University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

When you get sick, you want the right treatment fast. But certain infectious microbes are experts at evading the very anti-bacterial drugs designed to fight them.

A simple and inexpensive new test developed by UC Berkeley researchers can diagnose patients with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in a matter of minutes. The technique could help doctors prescribe the right antibiotics for each infection, and could help limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which kill as many as 700,000 people worldwide each year. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Show ID: 34493]

The opening of a 4,500-square-foot universal locker room at UC Berkeley's Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) is believed to be the first large-scale collegiate universal locker room in California and one of just a few in the nation. Any students or other RSF members needing more privacy, including those who are transgender, non-binary or have disabilities or body image struggles, will find a welcoming facility next door to the mens and womens locker rooms.

The $2.7 million locker room has its own entrance, 400 lockers, 16 individual changing rooms, seven private showers, five private toilets and four shared sinks. It also leads to Spieker Pool, which, in the past, some students avoided, since it was only accessible through the existing locker rooms. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Show ID: 34494]

Premature births, unexplained human and livestock sicknesses, flammable water faucets, toxic wells and the onset of hundreds of earthquakes: the impacts of fracking are far-reaching and deeply felt. Professor Sara Wylie (Northeastern University) describes the fossil fuel connection between climate change and endocrine disruption and how the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries twin toxicities might be resisted together. Wylie also explores the need, and potential, to build alternative public interest databases and environmental health research tools. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Show ID: 34344]

Instances of profiling by proxy, where police are summoned to a situation by a biased caller, have been making headlines and going viral. But, how do we address this issue? Andrea Headley has been researching profiling by proxy and other aspects of police accountability for years. She discusses what the evidence shows with Jonathan Stein, In the Arena. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Show ID: 34398]

Too much protein is the same as too many calories. Katie Ferraro, registered dietitian, explains how the body stores excess protein. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Show ID: 34452]

The Better Lab is a venture that uses design to study and fix healthcare challenges. Dr. Amanda Sammann, explains that the Lab takes a human-centered design approach, starting with users – patients, physicians, caregivers, healthcare professionals – to understand the context of their everyday lives to work together to identify stubborn health problems, prototype solutions and iterate quickly to see what works. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Show ID: 34164]

Psych 24 is a one-unit, pass/no pass UC Berkeley freshman seminar that uses madcap improvisational theater to teach about the science of the human mind. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Show ID: 34481]

CalSol, the UC Berkeley solar vehicle team, has been around since 1990. Over the years the team has created eight generations of solar vehicles, each one getting closer to being ready for you. They have tested out at 80 mph, although generally they go in the 40-mph range after a charge of between four and five hours. The CalSol team designs, builds and tests these cars, including the current standard bearer, Zephyr. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Show ID: 34483]

Dafina Toncheva invests in emerging technologies in the enterprise space with focus on Enterprise SaaS applications and security. She recounts her personal history; born and raised in Bulgaria with its political instability and financial hardships and her road to success. Series: "Innovator Stories: Creating Something from Nothing" [Show ID: 34369]

There are a variety of careers in the technology field that are potentially interesting to many. Find out about career paths in engineering and IT. From coding bootcamp to cybersecurity find out how to start or change your career. Series: "Career Channel" [Show ID: 34397]