University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Data is everywhere but how can it be effectively harnessed to answer questions and guide meaningful research? Cue the data science librarian! With a skill set that includes sourcing and vetting data as well as the ethical implications, the librarian is a key resource to researchers and students alike. UC San Diego's Stephanie Labou shares what it is like to be one of the first data science librarians and how data is changing our world. Series: "Data Science Channel" [Science] [Show ID: 37196]

Gilberto Mosqueda, PhD, is a professor of structural engineering at UC San Diego. His work focuses on protecting buildings from earthquake damage. How did he find is way to such an interesting and rewarding career? A first gen college student, his parents instilled a strong work ethic and an understanding of the value of education. He shares how finding mentors and connecting with other students in STEM fields helped motivate him to pursue advanced degrees and a career focused on research and innovation. Series: "Education Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 37899]

As we age, our bones become thinner and weaken. For older people this can lead to life-altering fractures. Our bones are growing, living tissue made up of calcium-based minerals, collagen and other proteins. Understanding your bone health - how well the minerals and proteins are working together to resist fracture - can help you and your doctor determine the best course of treatment. Paul Hansma, Ph.D., inventor and professor emeritus of physics at UC Santa Barbara, has been studying the protein 'glue' within our bones and how to measure it. In this program, Hansma discusses a new assessment called Bone Score, which, along with other diagnostic tests like measuring bone density, can give a more complete picture of overall bone health. The Bone Score assessment medical device was recently approved by the FDA. Hansma is a founder and investor in Active Life Scientific, a UC startup company that manufactures the equipment for Bone Score tests and runs the bonescore.com website. The views expressed in this video are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Active Life Scientific or the University of California. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38054]

Who has access to data and what can be done with that data? Shannon Ellis, Ph.D., shares how she is training undergraduate students to be effective, inclusive and ethical data scientists. She discusses how data can be used, the limits of data science, and the barriers and biases that may shape data sets and potential conclusions. Series: "Data Science Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 37838]

What's the future of engineering education look like? This discussion by three engineers from UC Davis - Chancellor Gary May, Dean Richard Corsi, and Vice Provost Jean-Pierre Delplanque - focuses on the latest in educating the next generation of engineers. [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 38000]

Soil - that mixture of degraded bedrock, decomposing organic matter, and microorganisms that nourish the root systems of plants and trees - holds 4x more carbon than vegetation. By changing how we manage our soils, we can increase the rate of CO2 trapping from the atmosphere into the soil carbon bank, while at the same time enhancing the agricultural productivity of a region.

Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry at University of California, Merced, is a global leader in the carbon storage potential of soils. She sat down with Climate Now to explain why soils are so good at trapping carbon, how much they could hold, and what we can do to increase soil carbon storage. Series: "Climate Now Conversation" [Science] [Show ID: 38057]

Rick Rosen, WME Agency co-founder and representative for writer/director Hagai Levi, discusses Scenes from a Marriage and the state of global television with moderator Patrice Petro. Rosen details the development of the HBO miniseries and the challenges of adaptation from Ingmar Bergman’s original Swedish television series. He explains the vision of Hagai Levi for this contemporary retelling and a number of other Israeli adaptations he helmed. Rosen also discusses the talents of stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, and how their friendship helped bring to life their fictional counterparts. He also notes the changing media landscape in the wake of streaming platforms, and the past, present, and future of global television. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38080]

This program looks at education and how the brain of adolescents primes them for learning. Caroline Hoxby, professor of economics at Stanford University and one of the world’s leading scholars in the field of education economics, says investing in education in early adolescents can have profound impacts on the continuation of learning through teenage years and beyond. She says that more education leads to social cohesion, advancing economic opportunity, reducing inequality and decreasing geographic and political polarization. This discussion includes commentary by Jan-Werner Müller, Erik Hurst, and Silvia Bunge. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 37733]

We are experiencing an accelerated rate of loss of species due to human activities. This anthropogenic phenomenon extends beyond extinction. It encompasses an expanded loss of biodiversity as the genetic diversity of species diminish, reducing gene pools to “gene puddles.” We know details of species extinctions events from the fossil record, historical record, and from ancient DNA studies, and that historical processes shape extinction risk. Habitat loss and changing eco-environmental conditions, competition, and other factors produce genomic impacts, also influencing extinction risk. The legacy of past events impacts resiliency of species in the current environment in interpretable ways. Demographic trajectories reveal vulnerability to extinction. Remarkable advances in genomics technologies portend a deeper understanding of the evolution of life and the vulnerability of extant species to changes now taking place through human agency. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37906]

There are many new developments in cancer care. This program focuses on three exciting areas of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Hope Rugo, a leader in breast cancer research, leads a discussion on tumor DNA with Mark Magbanua, Ph.D., novel imagining techniques with Dr. Courtney Lawhn Heath,and CAR T-cell therapy with Dr. Rahul Banerjee. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37847]