WesternU Science

Dr. Graham Thompson from the Department of Biology joins Western Science Speaks to compare and contrast the social hierarchies of humans and bees. Dr. Thompson also describes the evolution necessary for these honey producers to thrive within the world’s smallest monarchy.

One year in advance of the James Webb Space Telescope's official launch, Western Science Speaks is thrilled to be joined by Prof. Els Peeters, for an all-you-need-to-know audio exhibit of the revolutionary telescope that will follow in Hubble's footsteps. Episode image courtesy of NASA. 

Dr. Anne Simon joins Western Science Speaks to talk about the processes within group behaviour in a variety of animals. Later, Dr. Simon talks about her own research with fruit flies and the impact of experiences on genetic predispositions. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amanda Moehring and Geoff Wild join Western Science Speaks to discuss mating, courtship, and everything you need to know about love.

Professor Dani Way from the Department of Biology joins the show to discuss her work predicting future climate realities on Earth - and what that means for our plants and trees.

With a population in the millions of trillions, parasites are able to evolve at a faster pace than just about anything on Earth. Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, joins the Western Science Speaks Podcast to discuss some of the innovative mechanisms used by parasites to attach to a host, some of the warning signs of infection across different species, and why we wouldn’t want to completely eradicate parasites from our ecosystem.

Dr. Jan Cami joins the podcast to discuss the origins of life on Earth, the process of finding other Earth-like planets, and the likelihood that we will ever find company out in the Universe. 

Dr. Nigel Blamey joins the podcast to discuss the challenges facing the mining industry, what a mass extinction caused by gas would look like, and how oxygen has evolved.

Dr. Desmond Moser joins the podcast to explain how his latest paper, detailing the analysis of meteorites, can explain the history of Earth, and all our neighbours in the solar system. 

Dr. Bryan Neff from the Department of Biology joins the podcast to discuss the rise of sustainable fish farming in Canada, why we’re hesitant to eat genetically modified food, and his research in restoring salmon to Canadian lakes.