Breaking Bio
100 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 8 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsA group of biologists talks everything science and biology related in a weekly roundtable format.
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Episodes
BB54: It's goo time with Upulie Divisekera!
January 24, 2014 00:25 - 26 minutes - 29.9 MBIn episode 54 we chat with the talented Upulie Divisekera, molecular biology PhD student at Monash University. It's a free-wheeling interview covering everything from nanotech for cancer to science communication to Cordyceps fruiting bodies erupting out of human heads! Come on, you know you want to hear about the grey goo. All the cool kids are doing it. For bonus points, follow Real Scientists on Twitter!
BB53: Shake some lice with Jessica Light!
January 08, 2014 00:55 - 27 minutes - 31.5 MBIn episode 53, we’re joined by the awesome and funny Jessica Light to talk lice. That’s right, lice. More generally, though, it’s host-parasite interaction and it’s pretty fascinating stuff. You’ll learn things. Interesting things. Dark things. Ever wondered how to collect lice from a dead rat? We guarantee that you’ll never look at a Home Depot the same way.
BB52: Ants in the jungle with Magdalena Sorger!
December 12, 2013 05:02 - 29 minutes - 54.3 MBEpsiode 52: ants and careers! We chat with Magdalena Sorger on cool trapjaw ants, unusual career paths in academia, and getting into field work when you’re not prepared for it.
BB51: Try to keep up with Karen James!
December 01, 2013 14:14 - 31 minutes - 57.6 MBIn episode 51, we chat with the inspiring Karen James: geneticist, innovator in citizen science, co-founder and director of the Beagle project, and she nearly went into space. Frankly, after we post this episode, we’re all heading out to make something of ourselves.
BB50: The not-so-reluctant Mr. Quammen (pt2)
November 21, 2013 13:10 - 28 minutes - 53.1 MBEpisode 50! For this episode, we had the chance to chat with amazing author and National Geographic contributor David Quammen (Spillover, Song of the Dodo). This episode was so packed full of awesome that we recorded for double the length and split it into two parts (this is part 2). No word of a lie, this is one of the best episodes we’ve recorded.
BB50: The not-so-reluctant Mr. Quammen (pt1)!
November 21, 2013 12:43 - 33 minutes - 61 MBEpisode 50! For this episode, we had the chance to chat with amazing author and National Geographic contributor David Quammen (Spillover, Song of the Dodo). This episode was so packed full of awesome that we recorded for double the length and split it into two parts (this is part 1). No word of a lie, this is one of the best episodes we’ve recorded.
BB49: Mendeley with William Gunn!
November 21, 2013 12:22 - 27 minutes - 51.7 MBIn episode 49, we talk with William Gunn (@mrgunn), Head of Academic Outreach at Mendeley! We chat with him about Mendeley, replicating studies, open access, and Elsevier. Did you #mendelete? One of the hosts did! Come see us dish out the hardhitting journalistic questions for which our podcast is not at all famous.
BB48: Let anarchy reign with Zen Faulkes! (October 23, 2013)
November 05, 2013 00:49 - 30 minutes - 55 MBIn episode 48, we talk with academic poster design guru (and all-around science guy) Zen Faulkes, also known as @doctorzen. Come for the Captain Canuck, stay for the design tips!
BB47: Cooperation and self-deception with Andrew Jackson (October 9, 2013)
October 28, 2013 01:43 - 30 minutes - 34.8 MBIn episode 47, we chat with Andrew Jackson of The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, or Trinity College Dublin, for short. This time, we're talking evolution of cooperation, we're talking self-deception and creationism, we're talking visual processing (why do flies live in the Matrix?), and we're talking math. Feel the modelling. Live the modelling. Love the (mathematical) modelling.
BB46: Tree of Life with Emily McTavish (September 17, 2013)
October 20, 2013 02:19 - 31 minutes - 35.6 MBEpisode 46 finds us chatting with Emily McTavish, postdoc at the University of Kansas, about the Open Tree of Life project! No idea what that is (http://opentreeoflife.org)? Hear about the project, data collection, and why *you too* should be a programmer in biology!
BB45: Rap with Baba Brinkman! (September 10, 2013)
October 14, 2013 01:15 - 32 minutes - 36.8 MBFor episode 45, we're joined by the peer-reviewed rapper himself, Baba Brinkman (http://www.bababrinkman.com)! What else can I say? Sit back and listen to this interview filled with awesome sauce.
BB44: Mites and millipedes, oh my! (September 4, 2013)
October 09, 2013 00:32 - 30 minutes - 35.1 MBDerek Hennen (@derekhennen) and Mike Skvarla (@MSkvarla36) join us to talk about the perils of Arkansas field work, their favourite mites and millipedes, and we end off with a fact about your eyebrows that will keep you up at night. It's another must-watch!
BB 43: Cohosts and crowdfunding! (August something or other, 2013)
September 19, 2013 04:07 - 31 minutes - 36.1 MBIt's episode 43! Your three sparkling cohosts discuss crowdfunding and other alternative ways of funding science, pros and cons, in depth. We get a little more serious than our usual show, but it's a great conversation.
BB42: rugby with Josh Witten!
September 13, 2013 00:18 - 31 minutes - 36.2 MBIn episode 42 we were joined by Josh Witten, PhD in molecular biology and big cheese at the awesome blog / science communication powerhouse The Finch & Pea (http://thefinchandpea.com). Josh spent some time talking with Morgan and Heidi about science communication, rugby, and the scrum^H^H^H^H joys and perils of lab culture. (Did I get the ruby reference right? Ah, what the hell do I know about sports...)
BB40: Orchids with Michael Whitehead! (August 14, 2013)
September 04, 2013 02:32 - 29 minutes - 34.3 MBMichael joins us to talk orchids, flies, the hardships (hah!) of doing field work in South Africa, and selling your science. Plus, look for yet another ignored request to cut stuff out of the episode!
BB40: Stephen Heap (August 7, 2013)
August 14, 2013 15:04 - 30 minutes - 34.6 MBIn episode 40, Stephen Heap (University of Jyväskylä in Finland) joins us to talk about his research on everything from nest sites in toadlets to landmarks in cichlids to animal signalling systems to human cooperative behaviours! Plus, why you should fear the winter in Finland.
BB39: The Bug Chicks are back!
August 07, 2013 13:29 - 31 minutes - 36 MBThe Bug Chicks return (from way back in Episode 9!) to talk to use about their awesome Indiegogo campaign (http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-bug-chicks) to film an educational show about bugs across the US. Plus, an exclusive announcement about the show breaks here on the show, and we get some behind-the-scenes talk from the hosts! If you like bugs, or good educational programming, or support women and girls in science then you should watch this episode. Now, go give them all your mo...
BB38: Squid sex with Ben Wegener!
July 31, 2013 03:14 - 29 minutes - 34.2 MBSome weeks it's zombie ants, some weeks it's kinky squid sex; this week, it's kinky squid sex with Ben Wegener. If you're looking for a conversation that veers wildly between technical aspects of sexual selection and questionable beauty products, we've got what you're looking for. (Warning: this episode's audio is a little NSFW).
BB37: Zombies, with David Hughes!
July 24, 2013 01:21 - 30 minutes - 34.6 MBZOMBIES! WANT YOUR BRAI…*ahem*. In this episode we chat with David Hughes (@zombieantguy): entomologist, parasitologist, and high-flying consultant to Hollywood and video games! Come hear about behaviour-controlling fungi in ants, World War Z, and The Last of Us. If you like better science in pop culture, David’s your guy.
BB36: Christie Wilcox! (July 3, 2013)
July 10, 2013 01:28 - 31 minutes - 58.4 MBChristie Wilcox (@NerdyChristie) comes on to school us on lionfish with liver damage and why scientists should use social media. Come for the invasive species, stay for the social media smackdown!
BB35: Phil Torres! (June 25, 2013)
July 03, 2013 01:45 - 30 minutes - 34.7 MBIf you want to hear about cobra venom in your eye and tramping around the jungles like a *real* biologist, then Phil Torres is your man and this is your episode! Plus, the behind-the-scenes story of the Donald Trump caterpillar. Don't miss this one!
BB33: Brian Switek! (June 12, 2013)
June 18, 2013 01:58 - 37 minutes - 42.5 MBMy beloved Brontopodcast! Okay, the joke is lame (http://www.amazon.com/My-Beloved-Brontosaurus-Favorite-Dinosaurs/dp/0374135061), but the podcast isn't: it's the awesome Brian Switek of Laelaps blog and twitter fame and author of two great books on dinosaurs and the fossil record. I can't even describe it, you'll just have to listen to it.
BB32: Glendon Mellow! (May 31, 2013)
June 04, 2013 13:43 - 29 minutes - 33.9 MBIn Episode 32, we talk with Glendon Mellow (@symbiartic), science illustrator extraordinaire, about his work illustrating biology, copyright, visuals in science, and tattoos!
BB31: Stu Auld! (May 24, 2013)
May 27, 2013 23:35 - 29 minutes - 33.3 MBIn episode 31 we talk to Stu Auld about host-parasite coevolution in Daphnia. If you like tales about crustaceans with parasites and gender issues, then this is the podcast for you! If not, it's probably still the podcast for you, because Stu is awesome and funny.
BB30: Us! (May 10, 2013)
May 20, 2013 23:34 - 29 minutes - 34.1 MBIn episode 30 Anthony returns to turn the tables and ask *us* questions for #scifund! If you've ever wanted a look behind the scenes of Breaking Bio, this is the podcast for you.
BB29: Beards! (May 2, 2013)
May 13, 2013 23:02 - 29 minutes - 33.9 MBIn episode 29 we talk with Mike Kasumovic about spiders and crickets and video games - and that's just the science! Plus, Mike's tips on getting ahead in science and how to have a great academic beard.
BB28: Bats! (April 24, 2013)
May 08, 2013 00:54 - 30 minutes - 34.3 MBOur guest Patty Jones from UT Austin joins us to talk about frog-eating bats, the joys of field work, and the crew hatches a plan to rid the world of Justin Bieber!
BB27: Shark teeth! (April 17. 2013)
May 01, 2013 02:13 - 30 minutes - 34.3 MBIn Episode 27, we chat with the awesome Joshua Drew (@labroides) and even drop in on his graduate class to say 'hi'. If you're interested in awesome shark tooth weapons, communicating science, or the role of women in science, then this is the episode for you! Plus, bowties are *cool* (uh, though of course, you can't hear that).
BB26: Bioluminescence! (April 11, 2013)
April 16, 2013 02:21 - 29 minutes - 33.3 MBIn Episode 26 we talked with the awesome Siouxsie Wiles of the University of Auckland about bioluminesence and communicating science. Seriously, I can't even describe how cool the squid are, and you'll never look at a mouse with TB the same way either! (Well, if you had a way of looking at a mouse with TB to begin with, I suppose...)
BB25: Geckos! (April 4, 2013)
April 11, 2013 00:34 - 30 minutes - 34.3 MBIn Episode 25, we chat about all things gecko with Alyssa Stark (Ph.D. student at the University of Akron): gecko-inspired tape, swimming geckos, gecko harnesses, pet geckos, crapping geckos ... the fun never stops. Join us to find out why it's a bad idea to give your experimental animals names!
BB24: D20 is people! (March 28, 2013)
April 02, 2013 21:56 - 29 minutes - 33.7 MBIn episode 24, we chat with Anthony Salvagno (@thescienceofant), newly minted Ph.D in physics, about his thesis research on the effects of heavy water on living things (come, see the giant E. coli!) and his open science approach. It's a great conversation, so have a listen!
BB23: Academentia and administrivia! (March 21, 2013)
March 26, 2013 01:23 - 28 minutes - 33 MBIn episode 23, Tom, Morgan and I return to our roots of shooting the scientific breeze, ranging from de-extinction to the ... interesting things ... that people ask us when they find out what we do. Plus, for bonus points, you can play the Breaking Bio drinking game!
BB 22: NOT just dinosaurs (March 15, 2013)
March 18, 2013 22:45 - 29 minutes - 33.8 MBIn episode 22 we talk with @JohnRHutchinson, who does awesome biomechanics work on big animals (NOT just dinosaurs). Ever wanted to know what it's like to get a look at an elephant's intestines? He's your man. Also, this is Heidi's first episode as a regular cohost of the show! As you'll see, she fits right in.
BB21: Fire ants! (March 7, 2013)
March 11, 2013 23:03 - 29 minutes - 33.4 MBIn Episode 21, we talk with Heidi Smith from the University of Texas at Austin about her postdoc in behavioural ecology with Mike Ryan, the wonders of nature, bathing in fire ants, guns everywhere!, and a lot more!
BB20: Sexy dinosaurs! (February 28, 2013)
March 04, 2013 23:15 - 27 minutes - 31.9 MBIn episode 20, we talk to Jon Tennant (@protohedgehog), PhD student in paleontology at Imperial College, London about the ins-and-outs of the Jurassic-Cretaceous extinction, feathers and sexual dimorphism in dinosaurs, and how the "terrible lizards" got freaky!
BB19: Sasquatch! (And bot fly weightloss...)
February 24, 2013 22:25 - 29 minutes - 34.2 MBIn episode 19, we dissect the Sasquatch genome paper with David Winter (@TheAtavism). Spoiler alert: still not real. Also, looking for a radical new weight loss solution? Well, don't try bot flies. Seriously. Morgan and Bug Girl explain why it's a really stupid idea.
BB 18: Parasites FTW! (February 14, 2012)
February 18, 2013 22:49 - 29 minutes - 34.3 MBIn episode 18, Morgan and I are joined by Tommy Leung, evolutionary biologist and parasitologist extraordinaire, to talk about parasites of all kinds. And as a special bonus, MC Parasite appears out of *nowhere* to hit us with some evobio rhymes on the evolution of cooperation!
BB17: Scio! (February 8, 2013)
February 11, 2013 21:43 - 29 minutes - 54.8 MBIn this episode, Morgan, Rafael and I talk about the reasons we move where we do, why you don't want a blood transfusion in Akron, and Morgan reports on Science Online (#scio13).
BB16: A chat with Chris Buddle!
February 04, 2013 21:44 - 29 minutes - 34 MBIn episode 16 we're joined by Chris Buddle (@cmbuddle) to talk about wolf spiders and their distinct lack of hunting in packs, field work in the Arctic, and how scientists can benefit from social media. All that and more!
BB15: Baby carrots! (January 25, 2013)
January 29, 2013 11:40 - 29 minutes - 33.4 MBIn episode 15, Lauren, Morgan, Rafael, Tom and I discuss the least-stressful job of 2013 (professor!) and scientific literacy. Then, the topic turns to baby carrots and things go completely off the rails. You may never look at your vegetables the same way again.
BB14: Jaden Walker and the bedroom of spiders! (January 18, 2013)
January 22, 2013 00:04 - 29 minutes - 33.9 MBIn Episode 14, Morgan and I chat with Jaden Walker (@theeternal, @myriap0da), who is an amateur entomologist, musician, autism advocate, and more. If you've ever wondered what it's like to house 12,000 spiders (no, that's not a typo) in your bedroom, this is the episode for you!
BB13(3): Jacquelyn Gill, Part 3
January 13, 2013 12:52 - 37 minutes - 43.1 MBIn this episode, we talk with the fantastic Jacquelyn Gill (@jacquelyngill)! We had a great conversation but it was so meaty that I decided to break this one up into three parts. In this third part, we talk with Jacquelyn about how to be social in science, getting a faculty job, dealing with the NSF (if you're American), and using Skype during your thesis defense!
BB13(2): Jacquelyn Gill, Part 2
January 13, 2013 12:05 - 27 minutes - 31 MBIn this episode, we talk with the fantastic Jacquelyn Gill (@jacquelyngill)! We had a great conversation but it was so meaty that I decided to break this one up into three parts. In this second part, we talk with Jacquelyn about science and social media, imposter syndrome, and Bug Girl arrives to talk about the standing of women in science and how we can improve things.
BB13(1): Jacquelyn Gill, Part 1
January 13, 2013 11:30 - 32 minutes - 37.1 MBIn this episode, we talk with the fantastic Jacquelyn Gill (@jacquelyngill)! We had a great conversation but it was so meaty that I decided to break this one up into three parts. In this first part, we talk with Jacquelyn about paleoecology, dung, scicomm, and mammoth cloning!
BB12: The Strepsiptera are rubbish! (November 30, 2012)
December 13, 2012 21:34 - 41 minutes - 48 MBIn Episode 12, Bug, Crystal, Morgan, Tom and I talk about why the Strepsiptera are rubbish, censorship!, the public conversation about science and whether we can blog our science as it happens, and academic ... CV ... size. Not only was this Crystal's first live podcast, but Tom was kind of drunk. Audio is definitely NSFW.
BB11: Bedbugs and traumatic insemination with Mike Siva-Jothy (November 22, 2012)
December 02, 2012 01:50 - 53 minutes - 61.4 MBIn this episode I'm joined by Lauren, Tom, Morgan, Michael and Bug Girl as we talk with Professor Mike Siva-Jothy of the University of Sheffeild. We cover traumatic insemination in bedbugs, tiny glass-blown genitalia, and the triumphant return of pubic lice!
BB10: ESA Clips (Special episode)
November 21, 2012 10:24 - 52 minutes - 60.4 MBIn this series of clips shot at the Entomological Society of America 2012 conference, Morgan and Crystal interview a series of special guests (including a quick cameo from friends of the show @TheBugChicks!).
BB9: Bug Chicks! (November 7, 2012)
November 15, 2012 12:36 - 1 hour - 73 MBIn episode 9 we're joined by the Bug Chicks (thebugchicks.com). Tom, Rafael, and I chat with Jessica and Kristie about everything from teaching about bugs to driving in East Africa with no brakes.
BB8: Goblins and goodies. (October 26, 2012)
October 31, 2012 22:11 - 58 minutes - 67 MBI'm joined by Lauren, Morgan, Rafael, and guest Sam Evans to chat about science goblins, anti-intellectualism, Master's degrees, the things we write on grants and the joys of working in a call centre.
BB7: An interview with Rob Brooks (October 17, 2012)
October 20, 2012 12:56 - 47 minutes - 54.6 MBProfessor Rob Brooks (@Brooks_Rob), a behavioural ecologist studying sexual reproduction at the University of New South Wales, joins Rafael, Morgan, Tom, Michael, Lauren, and I for an interview about his book (Sex, Genes, and Rock'n'Roll), and evolution in general. In a departure from our usual format, there was a minimum of chaos. Also, our new cohost Lauren (@PygmyLoris) joins us for the first time! Due to mic issues we don't hear much from her, but look for her to be a big part of thin...