A Scientist Walks Into A Bar

How does someone who grew up in the urban landscape of Singapore end up leading birding expeditions on horseback in Montana? Biologist and environmental advocate Dr. Wenfei Tong has done that, and MUCH more. Join us for a conversation about her life, work, books, art, and why she thinks of herself as Darwin's Jackal. Check out Wenfei's art and photography and her Big Sky birding safaris. Join us for Wenfei's talk at Science on Tap on March 10, 2021 talking about Bird Love: The Family Life of Birds. Watch a recording of Wenfei's Science on Tap talk on her book "Understanding Bird Behavior" on September 24, 2020. ******** Help support the podcast and live Science on Tap events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Chet Lyster for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

With everything going on in the news right now we thought it was a good time to talk about psychopaths. Here is a recording of our Science on Tap event held in October 2020 on The Neuroscience of Real Life Monsters: Psychopaths, CEOs, & Politicians with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Octavio Choi.  Check out our YouTube channel for more Science on Tap events. ******** Help support the podcast and live Science on Tap events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Learn about sharks, sawfish, and what it's like to be a marine biologist in this interview with Jasmin Graham. Also, find out more about Jasmin's work as the President and CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS).  SkypeAScientist.com ******** Help support the podcast and live Science on Tap events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Listen as we have a fun conversation about death with mortician and activist Caitlin Doughty about her book Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? that is now out in paperback! We discuss why it's important to talk to kids about death, what she thinks about Halloween decorations, and the worst thing about her work (hint: it has nothing to do with dead people.)Learn more about Caitlin Doughty: Buy Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs in paperback Caitlin's TED Talk Caitlin's talk at the XOXO Festival The Order of the Good Death Ask A Mortician YouTube Channel ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

In this episode we talk with Dr. Nicole Michel, Senior Quantitative Ecologist with the National Audubon Society and find out a little bit about what it's like to study birds. Also check out eBird and help do science in your neighborhood! Watch Nicole's Science on Tap talk on Hope Is The Thing With Feathers: Finding Joy in Birds recorded on April 23, 2020. (This interview was recorded in late April, 2020.) ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

You've probably heard of Jack Daniel's whiskey, but did you know that brand wouldn't exist if it weren't for Nearest Green, the first Black master distiller on record? In this episode we talk to Sailor Guevara, brand ambassador for Uncle Nearest Whiskey all about the science and history of whiskey. It's also a story of slavery, emancipation, family connections, the legacy of traditions brought from Africa with enslaved people, a very determined woman from LA, and the push to encourage diversity in the distilling industry. Learn more about whiskey with Sailor Guevara, including food pairings and cocktail demonstrations The Gastropod episode that inspired this interview: The Secret History of the Slave Behind Jack Daniel's Whiskey ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

In this episode we get another chance to talk to Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, materials scientist and author of the book The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another. We learn more about her background, what a materials scientist does, and why she calls herself a "science evangelist." Here are some suggestions on how to buy the book (that don't involve Amazon). ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

In this episode we have a long and fascinating conversation with epidemiologist Dr. Frank Franklin about the current pandemic, racism, poverty, public health, the Black Lives Matter protests, and what it's like to navigate the world as an African American scientist. Dr. Franklin is the Principal Epidemiologist & Director of the Epidemiology, Analytics and Evaluation Division at the Multnomah County Health Department in Portland, Oregon.  Questions? Speaker suggestions? Email us at info@scibarpodcast.org   ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR Please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

In this episode we have a conversation with Dr. Eseosa Ighodaro, MD, PhD, a neurologist and a neuroscientist. Find out about what inspired her to study brains, what it's like to get an MD and a PhD at the same time, about her interest in studying the medical effects of racism on People of Color, and how she's teaching people about neuroscience.  Find Dr. Ighodaro on Twitter and Facebook!  ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

If you've ever heard the name Frances Glessner Lee you might think "wasn't she that lady who made crime scene dollhouses?" Making dioramas wasn't just her hobby; she actually had profound influence on the field of forensic science. We learn a bit about her in this brief interview with her biographer, Bruce Goldfarb. Join us for Science on Tap Online on Thursday, June 18, at 7pm Pacific for a live talk by Bruce about his book 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics.  ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Listen to our short interview with neuroscientist Dr. Larry Sherman from OHSU. He has spoken at MANY previous events, such as Music and the Anxious Brain on April 9, 2020 (this interview took place a few minutes after that event ended), and you can hear podcast episodes of his talks The Neuroscience of Racism, The Neuroscience of PTSD, and The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Love.   ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Find out how bacteria help us digest food, battle disease, and may influence our behavior in Microbes and the Human Gut by Dr. Lisa Sardinia recorded at an event in 2017.  Lisa also spoke on High Anxiety: The Gut Microbiota's Effect on Mental Health at a Science on Tap Online event on May 14, 2020. Resources mentioned at the end of the talk: Some of My Best Friends Are Germs by Michael Pollan Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin Blaser Also, Peep dioramas. ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Want a real-life adventure story mixed with modern-day science? Listen to this short interview with Gillen D'Arcy Wood, author of Land of Wondrous Cold: The Race to Discover Antarctica and Unlock the Secrets of Its Ice. Pick up and enjoy the book, then join us on Thursday, June 11 for a Science on Tap Online event with Gillen at 7pm Pacific. Find out more about the live event on Facebook and our website. Get a 20% discount and free shipping when you buy the book through the Princeton University Press website! Use the code LOWC-FG at checkout. (Note: The coupon code is ONLY valid on the Princeton site.) Thank you to Princeton Press for their support of this podcast and live event! ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

What if everything we think we know about cancer is wrong? Listen as Dr. Athena Aktipis, author and Arizona State University professor talks about her new book The Cheating Cell: How Evolution Helps Us Understand and Treat Cancer. Rather than trying to eradicate all cancer, she describes how changing our approach could help us learn to control and live with cancer instead. Get a 20% discount and free shipping when you buy the book through the Princeton University Press website! Use the code AKT20-FG at checkout. (Note: The coupon code is ONLY valid on the Princeton site.) Check out Athena's podcast Zombified and get some fresh brains! ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Do you need a computer nerd with writing skills to help with social media and blogs? Check out Chelsea Schuyler! Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

How have simple inventions changed our lives? Learn more in this short interview with Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, materials scientist and author of the book The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another. Pick up and enjoy the book, then join us on May 21 at 7:00pm Pacific for a Science on Tap Online event with Ainissa! Find out more about the live event on Facebook and our website.  Here are some suggestions on how to buy the book (that don't involve Amazon). ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Is there life on other planets? How would we find out? Listen to a short interview with NASA scientist and author Kevin Peter Hand about his new book Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space. Pick up and enjoy the book, then join us on May 28 for a Science on Tap Online event with Kevin! Find out more about the live event on Facebook and our website.  Two ways to buy the book! 1) Support a local Vancouver small business and buy from Vintage Books. 2) Buy through the Princeton University Press website and receive a 20% discount by using the code HAND20-FG at checkout. (Note: The coupon code is ONLY valid on the Princeton site.) ******** Help support the podcast and live events! Make a one-time donation to Make You Think OR If you are able, please support us on Patreon ******** Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Science shows that friends are vital for our mental and physical well-being, and that may be even more true in these strange, pandemic times. Listen as author Lydia Denworth talks about her book Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond, recorded at a Science on Tap event in February 2020. This talk was recorded on February 12, 2020 at the Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver, WA.  ******** Help support the podcast through Patreon!  Watch a live online Science on Tap event every Thursday in April and May!  Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Technology impacts our sex lives in a lot of ways, and we don't just mean porn. Better access to education and intimacy is great! But maybe too many matches on Tinder isn't so great? Also, what's the deal with sex robots?  In this episode Dr. Kris Gowen talks about many of the ways we use technology to connect with each other, and why it's so hard to get good data on the subject. Recorded in February 2018 at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR.  Also check out Kris's other book project One Nation Under Song where she chronicles her quest to sing karaoke in all 50 States. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Here's scientific proof that friends are good for you! We're trying something new this episode. Listen as we chat with Lydia Denworth, author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond. Then join us at Science on Tap at the Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver, WA on Wednesday, February 12 to hear her full talk. We'll record that talk as well, so check back for the full episode in the next few months. Also, you should definitely buy her book. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

In this special episode we interview Robert Frank, economist and author of the new book Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work. He talks about using social and economic theories to encourage more climate-conscious behavior, and proposes structures for carbon taxes that wouldn't require painful sacrifices from anyone. As he says in the interview, "every little bit helps, way more than you think." ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Conserving and restoring forests can help fight climate change in two ways: cutting down forests is the second largest source of CO2 emissions (after fossil fuels), and because healthy forests can absorb and sequester massive amounts of carbon. Listen as Laurie Wayburn from the Pacific Forest Trust talks about how saving forests is good for humans and good for the planet. A special thanks to the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts for their help with this event.   This was recorded at the talk A Path in the Woods: How Forests Can Help Stop Climate Change at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland in November 2019. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

You need lots of things to produce a good wine, such as favorable weather and a skilled winemaker. But before anything else, you have to start with good dirt. In this episode, geologist Dr. Scott Burns describes how soil can be a big factor in wine quality. Listen as he talks lovingly about wine grown in his home region here in the Willamette Valley, but also about wine-growing regions in other areas of the world as well. This was recorded at the talk The Mystique of Terroir: Geology and Wine at the Kiggins Theatre in April 2018. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

What do poop transplants, human donuts, and ecosystems have in common? Listen as Dr. Andrea McBeth, co-founder and CEO of Flora Medicine, talks all about all the microbes in a healthy human gut, and also describes some creative ways to treat our guts when things go horribly wrong. Tune in for the scoop on poop. Click here to see some images from the slide show. This talk was recorded at the talk The Microbiome: Fecal Transplant and Microbial Ecology at the Kiggins Theatre in September 2019. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.  

Do you like to eat, drink, wear clothes, have medicines, and breathe oxygen? If so, thank plants! Listen as Keith Duncan from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center describes how to use X-rays to study plants so we can grow more of them on less land, with less water and fewer pesticides or  fertilizers. Visit the Danforth Plant Science Center Blog to see the images and animations mentioned in the talk. This is a recording of the talk X-Ray Imaging in Plant Biology: Seeing the Unseen held at the Alberta Rose Theatre in August 2019. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song "Mandelbrot Set" as our theme music.

Neuroscientist Adie Wilson-Poe, PhD, talks about exciting research into how cannabis can be used alongside or in place of opioids to manage long-term pain and addiction. This is a recording of the talk The Role of Cannabis in the Opioid Crisis and was recorded at the Kiggins Theatre in March 2019. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

It's October, so it's time for some spooky tales of how Science is Stranger Than Fiction: Death and the Afterlife with Dr. Leslie New from WSU Vancouver. Content warning: lots of discussion of dead bodies, murder, trepanning (pre-historic brain surgery), anatomical models, mummies, grave robbing, books made of human skin, and many of the exhibits in the Mutter Museum. Visit our website to see some of the pictures and links to books and organizations mentioned during the talk. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Bees are dying at alarming rates, but what can we do? Dr. Thomas Seeley has some ideas. In this episode he talks about his latest book The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild and how studying wild bees could give beekeepers some insight on how to fight back against colony collapse. He spoke in Portland at the Alberta Rose Theatre while on his book tour in May 2019. Other books by Thomas Seeley: Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting Honeybee Democracy ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.orgfor more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Humans naturally seek out novelty and new experiences, and for some people that can lead to drug addiction. Repeated exposure to drugs can create powerful, persistent memories, and these drug-related memories can lead to addictive behavior and relapse, even after years of sobriety. In this episode, neuroscientist Dr. Barbara Sorg talks about what happens in the brain when we have new experiences, evidence showing that drug addiction is a chronic brain disease, and how understanding the neuroscience of memories might help treat addiction. She also describes her own lab's work with using animal models of addiction to weaken memories associated with cocaine. The talk Memory and the Neuroscience of Addiction was given at the Alberta Rose Theatre in December 2016. Visit our website to see some of the pictures mentioned during the talk. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Can being in nature make us better? What is forest bathing, how can recess help improve student behavior, and can five minutes outside really make a difference in your mood? Listen to science writer Florence Williams talk about her book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative and get some scientific encouragement to go outside. This talk was recorded at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland in March 2018. Check out Florence's other podcasts too: The 3-Day Effect, loosely based on The Nature Fix Breasts Unbound, based on her book Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History Episodes for the XX Factor Podcast for Outside Magazine, including the episode XX Factor: How the Sports Bra Changed History  Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Have you ever wondered how animals find and impress that special someone? From crazy dances to unanticipated sex changes, animals have some unusual strategies for attracting and keeping their mates. Join Dr. Allison Coffin, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at WSU Vancouver, as she describes the unusual dating lives of birds, fish, and other animals. This was recorded at an event in November 2016. Thank you to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for use of bird song recordings, and recordists Bob McGuire, Natalia García, and Michael J. Andersen for the use of their recordings of the White-crowned Sparrow, Willow Flycatcher, and Alder Flycatcher, respectively.  Thank you also to Dr. Gail Patricelli for her use of the satin bower bird recording (and for camping out in the Australian bush for her research.)  ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

We need all the tools we can find to fight climate change, and geologist Dr. Marcia Bjornerud offers some new perspective and insight. In this episode she talks about her book Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World, and suggests that shifting our viewpoint to understand the deep geologic past can help us understand the harm we're doing to the planet in the present. This talk was recorded in September 2018. Check out some of Marcia's other writing: Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the EarthContributor to the New Yorker's Science & Technology blog ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Hormones don't just control things like puberty or sex; they control SO much more about our bodies, including sleep, metabolism, hunger, and the fight-or-flight response. Find out more about hormones in this talk by Randi Hutter Epstein, MD, MPH about her book Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything. This talk was recorded in July 2018 and the paperback version of the book was just released in June 2019. Here's the link to the Highlights of Hormone History Video a.k.a. the rooster testicle experiment.  Aroused was included as a Science News: best book of 2018 Also, follow Randi on Twitter. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

If you're a woman or you're someone who has ever been treated by a female medical professional, you should listen to this episode on the topic of Yes, I'm Really A Doctor: How Equity Eludes Women in Medicine and Science by Esther Choo, MD MPH. She is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at OHSU, Founder of Equity Quotient, and is a nationally recognized expert in gender bias in medicine. She's also fierce on Twitter. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Star Trek introduced us to the amazing technologies of a fictional future such as warp drive, replicators, and photon torpedoes, but it turns out that some of those technologies aren't so fictional anymore. In this episode hear theoretical physicist and author Ethan Siegel, PhD, talk about some of the real inventions that were inspired by Star Trek (iPads, anyone?), and some technologies like tractor beams and holodecks that might be closer to reality than you realize.  Ethan's talk is based on his book Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive and you can read more of his writing at his blog Starts With A Bang. Also, help support his work by checking out Ethan's Patreon page.  Here's the Hubble telescope image of 10,000 galaxies that Ethan mentions about 6:45. ******** Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Are biological sex and gender the same thing? Do anatomy and genetics completely determine sex and/or gender? In this talk from June 2018, Dr. Lisa Sardinia, Associate Professor of Biology at Pacific University, talks about some of the so-called "bathroom bills" proposed in the US to restrict access to public restrooms based on terms like "biological sex" or "genetic sex." Turns out that science isn't so binary, and legislators need to learn a little science (okay...a LOT of science...). Resources mentioned at the end of the talk: Scientific American, September 2017 issue How Science is Helping Us Understand Gender, National Geographic Magazine, January 2017 Gender: When the Body and Brain Disagree, Science News for Students, July 2015 The 7 Sexes: Biology of Sex Determination, by Elof Axel Carlson Sex Itself The Search for Male & Female in the Human Genome, by Sarah S. Richardson, 2013   Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

Pain is the most important and misunderstood sensory system: you cannot live without it, yet we live every day trying to avoid it. In this episode, Dr. Michael Morgan, Professor of Psychology at Washington State University Vancouver, explains how your nervous system codes pain, how your brain tries to control it, and how drugs provide relief. He'll also talk about some of the reasons why current medications are problematic (hint: the opiate epidemic) and some new ways that science is trying to treat pain. Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

How are actress Hedy Lamarr, GPS, and elephant seals all connected? Find out in this episode as Dr. Leslie New from WSU Vancouver celebrates women who have contributed to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but who have been dismissed or deliberately forgotten because of their gender.   Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

If you have a sense of humor, Mary Roach is either already your favorite science author or she's about to be. She came to Portland in 2017 to talk about her latest book Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, and our onstage interview ranged from asking how she gets inspiration for her books to tips on how to approach someone in special forces and ask if he's ever had diarrhea while on a secret mission. We talk about her other books too, and stick around for some audience questions at the end. Also, this one is for Jamie. Miss you, and thanks for bringing cupcakes!   Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

We're back! This episode is a recording of the talk "Evolution Under the Influence: Alcohol and the Coevolution of Humans and Yeast" by geneticist Dr. Kevin McCabe who works at Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, Oregon. In this talk, Kevin will take you through the history of primate alcohol consumption, the importance of yeast to human history, and how early microbiology turned the tables on yeast and gave humans control over our boozy destiny. Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.  

This episode is a recording of the talk "You and Your Racist Brain: The Neuroscience of Prejudice" with Dr. Larry Sherman, a neuroscientist from OHSU. In this talk, Dr. Sherman explains how our brains have evolved to make judgments based on visual information in milliseconds, and that these preconceived opinions about other people are not based on reason or experience but on instinct. He also describes how we can we use what we know about the neuroscience of prejudice to overcome this reaction, and potentially develop methods to combat prejudice and end racism. The Racism video produced by the students at Grant High School can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNjbBFnBnXw  Dr. Sherman's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an m4a format, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see his images as the audio plays along.   Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode is a recording of the talk "Parasites: A Global Health Problem", with Dr. Buddy Ullman, a parasitologist from OHSU. In this talk, Buddy describes a number of different human parasites, including tapeworms, hookworms, and plenty that you've never heard of. WARNING: this talk contains pretty graphic detail of what parasites do to human bodies, so if you're squeamish, this may not be the right episode for you. However, if you want to hear a scientifically interesting, slightly horrifying, fascinating, and hilarious talk, then please press play.   Buddy's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an m4a format, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the pictures of what he's describing as the audio plays along. If you're brave enough. Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.   (A parasitologist would never listen to a podcast.)

This episode is a recording of the talk The Neuroscience of Trauma: From Trigger Warnings to PTSD with Dr. Larry Sherman, a neuroscientist at OHSU in Portland, Oregon. In this talk, Larry describes a lot of things related to trauma and PTSD, including his own family experience with the condition, conditioned fear response, fMRI studies, epigenetics, and proven methods of treatment. This event was held on November 17, 2015.  Note: Unlike other episodes of this podcast, we have NOT included slides along with the audio. Sorry.   Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode is a recording of the talk Ignoble Rot: Food Scraps as Compost and Energy by David Allaway, senior policy analyst with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). David spoke about ways to reduce food waste, and also described some of the pros and cons of four ways of dealing with food waste once it's been discarded: composting, anaerobic digestion, in-sink grinders, and landfills. He also had some interesting things to say about compostable packaging. This event was held on May 5, 2015, and was produced in collaboration with Metro and their Let's Talk Trash program. David's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an enhanced podcast, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the slides as the audio plays along.  Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features Theodore Gray talking about his new book "Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything." Theo is known for many things, including his periodic table, his Ig Nobel award, his column in Popular Science, his app development company called Touchpress, his work as a co-founder of Wolfram Research, and his book "The Elements." In this talk he describes the inspiration for the book, some of the many interesting molecules that are covered in its pages, and he gives a demo of the new Molecules App. At the end of the episode there are a few audience questions that range in topic from where to find good chemistry sets these days, to that time the government visited and asked for their rocket nozzle back, to whether there's a market for really smelly substances. It's a fun talk, even if we didn't get to light anything on fire. Theo's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an enhanced podcast, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the slides as the audio plays along.    Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features the talk Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana with author Michael Backes. The book gives "evidence-based information on using cannabis for ailments and conditions, plus a comprehensive guide to the most popular varieties." In this talk he describes how prohibition of cannabis in the United States has inspired selective breeding and has changed the chemical makeup of the plants, and how since some states (like Oregon!) are legalizing use that more scientific research is starting to be done on the myriad potential medical benefits. He also talks in detail about some of the individual cannabinoids such as THC and CBD (and many others), and how their presence or absence can dramatically change how a person's body reacts when using cannabis.  Michael's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an enhanced podcast, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the slides as the audio plays along.      Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features the talk Epigenetics: The Merger of Nature and Nurture, by Dr. Lisa Sardinia from Pacific University. Lisa teaches environmental science and biology, specializing in microbiology and genetics. In this talk she describes the emerging field of epigenetics and how changes in your environment and what you eat can contribute to genetic changes not only for yourself, but potentially for your children and grandchildren. She also covers Genetics 101 with a basic explanation of DNA, phenotypes, genotypes, and genes, the difference between Ligers and Tigons, why mother rats should lick their babies, and why eating chocolate and peanut butter is good for you. Lisa's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an AAC format as an enhanced podcast, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the slides as the audio plays along.    Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features the talk Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great Missoula Floods, by Dr. Scott Burns from Portland State University. The Missoula Floods were a series of 80+ floods that happened in the Pacific Northwest during the last ice age around 15,000 years ago, and they dramatically shaped the geology and topography of Washington and Oregon. Scott describes with enthusiastic detail what caused the floods, who discovered them, what evidence was used to prove that they happened, and some of the people continuing to study them today. He also touches on Lewis & Clark, the Willamette Meteorite, scientific grudge matches, what to ask geologists on a road trip, and how to grow good wine grapes, among many other things. Scott's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an m4a format as an enhanced podcast, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the pictures of what he's describing as the audio plays along.    Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features the talk I Dig Your Bones: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology, by Dr. Nici Vance, a forensic scientist and State Forensic Anthropologist for the Oregon State Police. In this talk she talks about what happens when bones are found in the woods, where she then has to figure out: 1) are the bones human? 2) if so, are they male or female? 3) how old was the person? 4) how did the person die?, and 5) ultimately, who are they? It's like CSI, only real. She also talks about how people in the general public can help match up missing persons and unidentified remains by going to the website for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, aka NamUs. Nici's slides have been synched with this recording and uploaded as an m4a format, so depending on your media player, you may be able to see the pictures of what she's describing as the audio plays along. Warning: some of the images are disturbing.   Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features Dr. Larry Sherman, a neuroscientist from OHSU in Portland, Oregon, talking about how our brains process pleasure and the special case of falling in love. Topics touched on during the talk include: ancient philosophy and the definition of "pleasure"; how hormones such as estrogen and testosterone affect our choice of partners; how drug addiction and stalking are neurologically related; ways that the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine can change how we feel about someone; how taking The Pill can change a woman's ability to choose a viable mate; how liking chocolate ties in to falling in love; how studying the DNA of prairie voles can perhaps shed light on why people cheat; and much more. Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This episode features an excerpt of a talk by Christine McKinley, mechanical engineer, musician, host of Brad Meltzer's Decoded on History Channel, and author of Physics for Rock Stars: Making the Laws of the Universe Work for You. In this (hilarious!) talk, she describes her childhood where she was learning about the scientific method at the same time she was trying to fit in as a "cool kid." She continues by describing what it was like to learn physics and chemistry while going to Catholic school, and how the things she was learning in her science classes began to relate to how she sees the world and the people in it. Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.

This is a recording of a talk given by Dr. Ivan Phillipsen on April 1, 2014, in Portland Oregon, at a Nerd Nite event hosted by Via Productions. Ivan has a PhD in zoology from Oregon State University and runs a nature tour company called Volcano Lands. In this talk he describes what amphibians are, where they live, and their importance to the environment. He also talks about some of the species that live in the Pacific Northwest, such as red-legged frogs, coastal giant salamanders, and ensatinas, and where you can find them when you're out on a hike or in your backyard. He also explains why you shouldn't put newts in your mouth.    Want to come to an event? Visit www.ScienceOnTapORWA.org for more info. As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.