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Nuts and Bolts
How frequently do you think about fasteners like screws and bolts? Probably not very often. But some of them a storied history, dating back to Egypt in the 3rd century BC. They aren’t just ancient history. They help hold up our bridges and homes today. Join us as we dissect a handful of engineering inventions…
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Not So Cool
Guests: Charles Bentley – University of Wisconsin, Madison Douglas Caldwell – SETI Institute Elizabeth Colbert – Journalist Mariana Gosnell – Author Jörn Helbert – DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Germany Listen ⇢
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Look! Up In the Sky!
Guests: Joel Achenbach – Journalist Peter Jenniskens – SETI Institute Kathy Sawyer – Author Seth Shostak – SETI Institute Lucy Ziurys – University of Arizona Listen ⇢
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F Is For Science
Guests: Dale Dougherty – Journalist Celia Edwards – Madison Middle School Joanna Kunis – Madison Middle School Jane Lawson – Madison Middle School Michael Lemonick – Journalist Tom Pierson – SETI Institute Lamar Smith – U.S. Congressman Listen ⇢
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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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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 ⇢
