PNAS Science Sessions: Recent Episodes
PNAS
Welcome to Science Sessions, the PNAS podcast program. Listen to brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in PNAS, plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
Evidence of early plate tectonics
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Brad Peters explores what we can learn from the journey of sediments from the early Earth through the rock cycle.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[01:04] Geochemist Brad Peters tells us about the Marquesas Archipelago and why is it a place of interest for geologists. •[02:42] He recounts evidence suggesting that one component of the Marquesas lavas was recycled sediment from the early Earth. •[04:59] Peters walks us through the likely journey of this sediment from its origins to its eruption on the Marquesas Archipelago. •[06:24] He explains what this lava tells us about the tectonic processes that were active four billion years ago. •[07:43] Peters summarizes how this result is different than what we previously thought about the inception of plate tectonics. •[08:19] He talks about what the results mean for the story of the early Earth. •[09:13] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:09] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Brad Peters Postdoctoral researcher ETH Zurich
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2500506123
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Domestication of wheat
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, David Lordkipanidze recounts archaeological findings from Georgia expanding the history of bread wheat.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:51] Archaeologist and paleobotanist David Lordkipanidze tells about the archaeological sites where wheat samples were found. •[02:53] He talks about methods for identifying plant grains among archeological artifacts. •[04:49] Lordkipanidze explains the significance of finding bread wheat and goat grass grains together. •[06:45] He talks about how the findings change the origin story of bread wheat. •[08:28] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:24] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
David Lordkipanidze Director Georgia National Museum
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2537697123
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Using AI to predict the weather
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers discuss advances in AI-enabled weather forecasting.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:12] Jeffrey Shrader explains what 48 expert forecasters had to say about how weather predictions might further improve through 2100, including the potential role of AI. •[03:43] Ignacio Lopez-Gomez explains how he used generative AI to downscale large-scale earth system models into finer-scale regional climate projections. •[05:35] Xiaofeng Li explains how he used a machine learning model to forecast whether tropical cyclones will rapidly intensify. •[07:40] Hui Su explains what nowcasting is and how her deep diffusion model works. •[09:52] Pedram Hassanzadeh explains what grey swans are and why they may be challenging for AI to predict. •[10:47] Qiang Sun explains how he and his colleagues tested the ability of AI to predict gray swans. •[12:28] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests: Jeffrey Shrader Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs Columbia University
Ignacio Lopez-Gomez Research Scientist Google
Xiaofeng Li Research Scientist Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hui Su Chair Professor Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Pedram Hassanzadeh Associate Professor University of Chicago
Qiang Sun Research Scientist University of Chicago
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2523372123 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2420288122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2415501122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2517520122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2420914122
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Cryopreservation of brain tissue structures
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Alexander German explains how to cryopreserve brain tissue through vitrification.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[01:14] Physician-scientist Alexander German introduces the problems with traditional cryopreservation methods. •[02:22] German explains why we cryopreserve tissue. •[03:23] He tells about vitrification and why it's different than traditional cryopreservation. •[04:13] German explains why osmotic stress is a concern in cryopreservation. •[04:51] He talks about how the protocol minimizes damage to brain structures and tissues. •[06:26] He recounts the tests they performed to evaluate the preservation and function of the vitrified tissues. •[07:03] German describes the usefulness of vitrification. •[08:48] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:03] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Alexander German Resident Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2516848123
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The lost forests of Doggerland
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Robin Allaby explores the paleoecology of the submerged area known as Doggerland.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[01:10] Evolutionary biologist Robin Allaby introduces the location of Doggerland and history of its exploration. •[02:58] He introduces sedimentary DNA, including how it can be used to reconstruct paleoecology. •[03:43] Allaby describes the methods of the study. •[05:18] He introduces the primary findings about the plant and animal life of Doggerland. •[06:14] He describes the surprising find of Pterocarya in Doggerland. •[08:07] Allaby discusses the habitability of Doggerland for Mesolithic societies. •[09:38] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:13] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Robin Allaby Professor University of Warwick
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2508402123
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Generative AI and scientific journals
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Yi Bu explores how generative AI has changed academic publishing.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:50] Computational social scientist Yi Bu tells about the policies academic journals have introduced to address generative AI. •[02:17] Bu describes the dataset he analyzed and his findings regarding journals' policies. •[04:07] He answers the question: Did journal policies have any effect on AI usage? •[05:39] Bu talks about how the rate of AI disclosure compares with estimates of probable AI use. •[06:53] He explains the takeaway for journal editors and the scientific community at large. •[07:27] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:11] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Yi Bu Assistant Professor Peking University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2526734123
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Genomics of the Golden Horde
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Ayken Askapuli explains genomic insights into the ancestors and descendants of the Golden Horde.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Population geneticist Ayken Askapuli introduces the Golden Horde. •[02:01] He describes the individuals in the mausoleums whose DNA the team sampled. •[04:11] Askapuli explains findings about the modern populations the Golden Horde individuals were related to. •[05:08] He then explains findings about the Y chromosome characteristics of the Golden Horde individuals. •[06:14] Askapuli talks about what the results say about the ancestry of the Golden Horde. •[06:48] He describes how the results aid understanding of population genetics in central Eurasia. •[08:10] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:53] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Ayken Askapuli PhD candidate University of Wisconsin-Madison
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2531003123
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How much carbon dioxide concrete can absorb
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Hessam Azarijafari explains the extent to which concrete can absorb carbon dioxide over its lifecycle.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Construction engineer Hessam Azarijafari introduces us to the recipe for concrete. •[01:41] He explains how concrete absorbs carbon dioxide throughout its lifespan, and why this absorption is important. •[02:52] Azarijafari talks about the background of the study. •[03:45] He describes the model built for the study and the data source. •[05:59] Azarijafari tells the study's results, including variation in absorption across sectors and between the US and Mexico. •[07:41] He compares this analysis with previous estimates of concrete carbon absorption. •[08:25] He explains the takeaways from this study for policymakers and the concrete industry. •[09:36] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:19] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Hessam Azarijafari Research Scientist Massachusetts Institute of Technology
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2515116122
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Determining how well extinct animals could smell
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Quentin Martinez describes a reconstruction of olfactory capabilities in extinct mammals.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:14] Evolutionary biologist Quentin Martinez tell why we want to reconstruct olfaction in extinct animals. •[02:35] He introduces the olfactory bulb endocast, or space within the skull that contained the olfactory bulb, and explains why it's important in evaluating olfaction in extinct animals. •[04:24] Martinez talks about studying the genomics of chemoreceptor genes, in addition to the bony structure of the olfactory bulb endocast. •[05:23] He tells about the results of the study. •[07:46] Martinez lists possible insights from reconstructing extinct animals' olfaction. •[08:53] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:16] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Quentin Martinez Postdoctoral researcher Natural History Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510575122
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Hidden sustainability costs of AI
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers describe the sustainability impact of AI data centers.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:20] Bronis de Supinski describes how the energy demands of AI data centers have increased in recent years and why improvements in data center energy efficiency will not necessarily reduce total energy expenditures •[03:08] Eric Masanet explains the difficulty of tracking and projecting the energy usage of AI data centers. •[05:12] Shaolei Ren describes the water usage and air pollution associated with AI data centers. •[07:30] Tevfik Kosar explains how AI might be leveraged as a tool to help address climate change and sustainability challenges. •[09:00] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests: Bronis de Supinski Chief Technology Officer Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Eric Masanet Professor University of California Santa Barbara Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Shaolei Ren Associate Professor University of California Riverside
Tevfik Kosar Professor University at Buffalo
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Molecular regulation of mosquito biting timing
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Laura Duvall introduces a potential pathway for disrupting the biting behavior of mosquitoes.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:57] Mosquito neuroscientist Laura Duvall introduces us to the normal biting behavior of mosquitoes. •[02:46] She tells why the biting behavior of the Aedes aegypti mosquito is of particular interest. •[03:24] Duvall describes findings regarding how mosquitoes' responses to CO2 vary over times of day. •[05:37] She introduces the PDF peptide that might be regulating timing of biting behavior and explains how losing that peptide changed mosquitoes' behavior. •[08:07] Duvall talks about the takeaways from the study for control of mosquito-borne illnesses. •[08:53] She lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:26] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Laura Duvall Assistant Professor Columbia University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2520826122
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How well flu vaccines protect public health
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Lauren Meyers explains what the 2022-2023 influenza season taught us about the effectiveness of flu vaccines.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:16] Computational epidemiologist Lauren Meyers introduces the health and hospitalization burden of seasonal influenza. •[01:47] She defines vaccine effectiveness. •[02:37] Meyers describes the features of the 2022-2023 flu season. •[04:05] She describes how the researchers estimated the hospitalizations prevented by vaccination. •[05:11] Meyers tells how vaccination of young adults protected adults over 65 years of age. •[06:56] She describes the takeaways of the study for future flu seasons. •[08:08] Meyers lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:49] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Lauren Meyers Professor University of Texas at Austin
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2505175122
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Air quality and pet health
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Sarah Shackleton shares climate lessons learned from 6 million-year-old ice.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Paleoclimate and ice scientist Sarah Shackleton introduces the information researchers can glean from ice cores. •[02:02] She recounts the age extent of previous ice cores. •[03:03] Shackleton describes the Allan Hills Ice Area. •[04:35] She describes the method for ascertaining the age of air in an ice core. •[05:49] She explains the results of the study and the insights into the climate in Antarctica over the last 6 million years. •[06:32] Shackleton talks about the ice at the base of the core, and the research implications of the study. •[08:13] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:11] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Sarah Shackleton Assistant scientist Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2502681122
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China's science leadership
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, James Evans explains how and why China's leadership in global science is rising.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:56] Social and complex systems scientist James Evans recounts the recent history of the trajectories of science in the U.S. and in China. •[01:50] He explains how to measure a country's scientific leadership and introduces the data sources used in the study. •[04:18] Evans tells the results of the study, and talks about some areas of science in which China's leadership has particularly advanced. •[06:20] He lists the key takeaways from the study for policymakers and the benefits of global science engagement. •[08:47] Evans talks about the caveats and limitations of the work. •[09:54] Conclusion
About Our Guest:
James Evans Max Plofsky Professor of Sociology and Data Science University of Chicago
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2414893122
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Genetic history of dog domestication
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers explore the impact of domestication on dog genetics and behavior.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:00] Greger Larson explains how the history of gene flow between dogs and their wild relatives differs from what we know about other domestic species. •[02:38] Audrey Lin finds that low levels of wolf ancestry are found in almost two thirds of dog breeds. •[04:18] Linus Girdland Flink documents evidence of two genetic wolves on a remote Scandinavian island that may have been under human control. •[06:13] Clément Car explores how the mating systems of free-ranging village dogs could provide insight into canine domestication •[07:43] Katia Bougiouri explains how she used a statistical method to improve ancient genomes and what her results reveal about the history of inbreeding in dogs. •[09:21] Lachie Scarsbrook explains how he used museum specimens to reconstruct the history of inbreeding in German Shepherd Dogs. •[11:10] Eleanor Raffan analyzes genetic data and owner-submitted behavioral questionaries from 1,343 golden retrievers. •[12:54] Kathryn Lord finds that genetic testing cannot accurately predict canine behaviors. •[14:25] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guest: Greger Larson Professor University of Oxford
Audrey Lin Gerstner Postdoctoral Scholar American Museum of Natural History
Linus Girdland Flink Lecturer University of Aberdeen
Clément Car Postdoctoral Researcher University of Gdańsk
Katia Bougiouri Postdoctoral Researcher University of Copenhagen
Lachie Scarsbrook Postdoctoral Researcher University of Oxford, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Eleanor Raffan University Associate Professor University of Cambridge
Kathryn Lord Postdoctoral fellow University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2528616122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421768122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421759122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421756122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2416980122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421755122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421757122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421752122
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Air quality and pet health
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Stephen Jarvis explores the health impacts of poor air quality on pets.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:51] Environmental economist Stephen Jarvis explains how he became interested in the effects of air quality on pets. •[01:59] He talks about the similarities in exposure between humans and pets, and introduces the veterinary dataset used in the study. •[03:30] Jarvis explains the results of the study and the potential physiological effects of poor air quality. •[05:40] He talks about the implications of reducing air pollution for petcare and the takeaway messages of the study. •[08:17] Jarvis explains the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:14] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Stephen Jarvis Assistant professor London School of Economics
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2504553122
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A giant virus associated with oyster aquaculture mortality
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Curtis Suttle and Kevin Xu Zhong explain how a previously unidentified virus may be connected to mass die-offs of farmed Pacific oysters.
In this episode, we cover:
• [00:00] Introduction • [01:03] Environmental virologist Curtis Suttle introduces the importance of the Pacific oyster to aquaculture. • [01:42] Suttle describes mass mortality events, including one he witnessed. • [02:42] Environmental microbiologist Kevin Xu Zhong talks about the methods used to identify the Pacific Oyster Nidovirus 1. • [03:53] Zhong describes the notable features of the nidovirus. • [05:19] Zhong and Suttle explain how the nidovirus merits designation of a nidovirus family. • [06:25] Suttle explores the takeaways for oyster farmers and regulators. • [08:15] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:40] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Kevin Xu Zhong Research Associate University of British Columbia
Curtis Suttle Professor University of British Columbia
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2426923122
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Swamp lights and bat sight
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers explore two spooky mysteries: the source of will-o'-the-wisps and how bats integrate vision with echolocation.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:58] Richard Zare's background and expertise. •[01:26] Richard, have you ever seen will-o'-the-wisps in the wild? •[01:31] What did we already know about will-o'-the-wisps before your study? •[02:42] How could water droplets ignite methane? •[03:24] Tell us about the methods of your study. How did you explore this phenomenon? •[04:17] What are the broader implications of your findings, beyond just will-o'-the-wisps? •[05:20] What are the caveats or the limitations of the study? •[05:40] Laura Stidsholt's background and expertise. •[06:06] Laura, what can you tell us about the species you studied? •[06:25] What instruments did you attach to the bats? •[07:03] How did the bats' echolocation behavior compare in dark versus lit environments? •[08:14] What do the results suggest about the benefits of integrating information from multiple senses while hunting prey? •[08:58] What do the results imply about the potential impact of artificial light on bats? •[09:43] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests: Richard Zare Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Natural Science Stanford University
Laura Stidsholt Assistant Professor Aarhus University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2521255122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2515087122
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Implications of a mutation in modern humans
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Xiangchun Ju and Svante Pääbo explore the evolutionary implications of a mutation that separates modern humans from ancestral hominins.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] •[01:22] Neurobiologist Xiangchun Ju introduces the enzyme adenylosuccinate lyase, or ADSL, and its role in the synthesis of purine. •[02:09] Evolutionary anthropologist Svante Pääbo talks about the discovery of the A429V mutation, which is present in modern humans but not Neanderthals or Denisovans. •[03:38] Ju and Pääbo talk about the methods to humanize mice in order to study the evolutionary importance of the A429V mutation. •[05:04] They explain the results of the behavioral studies of the humanized mice. •[06:27] Pääbo explores the takeaways from the study. •[08:05] He contextualizes the study alongside other studies of modern human development. •[09:17] Pääbo and Ju list the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:14] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Xiangchun Ju Postdoctoral scholar Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
Svante Pääbo Director Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2508540122
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Where primates evolved
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Jorge Avaria-Llautureo and Chris Venditti explain why the evolution of primates likely occurred in cold, dry climates rather than in tropical forests.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:58] Evolutionary biologist Jorge Avaria-Lautureo explains the prevailing hypothesis that primates evolved in a tropical climate •[02:54] Evolutionary biologist Chris Venditti introduces evidence suggesting a different origin climate. •[03:54] Avaria discusses how the researchers reconstructed the climate of early primate species. •[05:05] Venditti and Avaria explain why it was important to use standardized climate definitions in this study. •[07:29] Avaria describes the results of the study. •[08:18]Venditti talks about the importance of understanding early primates’ climates. •[09:21] Avaria and Venditti talk about the study’s caveats and limitations. •[10:22] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Jorge Avaria-Llautureo Postdoctoral scholar University of Reading
Chris Venditti Professor University of Reading
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2423833122
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Climate change and lake oxygenation
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Joachim Jansen explains how climate change altered cycles of oxygenation in lakes.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Limnologist Joachim Jansen introduces us to the cycles of oxygenation in lakes throughout the seasons. •[02:35] He describes previous hypothesis about climate change and lake oxygenation and introduces the methods and datasets of the study. •[04:59] Jansen introduces the results of the study, including key differences between large and small lakes. •[06:54] He talks about the consequences of deoxygenation. •[09:03] Jansen explains the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:37] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Joachim Jansen Postdoctoral Researcher University of Helsinki
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2426140122
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The physics of the squash nick shot
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Roberto Zenit explains the physics behind the unanswerable nick shot in the game of squash.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Engineer Roberto Zenit introduces the game of squash, including his participation in the sport, and introduces the nick shot. •[02:11] He talks about the background and methods of the study. •[04:50] Zenit describes the mechanics of a nick shot. •[06:01] He talks about the implications of the study for squash players and for other applications. •[08:52] Zenit recounts the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:41] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Roberto Zenit Professor Brown University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505715122
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A pterosaur and its ecosystem at the end of the Triassic
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Kay Behrensmeyer and Ben Kligman describe what a fossil bone bed in Arizona reveals about a 209-million-year-old pterosaur and its ecosystem.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Paleoecologist Kay Behrensmeyer and paleontologist Ben Kligman describe the discovery of this fossil bone bed. •[03:10] Kligman and Behrensmeyer introduce a previously undescribed pterosaur. •[05:00] They talk about what this specimen says about the ecology and evolution of pterosaurs. •[06:15] Kligman and Behrensmeyer talk about the importance of studying this fossil community. •[07:52] They explain how their methods can improve paleontology and discovery of small fossils. •[09:08] Behrensmeyer and Kligman talk about the study’s caveats and limitations. •[10:10] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Kay Behrensmeyer Curator of Paleobiology National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Ben Kligman Postdoctoral Fellow National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505513122
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The postglacial history of the Saimaa ringed seal
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Jaakko Pohjoismäki, Jukka Jernvall, and Ari Löytynoja discuss the evolutionary history of the Saimaa ringed seal.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:06] Molecular biologist Jaakko Pohjoismäki introduces Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa ringed seal. •[02:30] Zoologist Jukka Jernvall talks about the characteristics of species isolated by glaciation. •[03:27] Evolutionary biologist and bioinformatician Ari Löytynoja explains the genetic and demographic methods of the study. •[04:11] Löytynoja and Jernvall explain why the results were surprising and where the study turned next. •[06:20] Pohjoismäki and Löytynoja describe the study’s implications for biodiversity in postglacial habitats. •[07:50] Jernvall and Löytynoja talk about the study’s caveats and limitations. •[10:14] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Jaakko Pohjoismäki Professor University of Eastern Finland
Jukka Jernvall Professor University of Helsinki
Ari Löytynoja University Lecturer University of Helsinki
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2503368122
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Managing eastern black rhinoceros populations with genetic studies
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Barbara Mable and Ronald Mellya show how allowing endangered rhinos to move between populations enhances genetic diversity.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:00] Evolutionary geneticist Barbara Mable explains why is genetic diversity important in managing small, isolated populations of rhinos. •[02:59] Park warden Ronald Mellya describes how his firsthand experience with rhino management led to this study. •[04:52] Mable explains the methods of the study and the contributions of co-author Anubhab Khan. •[06:20] Mable talks about the results. •[07:24] Mellya tells how the study has changed rhino management in Tanzania. •[08:37] Mable and Mellya enumerate the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:20] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Barbara Mable Professor University of Glasgow
Ronald Mellya Park Warden Tanzania National Parks
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2414412122
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A reference genome aids efforts to rescue the northern white rhinoceros
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Franz-Josef Müller explains genomic tools to aid the functionally extinct northern white rhinoceros.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:11] Multidisciplinary scientist Franz-Josef Müller introduces the northern white rhinoceros. •[01:55] He introduces induced pluripotent stem cells and why they’re important in efforts to save the northern white rhinoceros. •[04:20] He talks about the genomic risks of using induced pluripotent stem cells •[05:21] Müller tells the story of how he and his colleagues came together to complete the study. •[06:36] He explains how the northern white rhino’s genome was sequenced. •[07:58] He talks about the results and implications for stem cell genomic integrity. •[08:51] Müller enumerates the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:24] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Franz-Josef Müller Professor University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2401207122
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Water and the possibility of life on Mars
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers explain what we know about the potential for water and life on Mars and what we might learn from analysis of returned samples.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Mark Thiemens explains the importance of bringing samples from Mars back to Earth. •[02:37] Arya Udry explains the current gaps and limitations in the geological record provided by Martian meteorites. •[03:55] Bruce Jakosky explains what we currently know about the presence and history of water on Mars. •[05:26] Monica Grady explains how analyzing volatile species in Martian samples could provide insight into the planet’s past climate. •[06:58] Rachel Slank describes the potential presence of liquid brines on Mars. •[08:27] Vashan Wright used recordings from a seismometer onboard NASA’s InSight lander to estimate the volumes of liquid water that might be contained in the Martian mid-crust. •[10:14] Mark Sephton explains what biomarkers are and what kinds we might expect to find in Martian samples. •[11:34] Caroline Freissinet describes the discovery of long-chain organic molecules on Mars and the difficulties of conclusively identifying organic molecules as biomarkers. •[13:32] Thiemens explains the potentially far-reaching value of continuing to support the Mars Sample Return mission. •[14:37] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guest: Mark Thiemens Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of California at San Diego
Arya Udry Associate Professor – Graduate coordinator University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Bruce Jakosky Professor Emeritus University of Colorado Boulder
Monica Grady Professor Emirita Open University
Rachel Slank Postdoctoral Fellow Lunar and Planetary Institute
Vashan Wright Assistant Professor University of California, San Diego
Mark Sephton Professor Imperial College London
Caroline Freissinet Researcher Laboratory for Atmospheres, Observations, and Space French National Centre for Scientific Research
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421996121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2415280121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2404254121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2321080121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2404260121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2321067121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2409983121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2404256121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2420580122
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Using reinforcement learning to plan for an uncertain climate future
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Ning Lin talks about how reinforcement learning methods plant to mitigate climate risk despite uncertainty in climate change risk forecasts.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[1:04] Civil engineer Ning Lin introduces why climate forecast uncertainty complicates risk management planning. •[02:41] Lin explains how reinforcement learning works. •[03:26] She talks about why the team studied risk management for Manhattan. •[04:54] Lin explains the results of the reinforcement learning study. •[05:40] She recounts the results that surprised her. •[07:25] Lin explains the takeaways from the study for emergency planners. •[09:00] She enumerates the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:11] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Ning Lin Professor Princeton University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2402826122
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Insights in route planning from London taxi drivers
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Hugo Spiers, Pablo Fernández Velasco, and Eva-Marie Griesbauer share what they learned about human route planning from talking with London taxi drivers.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:59] Cognitive neuroscientist Hugo Spiers reviews previous studies on human route planning. •[01:29] Cognitive scientist and philosopher Pablo Fernández Velasco talks about why they chose to study London taxi drivers. •[01:49] Spiers describes the test that qualifies London taxi drivers. •[02:39] Spiers explains the experimental procedure. •[04:01] A recording of a taxi driver describing a route. •[04:57] Fernández talks about the data analysis. •[05:22] Psychologist Eva-Maria Griesbauer talks about the experience of interviewing taxi drivers. •[05:56] Fernández, Spiers, and Griesbauer recount the results of the study. •[08:43] Fernández and Spiers talk about the implications for the study of human route planning. •[10:22] Fernández describes the caveats and limitations of the study. •[11:15] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Hugo Spiers Professor University College London
Pablo Fernández Velasco Postdoctoral researcher University of York
Eva-Maria Griesbauer Postdoctoral researcher University College London
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2407814122
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Individual decision-making and collective animal behavior
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers explore advances in the modeling of collective animal behaviors.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:48] Conor Heins incorporated cognitive processes into a model of collective behavior. •[02:13] Eva Kanso analyzed how confinement influences collective behavior. •[03:41] Andreu Puy considered the role of speed in the leader-follower dynamics of schooling fish. •[04:45] Daniel Kronauer explored how a colony of clonal raider ants collectively responds to rising temperatures. •[06:02] Sonja Friman quantified the energy savings of starlings flying in complex formations. •[07:27] Daniele Carlesso modeled how weaver ants decide to form chains to explore their environment. •[08:43] Ashkaan Fahimipour explored how reef fish minimize the spread of misinformation. •[10:11] Clare Doherty explored the individualism of terrestrial hermit crabs moving in groups. •[11:44] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests: Conor Heins Machine Learning Researcher Verses AI / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Eva Kanso Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering University of Southern California
Andreu Puy PhD Student Polytechnic University of Catalonia
Daniel Kronauer Stanley S. and Sydney R. Shuman Professor Rockefeller University
Sonja Friman Postdoctoral Fellow Lund University
Daniele Carlesso Postdoctoral Researcher University of Konstanz
Ashkaan Fahimipour Assistant Professor Florida Atlantic University
Clare Doherty Research Associate Ulster University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2320239121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2406293121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2309733121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2123076119 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319971121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2216217120 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2215428120 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11469-1
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Modeling extreme heat waves
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Kai Kornhuber explains how and why climate models struggle to reproduce extreme heat wave trends.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:53] Extreme weather climatologist Kai Kornhuber explains why modeling heat waves is important. •[01:38] He talks about how the study modeled hotspots of anomalous heat wave activity. •[03:01] Kornhuber tells where the hotspots are located. •[04:17] He explains how well climate models reproduce these trends. •[06:43] He talks about ways climate modelers can improve model representation of heat waves. •[07:48] Kornhuber describes the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:08] He enumerates the key takeaways. •[10:18] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Kai Kornhuber Senior Research Scholar International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2411258121
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Reconsidering the social cost of carbon
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Frances Moore presents a re-analysis of how the social costs of carbon emissions are quantified.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:50] Climate economist Frances Moore explains the “social cost of carbon.” •[02:21] She describes the background of the study. •[03:35] She talks about the methods of the study, which included a survey of experts. •[05:18] Moore presents the results, including underestimation of the social cost of carbon. •[07:02] She talks about the policy implications of the study. •[08:35] Moore discusses the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:21] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Frances Moore Associate professor University of California, Davis
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2410733121
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How hula hoops stay aloft
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Olivia Pomerenk reveals the physics of hula hooping.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:49] Applied mathematician Olivia Pomerenk talks about the history of hula hooping. •[01:52] Pomerenk explains the fascinating nature of hula hoop motion as well as her own personal experiences with the children’s toy. •[02:44] She describes the experimental setup with robotic hula hoopers, as well as the mathematical model that arose from experiments. •[04:44] Pomerenk enumerates the forces needed for successful hula hooping. •[05:51] She explains how body shape affects hula hooping. •[07:17] She explores potential applications of the findings. •[08:01] Pomerenk discusses the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:44] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Olivia Pomerenk PhD Candidate Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411588121
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Erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise on Arctic coastlines
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Roger Creel describes how compounding forces could reshape a thawing Arctic coastline.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:57] Sea level geophysicist Roger Creel introduces the importance of subsidence in Arctic coastline erosion. •[02:04] Creel describes his firsthand experiences seeing how erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise are impacting Alaskan communities. •[03:43] He explains how his model of coastline impacts was constructed. •[05:49] He describes the results of the study. •[06:43] Creel talks about the risks to coastal infrastructure. •[08:10] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:54] Creel says that the coastline impacts may differ in different parts of the Arctic, depending on glacial history. •[09:25] He explains the takeaways from the study. •[10:39] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Roger Creel Postdoctoral scholar Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2409411121
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How brains and AI systems process moving images
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Hollis Cline describes how neuroscience informed development of an artificial intelligence movie recognition system.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:55] Neuroscientist Hollis Cline introduces the background of the study. •[01:49] Cline talks about the current limitations of artificial intelligence movie recognition. •[02:58] She explains why Xenopus tadpoles were used as subjects in this study. •[03:29] Cline talks about the experimental setup and procedure. •[05:53] She explains the results of tadpole neurological monitoring. •[06:32] Cline adds findings about neural plasticity and learning. •[07:53] She describes how the findings led to an artificial intelligence system and the system’s capabilities. •[09:53] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:22] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Hollis Cline Professor Scripps Research Institute
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2412260121
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Sustainability of plant-based meat alternatives
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers discuss the environmental, health, and economic tradeoffs that limit the potential benefits of plant-based meat alternatives.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:19] Rodolphe Barrangou explains the potential opportunities and challenges for plant-based meat alternatives to help mitigate the environmental impact of meat. •[03:18] Marco Springmann compares plant-based meat and milk alternatives with both animal-sourced foods and unprocessed plant-based foods across multiple metrics. •[05:16] Bill Aimutis highlights the potential environmental impact of producing plant-based proteins. •[07:04] Ute Weisz finds significant variability in the amino acid scores and functional properties of commercially available plant protein ingredients. •[08:51] Zachary Neuhofer analyzes trends in plant-based meat alternative consumption, based on two years of grocery store scanning data. •[10:16] Evelyne Selberherr analyzes the microbial communities found in plant-based meat alternative products. •[11:56] Matin Qaim analyzes the impact of animal-sourced foods on child nutrition in five Sub-Saharan African countries. •[13:59] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests: Rodolphe Barrangou Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor North Carolina State University
Marco Springmann Senior Researcher | Professorial Research Fellow University of Oxford | University College London
Bill Aimutis Executive Director North Carolina Food Innovation Lab
Ute Weisz Professor Technical University of Munich
Zachary Neuhofer PhD Candidate Purdue University
Evelyne Selberherr Assistant Professor University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Matin Qaim Schlegel Professor of Agricultural Economics University of Bonn
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2400495121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319010121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319003121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319019121 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16996-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-024-00269-8 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319009121
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How Snowball Earth melted
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Shuhai Xiao explores how the Earth emerged from a planetwide glaciation called Snowball Earth.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:48] Geobiologist Shuhai Xiao introduces us to Snowball Earth. •[01:58] Xiao introduces the “plumeworld” hypothesis that describes the end of Snowball Earth. •[03:41] He explains how lithium isotopes in rocks can confirm the plumeworld hypothesis. •[05:54] Xiao explains why dolostone deposits in China were suitable for studying this hypothesis. •[06:53] He talks about the results of the study. •[07:39] He talks about the implications of the study results. •[08:26] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:06] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Shuhai Xiao Professor Virginia Tech
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2407419121
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Reverse development in a comb jelly
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Joan Soto and Patel Burkhardt introduce us to a comb jelly with the ability to reverse its development to an earlier stage of life.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:54] Marine biologist Joan-Josep Soto recounts the history of research into reverse development. •[02:27] Soto and evolutionary biologist Burkhardt introduce the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi and its life stages. •[04:04] Burkhardt explains why the researchers became interested in Mnemiopsis. •[04:48] Soto describes how the researchers induced reverse development in Mnemiopsis. •[06:13] Burkhardt explores hypotheses regarding why reverse development occurs. •[07:13] Soto talks about the lessons yet to be learned from Mnemiopsis. •[09:35] Burkhardt summarizes the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:12] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Joan-Josep Soto-Angel Postdoctoral Scholar University Museum of Bergen
Pawel Burkhadt Group Leader Michael Sars Center, University of Bergen
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411499121
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Air pollution and upward mobility
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Luca Merlo and Francesca Dominici explore whether childhood exposure to air pollution can impact economic upward mobility as an adult.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Statistician Luca Merlo talks about the background of the study. •[02:15] Merlo describes measurement of upward mobility in the study. •[03:36] Statistician Francesca Dominici explains the results. •[04:15] Dominici explores the variation in results across US counties. •[07:08] Merlo talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:14] Dominici lists the implications for policymakers. •[10:20] Conclusion.
About Our Guests: Luca Merlo Researcher European University of Rome
Francesca Dominici Professor Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2401882121
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Nationwide effects of smoke-related air pollution
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Kai Chen explains the nationwide health effects of smoke-related fine particulate matter air pollution.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:07] Environmental epidemiologist Kai Chen introduces the health risks of fine particulate matter. •[02:20] Chen talks about trends in air pollution in the United States. •[03:56] He explains the study findings. •[05:51] Chen explores conditions that exacerbate smoke-related health effects. •[06:55] Chen talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:36] He lists the implications for policymakers and for the public. •[10:16] Conclusion.
About Our Guest: Kai Chen Associate Professor Yale School of Public Health
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2403960121
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Indigenous hunting and beluga populations
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Max Friesen, Eline Lorenzen, and Mikkel Skovrind explore beluga population dynamics in relation to subsistence hunting by Indigenous communities in northern Canada.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Archaeologist Max Friesen talks about the role of belugas in Inuvialuit culture. •[01:45] Evolutionary biologist Eline Lorenzen talks about the background of the study. •[02:26] Naturalist Mikkel Skovrind explains the methods of the study, including the sources of beluga samples and the methods of analysis. •[03:58] Skovrind introduces the results of the study, including the changing ratio of males to females harvested. •[06:07] Lorenzen describes the finding that genetic diversity of belugas had not declined over time. •[06:59] Friesen and Lorenzen talk about what the study reveals, and suggests, about past hunting methods. •[08:09] The authors explain the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:05] Skovrind and Friesen explore the implications of the study for traditional subsistence hunting practices. •[10:19] Conclusion
About Our Guests:
Max Friesen Professor University of Toronto
Eline Lorenzen Professor University of Copenhagen
Mikkel Skovrind Postdoctoral researcher Lund University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2405993121
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The neuroscience of music perception
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Petri Toiviainen, Ibi Burunat, and Daniel Levitin describe the neuroscience of how musicians and non-musicians perceive boundaries within pieces of music.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Music neuroscientist Petri Toiviainen, music neuroscientist Ibi Burunat, and cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Levitin introduce the concept of musical boundaries. •[02:29] Toiviainen and Burunat tell about the musical pieces used in the experiment, as well as the experimental setup. •[04:05] Levitin explains why musicians and non-musicians were included in the study. •[04:27] Burunat and Levitin talk about the findings generally. •[05:50] Toiviainen and Levitin explain how musicians and non-musicians’ responses to the music differed. •[07:13] Toiviainen and Burunat talk about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:59] Levitin and Burunat explore the implications of the work for music neuroscience. •[09:46] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Petri Toiviainen Professor University of Jyväskylä
Ibi Burunat Postdoctoral researcher University of Jyväskylä
Daniel Levitin Professor emeritus McGill University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2319459121
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How python hearts grow and shrink
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Leslie Leinwand, of the University of Colorado in Boulder, and Claudia Crocini, of Charité – Berlin University of Medicine in Germany, describe how the hearts of constricting pythons change size after meals.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:19] What is the natural context for cardiac hypertrophy in constricting pythons? •[02:48] What were the mechanisms involved in this process that you identified? •[05:27] What did you discover about the mechanisms of heart size regression in these snakes? •[07:24] What are the next steps in this line of research? •[08:21] Conclusion.
About Our Guest: Leslie Leinwand Professor University of Colorado
Claudia Crocini Junior Research Group Leader Charité – Berlin University Medicine
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2322726121
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How people travel to racially different neighborhoods
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Mario Small talks about patterns of people's travel to neighborhoods racially different than their home neighborhood.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:59] Sociologist Mario Small describes how everyday travel can temper residential segregation. •[01:57] Small talks about how their study tracked peoples’ movements and defined travel beyond a person’s racial comfort zone. •[03:48] Small explains the study’s results. •[06:08] He explores why some destinations take people to racially similar neighborhoods and some take people to racially different neighborhoods. •[07:15] Small shows how “15-minute cities” might inadvertently reinforce residential segregation. •[08:21] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:34] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Mario Small Quetelet Professor of Social Science Columbia University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401661121
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How pathogen stowaways traversed the oceans
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Jamie Lloyd-Smith and Elizabeth Blackmore describe how they modeled the epidemiology of pathogens on ocean voyages.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Integrative scientist Jamie Lloyd-Smith and disease ecologist Elizabeth Blackmore describe how they came to study the epidemiology of ocean travel. •[03:21] Blackmore and Lloyd-Smith explain why they focused on three pathogens: influenza, measles, and smallpox. •[04:13] Lloyd-Smith explains the results of the disease model, with pathogen biology, passenger number, and journey length factoring into the duration of shipboard outbreaks. •[05:05] Blackmore details the additional insights provided by newspaper records of ship arrivals in 1850s San Francisco. •[06:57] Lloyd-Smith and Blackmore talk about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:02] Blackmore and Lloyd-Smith explore potential next steps. •[09:47] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Jamie Lloyd-Smith Professor University of California, Los Angeles
Elizabeth Blackmore Doctoral student Yale University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400425121
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Why “Tornado Alley” is unique to North America
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Funing Li and Dan Chavas explain why North America produces many tornadoes each year and South America does not.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Weather and climate scientist Funing Li talks about the frequency of tornadoes within and outside of the United States. •[01:25] Li explains the geography of severe thunderstorm hotspots in North and South America. •[02:46] Weather and climate scientist Dan Chavas and Li describe how they became interested in the effect of surface geography on tornadoes. •[05:13] Li and Chavas explain their modeling approach. •[07:23] Li and Chavas talk about why surface roughness is important for tornado formation. •[08:14] Chavas and Li describe the implications of the study, including effects of climate change and insights into paleoclimate. •[09:43] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:26] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Funing Li Postdoctoral associate Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dan Chavas Associate professor Purdue University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2315425121
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Creating culturally inclusive school environments
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Stephanie Fryberg, Hazel Markus, and Laura Brady explore how to create culturally inclusive environments in schools.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:00] Social cultural psychologist Stephanie Fryberg introduces the value of culturally inclusive learning environments. •[01:43] Social cultural psychologist Hazel Markus talks about how disparities can arise from a lack of cultural belonging. •[02:25] Markus introduces the predominant cultural model that creates challenges for some students. •[03:18] Social cultural psychologist Laura Brady explains an alternate interdependence model. •[4:01] Brady talks about the school leaders involved in the study. •[4:34] Fryberg outlines the professional development intervention. •[5:44] Fryberg and Markus share examples of teacher responses. •[6:26] Brady talks about how teacher practices and student attitudes changed. •[7:44] Brady lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[8:31]Markus and Fryberg share takeaways from the study. •[9:43] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Stephanie Fryberg Professor of social and cultural psychology, Director of Research for the Indigenous Social Action and Equity Center Northwestern University
Hazel Markus Professor of social and cultural psychology, co-director of Stanford Spark Stanford University
Laura Brady Senior researcher American Institutes for Research
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2322872121
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How redlining affects biodiversity
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Cesar Estien explores the legacy of mid-20th century redlining through the biodiversity of disadvantaged neighborhoods.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[1:04] Cesar Estien, an urban ecologist at the University of Washington, describes the practice of redlining. •[2:50] He tells how a study of redlining and environmental quality led to a study of animal diversity. •[3:33] Estien describes why the study cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego were chosen for the study. •[4:25] He explains the difference between species richness and community composition. •[5:31] He reports the study findings regarding species richness and community composition in redlined and greenlined neighborhoods. •[6:55] Estien talks about the lasting legacy of racial injustice on the ecology of cities. •[7:52] He explains why equitable access to biodiversity matters. •[9:04] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:09] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Cesar Estien Ph.D. Candidate University of California, Berkeley
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2321441121
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Animal’s eye view of the ocean
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers use animal-borne video cameras to explore foraging behaviors of animals in the open ocean.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:46] Taiki Adachi, an ecologist at the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan, observed how elephant seals use their whiskers to locate prey in the dark depths of the ocean •[02:13] Carey Kuhn, an ecologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington, explored how the size of prey affected the foraging behavior of northern fur seals. •[03:43] Ryan Logan, an ecologist at California State University Long Beach, recorded a solitary sailfish hunting in the open ocean and estimated its energy expenditures. •[05:05] Simone Videsen, an ecologist at Aarhus University in Denmark, performed a similar analysis of the energetic efficiency of humpback whales. •[06:12] Takuya Maekawa, an engineer at Osaka University in Japan, designed a device to detect and automatically record rare behaviors performed by streaked shearwaters. •[07:56] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Taiki Adachi Assistant Professor National Institute of Polar Research
Carey Kuhn Researcher Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Ryan Logan Postdoctoral Research Fellow California State University Long Beach
Simone Videsen Postdoctoral Researcher Aarhus University
Takuya Maekawa Associate Professor Osaka University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2119502119 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1015594/full https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28748-0 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade3889 https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/1/pgad447/7517476
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Inequitable wildfire smoke exposure in California
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Joan Casey shows that some California communities are disproportionately exposed to wildfire air pollution.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Washington, describes recent decades of wildfire in California. •[01:34] Casey describes the environmental equity issues of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution. •[02:26] Casey describes why she chose to study the equity of wildfire smoke pollution exposure. •[03:01] She explains the results of the study, showing that by one definition of disadvantaged communities, smoke exposure appeared equitable. Another measure, including racial and ethnic identity data, showed inequitable exposure. •[05:26] Casey explores possible reasons for this inequitable exposure. •[06:21] The benefits of improved air monitoring among marginalized communities. •[07:34] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:35] Next steps in this line of research. •[09:27] Hopes for policy impacts. •[10:22] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Joan Casey Assistant Professor University of Washington School of Public Health
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2306729121
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Biodiversity and gentrification
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Mason Fidino explores how gentrification changes biodiversity in urban areas.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Mason Fidino, a quantitative ecologist at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, defines gentrification and its social impacts. •[01:53] Fidino explains how gentrification changes neighborhoods. •[03:09] Fidino explains why the research focused on medium to large mammals. •[03:40] A description of camera traps and how they collect data. •[05:09] The results, including links between gentrification and biodiversity. •[06:59] The implications of the study for urban planners and urban residents. •[08:23] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:50] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Mason Fidino Quantitative Ecologist Lincoln Park Zoo
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2318596121
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School enrollment during COVID-19
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Micah Baum describes how public school enrollments in the US changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:54] Micah Baum, an economist at the University of Michigan, introduces school districts’ three modes of learning in fall 2020: virtual, in-person, and hybrid. • [01:31] Baum explains the reasons for studying public school enrollment changes between the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year. • [02:51] Description of the data sources used in the study. • [03:50] Explanation of the changes in enrollment numbers between the two school years. • [06:00] Explanation of racial differences in enrollment changes. • [06:46] Exploration of what these results suggest about parent choices. • [08:24] Implications for school funding in future years. • [09:18] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:51] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Micah Baum PhD Student University of Michigan
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2307308120
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Emotional power of live music
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Sascha Frühholz describes the emotional power of live music compared to recorded music.
In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:59] Sascha Frühholz, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Oslo, reviews the neuroscience of emotional responses to music. • [02:02] Description of the study hypothesis regarding the difference of responses to recorded and live music. • [02:34] Description of the experimental setup. • [03:15] Description of the music played during the experiment, with examples. • [04:30] Recounting of the results of the study. • [05:05] The differences between responses to recorded and live music. • [05:45] What the listeners knew during and after the experiment. • [06:09] Inclusion of unpleasant music in the experiment, with examples. • [06:49] Description of the listeners’ feelings during the experiment. • [07:14] The musicians’ feelings about the experiment. • [07:42] Exploration of generalizing the results to other settings. • [08:19] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:11] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Sascha Frühholz Professor University of Oslo
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2316306121
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Adapting to poor air quality
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Rebecca Saari explores potential adaptations needed for worsening air quality due to climate change.
In this episode, we cover: • [00:03] Introduction • [00:57] Rebecca Saari, an air quality engineer at the University of Waterloo, describes an air quality alert. • [01:23] Explanation of the hazard of fine particulate matter air pollution. • [02:18] Description of the study’s modeling approach. • [03:14] Description of modeling methods. • [04:05] Explanation of study results and where air quality alerts may rise due to climate change. • [04:34] Exploration of the social impacts of inequitable distribution of worsening air quality. • [05:24] Description of strategies for mitigating the health risk of poor air quality. • [06:27] Discussion of the costs and benefits of increased time spent indoors to mitigate health risk. • [07:22] Discussion of the role of policy in protecting from air quality hazards. • [08:13] Explanation of the study’s caveats and limitations. • [09:30] Potential impacts of the study. • [10:11] Conclusion
About Our Guest:
Rebecca Saari Associate Professor University of Waterloo
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2215685121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
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Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Christine Pu describes how commonly used measures of poverty don't agree, and why definitions of poverty matter.
In this episode, we cover:
· [00:00] Introduction
· [00:59] Christine Pu, an interdisciplinary scientist from Stanford University, introduces the importance of definitions of poverty.
· [01:40] List of the four commonly used definitions of poverty.
· [02:29] The motivation behind the study.
· [03:21] Study design and methods.
· [04:20] Results of the study and discussion of why poverty measures may not agree.
· [05:50] Discussion of how poverty definitions impact efforts to alleviate poverty.
· [06:57] How policymakers can approach definition of poverty.
· [07:46] Implications and potential impacts of the study.
· [08:25] Study caveats and limitations.
· [08:54] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Christine Pu
PhD Candidate
Stanford University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2316730121
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How a small fish makes big sounds
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Verity Cook from Charité – Berlin University of Medicine explains how a fish 12 millimeters in length produces sounds exceeding 140 decibels.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:37] Can you tell us more about the fish you studied? •[02:26] What are some of the methods you used to characterize the fish’s sound production mechanism? •[03:49] Can you walk us through the process of how these fish produce sound? •[05:02] What are the broader implications of your findings? •[05:53] Conclusion.
About Our Guest: Verity Cook PhD Student Charité – Berlin University of Medicine
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2314017121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
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Dinosaur feathers hint at flight history
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Jingmai O’Connor and Yosef Kiat share insights gleaned from modern birds’ feathers that help understand the evolutionary history of flight in dinosaurs.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Jingmai O’Connor, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, describes the characteristics of feathers associated with flight. •[02:11] O’Connor gives context and background for previous knowledge of the evolution of flight feathers in dinosaurs. •[03:25] O’Connor describes the sources of fossil specimens for analysis of feather evolution. •[04:29] Yosef Kiat, an ornithologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, tells what he learned about the consistent number of primary feathers in modern birds. He also tells how that number applies to dinosaurs. •[05:54] O’Connor explains what the symmetry of feathers reveals about a species’ flight ability and history. •[06:29] Kiat applies feather symmetry to explain the flight evolutionary history of Caudipteryx. •[07:05] Kiat summarizes the findings of the study, using feather number and shape to assess the flight abilities of four genera of dinosaurs. •[07:47] Kiat and O’Connor describe the type of potential fossil evidence that could fill in holes in the history of flight evolution in dinosaurs. •[08:42] Kiat and O’Connor explain the study’s caveats and limitations. •[09:44] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Jingmai O’Connor Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
Yosef Kiat Postdoctoral Research Fellow Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2306639121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
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Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers describe the potential impact of anthropogenic disturbances on bee communication.
In this episode, we cover:
- [00:00] Introduction
- [00:45] Description of the waggle dance of honeybees.
- [01:59] Maggie Couvillon, an entomologist at Virginia Tech, explains what information researchers can glean from the waggle dance.
- [03:24] Christoph Grüter, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Bristol, describes what impact climatic changes may have on bee communication.
- [05:13] Michael Hrncir, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Sao Paulo, recorded the impact of rising air temperatures on foraging in stingless bees.
- [06:48] Grüter explains how landscape changes and habitat fragmentation might affect bee communication.
- [08:23] Elli Leadbeater, an ecologist at Royal Holloway University of London, found that dancing honeybees found the foraging environment of central London superior to agricultural land.
- [09:49] Kris Braman, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, studied how the distribution of land cover at different scales influences bee diversity in Georgia.
- [11:24] Grüter explains how insecticides may alter bee communication strategies.
- [12:41] Denise Alves, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Sao Paulo, describes how a fungal pesticide can affect nestmate recognition in stingless bees.
- [14:23] Adam Dolezal, an entomologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, describes how a bee pathogen affects nestmate recognition in honeybees.
- [15:17] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Maggie CouvillonAssistant ProfessorVirginia Tech
Christoph GrüterSenior LecturerUniversity of Bristol
Michael HrncirProfessorUniversity of Sao Paulo
Elli LeadbeaterProfessorRoyal Holloway University of London
Kris BramanDepartment Head and ProfessorUniversity of Georgia
Denise AlvesPost-doctoral ResearcherUniversity of Sao Paulo
Adam DolezalAssistant ProfessorUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
View related content here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0155 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2219031120 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191020300512 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14011 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-022-00402-6 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653521026199 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2002268117
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
Follow PNAS:
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights
Chris Thorogood and Derek Moulton explain how mathematical modeling of carnivorous pitcher plants can lend insights into their evolution.
Allegra Midgette and Nadia Chernyak describe when young children begin to perceive and accept unequal and gendered division of household labor.
Stanley Cohen reflects on the 50-year legacy of a classic PNAS paper on recombinant DNA.
Longqi Yang and Fengqi You discuss the potential reductions in carbon emissions of switching from in person to remote work.
Jeremy Siow, Taylor Damann, and Margit Tavits discuss both historical and modern gender inequality in Europe.
Emmanuel Mignot explains how a variant of an immune system gene might protect some people against neurodegenerative disease.
Cecilia Machado and Douglas Almond discuss the impact of a first child on the career trajectory of mothers.
Laela Sayigh asks whether dolphins use "motherese" when communicating with their calves.
Pascal Polonik and Kate Ricke explain why reducing greenhouse gas emissions does not always improve environmental equity.
Ian Phillips, Rui Zhe Goh, and Chaz Firestone use auditory illusions to explore how people perceive silence.
Cameron Hecht discusses an intervention targeting high school teachers to improve student retention and diversity in STEM fields.
Mattia Tagliavento talks about the evolutionary transition from dinosaurs to birds using isotopes in Troodon eggshells.
Pengfei Liu shares findings on racial disparities in exposure to the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide.
Chinmay Kalluraya and Matthew Daugherty explain how vertebrates acquired a gene critical for vision from bacteria.
Blair P. Bentley, Lisa Komoroske, and Camila Mazzoni discuss the role genomic elements play in the evolution of sea turtles.
A special edition of Science Sessions delves into the capabilities of robots inspired by plants and animals.
Stanislas Dehaene and Marie Amalric investigate whether short online videos are sufficient to teach mathematics concepts.
Anna Lea Albright and Peter Huybers describe how optical effects consistent with air pollution appear in the paintings of Claude Monet and J.M.W. Turner.
Researchers document animal extinctions in the Ediacaran Period that may have preceded the earliest known mass extinction.
Bo Wang and Chunpeng Xu describe how fossilized katydids provide insight into the role of insect sounds in the Mesozoic.
Tom McGrath describes how the neural network AlphaZero taught itself how to play chess without observing a human game.
Orit Peleg, Golnar Fard and Francisco López Jiménez explain how honeybees overcome geometric constraints to construct honeycombs.
Taylor Hersh explores how patterns of clicks produced by sperm whales suggest the exchange of cultural information between the whales.
Researchers discuss what animal soundscapes can tell us about the health of ecosystems.
Researchers discuss what animal soundscapes can tell us about the health of ecosystems.
Daniel Cusworth discusses combining aircraft-based and satellite-based measurement to identify methane emission point sources.
Syee Weldeab describes what researchers can learn from ancient global warming about the risks posed by ocean floor methane hydrates.
Ling Zhu and David B. Grusky explore intergenerational factors influencing occupational gender segregation in the United States.
Izzy Gainsburg and Veronica Derricks discuss how patient activation can disrupt implicit bias in physician-patient interactions.
Izzy Gainsburg and Veronica Derricks discuss how patient activation can disrupt implicit bias in physician-patient interactions.
Matilda Gibbons, Lars Chittka and Jonathan Birch discuss the possibility that bumblebees may feel pain.
Matilda Gibbons, Lars Chittka and Jonathan Birch discuss the possibility that bumblebees may feel pain.
Lauren Howe and Alia Crum explore the interactions of societal biases with the placebo effect.
Steve Horvath and Elaine Ostrander explain the usefulness of epigenetic clocks in humans and dogs.
L. Mahadevan, Petur Bryde, and Suraj Shankar explain the otherworldly sounds of the musical saw.
Christianne Corbett and Robb Willer explore perceptions of electability of female political candidates.
A feature episode explores recent developments and future research directions in treating cystic fibrosis.
Martijn van de Pol reports that approximately half of the changes in the traits of 60 European bird species can be attributed to rising mean temperatures.
Brenhin Keller and Kalin McDannell explore the origins of a worldwide gap in the geologic record spanning hundreds of millions to billions of years.
Neda Maghbouleh, Ariela Schachter, and René Flores explore the US Census classification of people with Middle Eastern and North African ancestry.
Thema Monroe-White and Cassidy Sugimoto discuss how disparities at the intersection of race and gender affect the expansion of scientific knowledge.
Researchers explore cutting-edge approaches to coral reef conservation. Image credit: Cody Engelsma (Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL).
Researchers explore cutting-edge approaches to coral reef conservation. Image credit: Cody Engelsma (Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL).
Ray Block Jr. and John Holbein report that Americans are more likely to respond to an emailed survey request from a sender with a putatively White name than a sender with a putatively Black name. Image credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio.
A collection of research articles explores how tropical ecosystems have borne the brunt of the human impact on the environment. Image credit: Pixabay/Pexels.
A collection of research articles explores how tropical ecosystems have borne the brunt of the human impact on the environment. Image credit: Pixabay/Pexels.
A special episode explores the state of CRISPR use in agriculture. Image credit: Can Stock Photo/molekuul.
A special episode explores the state of CRISPR use in agriculture. Image credit: Can Stock Photo/molekuul.
Rodrigo Cámara-Leret explains the impact of indigenous language extinction on medicinal plant knowledge. Image credit: Pixabay/DEZALB.
Nicolas Taberlet and Nicolas Plihon explore the physical explanation for a fascinating natural phenomenon: the formation of Zen stones on frozen lakes. Image credit: N. Taberlet, N. Plihon. Lab Physique ENS de Lyon and CNRS.
Hessam Azarijafari, Randy Kirchain, and Jeremy Gregory explore how innovations in the concrete industry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Image credit: Pexels/Life Of Pix.
Sarah Chambliss discusses racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to air pollutants. Image credit: Pixabay/sueegeneris.
Maggie Wagner and Manuel Kleiner report that the interaction between maize and soil microbes influences hybrid vigor. Image credit: Kayla M. Clouse.
Gaige Kerr discusses racial disparities in atmospheric levels of nitrogen dioxide in the United States.
Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, John T. Abatzoglou, and Mojtaba Sadegh report that forest fires have been advancing upslope across the western United States in recent decades.
Brad Greenwood explains how patient–physician racial concordance decreases Black infant mortality.
Vinay Pathak describes when and where HIV sheds its capsid coating while infecting human cells.
Josh Bongard describes AI-designed, reconfigurable biological organisms made from frog cells.
Jonathon Yuly, David Beratan, and Peng Zhang investigate how electron bifurcation reactions work.
Adam Mastroianni and Daniel Gilbert explore why conversations almost never end when people want them to.
Marianne Alleyne, Aimy Wissa, and Ophelia Bolmin explain how the click beetle amplifies power to pull off its signature jump.
Mara Reed and Michael Manga explore why Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser resumed erupting in 2018.
Martin Bizzarro tells what zircon crystals reveal about the geological history of Mars.
Aleix Martinez explains why facial expressions often are not accurate indicators of emotion.
Amanda Rodewald, Ivan Rudik, and Catherine Kling talk about the hazards of ozone pollution to birds.
Se-Jin Lee and Emily Germain-Lee explain a way to preserve bone and muscle mass during spaceflight.
David Crowder and Gengping Zhu explain how to predict the spread of the Asian giant hornet.
Brian Fields explores a hypothesis that a supernova may be responsible for a mass extinction.
NAS member Dalton Conley explains how the Vietnam War draft lotteries are a natural experiment for studying how military service affects life outcomes.
Mette Svenning and Alexander Tveit describe a bacterium that can live on gases in the air.
Eelco Tromer and Jolien van Hooff explain the origins of the kinetochore in eukaryotic cells.
Fabiola Gianotti, Marcia McNutt, and Donna Shalala discuss the past, present, and future of women in STEM.
Francesco Paesani, Thomas Zeuch, and Valeria Molinero discuss the size limits of ice crystals.
Julia Schwab and Steve Brusatte describe how marine reptiles made the evolutionary move from land to sea.
Ellen Welti explains how grasshoppers in a Kansas prairie could be in decline even with abundant grass.
NAS member David Baker describes how to design proteins from scratch and the products of his lab's own protein design efforts
Elli Theobald and Scott Freeman describe the benefits of active learning for underrepresented minority students.
Adam Millard-Ball and Chris Barrington-Leigh explain trends in urban street network design.
NAS member and Nobel laureate David Baltimore describes efforts to enhance T cells' ability to fight cancer and HIV.
Christine Dunham discusses RNA frameshifting and its potential applications in biotechnology.
Philipp Heck tells the story of interstellar stardust grains that predate the Solar System.
Baruch Fischhoff, a decision scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the ingredients necessary for effective science communication.
Theoretical physicists Hans Briegel and Hendrik Poulsen Nautrup describe an artificial intelligence that can design quantum experiments.
Simon DeDeo and Alexander Barron discuss the rhetoric that shaped the French Revolution.
Shara Bailey explains the significance of a three-rooted lower molar in an archaic jaw.
Noel Clark and Tommaso Bellini describe how nucleic acids form double-helical liquid crystals, with implications for the origins of life.
A collection of research articles explores developments in interfacial transport and mixing, with wide-ranging practical applications.
Jonathan Lefcheck and Robert Orth discuss nutrient pollution and recovery in the Chesapeake Bay.
Chris Field discusses misconceptions about climate change and how humans can adapt to a warming planet.
Noah Diffenbaugh and Marshall Burke discuss how global warming impacts economies and income inequality.
A paleontological site preserves the immediate aftermath of the asteroid impact that may have caused a global mass extinction.
Thor Berger and Per Engzell explore connections between European immigration and present-day economic mobility in the US.
Bettina Schulz Paulsson explains the origin and spread of Europe's megaliths, including Stonehenge.
Daven Henze discusses how air pollution spreads across the globe and what policymakers are doing in response.
Blair Hedges discusses the state of Haiti's remaining forests and the consequences to biodiversity.
Chryssa Kouveliotou describes her efforts to compile a detailed X-ray map of the galactic plane.
Mike Hout explores the persistence of occupational and socioeconomic standing from parent to child in America.
Nick Melosh describes a method for sampling RNA and proteins from cells using nanostraws.
Victoria Orphan and Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert discuss microbial life in the deep subseafloor.
Rob Voigt and Nicholas Camp examine respectfulness in police officers' interactions with community members.
Jenni Lehtimäki and Stefan Reber explore links between animal exposure in upbringing and immune system function.
Ralph Pudritz and Ben Pearce describe a model of how RNA-based life could have originated on the early Earth.
David Hughes discusses how a parasitic fungus manipulates ant behavior for reproduction.
Karina Guziewicz and Artur Cideciyan explain a potential gene therapy approach for macular degeneration.
Bridget Scanlon discusses the use of global hydrologic models for studying changes in water storage worldwide.
Christof Koch describes a large-scale effort to understand how the cerebral cortex functions.
Atul Butte explains how researchers can use existing data to answer biomedical questions.
Joseph DeRisi describes the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a new privately-funded medical research center in the Bay Area.
Patrick McGovern describes evidence of winemaking in Georgia during the Neolithic period.
Carl Fuldner and Shane DuBay describe how bird feathers preserve records of air pollution.
Vadim Backman describes a technique for high resolution imaging of biological molecules without labels.
Jonathan Sears describes potential treatment strategies for retinopathy of prematurity.
Sandu Popescu and Jeff Tollaksen explain how a fundamental principle of nature does not hold in quantum mechanics.
Andrew Murray describes metabolic adaptations of Himalayan Sherpas to low-pressure, low-oxygen conditions at high altitudes.
Fernando Colchero, Roland Rau, and Susan Alberts describe the relationship between lifespan equality and average lifespan.
Rowan Lockwood discusses the sustainability of Native American oyster harvesting in the Chesapeake Bay.
Pelham Keahey describes how differential structured illumination microendoscopy can improve cancer diagnosis.
Entomologist May Berenbaum discusses the effects of agricultural fungicides on honey bee health.
Malcolm MacIver describes how our aquatic ancestors may have become interested in land.
Jeff Schneider explains how self-driving cars use machine learning to learn the rules of the road.
Steven Weinberg describes his experiences writing about science for a general audience.
Researchers Jean-Philippe Vielle-Calzada and Miguel Vallebueno discuss 5,000-year-old partially domesticated maize.
Charles Rice and Robert Landford discuss the future of hepatitis C research without chimpanzees.
George Church, Matthieu Landon, and Michael Napolitano discuss the genetic replacement of arginine codons in E. coli.
Eileen Crimmins discusses the mortality difference between the sexes and its possible causes.
Joshua Elliott discusses potential impacts of climate change on water availability for irrigation.
Amanda Woerman discusses the role of the alpha-synuclein prion in the neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy.
Anne Case and Angus Deaton describe recent changes in mortality trends for white non-Hispanic Americans.
Glaucio Paulino and Evgueni Filipov describe an origami-inspired approach to designing deployable structures and metamaterials.
Mark Jacobson explains the feasability of a 100% wind, water, and solar power grid in the continental United States.
Will Castleman and Cuneyt Berkdemir describe how to mimic rare earth elements using superatom clusters.
Yatrik Shah describes the connection between maternal iron absorption during lactation and neonatal anemia.
Sangeeta Bhatia describes the development of nanoparticles that can aid in detecting cancer and other diseases.
Stanislas Dehaene investigates how certain areas of the brain might be related to mathematical ability.
John Mather of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center explains why and how the James Webb Space Telescope is being built.
Robyn Lee and Marcel Behr investigate the genomics of endemic tuberculosis in Northern Canada.
Anthony James describes how gene drives can be used to spread malaria parasite resistance in mosquitoes.
Anthony Vecchiarelli explains a system of genetic cargo movement within cells that has roots in the work of Alan Turing.
Jintai Lin explains the impact of a global economy on air pollution in China and in the US.
Frank Bates describes how a project related to chewing gum led to materials science discoveries.
Abigail Marsh describes mechanisms of altruistic kidney donors' responsiveness to others' emotions.
Robert Epstein of the American Institute for Behavioral Research describes how search engine rankings can influence voter preferences.
Seth Burgess describes a timeline of events surrounding the end-Permian mass extinction.
Yaara Oren and Tal Pupko describe how bacteria can evolve via transfer of gene regulatory regions.
Noam Sobel explains how a human olfactory fingerprint helps uncover the uniqueness of individuals’ sense of smell.
Rino Rappuoli of GlaxoSmithKline discusses preclinical studies of a vaccine candidate against Staphylococcus aureus.
As AAAS president for 2015, Geraldine Richmond focuses on global scientific engagement.
Jef Boeke explains how to safeguard against unauthorized growth of engineered microorganisms.
Lonnie Thompson discusses clues to Earth's ancient climate history that are stored in tropical glacial ice.
Alán Aspuru-Guzik discusses how he uses supercomputing as a "molecular spaceship" to explore chemical space and discover potentially useful new molecules.
Keith Joung and Feng Zhang explain methods for editing sequences of DNA in living cells.
Veronica Vieland discusses a common disconnect between scientists and statisticians in evaluating scientific evidence.
Robin Ali describes efforts to transplant healthy rod and cone cells into afflicted retinas.
Elaine Mardis discusses how next generation sequencing technology is helping the Pan-Cancer Initiative gain a molecular understanding of cancer.
David Schaffer describes how to culture human stem cells in a fully-defined, scalable 3D medium.
Frank McCormick discusses a National Cancer Institute-led effort to turn a well-known cancer-causing protein into a viable drug target.
James Collins explains how researchers can rewire bacterial cells and control multiple genes simultaneously within a single cell.
Francesco Pennacchio explains how neonicotinoid insecticides can influence the immune response of honey bees.
Caroline Roullier and colleagues won the 2013 Cozzarelli Prize in Behavioral and Social Sciences for their work on the distribution of sweet potatoes in Oceania.
Yoel Sadovsky and Carolyn Coyne describe the placenta's role in protecting the fetus from infection by viruses.
Tad Patzek explains how natural gas production declines over time in hydrofractured wells.
Erik Petigura and Geoffrey Marcy discuss the number of Earth-like planets that may exist in our galaxy.
James "Jay" McClelland describes a parallel distributed processing approach to understanding human cognition.
Alvin Roth discusses how principles of economics can benefit people who need kidney transplants.
Inés Ibañez-Tallon discusses how nicotine and neurons conspire to hamper efforts to quit smoking.
Inder Verma and colleagues describe how a breast cancer-associated gene might be implicated in brain size control in mammals.
Ariena van Bruggen and J. Glenn Morris, Jr. discuss their work on citrus greening, a disease that is threatening the global citrus industry.
C. Thomas Caskey and Amy McGuire discuss whole-genome genetic screening for adult-onset diseases.
James Liao talks about engineering microorganisms to synthesize fuels and chemicals from CO2.
Janet Werker describes how exposure to speech and environmental factors can affect language acquisition by infants.
Neuroscientists John Morrison and Yuko Hara talk about the links between estrogen, mitochondria, and age-related cognitive decline.
Yi Cui discusses how nanometerials are improving the energy storage capacity of batteries.
Deborah Hung talks about identifying new approaches for treating and diagnosing infectious diseases.
Steven Pinker explains the idea of a cognitive niche, which may have facilitated the evolution of human intelligence.
David Laibson describes how behavioral economics can help incentivize positive behaviors.
Nicholas Fisher discusses his recent study investigating the health risks associated with eating seafood contaminated with Fukushima-derived radioactivity.
Nina Mazar discusses her recent study showing that where people sign a form affects how honestly they complete it.
Andrew Zammit-Mangion, Michael Dewar,Visakan Kadirkamanathan, and Guido Sanguinetti describe their statistical model of conflict dynamics and how they tested it using the WikiLeaks Afghan War Diary.
Janet Braam and E. Wassim Chehab discuss how plants anticipate and defend against insect attacks.
Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido, Hanchuan Peng, and Apostolos Georgopoulos describe their research on how dragonflies catch their prey.
Sean Palecek and Xiaojun Lian describe their efficient method for converting stem cells into heart muscle cells.
Clayton R. Magill and Katherine H. Freeman discuss how water availability and ecosystem changes influenced early human habitats.
Bob MacCallum explores how music can evolve from noise based on listeners' preferences.
Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena describes how he engineered a symbiotic bacterium found in mosquito guts to block the transmission of the malaria parasite.
Julie Segre and Liliana Losada discuss human-microbe interactions in a recording of a PNAS Science Cafe event held in Washington, DC on February 27, 2013.
Bernhard Palsson explains how bacteria can be used as factories to produce sustainable products.
Thalia Wheatley and Beau Sievers discuss the structural similarities between music and movement.
E. Peter Greenberg explains how antisense RNA help regulate bacterial social interactions.
David Hu describes his research on how mosquitos survive collisions with raindrops, which could help design better flying robots.
Bob MacCallum explores how music can evolve from noise based on listeners' preferences.
Merlin Hanauer and Chase Mendenhall discuss the science of biodiversity, in the second of two recordings of a PNAS Science Cafe event held in Washington, DC on October 17, 2012.
Merlin Hanauer and Chase Mendenhall discuss the science of biodiversity, in the first of two recordings of a PNAS Science Cafe event held in Washington, DC on October 17, 2012.
Myra Finkelstein discusses her research showing that California condors are significantly threatened by lead from lead-based ammunition.
Chemical biologist Allan Conney discusses his research on caffeine's anticancer properties.
Neuroscientist Charles F. Stevens discusses his research on finding the brain's underlying design principles.
Frances Arnold explains how she harnesses the power of evolution to create proteins and organisms with applications in medicine and in alternative energy.
Sarkis Mazmanian talks about how gut bacteria interact with the immune system to influence health and disease.
David Walt discusses his research on using fluorescent bacteria to send secret messages.
2011 Nobel Prize winner Bruce Beutler talks about his discovery of the first mammalian innate immune receptors, our first line of defense against the threat of microorganisms.
Medical entomologist Scott O'Neill explains how an intracellular bacterium could help curb the spread of dengue virus.
Changhuei Yang and Guoan Zheng talk about their inexpensive, lens-free biomedical imaging device, which could change the way we do microscopy.
Lora Hooper talks about the complex bacterial ecosystem in our gut and its important role in metabolism and immunity.
Baruch Fischhoff and Dietram Scheufele discuss the need for a scientific approach to the communication of science.
Structural biologist Pamela Björkman explains how engineering improved versions of naturally occurring antibodies against HIV might make them promising therapeutic agents.
Cozzarelli Prize winners Robert Saye and James Sethian introduce a numerical method to track complex motions.
Erica Machlin Cox and Selena Sagan discuss an unusual interaction that protects the hepatitis C virus from our body's defenses.
Erin Hanlon and Jeanne Duffy introduce their research on sleep, in a recording of the PNAS "Science of Sleep" event held in Washington, DC on March 14, 2012.
Robert Langer and Steven Zeitels describe a polymer gel that could help patients regain lost voice.
Nancy Adler discusses the need for sex-specific scientific reporting and the role it has played in women's health over the last 20 years.
Psychology experts Daniel Pine and Mark Wiederhold answer fear-related questions from the audience, in second of two recordings from PNAS's "The Science of Fear!" event held in Washington, DC on October 12, 2011.
Psychology experts Daniel Pine and Mark Wiederhold introduce their research on fear, in the first of two recordings from PNAS' "The Science of Fear!" event held in Washington, DC on October 12, 2011.
Daniel Nocera discusses how efficient catalysts can help us store solar energy in the same way plants do.
Molecular biologist Stephen Liberles discusses how prey learn to recognize the scent of a predator.
Donald Ingber discusses the "microfabrication" of human biological systems as a means to replace animal testing during drug development.
Wendy Kellogg discusses her research into social computing and her boots-on-the-ground observations of how mobile phones can impact the developing world.
Stephen Quake discusses rapid DNA sequencing and treating medical patients based on their genomes.
Gregory Abowd discusses the clinical applications of capturing and recording the every day experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder.
George Whitesides discusses an inexpensive and easy-to-use medical diagnostic device that can be used in the developing world.
Jennifer Golbeck discusses the intersection of computer science, sociology, and social networking.
Physicist David Weitz discusses the material properties that make chocolate to-die-for.
Bo Begole discusses ubiquitous computing, behavioral modeling, and smart environments that can anticipate people's information needs.
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Wayne Clough discusses his goal to educate the public about the Smithsonian's groundbreaking scientific research projects.
Roger Beachy discusses the role of genetically modified crops in feeding the world's growing population.
Zvonimir Dogic discusses how viruses can be coaxed into forming self-assembling, polymer membranes.
Won-Yong Song and Jiyoung Park discuss the urgent problem of arsenic-tainted rice in Southeast Asia, and genetically engineered rice plants that would be safe to consume and could help remediate arsenic-contaminated groundwater.
Liza Moscovice discusses what her study on baboon behavior reveals about the evolution of cooperation in humans.
Robina Shaheen and Mark Thiemens discuss an oxygen isotope signature that reveals how carbonates on Mars form in the absence of life.
Cheryl Lyn Walker discusses the role of a cellular protein, called ATM, in offsetting oxidative damage.
Benjamin tenOever discusses his team's prize winning discovery that could be the key to developing a universal influenza A vaccine.
NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins discusses "personalized medicine," a novel approach in which doctors diagnose and treat patients using detailed information about each individual.
Susan Stipp discusses her PNAS research article that reveals whether the ash cloud from the 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano posed a threat to aircraft, and if the widespread airport closures in Europe were warranted.
Jim Jensen, Executive Director of the Office of Congressional and Government Affairs, a branch of the National Research Council, discusses how scientific research shapes public policy.
Kei Koizumi, Assistant Director for Federal Research and Development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discusses some aspects of the President's 2012 research budget.
Nate Lewis dicusses the design principles and applications of electronic artificial noses.
Peter Schiller discusses a device that could one day restore sight to the blind by directly stimulating the visual cortex.
PNAS Editor-in-Chief Randy Schekman discusses the journal's new option to publish online-only research articles.
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke discusses his research in nano-healing, a technology that halts bleeding and helps the brain and body to recover from injury and disease.
David Hillis explains how phylogenetics can be used to solve criminal cases involving the intentional transmission of HIV via unprotected sex.
Paul Ekman, the scientist whose research inspired the Fox television drama "Lie to Me," explains that almost everyone can learn to read the facial microexpressions that reveal concealed emotions, but that the technique is no "Pinocchio's nose."
Neil Shubin researches the evolutionary origin of anatomical features. Dr. Shubin's most recent discovery, Tiktaalik roseae, has been dubbed the "missing link" between fish and land animals. Dr. Shubin discusses Tiktaalik and the evolutionary shift from life in water to life on land.
Marcel Salathé researches disease transmission and prevention, at the Penn State University Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. To investigate how flu-like diseases spread through schools, Dr. Salathé used wireless sensors to measure the number of close-proximity, person-to-person interactions during a typical day at a local high school.
Charles J. Weschler studies the chemistry of indoor pollutants, including airborne particles, volatile organic compounds, and inorganic gases such as ozone. Listen as Dr. Weschler discusses the consequences of indoor pollution at home and in the workplace.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, author, host of "NOVA ScienceNOW," and the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Listen as Dr. Tyson discusses the extraordinary capabilities of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, author, host of "NOVA ScienceNOW," and the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Listen as Dr. Tyson discusses the balance between scientific credibility and public exposure, and the pitfalls of challenging Pluto's status as a planet.
Dr. Mae Jemison is a physician and scientist, who on September 12, 1992 aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, became the world's first woman of color to travel into space. Listen as Dr. Jemison discusses race and gender bias in science education, and the importance of public science literacy.
Dr. Nathan Wolfe is the Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford University and Director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative. Listen as Dr. Wolfe discusses malaria and the parasites that cause it, and his research that determined the origin of malignant malaria in humans.
Dr. Lennart Balk discusses the thiamine deficiency syndrome killing European wild birds.
Listen as Dr. Daniel Rugar discusses his 100 million-fold improvement in resolution to conventional magnetic resonance imaging.
Michael Köttgen and Owen Woodward discuss identifying a key gene associated with gout, and the possible therapeutic implications.
John Dore discusses the connection between rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the increasing acidity of Earth's oceans.
Edward C. Holmes is a professor of biology and a Distinguished Senior Scholar in the Eberly College of Science at the Pennsylvania State University. Listen as Dr. Holmes discusses his research on using comparative genomics to study the genetic evolution of RNA viruses.
Alessandro Acquisti is an Associate Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Listen as Dr. Acquisti discusses his research in the economics of privacy and his 2009 PNAS research article on predicting Social Security numbers.
Maureen Cropper is an economics professor at the University of Maryland and a former lead economist at the World Bank. Listen as Dr. Cropper discusses her research in environmental economics and her 2008 election into the National Academy of Sciences.
James Thomson is best known for his pioneering work that isolated and cultured non-human primate and human embryonic stem cells. Listen as Dr. Thomson discusses his research and the future of stem cells in medical uses ranging from drug discovery, transplantation, and as a basic research tool.
Emily Carter's work merges quantum mechanics, applied mathematics, and solid state physics to create simulations of various molecules and materials. Listen as Dr. Carter discusses her research and her 2008 election to the National Academy of Sciences.
Richard Klein served as editor for the PNAS Special Feature titled "Out of Africa". This collection of articles explores the historical expansion of Homo sapiens from Africa to Eurasia. The Special Feature, along with an editorial by Dr. Klein, will publish in the September 22 issue of PNAS.
Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz's laboratory at the National Institutes of Health works to characterize the fundamental principles governing protein geography and movement within cells. Dr. Lippincott-Schwartz talks about her work and her recent election to the National Academy of Sciences.
"Decreases in dengue transmission may act to increase the incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever"
"Neurons derived from reprogrammed fibroblasts functionally integrate into the fetal brain and improve symptoms of rats with Parkinson's disease"
Randy Schekman, the PNAS Editor-in-Chief, discusses the selection process and history of the Cozzarelli Prize. The Cozzarelli Prize is given annually to six outstanding PNAS articles, each representing one of the major disciplines of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fred Gage is a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. In this podcast, Dr. Gage talks about the subtleties involved as researchers explore how to use stem cells to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Thomas Wellems is the head of the Malaria and Vector Research Unit at the National Institutes of Health. In this episode, he discusses the advances made in the fight against malaria and the problems that still remain.
Bruce Alberts is the former President of the National Academy of Sciences and the current editor-in-chief of Science. In this podcast, Dr. Alberts talks about how he generates ideas for editorials, how Science approaches issues of scientific misconduct, and his opinion on the proliferation of journals worldwide.
PNAS is one of the world's most-cited multidisciplinary scientific journals and has been published by the National Academies since 1915. This podcast, part of the Sounds of Science produced by the National Academies, looks at the history and future of this publication with Ken Fulton, publisher of PNAS.
Pamela J. Fraker was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. She is known for her investigations of the impact of nutritional deficiencies, particularly of zinc, on immune defense. Her work provided evidence that deficiency in protein--calories causes a decline in antibody and cell mediated responses, which leads to higher rates of infection, poor wound healing, and other adverse impacts in the malnourished and those with chronic disease.
Ran Nathan organized the Movement Ecology Special Feature for PNAS. He is an associate professor and the chair of the department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Jerusalem, Israel.
Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1990 for her work in the field of Plant Biology, Nina Fedoroff is a pioneer in the molecular aspects of plant transposable elements. Building upon the work of Barbara McClintock, she elucidated the sequence of some of these elements, demonstrated their utility for gene cloning and was instrumental in converting the study of plant transposable elements into one accessible by molecular techniques.
Richard T. Durrett was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in applied mathematical sciences. Durrett's research in probability theory concerns problems that arise from ecology and genetics. He has developed mathematical models to study the evolution of microsatellites, impacts of selective sweeps on genetic variation, genome rearrangement, gene duplication, and gene regulation.
C. Owen Lovejoy was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in the field of anthropology. Lovejoy overturned traditional models of human origins by integrating biomechanics into biological anthropology, demonstrating that the earliest hominids walked on two legs. He developed novel methods for quantifying sexual dimorphism and revealing the demographics of prehistoric humans.
Albert Libchaber was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in physics. Libchaber has made lasting and fundamental contributions to experimental chaos dynamics and its application to biological physics, from elucidating the forces at work when a fish swims through water to defining the minimal conditions necessary for artificial life.
John G. Hildebrand was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. His work on the functional organization, physiology, and development of the central olfactory system of insects has made him a pioneer in analyzing neural mechanisms underlying chemosensory control of mating behavior and insect--plant interactions. This work has application in disruption of insect mating behavior and herbivory, with practical benefit to human health and welfare.
Understanding the nanoparticle-protein corona using methods to quantify exchange rates and affinities of proteins for nanoparticles.