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The Wrong Stuff
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The idea that the universe is made of tiny vibrating strings was once the science theory du jour. String theory promised to unite the disparate theories describing particles and gravity, and many people, not just scientists, were optimistic that a theory of everything might be within our grasp. But here we are, many years later, and string theory doesn’t seem to have delivered on its initial promise. What happened? We consider the science around string theory in this episode of Skeptic Check.
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Monsters and Mutations
Guests: Blair Hedges – Penn State James Mallett – University College, London Lori Marino – Emery University Phil Plait – Author Steven Schuster – Penn State Ian Wilson – Scripps Institute Listen ⇢
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Quantum Universe
Guests: Andrew Hamilton – University of Colorado, Boulder Geoge Johnson – Journalist Seth Lloyd – MIT Listen ⇢
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Skeptical Sunday: Curses!
Guests: Kara Kunni – Stanford University Phil Plait – Author Jeffrey Rudsky – Newlandburg College, Allentown, PA Phil Stevens – State University of New York, Buffalo James Underdown – Center for Inquiry Listen ⇢
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The Universe in Theory
Guests: Nancy Ellen Abrams – Author Marcus Chown – Journalist Paul Davies – MacQuarrie University, Australia Joel Primack – University of California, Santa Cruz Listen ⇢
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Rerouting… Rerouting
Lost your sense of direction? Blame your GPS. Scientists say that our reliance on dashboard devices is eroding our ability to create cognitive maps and is messing with our minds in general. We don’t even look at landmarks or the landscape anymore. We’ve become no more than interfaces between our GPS and… Listen ⇢
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Wonder Women
We’re hearing about harassment of, and barriers to, women seeking careers in politics and entertainment. But what about science? Science is supposed to be uniquely merit-based and objective. And yet the data say otherwise. A new study reveals widespread harassment of women of color in space science. We look at… Listen ⇢
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DNA: Nature’s Hard Drive
The biotech tool CRISPR lets us do more than shuffle genes. Researchers have embedded an animated GIF into a living organism’s DNA, proving that the molecule is a great repository for information. This has encouraged speculation that DNA could be used by aliens to send messages. Meanwhile, nature has seized on this… Listen ⇢
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Angles of a Hack
Changed your computer password recently? We all try to stay one step ahead of the hackers, but the fear factor is increasing. The risks can range from stolen social security numbers to sabotaging a national power grid. Sixty years ago, when hacking meant nosing around the telephone network, it seemed innocent enough. And… Listen ⇢
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Plan of a Hack
(Repeat) Long before cyber criminals were stealing ATM passwords, phone phreaks were tapping into the telephone system. Their motivation was not monetary, but the thrill of defeating a complex, invisible network. Today “hacking” can apply to cyberwarfare, biological tinkering, or even geoengineering. Often it has negative connotations, but the original… Listen ⇢
