Science Straight Up

Inspired by Nature: The Chemistry That Powers our Planet--Dr. Jenny Yang, UC Irvine

Our planet has always been powered by sunlight.  Plants use light and water and air to grow through the process of photosynthesis.  Dr. Jenny Yang, Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine proposes that we imitate plants to produce fuel through artificial photosynthesis.  That fuel would be carbon neutral because we would be pulling CO2 out ot the air to manufacture it.  She says this would be part of a portfolio of green solutions to man-made climate change that threat...

The Ethics of Emerging Technology: The Era of Artificial Inttlligence--Dr. Teresa Head-Gordon

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are relatively new, powerful, and disruptive technologies that are rapidly entering practice in our daily lives and shaping our future in areas ranging from employment, health, politics, and what it means to be human. This talk, by Dr. Teresa Head-Gordon of the University of California, Berkeley considers the current status of AI and ML and the ethical considerations that can guide us to finding the best in this emerging technology while...

"Beam me up, Scotty:" Demystifying the Quantum World

Our fifth season of "Science Straight Up" kicks off with Dr. Michael Wasielewski of Northwestern University talking about the basics of quantum theory and how it will change our lives.  We can't beam people aboard the starship just yet, but teleportation of information using quantum techniques is happening right now. Many of us have heard about quantum computers and some of the amazing things that they will do, literally a “quantum leap” in performance. However, this is not the whole story. ...

The True Colors of Cancer--shining a new light on disease--Dr. Stephen Boppart

Cancer biopsies are scary. The patient gets tissue removed from his or her body, the sample gets sent off to the lab and then there's the agonizing wait for the results.  Dr. Stephen Boppart of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, both a physician and an engineer, is working on instant biopsies that will produce results in minutes. Using laser light and artificial intelligence, Dr. Boppart and his colleagues have been able to identify cancers early and accurately. Moreover, this tech...

RNA Therapeutics: Recoding Drug Design, One Gene at a Time--Dr. Athma Pai

Our experience with mRNA vaccines during the COVID pandemic showed us the possibility of  designing other RNA-based drugs in a flexible and efficient manner. Dr. Athma Pai of the UMass Chan Medical School talks about how her research into RNA therapeutics and the immense promise it holds for conquering a wide range of diseases, from. cancer to sickle cell anemia, and more.  Veteran broadcast journalists George Lewis and Judy Muller moderated the session with Dr. Pai, recorded at the Tellurid...

Where do you Want to Live? innovation, Data and Building the Cities of the Future

Dr. Amy Mueller and her team are measuring the vital signs of cities, gathering data that will inform future additions and improvements to our urban areas. How do we build cities in a sensible, sustainable way? Key to this work is getting communities involved and arming them with the information they need to make strategic decisions about the future.  Dr Mueller is an associate professor of marine and environmental science and civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University in...

Quantum Dots 101: How to Make a Lightbulb That is a Million Times Smaller Than an Ant

Quantum Dots are marvelous little crystalline structures that work as electrical semiconductors and emit light.  But that's not all they do.  Dr. Jennifer Hollingsworth of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, talked about the many potential applications of these tiny wonders.  Veteran broadcast journalists Judy Muller and George Lewis moderated the talk with Dr. Hollingsworth. 

Can the Soil Save Us? The Dirt on Local Agricultural Climate Solutions

American agriculture contributes about 10 percent of this country's greenhouse gas emissions, but done right, it can absorb rather than produce carbon and help overcome the problem of man-made climate change.  This exciting possibility is the subject of a Telluride Science panel moderated by Adam Chambers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Panelists include Tony and Barclay Daranyi, who practice regenerative agriculture at their farm 33 miles northwest of Telluride; Chris Hazen, from th...

Solving Big Problems with Small Things: tiny programmable sponges

Dr. Omar Farha of Northwestern University and NuMat Technologies talks about Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF's) that he prefers to call "programmable sponges." Hailed as a potential defining material of the 21st century, these nano-sized structures can be used to neutralize toxic materials, pull water out of the moisture in the air and eventually, capture carbon emissions that threaten the planet.  The Pentagon is investing in this technology to create military clothing that can be used on che...

The Science of Aging: Can You Teach an Old Cell New Tricks?

We've long thought that aging was just a part of life but now science is beginning to view aging as a disease that can be treated. This, as research on aging is exploding and some scientists speculate people could live 150 years or more.  Our aging expert, Dr. Kristin Slade, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York says, "We already know what is going on with aging at the people level, but I was determined to get inside the cell and discover w...

A New Spin on Electrons: How They Change Life and Power our Lives

We talk about chirality, how some molecules have left-handed properties and others have right-handed properties.  It turns out that electrons, carrying energy and information vital to life, spin in different directions when interacting with these two types of molecules and harnessing that effect could lead to big advances in energy production, agriculture and medicine.  Our panelists are two of the leading researchers in the field:  Dr. Ron Naaman of the Weizman Institute of Science and Dr. ...

Tiny Gatekeepers of the Nano Universe: How Nuclear Pores in our Cells Separate Friend From Foe

We hear from three eminent researchers who take us into the nano universe where they study miniscule openings in the cells of our bodies…passageways called nuclear pore complexes.  These complexes are incredibly smart collections of proteins that direct traffic into and out of the nuclei of our cells…where our DNA is located.     Joining us are Cees Dekker, professor of molecular biophysics at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and director of the Kavli Institute of Nanosci...

Harnessing the Power of Immunity

Dr. Jayajit Das of the Ohio State University and Nationwide Childrens Hospital talks about harnessing the power of immunity using powerful computer technology to orchestrate the body’s response to disease.  He is interviewed by noted broadcast journalists Judy Muller and George Lewis during a “town talk” at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village, CO.

Ice and Fire: Volcanoes of the Arctic Ocean

A guy named Jon Snow came to Telluride to talk about ice and fire.  No, not the Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, but rather Dr. Jonathan Snow, arctic explorer, professor and chair of geology and geophysics at Louisiana State University.  He says there’s all sorts of fascinating stuff going on with the undersea volcanoes deep beneath the Arctic ice.  Dr. Snow is joined by award-winning broadcast journalists Judy Muller and George Lewis.

Science of Aging with Vadim Backman

Scientific Exploration with Artificial Intelligence

"Hey, Siri, what's the lowdown on A.I.?"  Every time we use an electronic assistant like Siri or Alexa, we're tapping into the burgeoning world of artificial intelligence.  We've assembled a panel of three people with plenty of real intelligence to talk about how AI is helping scientists sift through data in a wide variety of fields.   Our panel this episode: Amy Mueller, Assistant Professor at Northeastern University's College of Engineering, Jon Tapson, Chief Technology Officer at Iona te...

Vital Signs: Healthy Air, Climate and Environmental Equity in Cities

This year, the summer months have brought record high temperatures, fires, floods and other climate extremes.  A U.N. climate change report has sounded a "red alert" for humanity.  We're joined by one of the contributors to that report, Kevin Gurney of Northern Arizona University's school of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems.  Also joining us, Ron Cohen from the University of California, Berkeley, professor of chemistry who studies air quality and climate, and Amy Mueller from Northea...

Serendipity in Science and why Basic Science Matters

Scientists speak of those moments of discovery when all their hard work, all their experimenting, and all their trial and error yield sometimes surprising results.  Hosts Judy Muller and George Lewis chat with three noted researchers about how creativity plays a big part in their science.  Our guests are Philip Bevilacqua, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State, Scott Showalter, also from Penn State, Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and ...

The Big Chill: How Cryopreservation Will Change Our Way of Life

The science of cryopreservation and cryogenics promises new life through fertility treatments, preserves plant and animal species and provides cell therapy for ailments ranging from cancer to spinal cord injuries. It can also help with organ transplants. Hosts Judy Muller and George Lewis discuss cryopreservation with three prominent scientists:  Allison Hubel, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota; Songi Han, Professor in the Department of  Chemistry and Biochem...

Science is Human Because Humans do Science--Why Diversity Counts

Science isn't just about white guys in white lab coats these days.  Joining us are Rigoberto Hernandez from the Johns Hopkins University,  Amber Krummel from Colorado State University and Stephen Bradforth from the University of Southern California.  They talk about the importance of diversity on scientific teams with hosts Judy Muller and George Lewis. 

It's Going to Get Weird Fast

Three scientists (Anna Marie Pyle from Yale, Yogesh Surendranath from MIT and Forest Rohwer  from San Diego State University) join hosts Judy Muller and George Lewis to discuss the amazing advances in science that will soon upend our world.  This was recorded during a live "Town Talk" at the Transfer Warehouse in Telluride, CO.  The talks are sponsored by the Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC).

Climate Change: Is There Still Time?

In a summer when the American West is on fire, where drought parches southwest Colorado and the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are bracing for repeated hurricanes, the effects of climate change are everywhere.  We talk to Telluride-based environmental entrepreneur and climate activist Christopher Arndt about his hopes for a greener future.

Remembering Steve Berry

Dr. R. Stephen Berry, a renowned chemist and recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Genius grant, revolutionized the field of thermodynamics and went on to co-found the Telluride Science Research Center.  He believed that scientists could refresh their creative impulses and share valuable information by gathering in his beloved Colorado mountains, where he could often be found fishing, skiing, hiking and urging his colleagues to keep up with him.  This episode pays tribute to Steve Berry who pa...

Can a Supercomputer Save Lives?

Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using the fastest supercomputer in the nation to sift through thousands of substances in search of a treatment for people who have COVID-19.  We talk to the man in charge of the project, Dr. Jeremy Smith.

Sniffing Out COVID

Imagine a high-tech device slightly larger than a breadbox that could detect the presence of the COVID virus in real time in classrooms or meeting halls or even homes.  That's what Dr. Paul Cremer and his team at Penn State University are developing.  Dr Cremer talks about his exciting research that could lead to such a device in the months to come.

Unfolding the Mysteries of Covid

"It's kind of like Silly String," says Dr. Anna Marie Pyle, a Yale biochemist, describing the appearance of COVID-19 RNA, the genetic roadmap that allows the virus to replicate and spread.  But there's nothing silly about the vital research she and her colleagues are conducting as they look for a weapon that will hunt down the virus and destroy it.

The Air We Breathe

In conjunction with the Telluride Science Research Center, veteran broadcast journalists Judy Muller and George Lewis talk to leading scientists about how their work impacts our everyday lives.  This premiere episode, "The Air We Breathe," talks about something we can no longer take for granted in the age of COVID-19.  This week's guest is chemical engineer Faye McNeill who takes her research on the air around us personally.  She explains why.