How On Earth: Recent Episodes
How On Earth
Courtesy: Patagonia WorksHelping Wild Animals Roam (start time: 3:29) Wild animals, whether buffalos or bats, need space to move around–not just to survive, but to forage, reproduce, migrate, and generally thrive as a species. But it’s getting increasingly difficult for so many species to do this, thanks to humans breaking up their habitats to build roads, fences, housing developments, croplands, etc. Of course, climate change, pesticides, and other stressors compound the problem. In this week’s (fall fund drive) show, host Susan Moran interviews Hillary Rosner, a local environmental journalist and University of Colorado Boulder assistant teaching professor of journalism. Her debut book, called Roam: Wild Animals and the Race to Repair Our Fractured World (Patagonia Works), will be released next week. In her reporting, Hillary digs into some of the threats to wildlife here in the U.S. and elsewhere, as well as bold efforts by individual humans and communities to repair and connect landscapes enough to let many animal populations thrive. And in many cases, helping wildlife move also helps human communities become economically and socially stronger.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show & Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Listen to the show here:
This episode features Miles O’Brien, a science journalist who has been a correspondent for PBS News and CNN. He talks about his experience breaking in to science journalism, past and current science reporting, public and political views of science, the value of scientific research, and some particular stories including beavers, prostheses, and climate change research in Antarctica. This feature is an interview by KBUT‘s Toni Todd and shared with us via Rocky Mountain Community Radio.
And we also have a report on the recent government claims about autism and use of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) during pregnancy, which is disputed by researchers and medical groups. We provide the full transcript of the press conference held by SciLine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science with Brian Lee, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University.
Host: Joel Parker
Show Producer/Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Additional contributions: Shelley Schlender
Listen to the show.
On this week’s How On Earth, Beth spoke with two cosmetic chemists, hosts of the podcast The Beauty Brains. We touched on some basic questions I have regarding some of the universe of products, such as shampoos, body lotions and sun screens. Beauty Brains Perry Romanowski and Valerie George, are both veteran cosmetic product developers who have worked on some of the most popular beauty products in the world. They’ve written dozens of science articles and books. Their book, Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry is used in several college programs. You can find transcripts of their podcast episodes on their website.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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Menopause & HT (start time: 0:58) It happens to every woman with a uterus who reaches midlife. Menopause is a major hormonal transition that, although very challenging for some women, is natural, and (get this!) even advantageous to civilization. Think grandmothers! Yet menopause has been largely dismissed by the medical community. As a result, too many women suffer through menopause in pain, shame, and loneliness. In this week’s show, host Susan Moran interviews Dr. Jen Gunter, a gynecologist and specialist in chronic pain medicine. She wrote the book The Menopause Manifesto (2021), and she’s among a growing cadre of medical practitioners who are pushing to bring more information to women about what to expect during menopause and about treatment options, including hormones.
Resources: The Menopause Society; Australasian Menopause Society
Host/ Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineers/technical assistants: Shelley Schlender, Maeve Conran
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Listen to the show here:
On this week’s How on Earth, Beth describes recent developments in defunding NIH research and CDC limits on vaccine availability; then digs into vaccine safety and development with global vaccine expert, Dr Dr Kawsar Talaat. Dr Talaat is a physician who is board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and whose research focuses on vaccines. She has worked on clinical trials for a variety of vaccines, including influenza, malaria, Ebola, and several gut bacteria. Currently, Dr. Talaat oversees COVID-19 vaccine trials in adults and children, and is Johns Hopkins Principal Investigator for the CDC Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment project.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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Climate change. Astronomy. A canine astronaut. They intersect in our guest, astronomer and author Dr. Jeff Bennett. Among other things, we focus on climate change and policy – present and future.
Dr. Bennett got his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado, and he served two years as a Visiting Senior Scientist at NASA Headquarters, where he was the first scientist hired within a science division specifically to leverage science missions for education. As an author, Dr. Bennett has written college textbooks in astronomy, mathematics, statistics, and astrobiology, and a freely available, interactive digital textbook about Earth and Space Science for middle- and high-school students. He also has written popular books that include a series for children about an intrepid astronaut dog named Max, who goes to the Moon, Mars and elsewhere.
A particular topic we plan to delve into today with Dr. Bennett is regarding his book titled: “A Global Warming Primer: Pathway to a Post-Global Warming Future”. A current issue is the EPA’s proposal to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. The comment period for the proposed rule change has been extended to September 22. Other issues include the Department of Energy’s recent report critical of climate change research (see rebuttals of the report by Dr. Bennett and others), and whether NASA will continue doing climate and other Earth-based science.
Host: Joel Parker
Show Producer/Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
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US Critical Earth Metals “Hiding in Plain Sight” (starts 1:00) Colorado School of Mines has just published a new study that indicates the US has enough critical earth metals to stop importing them from other countries . . . if we develop the capacity.
Bill McKibben – Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization. (starts 3:15) Celebrated environmental journalist and activist Bill McKibben will be part of a nationwide “Sun Day” day of action September 21st, celebrating the power of clean energy.. McKibben will be in Boulder Tuesday, September 23rd for a book talk at 6:30 pm at Unity of Boulder Church.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer:Shelley Schlender
Additional Contribution: Benita Lee
On this week’s show we replay an interview from two years ago with author John Valliant on his then-newly released book, Fire Weather, the story – and much more- of the groundbreaking wildfire that devastated the oil sands capital city of Fort McMurray in Alberta. Given the current outbreaks of Colorado wildfires, getting bigger and harder to contain each year, Valiant’s message of the changing nature of these horrifying disasters is ever more pertinent. Also, headlines on the evolving nature of science in another changing climate of federal oversight.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer:Beth Bennett
Additional Contribution: Joel Parker
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Waleed Abdalati
photo credit: CIRESStanding Up for Science (start time: 6:39) Since President Trump began his second term in January, his administration has been on a rapid-fire campaign to slash federal funding for scientific research, particularly in the fields of climate and earth systems science. Colorado is feeling the pain. President Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes steep cuts in funding to NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which funds and manages research on wildfires, extreme heat waves, floods, and much more. NOAA contributes a huge amount to Colorado’s economy, and its research helps saves lives. The proposed budget cuts would likely result in the shuttering of two cooperative institutes in Colorado that are affiliated with and largely funded by NOAA. Those are the Cooperative Institute for Research on Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University. In today’s show, host Susan Moran talks with Dr. Waleed Abdalati, director of CIRES and a professor of geography at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Show contributor: Juanita Huérfano
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
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The history of astronomy has many stories of trying to understand our universe, and those stories are connected by a common thread: looking at the sky, whether with our eyes or with increasingly powerful telescopes. The newest entry in this telescopic journey is the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Located in Chile, this observatory has an audacious goal: to repeatedly observe the entire sky visible from its location every few nights, with a project called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.
To talk about the Vera Rubin observatory and its science goals, our guest today is Dr. Tony Tyson, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Tyson’s research focuses on experimental physics and cosmology, and he is the Observatory’s Chief Scientist.
Host: Joel Parker
Show Producer/Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Additional Contributions: Beth Bennett
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 05: U.S. President Donald Trump and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, hold a press briefing with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on April 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation that all Americans should wear masks or cloth face coverings in public settings. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)Today on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Dr Jon Samet, former dean of the Colorado School of Public Health and Professor of Epidemiology and Occupational and Environmental Health. Dr. Samet has served on and chaired numerous committees of the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, also chairing the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee of the U.S. EPA and the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. He has an insider view on some of the implications of the newly elected administration for science.Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Jackie Sedler
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image from NASA/JPL-CaltechToday’s show features NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which launched on October 14th, 2024 on a Falcon Heavy rocket, setting the spacecraft on its 10-year journey to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa. Europa Clipper carries nine instruments to study this ocean world covered by an ice shell to determine if there are places in the watery depths below the surface that could support life. The mission’s goals are to study ice shell, the sub-surface ocean, and the moon’s composition and geology. Our guest is Dr. Bonnie Buratti, a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Deputy Project Scientist for the Europa Clipper mission.
COP16: Hope & Hurdles (start time: 1:20) On this week’s show, host Susan Moran interviews two conservation biologists at Colorado State University — Chris Funk and Liba Pejchar. They both recently attended the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, which is still underway in Cali, Colombia, and they share their experiences, perspectives, and optimism from the global gathering. Nearly 200 nations are attending the summit to negotiate targets aimed at slowing the alarming decline in plant and animal species and critical habitats around the world. The outcomes of the talks could determine the roadmap for the future of the planet (despite the fact that the United States has not been a signatory to the global biodiversity treaty). The stakes are high: Biodiversity is shrinking globally faster than at any time in history, with around 1 million plant and animal species currently threatened with extinction, according to an intergovernmental panel of scientists. Two years ago, the biodiversity conference, which convenes every two years, met in Montreal and hashed out a landmark agreement. Among the 23 measures in the accord is a commitment to place 30 percent of the planet, and 30 percent of degraded ecosystems, under protection by 2030. Some progress has been made, yet so far no nations have met their targets, and COP has no enforcement mechanism.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
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WIldfire Mushroom c Coldfire ProjectWild, local mushrooms can break down deadwood into healthy soil, and they can do this surprisingly fast. Used correctly, fungi are an emerging way to reduce the forest tinder that makes mega-wildfires more likely. But there’s a wrong way and a right way to use mushrooms for mitigation Our experts today will talk about the ways that are safe for the environment, and the results.
Our experts today are Jeff Ravage of the Coldfire Project and Zach Hedstrom of Boulder Mushroom . They describe efforts underway to use mushrooms to break down deadwood into soil — to reduce forest tinder and also for sequestering carbon in soil.
Host/Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Nobel Laureate and CU Boulder researcher Tom Cech. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)CU Boulder Nobel Prize Winner Tom Cech discusses his new book, The Catalyst, RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets
Tom Cech is our featured interview for the KGNU Fall Membership Drive. Thank you to listeners who are contributing funds to help our volunteer powered, noncommercial, community radio station. If you like what you hear and want to aid our efforts, please donate securely on line at KGNU.org.
If you would like to join our team of volunteers who report for the science show and make it happen, please contact us via: contact [no spam] howonearthradio.org
Just put the @ where it belongs.
Hosts: Shelley Schlender, Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Image credit: Brown UniversityBeliefs, Perceptions, Decision-making (start time: 4:37) For many people if feels like our society, and our beliefs, have never been as polarized as they are now. Indeed, we are living in a politically polarized society. But it’s not as unique, or as extreme, as many think. In this week’s show we look behind the curtain of our beliefs and behaviors, and we discuss how emotions, far more than reason, determine our decision-making, including how we vote.
How On Earth host Susan Moran interviews Leaf Van Boven, a psychology professor at CU Boulder; and Drew Westen, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, who is the author of The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Listen to the show here:
Boulder Colorado Nature HikesLocal Science/Nature Calendar (starts 1:00) We share news about the Marshall Mesa Trailhead Closure to eliminate burning underground coal, CSU Professor Mark Easter talks about the Blue Plate Book Launch, THIS THURSDAY at Boulder’s Patagonia Store, and a Hiking Song:Vocal Improvisation in the Wild, NEXT THURSDAY October 9th.
Tiny “Peacock” Spider c James O’HanlonEIGHT-LEGGED WONDERS: The Surprising Lives of Spiders (starts 5:41) HowonEarth Hosts talk about spider phobias, and zoologist James O’Hanlon shares stories from his new book about peacock spiders, vegetarian spiders, spiders in outer space, and more.
Hosts: Esther Frost, Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Jackie Sedley
The Blue Plate in a Red-hot World (start time: 7:46) While adding cream to your morning cup of coffee, or digesting the hamburger that you grilled last night, you might not have been asking yourself, What’s the carbon footprint of these ingredients and meals? Understandable. Our guest today, ecologist Mark Easter, however, has pondered this question intensely for many years, when he grocery shops, plans his next meal, and researches. Easter is a so-called greenhouse gas accountant, one who measures the sources and sinks of GHG emissions from agricultural practices.
It’s a vexing and critical calculus. After all, agriculture generates more than 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Easter’s debut book, The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos (Patagonia), has just been published. It highlights not just the causes of our climate crisis, but also a growing number of farmers, ranchers and orchardists who are practicing low-carbon, soil-enhancing methods on their land, and as a result boosting their crop yields and revenues.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer/Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Headline contributors: Beth Bennett, Joel Parker, Shelley Schlender
Listen to the show here:
Colorado Parks & Wildlife Wolf ReleaseWolf Family Recaptured (Starts 1:40) Colorado Parks & Wildlife did not reply to our request for an update on the fate of Colorado’s newly captured wild wolf family. CU Boulder Professor Marc Bekoff did, offering suggestions for how to improve human-wolf interactions under the voter mandate to reintroduce wolves to Colorado. Go here for a transcript and extended interview with Marc Bekoff. Go here to see the “Kill Permit” Colorado Parks & Wildlife denied to the rancher who lives near the wolf family’s den.
HOOF BEATS. How Horses Shaped Human History. (Starts ) We speak with CU-Boulder Archeologist William Taylor about his new book, Hoofbeats, that chronicles the origin of horses and the human/horse bond. Taylor will give a talk about his new book, Thursday, September 19th at the Boulder Bookstore.
Special music courtesy of YouTube and The Hu, about Mongolia, the cradle of horse domestication, where a horse culture still exists and thrives.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Engineer: Jackie Sedley
This is an extended interview with CU Boulder Wildlife Expert Marc Bekoff about challenges and possibilities with Colorado Wolf Reintroduction. For the broadcast interview, GO Here. And here is an AI-generated written transcipt.
Peter McGrawSOLO: Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own. CU Boulder Professor, Behavioral Economist and book author Peter McGraw uses statistical data and personal anecdotes to explain the growing worldwide trend for adults to live “Solo.”
(for Cat Ladies song, go here)
Show Producer and Host: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
When people talk about going to the Moon, it is often in terms of establishing a station there, or finding water, or doing science about the Moon such as studying moon rocks. But we can do interesting science from the Moon that can’t be done on Earth, which is our topic today with guest Dr. Jack Burns, Professor Emeritus in the University of Colorado Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences and Department of Physics. We talk about doing radio astronomy with instruments on the Moon such as ROLSES, LuSEE-Night, and FarView.
Show Producer and Host: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender, Beth Bennett
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On this week’s show Beth speaks with Joe Swanson and Laura Backus to discuss some of the invasive weeds that are plaguing Boulder County. Joe is the County Weed Coordinator for Boulder County Parks & Open Space. Joe has worked for over 17 years in rangeland and natural areas management and has been on the forefront of Boulder County Parks & Open Space natural areas invasive weed management program. Laura is a local ecologist with several decades of experience and concern in the same area. The efforts they describe are helping to restore the ecology and ecosystem function in our incredibly diverse open space lands. Photos of invasive weeds are available on the county website as is a form for reporting them.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Jackie Sedler
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Animal Communication Science (start time: 2:57) Whether you own a dog or horse, or have listened to dolphins, wolves, chimpanzees or other wild animals, you’ve probably wondered what they’re saying when they communicate vocally – and why do they communicate the way they do? Our guest, zoologist Arik Kershenbaum, explores recent scientific discoveries in animal vocal communication in his new book Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication (Penguin Press). His exploration of wolves howling, dolphins whistling, gibbons warbling, and far more, poses more questions than answers about the natural world, including our place in it. In this week’s science show (listen here or download the podcast) host Susan Moran interviews Dr. Kershenbaum, a lecturer and fellow at Girton College, University of Cambridge, where he is a member of the Bioacoustics Research Group. Previously he wrote the book The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer/Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
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In this fire prone season, we talk with experts about an ancient building technique that might reduce the chance that a building’s going to burn. Unfired, compressed earth blocks are a building material that involves clay, sand and lime. Our guests are architect-engineer Lisa Morey and one of her clients, Matteo Rabescini, who had such a home built in Superior, Colorado after the 2021 Marshall fire. You can read more at Colorado Earth/Nova Terra, Heart of A Building, and Lisa Morey’s substack.
Hosts: Esther Frost, Joel Parker
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender, Joel Parker
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
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credit: Maeve Conran. The Flatirons in Boulder shrouded in wildfire smoke on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality alert due to particle pollution and ozone levels.Wildfire smoke has marred the Front Range in recent weeks, due to Megafires that are likely to become more frequent. And more smoke is likely.
Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Starts 00:00) Beth Bennett speaks with author John Vaillant about the Canadian firestorm that forced 100,000 people to run for their lives . . . and why firestorms like this are becoming more common. (For extended version, go here)
Smokey Skies (Starts 15:00) The Front Range is getting eye-stinging smoke from wildfires over 1,000 miles away . . . last week, from Canada, and this week, likely from California, according to the Colorado Smoke Blog. University of Utah Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Derek Mallia speaks with Rocky Mountain Community Radio Director, Maeve Conran, about why wildfire smoke travels so far, and how people can protect themselves from its toxic effects.
Host/Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Beth Bennett and Maeve Conran
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Photo credit: Jeff MittonClever Chickadees on the Front Range (start time: 4:20) Many of us wake up these days to a chorus of songbirds, including mountain and black-capped chickadees. Host Susan Moran interviews Scott Taylor, an ecologist at CU Boulder and director of the Mountain Research Station near the Continental Divide, about a multi-year study, the Boulder Chickadee Study, in which the Taylor Lab team is learning about the interbreeding and food-storing behaviors of these two closely related species.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Listen to the show here:
On this week’s How on Earth we’re airing a show produced by Science Moab’s Peggy Hodgkins. She speaks with Professor Kari Veblen, who is currently a professor of rangeland ecology at Utah State University. Her research focuses on the ecology and management of rangelands, including questions related to restoration, plant community dynamics, grazing and unraveling livestock vs. wildlife effects on their environment. Her research takes place predominantly on multi-use rangelands that are managed simultaneously for livestock production and wildlife conservation. She works closely with both public and private land managers, as well as interdisciplinary teams of scientists, to find ways to improve restoration and other management practices.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer:Beth Bennett
Headline: Joel Parker
Engineer: Jackie Sedley
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In this episode, we talk with journalist and author Rebecca Boyle about her book Our Moon – How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are. We discuss how the Moon impacts all aspects of our lives including the creation of life. It is a key component to philosophy and religion, culture and agriculture, art and science, sense of time, and sense of our place in the universe.
Producer/Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
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Making “Compostable” Products Truly Compostable (start time: 0:56) You’ve probably wracked your brain at some point trying to figure out whether the compostable-labelled clamshell or the green-tinted plastic cup you got at a restaurant is truly compostable. Many products contain misleading and outright false claims, leaving consumers confused about how to do good by the planet. Indeed, tons of food and yard waste, as well as organic food-packaging products, end up in landfills, where they decompose under anaerobic conditions and generate methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent, if shorter-lasting, than carbon dioxide. Organic waste from landfills and wastewater is the third largest source of human-related methane emissions, after livestock and oil and gas emissions, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute.
On this week’s show, host Susan Moran interviews Dan Matsch, the director of the Compost Department at Eco-Cycle in Boulder; and Nora Goldstein, editor and publisher of BioCycle, about a new product-labeling law in Colorado and other efforts to hold product manufacturers accountable, and to clean up the waste stream.
(Click here for the Compostable Labeling Complaint Form in Colorado. And listen to our recent “The Dirt on Composting” show.)
Host/ Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineers: Jackie Sedley, Greta Kerkhoff
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Listen to the show here:
This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with author and cheesemaker extraordinaire and author, David Asher, about his book Milk Into Cheese: The Foundations of Natural Cheesemaking. The science and art of cheese.
David Asher has a long career as an educator, activist, and celebrated natural cheesemaker. In our conversation, you’ll hear about the cultures and processes underlying the making of some cheeses, the role of agricultural practices in making cheese, the biological evolution of cheese, and the transformation of milk into cheese through fermentation. Also an update on Long Covid – possible causes and treatments.
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
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c Wiki Media from Olympus Digital CameraMatt Johnson of Namaste Solar and Stu Cummings of Go Electric Colorado share climate friendly ways to keep your home power going, even if power from your utility suddenly goes out. It’s a discussion spurred by April’s massive power outages, when Xcel Energy Colorado abruptly shut off power to over 150,000 Denver Metro homes, citing concerns that downed power lines might spark a wildfire.
Hosts: Shelley Schlender, Esther Frost
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Photo credit: CU BoulderComposting for Human, Soil and Climate Health (start time: 4:39) It’s late spring, when many people are out gardening, planting vegetables, and spreading compost on the soil to give those veggies a leg up. Composting also benefits the planet. If dumped into landfills, organic waste breaks down and releases methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent, if shorter-lasting, than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Municipal solid waste landfills are a major source of methane emissions. On this week’s show, host Susan Moran talks with two experts about the climate, ecological and human health benefits of composting, and some roadblocks to increasing the low rates of composting in the U.S., including Colorado. Dan Matsch is the director of the Compost Department at Eco-Cycle in Boulder. He had been a commercial organic farmer for many years. Mark Easter is an ecologist focusing on the carbon footprint of food and fiber. He worked for many years as a research research associate at Colorado State University. And Mark is the author of the forthcoming book The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos (September 2024, Patagonia).
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Headline contributor: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlener
Listen to the show here:
On this week’s show, Beth speaks with Jennifer Ackerman, about her new book, What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds. In a writing career spanning over three decades, Jennifer has covered many aspects of science and nature but recently has focused on birds. In the book she regales the reader with the amazing adaptations of owls to their predatory lifestyle, and visits to many field biologists studying these avian hunters. You can see the fantastic photography of owl flight as captured by the BBC here.
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender & BBC Science
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
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This week on How on Earth, we revisit bees and pollination biology. Beth spoke with Professor Michael Breed about honeybees and other pollinators. These insects provide crucial service to our agricultural systems by pollinating flowers whose seeds and fruit produce our foods. But many of us ignore or take them for granted. The Colorado State University Extension Service offers a lot of information on local pollinators.
You’ll also hear about the once-in-200-years event occurring when 13 and 17-year cicadas emerge this month.
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
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Birds of Spring, Habitat Preservation (start time: 3:08) It’s springtime, when many of us are woken up at the crack of dawn by a chorus of chickadees or other songbirds outside. To celebrate these emblems of spring, and World Migratory Bird Day (May 18), How On Earth’s Susan Moran interviews two bird/nature experts about the state of affairs for the North America bird population , including threats to their survival, efforts to preserve their habitats, and how we humans can get outside and appreciate the natural world while helping to give birds, insects and other wildlife a leg up. Terri Schulz is senior conservation ecologist at The Nature Conservancy Colorado, focusing on preserving habitats throughout Colorado. Dave Sutherland is a naturalist in Boulder who worked for many years as environmental education coordinator at the City of Boulder’s Open Space Mountain Parks. He leads frequent nature hikes.
Host/Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Jackie Sedley
Executive Producer/Contributor: Shelley Schlender
Listen to the show here:
Gold Lab Foundation 2024 IllustrationGold Lab Symposium on Science and Health. (starts 6:40) Boulder scientist and entrepreneur, Larry Gold, shares a sneak preview of this year’s Gold Lab Symposium at CU-Boulder Muenzinger Auditorium this Thursday and Friday. This year’s symposium focuses on Pain, Culture and Intelligence.
The symposium includes discussion of the paper, Organ aging signatures in the plasma proteome track health and disease
CU-Wizards (starts 1:00) and the upcoming show with CU-Boulder Nobel Prize Winner Eric Cornell
Scott Falci – Denver Neurosurgeon (starts 2:45) and the quest to solve suicidal pain in people who have been paralyzed. Falci will speak live at the Gold Lab Symposium.
Executive & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Joel Parker
Dr. Danile Wildcat c Indian LeaderRising Voices Changing Coasts – Indigenous Science leader Daniel Wildcat, talks about the Rising Voices/Changing Coasts symposium taking place this week Boulder. The symposium connects Indigenous Leaders with climate scientists to solve pressing climate and environmental challenges..
Science Moab – Our “sister science program” features two Native American students, who tap the wisdom of Western scientists and Native American elders as they explore desert biocrusts and how to clean up uranium mines. Go here for the full interview.
Executive & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Esther Frost, Benita Lee, Science Moab
Seahorses (starts 4:10) Science Writer Till Hein explains his new book, The Curious World of Seahorses: The Life and Lore of a Marine Marvel.
Also in this episode, we share this week’s DomeFest West at CU-Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium (starts 2:00). And we share congratulations to three new CU-Boulder members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (starts 1:00)
Executive Producer & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Esther Franke, Joel Parker
In this week’s show, Beth speaks with rewilder Derek Gow about his new book, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, in which he explores the mythology, mystery and history of wolves in Europe, and their speckled history with our species.
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Esther Franke, Joel Parker
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
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Dr. Christopher KerrThe Science of Deathbed Visions Many people have visions and dreams as they near the end of their life in which they reunite with loved ones who have gone before them. What can science tell us about these mysterious and common experiences? And how do they affect those who have them? These are questions that Chris Kerr, a hospice physician and neurobiologist, set out to answer through research decades after he witnessed his dying father having one when Kerr was an adolescent. Dr. Kerr, is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. He was featured in a recent New York Times magazine article . He is also the author of the book Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning in End-of-Life Dreams.
Host: Susan Moran
Producers: Susan Moran, Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
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Corban Tillemann Dick c Maybell QuantumColorado – The Quantum State: We speak with Corban Tillemann-Dick about how Colorado has emerged as a world leader in Quantum Technologies. Tillemann-Dick will speak at CU-Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs, Thursday, 10:30, at the UMC Central Ballroom. Tillemann-Dick heads up Elevate Quantum, a consortium of over 85 quantum-focused organizations in Colorado and the Mountain West. He’s also the founder and a CEO of the Denver company, Maybell Quantum. It’s named after the tiny town of Maybell, Colorado, which holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Colorado – Minus 61 Degrees Fahrenheit. Maybell Quantum honors the little town’s record-breaking cold with a refrigerator the company calls “The Icebox” Quantum computers can only operate at the incredibly cold temperature of -441 F. Maybell Quantum’s Icebox” is designed to help quantum processors stay that supercold – which is one of the many keys to unlocking the quantum breakthroughs up ahead.
Show Producer, Executive Producer and Host: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Pam Johnson
In this episode of How on Earth, we talk about the upcoming 2024 April 8th solar eclipse. Our guests are science writer David Baron, author of American Eclipse, and Dr. Doug Duncan, served as Director of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium.
Show Producer and Host: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
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Lake Mead’s water level
Credit: Research GateColorado River: Promise and Peril (start time: 6:28) For more than two decades the Colorado River has been shrinking, afflicted by climate change-induced drought, population growth, and water politics. Some 40 million people living in seven states, and 30 tribes, depend on the river. The Upper Basin — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico– have been at odds with Lower Basin states – California, Nevada and Arizona — over who should do more to cut back on water use. Meanwhile, here in Colorado, cities and towns on the Front Range have been clashing with those on the Western Slope over water from the river. After all, Front Range cities get almost half of their water from the Western Slope, through transmountain diversions. In this week’s show, host Susan Moran interviews two journalists who have been covering water issues in the West. They recently produced a feature on a surprising new water-rights purchase that could ease west-vs-east tensions, while giving endangered fish a leg up. Alex Hager is a reporter covering the Colorado River Basin for KUNC and many NPR network stations. Luke Runyon is co-director of The Water Desk, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Journalism at CU Boulder. Previously he was managing editor and a reporter at KUNC.
Host/Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
Headline contributors: Joel Parker, Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
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This is the third and final episode of a series where we hear about recent research presented at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) January 2024 meeting.
Habitable Worlds Observatory (starts at 5:15) Dr. Megan Ansdell, Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters in the Astrophysics Division and the Planetary Science Division, talks about the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a proposed mission for a large ultraviolet, optical, infrared space telescope.
iStock/dane_markImpostor Phenomenon (starts at 14:28) Jennifer Bates, a licensed clinical social worker, the Broadening Participation Program manager at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the project lead for the Radio Astronomy Data Imaging and Analysis Lab discusses Imposter Phenomenon and how it affects science researchers.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer and Host: Joel Parker
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender
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Peter McGraw cc Glenn J. Asakawa
Copyright: University of ColoradoIn this Spring Pledge Drive show, we talk with CU-Boulder professor and behavioral economist Peter McGraw about his new book, Solo: Building a Remarkable Life of your own. The book is also available through KGNU for listeners who give a donation to support this non-commercial, community radio station.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer/Engineer: Shelley Schlender
Hosts: Shelley Schlender/Susan Moran
This is the second episode of a series where we hear about recent research presented at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) January 2024 meeting.
Credit: ESO/Igor Chekalin3D Astronomy (starts at 3:08) Dr. Nicole Karnath, Research Scientist, at Space Science Institute, talks about using the Hubble Space Telescope and the airborne SOFIA telescope to explore the wondrous 3D world of protostellar shocks.
AI in Astrophysics (starts at 17:38) Dr. Megan Ansdell, Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters in the Astrophysics Division and the Planetary Science Division, talks about using artificial intelligence and machine learning in astrophysics research, and how AI/ML can be applied to large datasets, and the example of data that will come from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer and Host: Joel Parker
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This week’s How On Earth offers two features:
Deep-sea Coral
photo credit: NOAADeep-sea coral reef discovery (start time: 0:58) Scientists recently discovered and mapped the largest known deep-sea coral reef in the world. It’s located up to 200 miles off the U.S. Atlantic Coast, and it’s larger than Vermont. The news comes as a bright spot for oceans and marine life, when ocean acidification related to global warming, as well as overfishing, have been destroying coral reefs around the world. Contributing host Kara Fox interviews Kasey Cantwell, the operations chief for the Expeditions and Exploration Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about the big discovery and its implications.
Deep-sea mineral nodules
photo credit: NOAADeep-sea mining: promises and perils (start time: 10:48) Exploratory mining of the ocean floor for minerals began decades ago. Although commercialization remains elusive, some some companies are moving rapidly to exploit the seabed for commercial use. They aim to harness critical minerals – manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt and others – for use in the production of electric vehicle batteries, cell phones, wind turbines, etc. Some scientists, environmentalists, a regulatory body, and even some auto and tech companies, have called for at least a temporary ban on seabed mining, out of concern about its impact on marine life. Host Kara Fox interviews Farah Obaidullah, founder of the conservation group The Ocean and Us, and editor of a book of the same name, about seabed mining.
Hosts/Producers: Kara Fox, Susan Moran
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
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In this week’s show Beth speaks with author Annabel Abbs-Streets about her new book, SLEEPLESS: Unleashing the Subversive Power of the Night Self, in which she dives into both the science of sleep and sleeplessness, and a new perspective on life after midnight.
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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AI for Police Worn Body Cameras (Starts 3:45) Body Cam AI uses artificial intelligence analysis for body cam transcripts. Can this new tech reduce excessive use of force and help restore public trust in policing? To learn more, we talk with Anthony Tassone, CEO of Truleo. Truleo is an AI system for analyzing body cam … Continue reading "Artificial Intelligence for Police Body Cameras"
Wildlife Crossings (start time: 0:58) In this week’s show, host Susan Moran interviews journalist Ben Goldfarb about his new book, Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. It’s hard imagine modern human society without roads, be they interstate highways or county dirt roads. Love them or hate them, roads make our lives convenient. But for wild animals trying to migrate or find a mate, vehicle traffic on roads spells death. (And of course it kills people and their pets as well.) Twenty-one species of wildlife face extinction due to roads. Vehicles kill one million animals every day in the U.S. alone. Goldfarb’s book explores both the causes of and creative solutions to habitat fragmentation and direct killings of wildlife by roads and car traffic.
Host/Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Shannon Young
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Master Hummingbird bander Steve Bouricius does workshops about hummingbirds. Today, Boulder Naturalists Scott Severs and Ruth Carol Cushman join Steve Bouricius to see the thousands of hummingbirds that visit his mountain cabin, and to talk about their lives and migration. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Engineer: Shannon Young
This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Robert Crifasi about his new book, Western Water A to Z: The History, Nature, and Culture of a Vanishing Resource. This book is the first ever field guide to Western water. Organized as a collection of terms, the book addresses the most salient water issues and … Continue reading ""
West Nile Virus and other Mosquito Borne Diseases (Starts 4:45) Colorado’s case count from West Nile Virus is starting to rise, with state health officials predicting a histoically high season ahead for West Nile Virus. How on Earth’s Panisara Jaijongkit explains the origins of mosquito borne diseases, how, even in Colorado, people have stories of … Continue reading "West Nile Virus//Mosquito Borne Diseases"
In this week’s How on Earth, we focus on how cities can foster biodiversity in an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change. First, we speak with author and journalist Tony Hiss (4:29), who says that while the Earth is rapidly losing species, we can still do something about it. In his latest book, … Continue reading "Welcoming Biodiversity Back To Cities"
Multivitamins help prevent memory loss (start time: 8:02) In this week’s show, How On Earth host/producer Susan Moran interviews Dr. Adam Brickman, a neuropsychologist at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, about a large new study that shows how taking multivitamins can prevent memory loss in older adults. Memory decline is an inevitable, … Continue reading "Memory-boosting via Multivitamins?"
This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Christine Yu – an award-winning journalist who has turned her reporting on women athletes and the relationship between science and athletic performance into a comprehensive book on the subject. In UP TO SPEED:The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes, she covers topics ranging from a historical overview … Continue reading "The Science of Sex in Sports – Women Athletes"
Of Bears & Humans (start time: 1:34) If you live on the Front Range or in the mountains, you’ve probably seen a black bear while hiking or in your neighborhood. Black bears are thriving, but most of the other eight remaining bear species are struggling to survive. How On Earth host Susan Moran interviews journalist … Continue reading "Bears: Beloved & Imperiled"
Room Temperature Superconductors (starts 1:00) Backyard tinkerer, Joe Eck, maintains a popular website that explains the limitations of “Low Temperature” supeconductors that must be cooled by liquid helium to almost absolute zero. He describes the benefits that would come from “Room Temperature” superconductors, which he searches for with equipment that includes a table top kiln. … Continue reading "Superconductors for Better Energy"
On today’s show Beth speaks with biomechanics Katy Bowman about her new book, Rethink Your POsition. Are you a fitness fanatic? Or a couch potato? Whichever, there’s something for you here. Katy’s biomechanics background, allows her to assess the movements of everyday life and describe how to perform them correctly, based on human anatomy. Moving … Continue reading "Biomechanics for Dummies"
Race Science’s Legacy (start time: 0.57): We like to think of science as neutral, beyond politics. But of course it isn’t. After all, science is a product of the political landscape in which it arises. Despite the fact that decades ago the United Nations declared that race has no biological basis, science has continued to … Continue reading "Race Science: Then & Now"
NCAR and NOAA open for visitors (Starts 1:00) COVID pandemic rules were lifted earlier this year, so Boulder’s National Center for Atmospheric Research and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are once again open for public tours. LASP Artist in Residence Applications due July 21 (starts 2:12) CU-Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics is accepting … Continue reading "Boulder Society for Scientific Exploration"
In this week’s How on Earth, Beth speaks with author John Vaillant about his new book, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World. He explores the phenomena of fire, the wildland urban interface, and climate change in the context of a precedent-shattering combustion in a modern city.This colossal wildfire in Alberta in 2016 almost consumed a city of nearly 100,000. In the process the fire blew up expectations and responses to wild fires. Vaillant gives an in depth exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind along with personal stories of loss and bravery on the front lines of this horrifying event.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Headline: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young
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With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 2 of our annual “Graduation Special”. Our guests in the studio today are scientists and engineers who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what they have planned next.
Dhruv Kedar – Physics
Topic: A Fully Crystalline Cryogenic Reference Cavity
Kathleen McGuire – Anthropology
Topic: Navigating the Needs of the Many and the Few: Examining the Relationship between Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) Group Function and Individual Variation on St. Catherines Island
Brian Alden – Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences
Topic: Investigating the Properties of Merging Galaxy Clusters with Radio Halos/Relics Using X-ray Derived Pressure Maps
You can listen to Part 1 of this year’s special or all past year Graduation Special episodes.
Host / Producer : Joel Parker
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This week on How on Earth, Beth replays in interview with Professor Mike Breed, who has been studying social insects, including ants and bees, at the University of Colorado here in Boulder, for decades. She spoke with him last year about the fascinating biology of these important pollinators, in an interview that is still timely, because the many problems facing honeybees, and other bees are continuing to mount. He describes the challenges these important insects face in the modern world, and what we can do to protect them.
Executive Producer:HOE Team
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions:Benita Lee & Joel Parker
Engineer: Sam Fuqua
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CU-Boulder’s 14th annual Gold Lab Symposium on the Science of Health takes place this Thursday and Friday at CU-Boulder’s Muenzinger Auditorium and on line. You can sign up for the symposium here. In today’s show, Larry Gold, founder, scientist and entrepreneur, talks about some key scientific discoveries being discussed at this year’s symposium, along with the implications for health and health care.
This week, we focus one on of the new findings that will be discussed at the Symposium, in a talk by scientists. Andreas Beyer & Argyris Papantonis
The talk is titled, “Living in the Fast Lane: Accelerated Copying of Genetic Information with Aging.” For more about the science paper from Nature related to this topic, go here.
Host / Producer : Shelley Schlender
With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 1 of our annual “Graduation Special”. Our guests in the studio today are scientists and engineers who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what they have planned next.
Rob Streeter – Electrical Engineering
Topic: High-resolution Deep-tissue Microwave Thermometry
Amanda Hampton – Applied Math
Topic: On the Three-Dimensional, Quadratic Diffeomorphism: Anti-integrability, Attractors, and Chaos
Jacob Kravits – Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering
Topic: Balancing Cost, Water, Emissions, and Reliability in Power Systems Operations
Host / Producer : Joel Parker
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In this week’s show Beth speaks with Adam Alexander, author of The Seed Detective, a treasure trove of stories about heirloom seeds and the plants they grow into. Not only does he entertain with his adventures in exotic places, but he also takes the reader on a journey through the history of many common cultivated plants such as peas, lettuce, brussels sprouts, and beans.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett and Shelley Schlender
Show Producer: Beth Bennett and Colette Czarnecky
Engineer: Shannon Young
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Iceland Geothermal – NesjavellirPowerPlantEnergy Technology that will Power the World (Entire Show) We look at a climate change discussion from CU-Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs about our Energy Future – where the panelists included ideas about hydrogen, geothermal and nuclear power . . . and we get audience reaction both pro . . and con.
Go here for complete 90-minute video recorded panel discussion
Experts featured include: CU-Boulder professor and fellow of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute Kyri Baker National Renewable Energy Lab Chief Research Officer Peter Green Mothers for Nuclear board member Emma Redfoot and The Energy Switch book author, Peter Kelly-Detwiler.
Also interviewed in this episode is Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center member, Rich Andrews.
Producer/Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
Music contributions: Bonobo and Hydrogen Seas.
chronic pain on the brainChronic pain science and treatments (start time: 4:27) In this week’s show host Susan Moran interviews two experts on the emerging neuroscience of and mind-body treatments for chronic pain, which is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. As many as one in five Americans suffer from chronic pain. The problem has cost the country more than $600 billion in treatments and lost work-time. Our guests today are at the forefront of research and clinical treatment of chronic pain. Dr. Yoni Ashar is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the Department of Internal Medicine. Several years ago he led the Boulder Back Pain Study on a mind-body program called Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Brad Fanestil, MD, is an internist and the director of the Center for Mind Body Medicine at Boulder Community Health. Stay tuned for details on a Part II discussion on mind-body medical treatments for chronic pain, anxiety and other ailments.
Relevant resources:
New randomized back-pain study (led by Dr. Ashar) seeks subjects.
The Way Out, by Alan Gordon
Lecture by Dr. Fanestil on treating chronic pain with mind-body medicine
Curable app for managing chronic pain
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender
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We share news about upcoming science events, cancer-causing additives in Easter candy, and we hunt for Colorado’s native Easter Daisies.
By Jialiang Gao www.peace-on-earth.orgTibetan Watershed in Danger (Starts 1:00) Lobsang Yangtso speaks 11 AM Wednesday at CU Boulder about the crucial need to protect Tibet’s “Roof of the World” and its role in the world water supply. Wednesday’s 11 AM Seminar is also on Zoom.
The Nuclear Legacy of Rocky Flats. (Starts 3:52) Regis University conducts this symposium tonight with keynote speaker Kris Iversen, author of Full Body Burden, Growing up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats.
From Environmental Working GroupCancer Causing Additives in Easter Candy (Starts 10:20) The Environmental Working Group wants to ban Easter Candy ingredients that carry a cancer risk
C Stephen R. JonesBoulder’s Native Easter Daisies (Starts 15:20) We join Boulder Naturalists Steve Jones and Ruth Carol Cushman, as they hunt for a deep-rooted little flower called the Easter Daisy along Boulder’s geologic wonder known as the Six Mile Fold.
Host & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Today on How on Earth, Beth speaks with William Penuel, faculty in the School of Education at CU Boulder, and part of the Renee Crown Wellness Institute. He designs and studies curriculum materials, assessments, and professional learning experiences for teachers in STEM education, especially in science. His work is beginning to focus more on cultivating compassion and dignity in schools and on promoting equitable collaboration in small group learning in STEM classrooms.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Joel Parker
Engineer: Shannon Young
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Photo credit: WateReuse ColoradoWater Recycling for Climate Resilience (start time: 7:54) When you poured tap water into your coffee maker this morning, or flushed the toilet, you may not have been thinking about where that water came from, or where it flowed to next. Pegged to World Water Week, on this week’s How On Earth host Susan Moran interviews Austa Parker, PhD, an environmental engineer who is a consultant for the firm Brown and Caldwell on national water-reuse issues. She formerly worked for Denver Water and as an adjunct professor at CU Boulder. Our discussion focuses on direct potable reuse (DPR), the process of transforming treated wastewater, including human effluence, into drinking water. Climate change, intensifying droughts and population growth in the already parched U.S. West are pressuring states and cities to pursue DPR as a means of becoming more climate-resilient.
Resource links:
WateReuse Colorado
WateReuse Association (national)
Colorado’s regulations (passed in late 2022) on direct potable reuse
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Show Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
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On today’s show, Benita speaks with author John Perlin about his book, A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization. The book follows the rise and fall of human civilizations as they fuel their success and reap their downfall by using trees as a key resource.
Photo Credit: UC Santa Barbara and Patagonia MediaPublished by Patagonia, Perlin revised this third edition of his environmental classic to include new scientific findings that further link the importance of trees in combating climate change and in creating life on Earth as we know it.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producers Benita Lee and Shannon Young
Engineer Shannon Young
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On today’s show Beth talks with Dr Elissa Epel, about her book, The Stress Prescription,Seven Days to More Joy and Ease. As the director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center and associate director of its Center for Health and Community, she studies stress, aging, and obesity. Her book is quick and easy to read yet leaves you with so many applicable practices that can change your outlook and reduce the stress in your life while simultaneously giving you the basic science on the how and why of stress and the role of the techniques she espouses. And, an upcoming lecture on the CU Boulder campus on bioarcheology, March 15.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producers Beth Bennett and Leilani Henry
Engineer Shannon Young
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A DALL-E generated image of this interview.We talk with Dr. Casey Fiesler, Associate Professor of Information Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder about “generative AI,” particularly regarding ChatGPT and DALL-E, which are topics of recent news stories expressing excitement and concern.
We asked ChatGPT to write a description of what such an interview might be:
Dr. Casey Fiesler joins Joel Parker on the KGNU radio science show How on Earth to discuss generative AI and its recent breakthroughs, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E. Fiesler explains that these AI models use deep learning algorithms to generate new content, such as text or images, based on patterns found in existing data. She acknowledges the impressive capabilities of these models, such as DALL-E’s ability to create highly realistic images from textual prompts. However, Fiesler also raises concerns about the potential negative impacts of generative AI, including the perpetuation of biases found in training data or the creation of harmful fake content. Fiesler emphasizes the importance of responsible development and use of these technologies, as well as ongoing research into addressing these issues.
After you listen to the show, you can determine how accurate is that description. And can you identify the three interview questions we asked that were generated by ChatGPT?
Host & Producer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Featured Music: “Reflection” – generative music by Brian Eno
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Stewart Udall and the Politics of BeautyColorado Environmental Film Festival is an annual event that takes place in Golden, at the American Mountaineering Center. This year’s festival starts Thursday Feb 23, 2023 and goes through Sun, Feb 26, 2023. Today, we talk with festival co-chair Dave Steinke and Environmental Filmmaker John DeGraff. We feature the films, Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty, Reviving Rivers, The Issue with Tissue, and A Good Neighbor.
Host, Producer,Engineer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Your Brain on Music (start time: 6:18): Most people love music, whether it’s opera music, jazz, rock-n-roll, gospel, nursery rhymes or another genre. Whether you’re a trained professional or someone who just likes to sing in the shower or listen to your favorite playlists, you’ve likely felt the power of music in shaping your thoughts, feelings and behavior. But how?
Many scientists have been researching how music affects the human brain, and how music can help treat many neurological and other disorders. Today, host Susan Moran interviews Indre Viskontas, a cognitive neuroscientist and associate professor of psychology at the University of San Francisco. She’s also a classically trained opera singer and a director. Her 2019 book is How Music Can Make You Better. And Dr. Viskontas also directs communications for the Sound Health Network, an initiative that promotes research and public awareness of the impact of music on health and well-being. She also hosts a podcast called Inquiring Minds.
Host, Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Shannon Young
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
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Mountain lion, northern Colorado, http://www.wildnaturemedia.comIn this episode, Jill Sjong interviews Wild Nature Media‘s David Neils who has been studying mountain lions and other apex predators in Colorado’s wild lands for over 20 years using remote cameras. They visit one of the front range’s best habitats for mountain lions, the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, located near where the Big Thompson Canyon opens up west of Loveland. Sylvan Dale has put 70% of its land into a conservation easement.
We get answers to our mountain lion questions: what is predictable about them? What are our greatest misunderstandings about them? What makes certain Colorado lands such an ideal habitat for them? In what ways are they remarkably different from other apex predators? How are their populations doing? And what about the recent media coverage on mountain lions?
Listeners can learn more about mountain lions and other apex predators at Wild Nature Media, and sign up for presentations, workshops and nature hikes.
Host and Producer: Jill Sjong
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – JWST – was launched on December 25th, 2021. We talked with scientists and engineers about JWST’s first year and some of the projects it is being used for. In this second part of our JWST special, our guests and their projects are:
- Dr. Imke de Pater (Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley): ERS observations of the Jovian System as a demonstration of JWST capabilities for Solar System science
- Dr. Michael Ressler (Principal Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory): Star Formation in the Extreme Outer Galaxy
- Dr. Jacob Jencson (Postdoctoral Researcher, Johns Hopkins University and Space Telescope Science Institute) De-mystifying SPRITES with JWST
Check out Part 1 of this feature (2022 Dec 20)
Host & Producer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Featured Music: “Floating in Heaven” by Graham Gouldman and Brian May
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This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Professor Carol Gigliotti about her new book, The Creative Lives of Animals. She provides a new perspective on animals as agents in their own lives, as valuable contributors to their world and ours, and as guides in understanding how creativity may contribute to conserving the natural world. Presenting a powerful argument for the importance of recognizing animals as individuals and as creators of a healthy, biodiverse world, this book offers insights into the creativity of animals.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Susan Moran, Tom McKinnen, Joel Parker
Engineer: Shannon Young
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Cognitive Scores on New Drugs versus Bredesen Program (on right) source Apollo HealthVarious experts share pros and cons about Lecanemab (starts 1:00) the newly approved drug for Alzheimer’s.
Dale Bredesen of Apollo HealthCo (starts 5:30) shares his criticisms of the new Alzheimer’s drug and gives recommendations for better ways to improve cognition.
Links to topics mentioned in this show:
American Alzheimer’s Association Statement urging Medicare and Medicaid pay the (estimated) $26,000 annual cost for Lecanemab, per person.
Olive Oil reduces Dementia Risk Harvard Study shows a 29% reduction in risk of dying from Dementia among people who consume a little olive oil every day, compared to people who don’t consume olive oil.
Aricept is associated with faster long-term memory decline Aricept is often prescribed for improving cognition among people diagnosed with memory impairment. A second study reports that among people who take drugs like Aricept, “previous analysis of observational studies indicates such individuals experience greater rate of decline on cognitive testing than those not receiving such medications.”
Previous Science Show Interviews . . . about Dale Bredesen: Alzheimer’s Reversal (The Health Hacker’s Group, APOE4.Info and Dale Bredesen’s book The End of Alzheimer’s ) New Treatments for Alzheimer’s (Dale Bredesen’s book, The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s)
Salmonella Biofilms (How non-human, Curli Amyloid Protein similar to the beta amylooid proteins created within our bodies, can enter the bloodstream from intestinal infections such as e-coli and salmonella)
Leprosy Tango This skit is by a health expert on leprosy. It includes the lyrics.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Stacie Johnson and Beth Bennett
Engineer: Shannon Young
Better Electric Car Batteries are a key to moving toward all-electric cars. While the standard liquid lithium ion/graphite battery is making advancements, this week’s show focuses batteries that add new materials to the mix for batteries that could be safer, faster charging and longer range. Featured are Colorado’s Solid Power solid state battery, the Sila Battery that includes silicon, and the new Nyobolt‘battery that uses the rare earth metal niobium. Experts who provide explanations include Doug Campbell, Solid Power cofounder and former CEO, John Capodilupo, CoFounder
Colorado’s Solid Power Solid State electric car batteryof WHOOP! Fitness tracker (WHOOP is the first commercial product using a new – in this case, Sila’s), industry analyst Mark Newman, plus a common sense look at batteries from Shelley’s neighbor Bill.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer> Shannon Young
On today’s show, Beth speaks with Michael Stein, primary care physician and researcher, who has been writing about medicine and public health for decades. In Me Vs Us, he instigates a conversation about how we might change the current situation in which public health loses out to individual medicine and how public health nevertheless holds the solutions to our most concerning health crises, such as Covid-19 and obesity. In the end, Stein argues, we need to recover and sharpen our sense of health based on a reverent appreciation of both the health care and public health perspectives.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Benita Lee and Shelley Schlender
Engineer> Shannon Young
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cc NOAA Science GraphicWe share the science team’s top science stories of 2022:
- DART Asteroid Deflection (Starts 1:00)
- mRNA Vaccine for RSV (starts 3:30)
- Bumblebees Like to Play (starts 6:00)
- Sexual Pleasure in Female Snakes (starts 8:30)
- Alphafold Protein Folding (starts 11:00)
- CU Boulder Scientists Make Graphyne (starts 13:30)
- Chatty Chatbots Can Backfire (starts 18:00)
- Ancient DNA Indicates Greenland Was Tropical (starts 20:50)
- James Webb Telescope (starts 23:00)
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender/Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Beth Bennett, Joel Parker, Benita Lee, Jill Sjong
Engineer: Shannon Young
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – JWST – was launched one year ago on December 25th, 2021. We talked with scientists and engineers about JWST’s first year and some of the projects it is being used for. In this first part of our JWST special, our guests are:
- Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney (Planetary Scientist Postdoctoral Researcher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland) gives an overview of the JWST instrument suite
- Dr. Christine Chen (Associate Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute) talks about the JWST proposal process and how the scientists get their data
- Dr. Ryan Lau (Assistant Astronomer, NOIRLab) discusses his project: Establishing Extreme Dynamic Range with JWST: Decoding Smoke Signals in the Glare of a Wolf-Rayet Binary
Host & Producer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
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In today’s show Beth talks with Aric Prather, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, where he co-directs the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Center. A licensed clinical psychologist, he has helped hundreds of patients improve their sleep. In his new book, The Sleep Prescription, Dr. Prather describes the solutions that he uses in the clinic to regain normal sleep. In our conversation, Dr. Prather shares the science behind the simple yet effective techniques that can restore one’s sleep.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contribution: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shannon Young
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Unruly Planet (start time: 5:31) This week on How On Earth Susan Moran interviews science journalist Madeline Ostrander about her recently published book, At Home On An Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge On A Changed Earth. The author reflects on what it means to reimagine the concept of home, and to literally find a secure home, in this era of upheaval and change. The book, and our conversation today, explore the predicament of climate refugees as well as heroic individuals who are proactively working to preserve and recreate communities.
Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker
Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Headline Contributors: Beth Bennett, Shelley Schlender
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This week on How on Earth Beth talks to Dr. Robynne Chutkan, about her newest book, The Anti-Viral Gut, in which she describes research elucidating the protective role of the microbiome. Many studies have confirmed the link between the health of our microbiome—the trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive tract—and our likelihood of getting devastating viral illnesses like COVID-19. Low-fiber diets, limited exposure to nature, and overzealous use of antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome. In her recent book, Chutkin lays out a plan for anyone trying to avoid or recover from a viral illness to rehab their gut microbes and restore their health.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender
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How on Earth’s Beth Bennett talks with authors Ridge Shinn and Lynne Pledger about how regenerative grazing can replace corn-based feedlots, which are responsible for significant climate emissions, nitrogen pollution, and animal suffering. Their book, Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World, outlines a hopeful path out of our broken food system via regional networks of regeneratively produced … Continue reading "Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World"
Recycling: Obstacles and Progress (start time: 4:35): This week’s How On Earth focuses on the state of recycling and composting in Colorado and well beyond. A newly published report by Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG shows that Colorado ranks well below the national average, and below its own goals, on recycling and composting. But the report also … Continue reading "Recycling: Obstacles and Progress"
Today on How on Earth, Beth talks with Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee. His first book, The Emperor of All Maladies, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011. His new book, The Song of the Cell, explores our radical new ability to manipulate cells. Mukherjee tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and … Continue reading "Song of the Cell: Siddhartha Mukherjee’s New Book"
Clean Water Act, Then and Now (start time: 3:38): Two weeks ago was the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. The landmark law set out to clean up the nation’s lakes, rivers and streams, and to safeguard the water supply for humans throughout the country. While there’s been some progress since the act was … Continue reading "Clean Water Act 50 years later"
Starting this week, the FDA has approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids. In light of that, in today’s edition of How on Earth, we play an Encore Feature from February 2020 of an interview we did with David Owen about his book, Volume Control, in which he explores the surprising science of hearing and the … Continue reading "Hearing & Hearing Aids"
We talk with author Kristin Ohlson about her recent book: “Sweet in Tooth and Claw”. In it, Ohlson examines cooperative relationships found in the natural world and in human civilization. She says this view is missing from many of our cultural and scientific narratives because of a tendency to apply Darwin’s idea of survival of … Continue reading "Sweet in Tooth and Claw // Fund Drive Show"
Pollution Impacts on Gut Microbiome (starts at 1:00) The Environmental Protection Agency has downgraded the air quality in the Denver Metro and Northern Front Range area to “severe” nonattainment for ground level ozone. Shannon Young talks with Dr. Tanya Alderete (University of Colorado Integrative Physiology Department) about a recent study showing how air pollution may also affect the … Continue reading "Pollution Impacts on Gut Microbiome // Folding Proteins"
Today’s show features: Employing Beavers (start time: 11:12): Some consider them pests. Others praise them as saviors of the environment. Whatever your impression of these furry swimming rodents, beavers are gaining more proponents for their ability to make landscapes, and thus humans, more resilient to climate change. Through their dams and lodges, beavers raise water levels, … Continue reading "Beavers: Engineers for Our Planet"
On today’s show Beth talks to Prof Michael Breed about honeybees. Sure, there is a little on their decline which is concerning to all of us, but we focus on many remarkable aspects of their biology. If you want to go deeper, you can visit Mike’s website or the book he mentions in the interview. … Continue reading "The Amazing…Honeybee!"
Nature Wants Us to be Fat: The Surprising Science Behind Why we Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent and Reverse it. University of Colorado Medical School Professor Rick Johnson shares why he thinks eating lots of fructose sugars can trigger a Survival Switch that helps bears put on weight before they hibernate . . … Continue reading "Nature Wants Us to Be Fat – Rick Johnson MD"
This is an extended version of the interview with Rick Johnson, author of Nature Wants Us to Be Fat. LISTEN HERE TRANSCRIPT BELOW: RICK JOHNSON [00:00:00] My name is Richard Johnson. I’m a professor of medicine here at the University of Colorado. SHELLEY [00:00:04] In fact, you direct the Department of Hypertension, or have … Continue reading "Nature Wants Us To Be Fat – Extended Version"
ON this week’s show, Beth talks with Carole Hooven about her new book: “T – The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us”. She demonstrates that the hormone acts in concert with genes and culture to produce a vast variety of male and female behavior. And, crucially, the fact that many sex … Continue reading "Testosterone – Bane or Benefit?"
Colorado River Basin Crisis Pt. II (start time: 6:19): This week’s How On Earth show focuses on the implications and future prospects after the federal government in June ordered the seven Western states that rely on the river to come up with a plan to save trillions of gallons of water from the shrinking river) … Continue reading "Colorado River Basin Crisis: Pt. II"
In this week’s How on Earth, we look at 3 aspects of climate change: its role in disease incidence and transmission; some effects of the new climate change legislation; and how ‘micro-forests’ can mitigate temperature and water loss. The latter comes from an interview with author Hannah Lewis and her book Mini-Forest Revolution, in which … Continue reading "What’s New in Climate?"
DNA Superconductors (Starts 1:00) Scientists are harnessing DNA to make electronic components at the nano-scale. Western Rewilding Network (Starts 3:50) Researchers at Oregon State University are urging the U.S. to set aside 500,000 square kilometers for a Western Rewilding Network that would include wolves and beavers as part of ecosystem restoration. Their research appears today … Continue reading "DNA Superconductors // Western Rewilding // What Your Food Ate"
Colorado Cafe Sci (starts 1:00) happens monthly, in Denver. Alcohol and Alcoholism Recent News (starts 2:49) We look at recent science about alcohol consumption, including a study that indicates as little as 3 glasses of wine a week is associated with buildups of iron in the brain — a risk factor for brain disease, increased … Continue reading "Alcohol, Brain Damage & Genetics"
This week on How On Earth: Colorado River Basin Crisis (start time: 5:31–scroll down for arrow) The Colorado River is the life blood for about 40 million inhabitants. And it’s in dire straights. The river’s two reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at historically low levels, due primarily to climate change and overuse. The water-supply crisis is … Continue reading "Colorado River Basin Crisis"
We continue our look at the new Expose, Salmon Wars, the Dark Underbelly of our Favorite Fish, by checking out an alternative – LAND-Based Farmed Salmon. Chef Sheila Lucero – (starts 2:25) We TASTE land-based salmon, with Coloraado’s award-winning, national expert on sustainable fish and member of Seafood Watch BlueRibbon Task Force, Jax Fish House … Continue reading "Salmon Wars Part 2: Farm-Raised LAND Salmon"
Salmon Wars: A Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent and a former private investigator dive deep into the murky waters of the international salmon farming industry in this just-published expose. HostProducer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with author and planetary geologist Dr. Simon Morden. In his book, The Red Planet, he presents a tantalizing vision of our nearest neighbour, its dramatic history, and astonishing present. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Beth Bennet Additional Contributions: Joel Parker & Shelley Schlender Listen to … Continue reading "All About Mars"
Birds and Dopamine (starts 1:00) If bird songs help a bird fall in love, does it get even better with a dose of dopamine? Nature Wants us to be Fat (starts 13:56) CU-Medical School professor and researcher Richard Johnson discusses his latest book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat. The Surprising Science … Continue reading "Birds and Dopamine//Nature Wants Us To Fat"
Pre-dawn Summer Solstice Hike (Starts 1:00) We head out before 5:30 AM, to visit the NCAR Burn site, with Boulder Naturalists Steve Jones, Scott Severs and Ruth Carol Cushman Hobbit Like Hominoids — Still Here? (Starts 12:06) Anthropologist Gregory Forth discusses his book, Between Ape and Human – On the Trail of a Hidden … Continue reading "Summer Solstice Hike // On the Trail of a Hidden Hominoid"
Today’s show features headline news about new methods for detecting skin cancer and using “frequency comb” lasers to sniff out even the faintest traces of methane leaks. And then we have an encore presentation of How on Earth features about “Engineering Happiness” and a black holes. Hosts: Joel Parker, Susan Moran, Beth Bartel Producer: Joel … Continue reading "Skin Cancer // Methane Leaks // Engineering Happiness // Black holes"
This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Dr Seven Hussey about his recent book, Understanding the Heart: Surprising Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Heart Disease—and Why It Matters. Following his early (34 years old) heart attack, he delved into alternative therapies to heal his heart. In the book he lays out a … Continue reading "Keeping Your Heart Healthy – Off the Western Medicine Track"
With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 2 of our annual “Graduation Special” (you can listen to Part 1). Our guests in the studio today are scientists who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what … Continue reading "2022 Graduation Special (part 2)"
With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 1 of our annual “Graduation Special” (you can listen to Part 2). Our guests in the studio today are scientists who have or will soon receive their Ph.D. in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what … Continue reading "2022 Graduation Special (part 1)"
Gold Lab Symposium and DeepMind’s Alpha Fold (starts 1:00) We continue our discussion with Boulder scientist and entrepreneur, Larry Gold, about the Gold Lab Symposium on the science of Health, taking place this Thursday and Friday. You can sign up here. Off-Target Drug Effect (starts 5:48 – ends at 10:00) A local Boulder man recounts … Continue reading "Gold Lab Symposium and DeepMind/Alphafold"
We explore a wide range of science topics today. Brains in Space (starts 1:00) Joel Parker explains how space travel may affect human brains Bike Paths vs Critical Wildlife Habitat (starts 4:17) Boulder Naturalist Steve Jones takes us to an abandoned railway track near Sawhill Ponds, to share concerns about how … Continue reading "Brains in Space // Bike Paths & Wildlife // Climate Grief // Gold Lab Symposium"
This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Susan Allport, an award-winning writer who has written extensively on science. They talk about her book on omega 3 fats, The Queen of Fats, namely the touted omega-3 fatty acid. These essential fats can’t be synthesized by the human body and must be obtained from our … Continue reading "The Queen of Fats: Omega-3"
Climate-conscious, pollinator-friendly gardening (start time: 4:55; scroll down for audio file): This week’s episode of How On Earth features a discussion on how cities, neighborhoods, individual residents can plan their landscapes and gardens for a hotter and drier future here on the Front Range. Host Susan Moran interviews Dave Sutherland, a field naturalist formerly with … Continue reading "Climate- & Pollinator-Conscious Planting"
Comedy+Climate Change: (start time: 5:50) In this week’s show we look ahead to Earth Day by discussing the latest science about climate change, as reported in the recently released assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. And we explore the role that performing arts, especially comedy, can play in communicating, and processing emotions … Continue reading "Climate Change: A Laughing Matter?"
We feature an interview with astronomer and author Dr. Emily Levesque about her book, The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy’s Vanishing Explorers. In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Levesque about the history and future of astronomy. We hear about how astronomical observing at some of the premier telescopes in the world has changed over … Continue reading "The Last Stargazers, Part 2"
We feature an interview with astronomer and author Dr. Emily Levesque about her book, The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy’s Vanishing Explorers. In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Levesque about how one becomes an astronomer and what a typical – and sometimes not so typical – night’s work is like at an observatory with highly … Continue reading "The Last Stargazers, Part 1"
Nature’s Songs and Cries (start time: 0:59) In this week’s show David George Haskell, a biologist at the University of the South, in Sewanee, Tenn., talks with How On Earth’s Susan Moran about his newly published book, Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction. The book is at … Continue reading "Sounds Wild and Broken"
IN this week’s show Beth speaks with Dr Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Insel was giving a presentation when the father of a boy with schizophrenia yelled from the back of the room, “Our house is on fire and you’re telling me about the chemistry of the paint! … Continue reading "Healing the Mental Health Care System"
On this week’s show – part of the annual KGNU Spring Fund Drive – we play excerpts of an upcoming interview with astronomer and author Dr. Emily Levesque about her book, The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy’s Vanishing Explorers. The book is a modern history of observational astronomy, and shares an inside look at the lives and … Continue reading "KGNU Fund Drive with The Last Stargazers"
In this week’s show Beth talks to author Annabel Streets. Her book 52 WAYS TO WALK, takes you week by week, through a smorgasbord of walks in silence, rain, mud, or wind, as well as sunshine, scents and birdsong. She explains exactly how our bodies and minds benefit from a wide mix of terrain and … Continue reading "Walking Doesn’t Have to Get Old"
GIF of Avalanche starting to slide ((CLICK on IMAGE to see the slide)) — from Colorado Avalanche Information Center We speak with Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, about the new study he has coauthored with Spencer Logan, a chief researcher at the center who alsoversees the Avalanche Accident database for the United States. Their new study is available now. It’s titled, Education and Experience Levels of People Involved in Avalanches during the 2019-2020 Colorado Avalanche Season. It will be published soon, in greater detail, in The Avalanche Review.
For those looking for videos from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, here is the snowmobile accident posted at the CAIC Avalanche Information Center YouTube CHANNEL. Weekly forecasts are also on this site.
Host/Producer: Shelley Schlender
Music From: Prince Avalanche and Snowfall by The Halo Benders
Executive producer: Susan Moran
University of Plymouth Sustainability Hub showing external green wall in full bloom. Long COVID (starts 1:00) National Jewish in Denver shares research about how COVID sometimes affects the powerhouses inside our cells, the mitochondria.
Green Walls (starts 3:54) are a beautiful way to cover indoor and outdoor walls with living plants. It’s a popular feature for ultra-modern buildings. Researchers in England report that green walls on older, conventional buildings can reduce heating costs inside the building.
Marshall Fire Research Drone (photo by Stacie Johnson) Drones at the Marshall Fire (starts 10:42) are helping local researchers from around the country collect field data about the recent wildfire disaster that destroyed 1,000 homes. The scientists hope their findings will help the communities recover. REGISTER HERE for the February 17th, 2 PM, virtual presentation of their findings.
Volunteering to Get COVID. (starts 21:22) in the name of science has produced results that are varied and sometimes surprising.
Hosts: Benita Lee & Stacie Johnson
Producers: Benita Lee, Stacie Johnson and Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Beth Bennett, National Jewish Hospital
Executive producer: Susan Moran
Heartbreak in Our Bodies: (start time: 6:58) This week on How On Earth, host Susan Moran talks with science journalist Florence Williams about her newly published book, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, in which she goes on a quest to understand why, and how, the heartbreak she felt when her marriage fell apart was wreaking havoc on her body. The book, and this interview, also explore various methods of healing and the science behind them.
Host: Susan Moran
Engineer: Rossana Long
Headline contributors: Beth Bennett, Shelley Schlender
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This week on How on Earth, Beth talks to 2 climate scientists about their (very different) fields, and how climate change can play into local disasters, especially the recent fires that devastated the Front Range towns outside Boulder. Twila Moon is a glaciologist turned climate scientist who researches the effects of ice sheet melt on climate. Her TED talk conveys this message clearly. Brian Buma is Associate Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado at Denver. He studies landscape ecology and is especially interested in natural disasters, like the recent Marshall fire. You can hear Shannon Young, KGNU’s station manager talk to Brian about his recent book here.
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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(Image courtesy of Wiki images) In this episode, we celebrate the show’s 30th Anniversary with Dave Atkins and Jeff Orrey, How on Earth’s original hosts.
We’ll play some excerpts from the pilot January 14, 1992 episode and update the science from a 2022 perspective. Subjects range from Chinook winds and Colorado fires, finding exoplanets, the history of Hubble telescope, Halley’s Comet and blood pressure.
Hosts: Jill Sjong, Beth Bennett, Dave Atkins, Jeff Orrey
Producer: Jill Sjong
Additional Contributions: Joel Parker, Beth Bennett
Executive producer: Beth Bennett
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http://howonearthradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HOE_Jan4_2022.mp32021 saw many remarkable science stories making it difficult to pick the top contenders. The How on Earth team struggled with these decisions but here they are!
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additonal contributions by: Benita Lee, Joel Parker, Jill Sjong, Shelley Schlender
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Corona (Not Virus) News (starts 1:00) Astrophysicist Joel Parker explains the probe that touched the sun’s corona.
Green Recycling from Discarded Electronics (starts 3:59) Benita Lee talks with Penn State Scientist Amir Sheikhi about recycling neodymium.
Defy Aging: A Beginner’s Guide to the New Science of Longer Life and Better Health. (starts 9:28) Science Show volunteer, Geneticist and Defy Aging author Beth Bennett, explains how to promote longevity and healthspan.
Host/Contributors: Jill Sjong, Joel Parker, Benita Lee
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
This week on How On Earth, we welcome Benita Lee who brought up the growing problem with fentanyl – a new street drug that’s killing many. Benita talks with DEA agent David Olesky about the scope of the problem and what the agency is doing to combat it. Beth talks with pharmacologist and policy maker Robert Valuck about how the drug affects the brain, causes death, and the protective effect of the blocking drug naloxone.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Additional Contributions: Benita Lee
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http://howonearthradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/HOE_Nov30_2021.mp3This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Professor Fred Provenza, author of the book Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering our Nutritional Wisdom. He returns to discuss his current venture into the utility of grazing animals in regenerating soil and reducing our carbon footprint. Yes, cows may actually reduce the rate of climate change.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Producer: Beth Bennett
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Bernie Rollin Green Building Handbook (starts 1:00) CU Boulder Engineering Professor Wil Srubar is the co-author of a new report highlighting innovative building materials that actually store more CO2 than the emissions from their manufacture, making these building materials what’s known as “carbon sinks”
Wild Strawberry Flavor from Fungi (starts 3:29) Holger Zorn explains how and why his team of scientists have identified a fungus that provides a wild strawberry flavor to foods.
Wild Turkeys at Sandstone Ranch (starts 9:07) Naturalists Steve Jones, Ruth Carol Cushman and Scott Severs visit Longmont’s Sandstone Ranch to look for a . . . sometimes elusive . . . flock of wild turkeys.
Farewell to Animal Rights Activist Bernie Rollin (starts 12:44) CSU Philosopher, Vet Scientist and Animal Rights Activist Bernie Rollin died last week. We share excerpts from a past interview, plus a story about the friendship between a turkey and a dog, from his memoir, Putting the Horse Before Descartes
Hosts: Benita Lee, Stacie Johnson
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
On today’s show, Beth talks with Dr John Jaquish about his novel method for treating osteoporosis, using ‘osteogenic’ loading. His method has been shown in clinical trials to build bone without drugs, and consequently without the serious side effects of these drugs. The loading method has been validated in using the classic DEXA screening method as well as blood markers such as NTX or CTX (which measure bone breakdown) and P1NP (which measures bone formation). http://howonearthradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HOE_Nov9.mp3
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
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