The Sci'more Podcast

“Brrraaaaiiiinnsssss!” No, that’s not a zombie looking for a snack; it’s the crowd at Brainfest! Brainfest is a free spring event put on by graduate students at Johns Hopkins University meant to make neuroscience cool, fun, and educational for everyone. To learn more about this event, we talked with Blake and Isis, neuroscience graduate students at JHU and the directors of this year’s Brainfest. If you want to know more about this event, then check out this episode!

Brainfest will take place on Saturday April 1 from 11 am - 3 pm at the Cherry Hill branch of the Enoch Pratt Library (606 Cherry Hill Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225). See you there!

If you’d like to know more about Brainfest, check out their website: https://www.brainfest.org.

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We rely on listeners like you to ask us questions! Submit any questions you have at: https://anchor.fm/scimore, email us at [email protected], or message us on Twitter (@ScimoreP), Instagram (@scimore_podcast) or Facebook (@scimorepodcast). You can also submit questions using our Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iEG6sAkBBx9JFrBK2xyo5QKex13oBI1irP9jpMZaQWE/edit. Remember, every question you submit increases your chances of winning the monthly prize! Follow our social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes!

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Links and Resources

Brain Awareness Week: https://www.brainawareness.org/

Project Bridge: http://www.projbridge.org/

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Credits

Music: ‘Lucky Massive Dangerous’ by Speck

Editing: Michael Dryzer

Intro & Outro: Michael Dryzer and Steven Jerjian

Interviewers: Michael Dryzer and Steven Jerjian

Interviewees: Blake Creighton and Isis Wyche

With help from other members of the Sci’more Podcast team!

Valentine’s day coming up may have many of us weak at the knees. But elite athletes, like those set to play in Superbowl LVII, go through detailed training and conditioning schedules to strengthen joints like the knee, prepare for big games, and reduce the risk of injuries. If they do occur, how are sports injuries assessed and treated in high-level athletes? Why are we told to bend our knees when landing from a jump? And what else can athletes do to reduce the risk of injury?

Learn all about these topics and more from this episode’s guest, Dr. Andrew Cosgarea, an experienced orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and current head team physician of the Johns Hopkins Athletics Department.

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We rely on listeners like you to ask us questions! Submit any questions you have at: https://anchor.fm/scimore, email us at [email protected], or message us on social media (Facebook : @scimorepodcast, Instagram: @scimore_podcast, and Twitter: @ScimoreP). Every question you submit increases your chances of winning a monthly prize! And follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on our latest episodes!

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Links and resources:

Dr. Cosgarea’s Hopkins medicine profile, including his research work

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/andrew-cosgarea

5 tips for preventing sports-related injuries, by Dr. Andrew Cosgarea

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sports-injuries/5-tips-for-preventing-sports-related-injuries 

Follow the latest news and progress of JHU Athletics:

https://hopkinssports.com/

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Credits

Music: ‘Lucky Massive Dangerous’ by Speck

Editing: Varun Chokshi & Steven Jerjian

Host: Steven Jerjian

Guest: Dr. Andrew Cosgarea

With help from other members of the Sci’more Podcast Team!

You hear about it every year: “It’s flu season! Be sure to get a flu vaccine!” But what exactly is the flu, how can it harm you, and why do we need to be vaccinated every single year? Learn the answers to these questions and more in the first episode of the Sci’more Podcast’s virology series! We interview Cami and Nico, microbiology PhD students researching the small (but mighty!) world of viruses like influenza, commonly known as the flu, and SARS-CoV-2, the culprit behind the coronavirus pandemic. This episode explores the history of influenza, how something so small can cause so much damage on a global scale, and what we can do to protect ourselves against it. Don’t miss this episode of the Sci’more Podcast!

If you have questions for Cami or Nico, you can reach them at their emails: [email protected] and [email protected], respectively.

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We rely on listeners like you to ask us questions! Submit any questions you have at: https://anchor.fm/scimore, email us at [email protected], or message us on Twitter (@ScimoreP), Instagram (@scimore_podcast) or Facebook (@scimorepodcast). You can also submit questions using our Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iEG6sAkBBx9JFrBK2xyo5QKex13oBI1irP9jpMZaQWE/edit. Remember, every question you submit increases your chances of winning the monthly prize! Follow our social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes!

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Links and Resources

List of vaccine components: https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/flu-shot-ingredients#ingredient

RadioLab episode: https://radiolab.org/episodes/great_vaccinator

Types of adjuvants used in vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/adjuvants.html

Article on vaccine immunity duration: https://www.science.org/content/article/how-long-do-vaccines-last-surprising-answers-may-help-protect-people-longer

Article on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance: https://www.drugs.com/article/antibiotics-and-viruses.html

Article on antiviral drugs: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/treatment/treatment.htm

Article on mask guidance and influenza: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/maskguidance.htm

CDC resource on influenza: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Flu by Gina Kolata: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/763331.Flu

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Credits

Music: ‘Lucky Massive Dangerous’ by Speck

Editing: Michael Dryzer

Intro & Outro: Philip Danziger and Michael Dryzer

Interviewer: Philip Danziger and Michael Dryzer

Interviewees: Nico Swanson and Camille Wouters

With help from other members of the Sci’more Podcast team!

Welcome back to our series on artificial intelligence (AI)! Last time, we learned about our interview, Dr. Monica Lopez-Gonzalez, an AI expert based at Johns Hopkins University. She shared with us her work involving AI and the myriad ways that AI has been integrating with society. In this episode, we continue the conversation by first learning where Maryland fits into the picture of AI. Then, we discuss concerns surrounding AI design, development, and deployment and proposed solutions for governing AI.

If you have questions for Dr. LG, you can reach her at her email: [email protected].

(Please note: This episode was recorded towards the beginning of 2022, so some of the information within could be outdated.)

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We rely on listeners like you to ask us questions! Submit any questions you have at: https://anchor.fm/scimore, email us at [email protected], or message us on Twitter (@ScimoreP), Instagram (@scimore_podcast) or Facebook (@scimorepodcast). Follow our social media to stay up to date on the latest episodes!

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Links:

Partnership between the Army Research Lab and the University System of Maryland: https://www.csee.umbc.edu/2021/05/umbc-partners-with-umd-army-research-lab-to-advance-ai-and-autonomy-through-68m-collaboration/

Resources to help K-12 educators bring AI education to the classroom: https://ai4k12.org/

National Security Agency (NSA) internships: https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/NSA/nsastudents.html

National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) summer institutes for middle school teachers: https://www.nist.gov/iaao/academic-affairs-office/nist-summer-institute

Johns Hopkins University AI graduate program: https://ep.jhu.edu/programs/artificial-intelligence/

European Commission Artificial Intelligence Act: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2021)698792

United States National Artificial Intelligence Initiative: https://www.ai.gov/

China's AI Strategy: https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/understanding-chinas-ai-strategy

US-EU AI talks: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/trade-tech-talks-us-eu-open-pittsburgh-80307486

OECD AI principles: https://oecd.ai/en/ai-principles

Pan-Canadian AI strategy: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ai-strategy/en

European  Parliament report on public protections regarding AI: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2020-0178_EN.html

Aequitas, an AI open-source bias audit toolkit developed by the University of Chicago: http://www.datasciencepublicpolicy.org/our-work/tools-guides/aequitas/

IBM AI open-source bias audit toolkit: https://developer.ibm.com/articles/the-ai-360-toolkit-ai-models-explained/

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Credits:

Music: 'Lucky Massive Dangerous' by Speck

Editing: Michael Dryzer

Intro & Outro: Michael Dryzer

Interviewer: Michael Dryzer

Interviewees: Monica Lopez-Gonzalez, PhD

With help from the other members of the Sci'more Podcast team!

Is Hollywood right? Will the Terminator, Ultron, and HAL 9000 take over the world? These and other artificial intelligences (AIs) have sparked our imagination for centuries, but in the last fifty years our dreams have become reality. Join us for our two-part series on AI as we delve into its uses, implications, and governance with Dr. Monica Lopez-Gonzalez, an AI expert at Johns Hopkins University. In this episode, we learn about Dr. LG’s work, what makes AI artificial and intelligent, the current and future uses of AI in society, and how these uses might enrich or endanger our livelihoods. In part two, we take a deep dive into the AI-related events happening right here in Maryland as well as consider what governments and groups in the United States and around the world are doing to ensure that AI is safe, effective, and fair.

If you have questions for Dr. LG, you can reach her at her email: [email protected].

(Please note: This episode was recorded towards the beginning of 2022, so some of the information within could be outdated.)

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Links

IBM Watson AI beats Jeopardy! champions: https://spectrum.ieee.org/ibm-watson-jeopardy-computer-shuts-down-humans

Google AlphaGo AI defeats Go grand champion: https://www.deepmind.com/research/highlighted-research/alphago

Dr. Alan Turing’s academic paper on whether machines can think: https://www.cs.colostate.edu/~howe/cs440/csroo/yr2015fa/more_assignments/turing.pdf

Academic papers on brain-machine interfaces (BMIs): https://www.nature.com/subjects/brain-machine-interface

National Science Foundation article about underrepresentation from minority groups in STEM fields: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20212/participation-of-demographic-groups-in-stem

Algorithmic Justice League: https://www.ajl.org/

With help from other members of the Sci’more Podcast team!

We discuss the science behind brewing beer with JHU alum Judy Neff, owner of the Checkerspot Brewing Company and David Hooper, lead brewer at the Diamondback Brewing Company. We’ll be touching on the step-by-step process of brewing beer, a day in the life of a brewer, and, how working in a brewery is surprisingly similar to working in a lab.

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On this episode of the Sci’more podcast, we discuss the current developments regarding the function of the trash incinerators in the city and how high levels of air pollution can affect our health. We delve into the push to close trash incinerators in the city with a local environmental justice advocate, Mr. Dante Swinton. The organization Mr. Swinton works for, Clean Air Baltimore Coalition, played an instrumental role in passing the Baltimore Clean Air Act in 2019. He details the events that came after the overturning of the act and the next steps. We also hear from public health researcher Dr. Hao Yang Tan, about the negative impacts of dangerous levels of air pollution on our ‘brain’ health. Both experts highlight various ways we can tackle air pollution in the city in terms of policy and advocacy in the long term, and health safety in the short term.

We rely on listeners like you to ask us questions! Submit any questions you have at: https://anchor.fm/scimore, call us at 443-776-1282, or message us on Twitter (@ScimoreP), Instagram (@scimore_podcast) or Facebook (@scimorepodcast).

Follow our social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episode releases!

Links

Baltimore clean air act: https://www.cleanairbmore.org/cleanairact/

Clean Air Baltimore coalition: https://www.cleanairbmore.org/

Effect of high air pollution on mental health: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2109310118

News articles regarding the trash incinerators in the city

News regarding the court ruling that overturned the Baltimore clean air act: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/environment/bs-md-clean-air-act-ruling-20200327-qjqvgegdrzbqdoecrca4a4jjka-story.html

Recent updates to the trash incinerators: https://www.wbaltv.com/article/baltimore-wheelabrator-upgrade-to-lower-emissions/39398045#

Relevant SciMore podcast episodes

Ep12. Seasonal allergies: Are they worse living in a city? https://anchor.fm/scimore/episodes/Ep12--Seasonal-allergies-Are-they-worse-living-in-a-city-e1j5gcr

Ep9. How can better public transit inspire a healthier future for Baltimore? https://anchor.fm/scimore/episodes/Ep9--How-can-better-public-transit-inspire-a-healthier-future-for-Baltimore-e1ddnp7

Music: ‘Lucky Massive Dangerous’ by Speck

Produced and Edited by: Varun Chokshi

Executive Producers: Micheal Xie and Steven Jerjian

With help from: Christopher An and Michael Dryzer

Join us as we discuss allergies, asthma, and city living with the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital Baltimore Breathmobile Medical Director, Dr. Mary Bollinger, and former Clinical Director of the Allergy Clinical Practice at Johns Hopkins, allergist and immunologist Dr. Jody Tversky. We’ll be touching on what allergies are, how living in the city can impact your allergies and asthma, and answering some questions from the community about why your allergies might be especially bad this spring.---

The pricing of drugs and medicines- from the Tylenol we pick up at the pharmacy to the special prescriptions we receive from our doctors- is something that affects all of us. In this special cross-release episode, we teamed up with our friends from the Hopkins Biotech Podcast (HBP) to learn a little more about why drugs cost what they do and how government, insurance companies, and society bargain for these prices. In this exclusive cross-release episode, we'll hear from Dr. Peter Kolchinsky, a scientist and biotech investor who sheds some insight into this important question. Some of the terms Dr. Kolchinsky introduces may be unfamiliar- check out the detailed show notes here for some helpful resources and links to his website and book, "The Great American Drug Deal."

For more biotech and career focused content like this, check out the Hopkins Biotech Podcast at https://www.hopkinsbiotechpodcast.com/, or on their social media channels (Instagram: hopkinsbiotechpodcast, LinkedIn: Hopkins Biotech Podcast,  Twitter: @HopkinsBioPod) and on your favorite streaming platforms)

As always, if you have a science question you want answered or ideas for a future episode, contact us at our email ([email protected]), voicemail (443-776-1282), or social media accounts!

Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oKR_MXpNpX2ZHLLseDuSLExRMvZOzNs-aGjo16gFvO8/edit?usp=sharing

Welcome to the Sci’more Podcast! We are a group of early-career scientists based at Johns Hopkins University. As members of Project Bridge, a student-run science communication group serving the Baltimore community, we enjoy sharing the fascinating stories of science happening right here in Baltimore and Maryland! Are our beloved Chesapeake Bay blue crabs invading the waterways of the world? What’s the history of the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard? Listen to the Sci’more Podcast to find out! You can catch our episodes on our website or most major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcast, and more. Have a science question or story to share? You can submit your questions by following this link, sending us an email at [email protected], or leaving a voicemail at (443) 776-1282. We are also available on Facebook (@scimorepodcast), Instagram (@scimore_podcast), Reddit (scimore_podcast), and Twitter (@ScimoreP). Join us on the Sci’more Podcast today—we couldn’t B’more excited to have you!