Scienceline

It’s no secret that rivers winding through major cities have been reshaped by human hands. Where wildlife and marshes once existed, gray sidewalks and bleak straight-lined tributaries have blossomed.

Now, some cities are implementing floating wetlands — native plant life on a body of biodegradable materials that bobs on top of the water — to address a budding desire to see animals and greenery return to their rivers. 

In this podcast episode, Jenaye Johnson speaks with scientists and community members in Chicago about the Wild Mile — the city's biggest floating wetland to date. Join her as she winds down the Chicago River, explores the wetlands and discusses the future of new animal habitats and clean water in our urban spaces.

And check out the associated article on Scienceline: https://scienceline.org/2024/06/wilding-city-rivers/

Music used:

"Glue&Glia" by Rah Hite | CC BY 4.0

"Floating Wetlands" by Rah Hite | CC BY 4.0

"Lo Margin" by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0

"The Maison" by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0

Meet the newest robotic police officer in town: the Knightscope K5. This “Robocop” completed a two month trial period in New York City’s Times Square subway station from September to November of 2023, recording video and monitoring the station. But despite city officials promising its safety, people were understandably nervous about a robotic police officer. 

The robot’s trial period has ended and the K5 will not be re-entering the subway system, but it still serves as an important window to the future of robots integrating into our society. 

In this podcast Kohava Mendelsohn talks to experts, does some research and even ventures forth to visit the K5 herself in order to answer the important questions: What was this robotic cop? What could it actually do? And how worried should we be about it?

And check out the article on Scienceline: https://scienceline.org/2024/04/nyc-robocop/

MUSIC:

"Tall Journey" by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0 

"Turning to You" by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0 

"The Gran Dias" by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0 

"Pewter Lamp" by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0

Boredom under COVID quarantine led many to pursue some strange side hobby, but for 24 mathematicians and artists, it resulted in Mathemalchemy — a collective of mathematically (aesthetically, too) charming pieces of art — from cryptographic quilts, huge parabolas of embroidered spheres, crochet theta curves caught in fishing nets, and murals of OctoPi, seen generating various wave-related equations per every water ripple.

For the “Mathemalchemists,” their project is a lively, whimsical invitation into the world of mathematics, made for an audience of all ages and interests. The goal is to illustrate how math can be fun — not something schools force you to do, but something that leaves you inspired.

So, how did this project come to be? What makes Mathemalchemy so special, both for the Mathemalchemists and anyone that comes across the exhibition? In this podcast, Gayoung Lee goes behind the scenes of Mathemalchemy with co-founders Ingrid Daubechies and Dominique Ehrmann, in addition to Mathemalchemists Jessica Sklar, Elizabeth Paley and Carolyn Yackel.

MUSIC:

“Pglet Into” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0 

“The Gran Dias” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0 

“Spring Cleaning” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0

Oysters have been a New York City culinary staple for centuries. Hundreds of years ago, when the Indigenous Lenape people lived in the region prior to European colonization, the harbor teemed with shellfish. But by the early 20th century, pollution, urban development and overharvesting erased nearly 350 square miles of oyster beds.

Fast forward to the present, and a nonprofit is now working to revive the once-mighty bivalve. The Billion Oyster Project started seeding the harbor with oysters in 2010 to improve water quality, increase marine biodiversity and boost shoreline protection. Its efforts have been successful: The group is on track to meet its one-billion oyster goal by 2035.

In October, Timmy Broderick spent an afternoon measuring oysters with other New Yorkers to learn more about the project and the harbor’s marine life.

When you imagine a dam, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the hulking concrete wall of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River or the Grand Coulee on the Columbia. Large barriers on large rivers, looming large on the horizon.

But colossal structures like these make up only a fraction of the dams that chop up waterways across the United States. The nation’s rivers, streams and brooks are full of smaller dams — many of which aren’t monitored at the state or national level. And even though they’re small, these barriers can alter aquatic habitats and cause trouble for the species that live there.

In this podcast, Madison Goldberg speaks with scientists about the issue and goes on a dam hunt of her own.

Also find the full story on Scienceline's website: https://scienceline.org/2023/02/on-the-hunt-for-hidden-dams/#dropdown-box-1

Music used:

“Tower of Mirrors” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0

“Copley Beat” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY-NC 4.0

Growing up in Houston, Marina Watowich was no stranger to hurricane seasons. This familiarity now drives Watowich’s research in genomics, where she seeks to understand how the environment affects the aging process. She isn’t studying aging in humans — but in a unique population of monkeys in Puerto Rico.

These monkeys live on an isolated island off Puerto Rico and give researchers unique access and insights into monkey genetics. In 2017, Hurricane Maria walloped Puerto Rico and tore down trees on the island where the monkeys live. After the storm, Watowich and colleagues discovered the primate survivors aged rapidly, findings that have implications for human aging after natural disasters.

Scienceline reporter Hannah Loss speaks with Watowich on her journey to uncover the aftermath of hurricanes on aging.

Also find the full story on Scienceline's website: https://scienceline.org/2022/08/aging-primates/

Sounds used:

Cyclone Hurricane Hugo 1989 by solostud | CC BY 3.0

Dj0287 via The Weather Channel

Tetana Adkins Mace via NBC News

Sloan's TV Airchive via KHOU TV

Cayo Santiago monkey sounds courtesy of Noah Snyder-Mackler

Chimpanzees are nearing extinction in many countries. Of the four subspecies of these great apes, western chimpanzees are the most endangered. Experts estimate that their distribution is now extremely patchy, with 80% of their numbers having declined in the last 20 years. The largest-remaining population is found in the Ivory Coast in Western Africa, with smaller populations in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Liberia. 

Poaching and habitat loss are some of the well-known threats to chimpanzees. But a study published last September finds that road developments are exacerbating their population decline. Noise pollution emanating from the construction of roads and poachers gaining access to more remote locations are some of the reasons to blame. A team of primate conservationists have quantified the extent to which roads jeopardize their communities. They say that just about 4.5% of the chimp population are left unaffected by roads. 

On this episode of the Scienceline podcast, reporter Niranjana Rajalakshmi speaks with primate behavior experts who suggest a few strategies that could mitigate the impact of roads on western chimpanzees. 

Find more information at Scienceline.org

Thinking about climate change can be overwhelming, even paralyzing. Attempting to solve this global crisis will take enormous efforts by politicians, companies and local leaders to reverse the negative effects on our planet. 

On this global stage, where can artistic expression fit into our response and communication efforts? Enter climate change theater — an effort by playwrights, educators and scientists to spread information and awareness about the impacts of human behavior on the environment. While filled with serious themes of melting ice caps and polluted waterways, these plays also offer hope for a positive future.

Join Scienceline reporter Hannah Loss on a trip up the Hudson Valley as she experiences a global series of storytelling and live performances organized by Climate Change Theatre Action.

You can read more on our website: https://scienceline.org/2022/03/climate-change-on-the-global-stage/

Music:

Bedtime Story for My (future) Daughter by Caity-Shea Violette, performed by Hudson River Playback Theatre

The Oysters, by Miranda Rose Hall, performed by Andrew Brehm, Eric Magnus and Liz Zito

What do Tiger Woods, Michelle Williams and President Joe Biden all have in common? Like around 3 million people in the United States, they are all people who stutter.

Stuttering commonly develops around childhood and most people stop stuttering by the time they reach adulthood. However, stuttering persists for some adults and researchers haven’t been able to figure out why. But findings from a recent study may get them one step closer to finding out: Adults don’t stutter when they talk alone.

Join Scienceline reporter Kharishar Kahfi as he learns more about the communication disorder and what the new discovery adds to the field of stuttering research.

You can read more on our website: https://scienceline.org/2022/03/do-stutterers-always-stutter-not-really/

Music:

Thinking Music by Kevin MacLeod | Filmmusic.io Standard License

Western Streets by Kevin MacLeod | Filmmusic.io Standard License

Sound effect:

Phone Ringing by acclivity | CC BY 3.0

The Central Park Running Club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 in the morning. Not much stops them from starting their days together with an early morning jaunt through the park — not cold, not rain and not even January’s big snowstorm. 

What’s so special about exercising together that it gets these intrepid Central Park runners out of bed and onto the road each week? In this episode of the Scienceline podcast, Emily talks to runners, a neuroscientist and a health psychologist to find out. 

Find more information at Scienceline.org: https://scienceline.org/2022/02/what-we-gain-by-exercising-together/

Music: 

Springtime After a Long Winter by Azovmusic | End-User License Agreement

Sound Effects:

Guitar: Alexander Nakarada | CC BY 4.0