KGNU - How On Earth
680 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsThe KGNU Science Show
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Episodes
Birds and Dopamine // Nature Wants Us To Fat
June 28, 2022 01:12 - 26 minutes - 37 MBBirds 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"
Summer Solstice Hike // On the Trail of a Hidden Hominoid
June 21, 2022 19:14 - 26 minutes - 37 MBPre-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"
Skin Cancer // Methane Leaks // Engineering Happiness // Black holes
June 14, 2022 15:00 - 26 minutes - 36.6 MBToday’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"
Keeping Your Heart Healthy – Off the Western Medicine Track
June 09, 2022 02:07 - 26 minutes - 21.4 MBThis 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"
2022 Graduation Special (part 2)
May 31, 2022 15:00 - 27 minutes - 37.1 MBWith 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)"
2022 Graduation Special (part 1)
May 24, 2022 15:00 - 27 minutes - 37.1 MBWith 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/Alphafold
May 17, 2022 17:43 - 26 minutes - 37.1 MBGold 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"
Brains in Space // Climate Grief // Gold Lab Symposium
May 09, 2022 21:25 - 22 minutes - 30.2 MBWe explore a wide range of science topics today. Brains in Space (starts 1:00) Joel Parker explains how space travel may affect human brains Climate Grief (starts 5:17) The United Nations warns that the changing climate will lead to increasing climate grief around the world. Kritee, a senior scientist at the … Continue reading "Brains in Space // Climate Grief // Gold Lab Symposium"
The Queen of Fats: Omega-3
May 07, 2022 08:35 - 23 minutes - 23.2 MBThis 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- & Pollinator-Conscious Planting
May 03, 2022 21:21 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBClimate-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"
Climate Change: A Laughing Matter?
April 19, 2022 18:57 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBComedy+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?"
The Last Stargazers, Part 2
April 12, 2022 15:00 - 26 minutes - 36.7 MBWe 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"
The Last Stargazers, Part 1
April 05, 2022 15:00 - 27 minutes - 37.7 MBWe 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"
Sounds Wild and Broken
March 29, 2022 18:13 - 27 minutes - 62 MBNature’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"
KGNU Fund Drive with The Last Stargazers
March 10, 2022 04:26 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBOn 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"
Walking Doesn’t Have to Get Old
March 01, 2022 15:20 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBIn 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"
Avalanche Accidents — Who Dies?
February 22, 2022 21:45 - 26 minutes - 37 MBWe 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 … Continue reading "Avalanche Accidents — Who Dies?"
Green Walls//Drones Study Marshall Fire//Volunteering to GET COVID
February 08, 2022 20:37 - 26 minutes - 37 MBLong 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, … Continue reading "Green Walls//Drones Study Marshall Fire//Volunteering to GET COVID"
Green Walls // Drones Study Marshall Fire // Volunteering to GET COVID
February 08, 2022 20:37 - 26 minutes - 37 MBLong 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, … Continue reading "Green Walls // Drones Study Marshall Fire // Volunteering to GET COVID"
The Science of Heartbreak
February 01, 2022 18:04 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBHeartbreak 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 … Continue reading "The Science of Heartbreak"
Climate Change and Local Fires
January 24, 2022 14:04 - 28 minutes - 24.7 MBThis 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 … Continue reading "Climate Change and Local Fires"
30th Anniversary Show
January 21, 2022 17:06 - 26 minutes - 35.9 MBIn 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 … Continue reading "30th Anniversary Show"
Top Ten from 2021
January 05, 2022 16:25 - 24 minutes - 25.9 MB2021 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 Listen to the show:
Defy Aging//Green Recycling//Corona(not virus) News
December 21, 2021 21:53 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBCorona (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 … Continue reading "Defy Aging//Green Recycling//Corona(not virus) News"
Defy Aging // Green Recycling // Corona (not virus) News
December 21, 2021 21:53 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBCorona (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 … Continue reading "Defy Aging // Green Recycling // Corona (not virus) News"
The Fentanyl Epidemic: Why It’s Growing and Some Solutions
December 16, 2021 15:01 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBThis 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 … Continue reading "The Fentanyl Epidemic: Why It’s Growing and Some Solutions"
Can Cattle Reduce Climate Change?
December 02, 2021 17:24 - 27 minutes - 24.6 MBThis 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 … Continue reading "Can Cattle Reduce Climate Change?"
Wild Strawberries, Wild Turkeys & Farewell to Bernie Rollin
November 23, 2021 04:25 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBGreen 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 … Continue reading "Wild Strawberries, Wild Turkeys & Farewell to Bernie Rollin"
Building Bones without Drugs
November 19, 2021 15:51 - 27 minutes - 25 MBOn 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 … Continue reading "Building Bones without Drugs"
It’s A Dog’s World!
November 11, 2021 19:16 - 23 minutes - 18.9 MBEver wonder what the world would be like without us humans? Professor Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce answer that question from a dog’s eye perspective in their book, A Dog’s World. In addition to speculating about the future of our canine friends without us, they provide a thorough and well-researched look at all aspects of … Continue reading "It’s A Dog’s World!"
The Natural Funeral
November 02, 2021 02:23 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBToday marks the Day of the Dead in Mexico. It’s a time to welcome the spirits and memories of the dearly departed and to reflect on our own mortality. But in U.S. culture, this type of face-to-face reckoning with death itself is often taboo. Today we delve into one of those taboos: what to do … Continue reading "The Natural Funeral"
Microscopic ‘antennae’ use quantum mechanics to harvest heat energy
October 26, 2021 20:12 - 23 minutes - 18 MBIn this episode of How on Earth, Beth talks with Dr Amina Belkadi about her groundbreaking work developing the microscopic ‘rectennas’ (pictured here in a scanning EM photo) to harvest heat energy from their surroundings. This novel approach could revolutionize energy technology. Show Producer: Beth Bennett Additional contribution: Shelley Schlender Listen to the show:
Beloved Beasts // Fund Drive Show
October 12, 2021 17:50 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBOn this week’s show journalist and author Michelle Nijhuis talks with How On Earth host Susan Moran about her recently published book, Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. It’s a book of hope, history, and even humor. Special thanks to listeners who donated and received copies of the book. And thanks … Continue reading "Beloved Beasts // Fund Drive Show"
Funnel Web Spiders at Sawhill Ponds
September 27, 2021 20:40 - 26 minutes - 24.8 MBBoulder County Nature Association Naturalists Steve Jones and Scott Severs search for autumn spiders and other creatures among the tall prairie grasses at Boulder’s Sawhill Ponds. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
New Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
September 14, 2021 14:37 - 27 minutes - 29.8 MBOn this week’s show Beth talks with Alzheimer’s Disease researcher Dale Bredesen. In his new book, The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s, he lets some of his patients speak. He also describes in detail his complex diagnostic and personalized therapeutic approaches. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Producer: Beth Bennett Listen to the show:
Ready for RoundUp?
September 01, 2021 00:13 - 24 minutes - 19.3 MBToday on how on earth, Beth talks to MIT scientist Stephanie Seneff about her book, Toxic Legacy. Dr Seneff takes us on a fast paced tour of the large range of toxicities produced by glyphosate. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, the most commonly used weedkiller in the world. Nearly 300 million pounds of … Continue reading "Ready for RoundUp?"
Wes Marshall – Love Cars LESS
August 24, 2021 19:52 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBWes Marshall – Love Cars LESS (Entire Show) CU-Denver Transportation Engineer Wes Marshall argues that people are safer and cities are more vibrant when communities focus LESS on speedways and parking lots. (This is part 2 of FUTURE of CARs series. Go Here for Part 1, about the Glory Days of Fast Cars, at … Continue reading "Wes Marshall – Love Cars LESS"
Future of Cars – Shelby American Collection//Colorado DIgital ID
August 17, 2021 15:44 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBFUTURE OF CARS – Shelby American Collection (Starts 3:30) We tour Boulder’s Shelby American Collection of world-famous Vintage Shelby Cobra racecars, with founder Steve Volk. We discover what made people in the 1960s LOVE fast cars, and we learn how hot rodders created many automotive … Continue reading "Future of Cars – Shelby American Collection//Colorado DIgital ID"
My Colorado Vaccination App – Extended Version
August 15, 2021 22:12 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBHere’s the Extended Version of the Interview with Russell Castagnaro about Colorado’s official way to display your vaccination record AND your driver’s license, on your smart phone. – Shelley Schlender
A New Way to Measure Aging
August 12, 2021 17:47 - 27 minutes - 20.8 MBThis week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Professor Tom LaRocca, professor in the department of Health and Exercise Science at CSU in Fort Collins. His background is in molecular biology and physiology, but he is particularly interested in translational research (using laboratory science to develop practical applications or treatments that can help people). … Continue reading "A New Way to Measure Aging"
Psychedelic Mushrooms & Depression
August 03, 2021 15:00 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBIn this How on Earth episode, we learn about the latest research on psychedelic mushrooms (psilocybin) and their potential for treating depression. Jill Sjong speaks with Alex Kwan, a neuroscientist and Associate Professor in Psychiatry at Yale University’s School of Medicine, who studies dendritic plasticity in mice using advanced optical methods. Dr. Kwan … Continue reading "Psychedelic Mushrooms & Depression"
Dismal US Mortality Data – Ryan Masters
July 13, 2021 22:39 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBRare Ebony Winged Damselfly at Flagg Park (starts 1:00) Naturalists Scott Severs and Ruth Carol Cushman take us to Lafayette’s Flagg Park to see a rare and beautiful cousin of the dragonfly Early Warning for Celiac Disease (starts 4:35) Dismal US Mortality Rates (starts 7:07) – CU Sociologist … Continue reading "Dismal US Mortality Data – Ryan Masters"
Emerging World: A Road Map for a Better World
July 11, 2021 18:23 - 27 minutes - 24.2 MBToday on How on Earth, Beth speaks with author Roger Briggs about his new book: Emerging World. Briggs explores the evolution of consciousness and shows that this is behind everything humans have done, are now doing, and are capable of in the future. By bringing together knowledge from paleoanthropology, cultural philosophy, cognitive psychology, and evolutionary … Continue reading "Emerging World: A Road Map for a Better World"
UFO Report – Carol Cleland
June 29, 2021 23:24 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBWe discuss the Pentagon’s new UFO . . . well . . . UAF report, with CU Boulder’s Center for the Study of Origins Director, Carol Cleland. Cleland wants the Pentagon to release more data, and for Congress to organize an interdisciplinary Task Force to study it. Along the way, we also discuss other “UFO … Continue reading "UFO Report – Carol Cleland"
Fitness in mid-life and the new Alzheimer drug
June 26, 2021 19:30 - 29 minutes - 22.6 MBThis week on How on Earth, Beth gives an update on the new drug just authorized by the FDA to treat Alzheimer’s disease, aducanumab, sold under the brand name Aduhelm. Then hear her interview with Dr Marc Bubbs, whose new book, Peak 40, builds on the strategies he laid out in his first book on … Continue reading "Fitness in mid-life and the new Alzheimer drug"
Energy from Hot Air – Amina Belkadi & Garret Moddel
June 09, 2021 01:19 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBCU-Boulder Electrical Engineers Amina Belkadi and Garret Moddel explain how scientists are working to pull energy from radiantly heated air, and why their efforts might expand renewable energy production AND help cool the planet. Producer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Energy from Hot Air – Amina Belkani & Garret Moddell
June 09, 2021 01:19 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBCU-Boulder Electrical Engineers Amina Belkadi and Garret Moddell explain how scientists are working to pull energy from radiantly heated air, and why their efforts might expand renewable energy production AND help cool the planet. Producer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Joel Parker
Water in the Arid West
June 06, 2021 18:21 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBToday on How on Earth, Beth replays a timely interview with Boulder author Bob Crifasi, a long time water resource manager. His book, on the history and consequences of Front Range water use, is especially relevant now during our longterm drought.Bob works in water management and planning and is an environmental scientist with over 25 … Continue reading "Water in the Arid West"
Skunk Canyon Songbirds // Longmont Beavers
May 25, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBSkunk Canyon Songbirds (Starts 1:00) Scott Severs and Steve Jones hike Boulder’s Skunk Canyon Trail explaining why spring is late this year, plus why Skunk Canyon is home to so many song birds. Longmont Beavers (Starts 12:00) Scott Severs, Wildlife Expert for the City of Longmont, explains how beavers can promote stream health, and why … Continue reading "Skunk Canyon Songbirds // Longmont Beavers"
Skunk Canyon Songbirds//Longmont Beavers
May 25, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBSkunk Canyon Songbirds (Starts 1:00) Scott Severs and Steve Jones hike Boulder’s Skunk Canyon Trail explaining why spring is late this year, plus why Skunk Canyon is home to so many song birds. Longmont Beavers (Starts 12:00) Scott Severs, Wildlife Expert for the City of Longmont, … Continue reading "Skunk Canyon Songbirds//Longmont Beavers"