence-based decision-making.

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This week we're talking to paleontologist, anatomist, and all-around crocophile Dr. Casey Holliday. He talks all about bringing extinct dinosaurs to life using the dinosaurs that are still alive, and how imaging and modeling can help us learn more about how dinosaurs interacted with their world. In the news, we revisit the problem with solar storms, the state of methane concentrations, and another fusion energy check-in.

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This week, we sit down with planetary astrophysicist Dr. Laci Brock about her path to science and her unique form of science communication blending video, art, and snark. In the news, we're covering a new article from an old friend, unlocking new achievements in frogs, and if we are ready for the next big solar storm.

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2021 was a year with loads of advancement in the field of fusion energy. To mark the achievements from this incredible year, Dr. Arturo Dominguez from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is joining Steffi and James for a special episode of the podcast. We cover the major landmarks and talk about what this could mean for the future of fusion energy. Also, Steffi talks to Arturo about his work and how he engages the public to teach them more about fusion.

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