KGNU - How On Earth
680 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsThe KGNU Science Show
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Episodes
COVID-19: ACE, Targeted Therapies, Old & New Medicines
April 07, 2020 15:05 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis episode talks about research about COVID-19, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and targeted therapies, and our feature is an interview with CU-Boulder scientists Anushree Chatterjee and Prashant Nagpal. This husband and wife science team explains why there may be a downside to adapting old medications to fight Covid-19. They’ll also explain their anguish about why creating new “drugs” to fight Covid-19 … Continue reading "COVID-19: ACE, Targeted Therapies, Old & New Medicines"
Miracle Brew (encore feature) // COVID-19 // Drying Towels
March 31, 2020 17:20 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBThis week on How On Earth, we present an Encore Feature from January 2018 about the science and art of brewing beer with guest Pete Brown, author of Miracle Brew. This episode also includes new headlines about current research about COVID-19 and about the science of drying towels outside. Host: Beth Bennett Producer: Joel Parker, Beth Bennett Engineer: Maeve Conran Additional contributions: Angele … Continue reading "Miracle Brew (encore feature) // COVID-19 // Drying Towels"
CoVid19 Update // Sleep and Your Immune System
March 25, 2020 01:43 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBThis week on How On Earth, we produced the entire show out of the studio, explaining one brief glitch. Beth gives a short update on the way the corona virus infects cells and how this entry point can affect people taking blood pressure medications. In our feature interview, Beth talks with Professor Mark Opp, who … Continue reading "CoVid19 Update // Sleep and Your Immune System"
Peer Pressure can Influence Your Carbon Footprint // CoVid19 Update
March 18, 2020 02:16 - 27 minutes - 21.4 MBThis week on How on Earth we start with an update on the corona virus, focusing on treatments and vaccines. At 12 minutes, we begin our interview with Bob Frank, author of Under the Influence, Putting Peer Pressure to Work. This book explains how we could redirect trillions of dollars annually in support of carbon-free … Continue reading "Peer Pressure can Influence Your Carbon Footprint // CoVid19 Update"
Ice Age Bone Fire // Backcountry Skiing & Wildlife
March 03, 2020 05:44 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBBackcountry Skiing & Wildlife (Starts 1:00) Margaret Hedderman reports on how off-trail use of wilderness areas is causing increasing harm to wildlife . . . and what to do instead. Ice Age Bone Fire (starts 6:15) We join Archeologist John Hoffecker and a team of volunteers to recreate a Paleolithic campfire. This “campfire” was used over 20,000 … Continue reading "Ice Age Bone Fire // Backcountry Skiing & Wildlife"
Space Mining
March 01, 2020 21:33 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBSpace Mining [starts at 9:20] Stars have been called “diamonds in the sky,” but there are other valuable and more accessible resources up there. Asteroids might be the next gold rush, though for resources other than gold, if there are ways to actually get there and mine them. Can we do that? And, even if we can, does … Continue reading "Space Mining"
Stem Cell Science // Decoding Science
February 12, 2020 04:20 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBStem cell science v. hype (start time: 00:57) Clinics offering stem cell therapies and other forms of so-called regenerative medicine are cropping up in many states, including Colorado. Practitioners of stem cells, are touting them as repairing damaged cartilage, tendons and joints, and even treating diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. While the science looks … Continue reading "Stem Cell Science // Decoding Science"
The Science of Hearing and Hearing Aids
February 07, 2020 02:55 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBThis week Beth and Angele talk with David Owen about his book, Volume Control, in which he explores the surprising science of hearing and the remarkable technologies that can help us hear better. In the book, he argues that failing to take care of our hearing comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the … Continue reading "The Science of Hearing and Hearing Aids"
Who Pays for Climate Change?
January 23, 2020 03:18 - 27 minutes - 23.5 MBThis week, Beth and Angele speak with with Brenda Ekwurzel in the studio. Brenda is the director of climate science for the Union of Concerned Scientists. She was in Boulder for a panel on Air Quality and Climate Change. She spoke about some Colorado issues e.g. wildfire and drought, and assigning responsibility for specific events … Continue reading "Who Pays for Climate Change?"
Ketogenic Diet and Muscle and Memory
January 15, 2020 01:58 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBThis week on How on Earth, we speak with Dr John Newman, geriatrician and geoscientist at the Buck Institute. He describes his recent research in mice, showing that both memory and muscle improve in animals eating a high fat diet. To see more details on these experiments, you can visit the lab website. To register … Continue reading "Ketogenic Diet and Muscle and Memory"
Climate Watch // Extreme Conservation
January 07, 2020 21:02 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBToday’s show features the following interviews, by How On Earth’s Susan Moran and guest host Ted Wood. Audubon’s Climate Watch (start time: 4:03) Starting on Jan. 14, the Audubon Society will launch a month-long citizen science program to better understand how birds are responding to climate change. This comes at a time when, according to a 2019 … Continue reading "Climate Watch // Extreme Conservation"
Top Stories of the Decade
January 01, 2020 22:38 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBThis week on How on Earth, Angele and Beth distill some of the top science news of the past year and decade, ranging from the first image of a black hole, as seen here, to DNA sequencing of ancient genomes, some new hominid ancestors, advances in AI, and more! Hosts: Beth Bennett & Angele Sjong … Continue reading "Top Stories of the Decade"
Climate (COP25) Summit Review
December 17, 2019 18:55 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBCOP25 Postmortem (start time: 3:35) Earlier this month many nation’s leaders, as well as scientists, environmental activists, companies and others gathered in Madrid for a two-week United Nations climate summit. The conference, called COP25, is rooted in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which is a blend of pledges from about 200 nations to dramatically slash their planet-warming emissions. Next year’s … Continue reading "Climate (COP25) Summit Review"
Cognitive Brain Development in Adolescents, Part 2
December 11, 2019 03:06 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBFour years ago Beth interviewed Professor Marie Banich, a neuroscience researcher at the University of Colorado here in Boulder. She had just received a major grant from NIH to characterize how brain regions involved in decision making and judgment change as children grow up. In the past four years she has assembled a multi-site team … Continue reading "Cognitive Brain Development in Adolescents, Part 2"
Voyager Passes Heliopause//Xmas Bird Count
December 03, 2019 22:46 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBVoyager Passes Through the Heliopause (Starts 1:00) LASP scientist Fran Bagenol explains how the over 40 year old Voyager Mission, that launched in the 1970s is still providing incredible surprises, including passing through the border between the solar system and “outer space.” As part of making that journey, the Voyager spacecraft have passed through cosmic plasma that … Continue reading "Voyager Passes Heliopause//Xmas Bird Count"
COP25 Global Climate Summit
November 19, 2019 19:39 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBCOP25 & Climate Change (start time: 1:07): Next month (Dec. 2-13), the United Nations global climate change summit, known as COP25, will take place in Madrid. Many scientists, environmental nonprofits, students, activists will also attend side events related to the UN sustainable development goals (SDG). The goal of COP over the years has been to … Continue reading "COP25 Global Climate Summit"
Buzz: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers
November 05, 2019 16:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBBUZZ: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils and Adrenaline Junkies. We speak with clinical psychologist and author, Ken Carter about his new book BUZZ, and high-sensation seekers who can’t get enough “new” and love to seek out more. Carter is a consultant for the Denver Science Museum’s Extreme Sports exhibit, running through spring 2020. He speaks at the Boulder Bookstore … Continue reading "Buzz: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers"
Buzz: Inside the MInds of Thrill-Seekers
November 05, 2019 16:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBBUZZ: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils and Adrenaline Junkies. We speak with clinical psychologist and author, Ken Carter about his new book BUZZ, and high-sensation seekers who can't get enough "new" and love to seek out more. Carter is a consultant for the Denver Science Museum's Extreme Sports exhibit, running through spring 2020. He speaks at the Boulder Bookstore Wednesday Nov 6th. Check out his sensation-seeking survey on how to rate your own thrill-seeking . . . or...
Randall Munroe Explains “How To”
November 04, 2019 05:52 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBHow To [starts at 4:30] Our guest for this episode is Randall Munroe, perhaps best known for his comic xkcd, and author of the books “What If” and “Thing Explainer”. Randall has figured out how to do many things, so he wrote a new book appropriately called “How To”, which promises to provide absurd scientific advice for common real … Continue reading "Randall Munroe Explains “How To”"
Almost Human – Julius the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds (FULL INTERVIEW)
October 22, 2019 19:53 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBAlmost Human – The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds (Extended Version) by Alfred Fidjestøl. This is the full version of the interview.
Pledge Drive Show – Almost Human: The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee
October 22, 2019 02:10 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBAlmost Human: The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds. In this fall pledge drive show, we feature Alfred Fidjestøl‘s new biography about one of Europe’s most famous chimpanzees. (We’ll broadcast the full interview with Alfred Fijestol at a later date.) Hosts: Shelley Schlender & Chip Grandits Producer/Engineer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Joel Parker
At the Intersection of Science and Art with Jorge Perez-Gallego
October 11, 2019 03:20 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBWe talk with University of Colorado Scholar in Residence Jorge Perez-Gallego about many non-traditional paths one might take after getting a science Ph.D. as well as CU’s Grand Challenge and the fascinating intersection of science and art through the Nature, Environment, Science & Technology (NEST) Studio for the Arts. Host, Producer, Engineer: Joel Parker Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender Listen … Continue reading "At the Intersection of Science and Art with Jorge Perez-Gallego"
Alzhieimer’s Drug Reverses Brain Damage Caused by Binge Drinking
October 02, 2019 01:50 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBBeth interviews neuroscientist and addiction researcher Scott Swartzwelder who talks about his research on reversing alcohol-induced brain damage in young rats. In past work, Professor Swartzwelder and colleagues have identified specific areas of the brain damaged by drinking, especially in adolescent rats. In this interview, he describes, how this damage occurs, and amazingly, how treatment … Continue reading "Alzhieimer’s Drug Reverses Brain Damage Caused by Binge Drinking"
Amazon Burning — Jennifer Balch
September 24, 2019 20:14 - 28 minutes - 32.4 MBAmazon Burning – (starts 3:15) CU Boulder Earth Lab Director Jennifer Balch explains how the burning of the tropical rain forests may destroy them, and ways to protect the forests and sustainable development Hosts: Shelley Schlender, Susan Moran Producer/Engineer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Tackling Ozone Pollution
September 17, 2019 23:12 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBTackling ozone pollution in Colorado (starts at 3:55): Cooler fall weather might soon bring back the bluebird skies we all love. But last year ozone levels in the Denver metropolitan area were high enough to prompt state health officials to issue ozone action alerts an average of once a week. (This summer has fared somewhat better.) During … Continue reading "Tackling Ozone Pollution"
Lights Out Denver – Saving Birds and Energy
September 11, 2019 01:04 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBOn this week’s show Beth speaks with Vicki Vargas-Madrid, Program Administrator for the Denver Lights Out Program. This program is part of the Denver Sustainability Office, which seeks to conserve energy and promote sustainable lifestyles. They discuss the program’s efforts to reduce bird mortality following collisions with windows by reducing night time illumination. To learn … Continue reading "Lights Out Denver – Saving Birds and Energy"
Creative (Climate) Communications
September 04, 2019 01:56 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBCreative (Climate) Communications [starts at 7:40] As a climate scientist Professor Max Boykoff is part of a community that has been persistently making the case that global warming is a serious problem, with severe and widespread consequences and that human activity is contributing to the problem and significant changes in human behavior is instrumental to addressing … Continue reading "Creative (Climate) Communications"
Edible Bugs
August 28, 2019 22:18 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBEdible Bugs (Entire Program) When it comes to an animal that has high quality proteins and fats, plus a very small environmental footprint, there’s more bang to the bug. We talk about, and taste, edible bugs with Wendy Lu McGill, founder of Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch, and Amy Franklin, Founder of Farms for Orphans that teaches orphanages in … Continue reading "Edible Bugs"
Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone
August 13, 2019 22:21 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBGLEE (starts at 8:06) We just recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing. After the Apollo missions, scientists have returned to the Moon with robotic missions because of the scientific clues the Moon can provide about the history of the Earth and the solar system, as well as learning more about the lunar … Continue reading "Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone"
Marc Bubbs & The New Science of Athletic Performance
August 07, 2019 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIn this episode, Beth speaks with Dr Marc Bubbs, author of Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance, his book exploring the fundamentals of high performance. He offers science-based strategies on nutrition, training, sleep, recovery, and stress management to optimize performance for all levels of athletes and trainers. You can read more about the book … Continue reading "Marc Bubbs & The New Science of Athletic Performance"
Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us
July 30, 2019 21:48 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBSlime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us. (Starts 00:00) We speak with science writer Ruth Kassinger about her acclaimed new book, which Kirkus Review describes as “accessible and enthralling.” Nature Science reports that Kassinger’s book, “ is a real pleasure. ” Publisher’s Weekly writes, “ Kassinger turns an obscure subject into delightful … Continue reading "Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us"
PUNCH-ing the Sun
July 02, 2019 19:14 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBThe PUNCH mission (starts at 8:05) NASA’s new mission to study the Sun is called PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere). In this episode of How on Earth we talk with solar physicist Dr. Craig DeForest, the Principal Investigator of the PUNCH mission. Dr. DeForest is a Program Director at the Boulder office of Southwest … Continue reading "PUNCH-ing the Sun"
Cancer, Immunity and the Future of a Cure
June 25, 2019 15:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBDespite all the advances in modern medical science, a diagnosis of Cancer often casts a pallor of hopelessness, for both the patient and the practitioner. For many types the prognosis is often poor; the cure is often worse than the disease; victory is usually called simply remission, temporary, perhaps fleeting. One might think the inability … Continue reading "Cancer, Immunity and the Future of a Cure"
Yeast & Entropy
June 18, 2019 15:20 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBYeast & Entropy (starts 2:30) When yeast cells eat sugar and then give off ethanol, it helps us make yeast breads and beer. But WHY would yeast work so hard to metabolize sugar, simply to spit out as ethanol? This is a mystery that Matthias Heinemann is trying to figure out. Heinemann is a professor … Continue reading "Yeast & Entropy"
Toxic Air’s Health Risks
June 12, 2019 03:31 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBAir Pollution, Possible Solutions (start time: 2:36) It is ubiquitous and essential to our life. It it is also the cause of some 7 million premature deaths around the world every year, ranking just behind diet, cancer and tobacco as a health risk. That’s the air we breath. Beijing, New Delhi, and London are among … Continue reading "Toxic Air’s Health Risks"
Paternity Science
June 05, 2019 01:31 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBThis week on How on Earth, Beth interviews Nara Milanich, author of Paternity: The Elusive Quest for the Father, and professor of history at Barnard College. For most of human history, paternity was uncertain while motherhood most definitely was not. But in the 1920s new scientific advances promised to solve the mystery of paternity. The … Continue reading "Paternity Science"
A Walking Life // MOSAIC Arctic Expedition
May 28, 2019 19:24 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBIn the first feature (start time 1:00) KGNU’s Maeve Conran speaks with Antonia Malchik, author of A Walking Life. This book explores the relationship between walking and our humanity, how we have lost it through a century of car-centric design, how we can regain it and more. This part of the interview, produced especially for … Continue reading "A Walking Life // MOSAIC Arctic Expedition"
2019 Graduation Special
May 21, 2019 21:36 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBWith graduation season is upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is our annual “Graduation Special”. 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 they have planned next. Marcus Piquette – CU … Continue reading "2019 Graduation Special"
Gold Lab Symposium 2019
May 14, 2019 06:00 - 27 minutes - 37.9 MBWe speak with Larry Gold, founder of the Gold Lab Symposium that will take place at CU Boulder’s Muenzinger Auditorium this Friday and Saturday. This year’s symposium will feature leading scientists discussing the double-edged swords of our modern treatments for cancer, immunity and autoimmunity. To sign up or learn more, see Gold Lab Foundation. Host,Producer,Engineer Shelley Schlender … Continue reading "Gold Lab Symposium 2019"
Plastic Pollution & Solutions
May 07, 2019 20:39 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBTackling Plastic Pollution (starts at 3:09): It is, sadly, common for beachcombers around the world to see, along with clam shells and sand dollars, plastic bottles, bottle caps, cigaret filters and fish nets washed up on shore. According to estimates by World Economic Forum, our oceans will be populated by more pounds of plastic waste … Continue reading "Plastic Pollution & Solutions"
The Nuclear Option for Decarbonization
May 01, 2019 01:08 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBIn this week’s show, Beth interviews Joshua Goldstein. He and co-author Steffan Qvist wrote eloquently about how nuclear energy can replace fossil fuels – a vital necessity in a rapidly warming world. A new generation of nuclear plants reduces waste and completely eliminates CO2. In Sweden, France and Ontario, these plants have allowed these countries … Continue reading "The Nuclear Option for Decarbonization"
Concussion Test // Pot & Pain Meds // Chords and Codons
April 16, 2019 03:15 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBConcussion Test (Starts 1:00) David Howell is chief researcher at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Howell says the century old Romberg Balance Test can help evaluate how long a child will need therapeutic intervention after a blow to the brain. Pot & Pain Meds (Starts 7:00 ) Mark Twardowski is doctor in Grand Junction who does endoscopic procedures that include … Continue reading "Concussion Test // Pot & Pain Meds // Chords and Codons"
An Astronomical Journey with Michelle Thaller
April 09, 2019 17:17 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBThis special edition of How on Earth is produced in conjunction with the Conference on World Affairs. Our guest a participants of the Conference: Dr. Michelle Thaller, assistant director of science at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Her path has taken her from Harvard to Georgia State University to Caltech to NASA. Dr. Thaller has studied hot stars, … Continue reading "An Astronomical Journey with Michelle Thaller"
Pesticides and Health Impacts
April 02, 2019 17:33 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBA Consumer’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce (starts 7:55) You may be wondering if you washed the strawberries, blueberries or kale that you had for breakfast this morning enough to rid them of residue of potentially harmful pesticides. That is, if they were conventionally, not organically, grown. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 200 different pesticides … Continue reading "Pesticides and Health Impacts"
This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution
March 27, 2019 02:34 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBThis View of Life (starts 6:56) In this episode of How on Earth, we talk with David Sloan Wilson, an evolutionary biologist with a special interest in human biocultural evolution. Dr. Wilson is Distinguished Professor of Biology and Anthropology at SUNY Binghamton, and president of the Evolution Institute as well as editor in chief of its online magazine … Continue reading "This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution"
The Goodness Paradox – Full Interview
March 21, 2019 00:54 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThe Goodness Paradox (Starts 5:22): On this week’s show we play the full interview with Richard Wrangham, a primatologist at Harvard University, about his new book, The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution. Wrangham discusses with How On Earth hosts Susan Moran and Chip Grandits how, and why, homo sapiens evolved to be … Continue reading "The Goodness Paradox – Full Interview"
The Goodness Paradox // Pledge Drive
March 13, 2019 04:04 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThe Goodness Paradox (Teaser): Today’s spring pledge-drive show features brief clips from a recent interview with Richard Wrangham, a primatologist at Harvard University, about his new book, The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution. Wrangham discusses with How On Earth hosts Susan Moran and Chip Grandits how, and why, homo sapiens evolved to … Continue reading "The Goodness Paradox // Pledge Drive"
Tagging the Bugs that Carry Antibiotic Resistance
March 06, 2019 03:02 - 27 minutes - 24.7 MBIn this week’s show, Beth interviews Dr. Ivan Liachko, CEO and Co-Founder of Phase Genomics, a startup biotech company recently funded, in part, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The company is using a new technology that allows researchers to pair plasmids, which are small non-chromosomal pieces of DNA, with the bacterial species carrying … Continue reading "Tagging the Bugs that Carry Antibiotic Resistance"
MRI Improvement by Standardization
February 28, 2019 02:32 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBIn this week’s show, Beth speaks with William Hollander, and Kevin Miller, of QalibreMD, a Boulder startup focused on transforming MRI technology. Traditional MRI scans can result in a large differences between readings on different equipment. The results can be costly and misleading, as conditions like cancer can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.The interview starts ~5’30”, … Continue reading "MRI Improvement by Standardization"
HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes: Science On a Sphere
February 12, 2019 22:13 - 26 minutes - 30.9 MBSpend some time at the intersection of art, engineering and science; we’ll hear about the world premier of HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes February 20, 7:00 PM at Fiske Planetarium in Boulder. Get a glimpse of how cutting edge visual artists team up with world class scientists using the latest technology to complement a rational understanding … Continue reading "HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes: Science On a Sphere"