Ask A Biologist

Have you heard the story about the ant, the elephant, and the acacia tree? No, it is not a children’s book story. Instead, it is a story about a battle for a tree between a tiny ant and one big elephant. It is also an interesting tale about how plants and animals can have a relationship that benefits both. Dr. Biology takes to Zoom to talk with biologist Beth Pringle. The two talk about this epic battle of tiny versus mighty along with some interesting twists and other characters.

Nature versus nurture is topic you might have learned about in school. But what does it mean for us? In short it is what makes you the person you are today. However, this is not a simple topic where we have all the answers. Dr. Biology has the opportunity to talk about this amazing story with human evolutionary geneticist Irene Gallego Romero. Listen in as they start us off on the complex topic of what makes us who we are.

The idea of humans traveling to the moon and Mars to live has captured our imagination. But beyond the idea of going where no one has gone before, these places are hostile and extreme environments for the human body. Planning for long space travel and life on other worlds will require more than solving some challenging engineering problems. It will require humans to think more about how we can survive in these conditions. Dr. Biology spends some time with Mallika Sarma an anthropologist who is exploring how humans cope in extreme environments and gives us an idea of what it will take for us to make other worlds our home.

Beyond viral cat videos and the millions of cute pictures of our feline friends found on various social media channels, these four-legged animals might help us to better understand science. At least my guest thinks they can give us some insights into the world of bile acids, digestion, cholesterol, and drug therapies. Dr. Biology learns how Fiona Naughton's artistic side has introduced some fun and instructive insights using cute cat illustrations.

Dr. Biology takes a bite into the world of food science with scientist Christy Spackman. The two venture into the realms of taste, smell, and texture. There is talk of burgers, some of them impossible. The two also talk about how we have been working towards what Christy calls “making nothing”, which by itself is really something.

Dr. Biology is out of the studio again and this time with his shoes off and inside the tiny, but powerful submarine named Alvin. He’s there to talk about what it is like to explore the deep ocean with Bruce Strickrott, the chief pilot of Alvin. Listen in as we explore the living world, including the one that remains mostly unknown and ready for the next generation of scientists to take their shoes off and dive into dark side of the Earth.

Diving deep into the ocean is likely the most extreme place someone can set out to collect data, but sometimes that is what scientists need to do. In this show, Dr. Biology finds himself on board the research ship Atlantis in the floating laboratory of Colleen Hansel who is teaming up with the deep sea submarine called Alvin to track down and capture an elusive molecule that might help us understand how corals are, or are not adjusting to the rising ocean temperature

For hundreds of years scientist have explored life on Earth with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Doing research was either in the laboratory, or out in the field. But in recent years exploring our planet has taken to the air. Dr. Biology gets to spend some time with ecologist Greg Asner to learn about his flying laboratory that is giving us a new view of our planet and new insights into many of our biomes.

What can evolution to teach us about getting sick and how do we make use of what we are learning? Dr. Biology gets over a cold while visiting with Randy Nesse, psychiatrist and Founding Director of the ASU Center for Evolution & Medicine. The two talk about why we get sick and some of the amazing things our body can do to repair itself. All of this is part of the study and practice of evolutionary medicine.

One of the benefits of being a biologist can be travel. There are some researchers who travel the globe as part of their work. Virologist Arvind Varsani is a molecular virologist who studies viruses found around the world. Dr. Biology was able to catch Arvind between trips to talk about his work, including his research in the Antarctic and some penguins that were missing feathers.

How many times do you get to say poop on a podcast and have it be scientific? Dr. Biology visits bioengineer Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown and the two talk about good microbes that live inside and outside of our bodies. Many of them live in our gut and that gives you hint why we are talking about poop.

This is the story of wild rabbits, humans, and a virus that might lead to a treatment for cancer. Twice humans moved wild rabbits from Europe to other parts of the world with dramatic consequences. It is also a lesson about learning from history and how a virus that is deadly to some rabbits could become a new cancer fighting tool for humans. In this episode, Dr. Biology has the opportunity to learn about the myxoma virus, its history, and the work of virologist Grant McFadden.

The evening news, your local paper, online websites, blogs, twitter, Facebook, and yes podcasts all are communicating the latest science news. In this mix of messages are often conflicting stories about what is good and bad for you. It seems that every day there is a cure for cancer or some other disease. With all this messaging, who do you trust? Dr. Biology has a chance to talk with longtime science correspondent, Joe Palca, about who we should trust and science communication.

Our bodies are made up of 30 trillion cells – give or take a few cells. These cells like humans and some other animals need to cooperate to survive. There are also cells that like some humans are cheaters. They do not do their share of the work and cause a lot of other problems. These are cancer cells. Dr. Biology sits down with biologist Athena Aktipis to talk about her work in cooperation and cellular cheaters.

Life in the year 2050, what will it look like? Will it be the age of intelligent computers? Physicist and author Max Tegmark talks about the future of artificial intelligence and how it might impact biological life on this planet. Dr. Biology learns about the future of smart computers. Will they become too smart for humankind? What precautions should we put in place to secure our place on earth and our future?

Hacking is a word that is often tied to something bad. However, there are times when hacking can be for something good. Think of it as a tool that can be put to use for good or bad. We also think of hacking as something only done with computers, but can we hack other things? Dr. Biology has the opportunity to sit down with scientist Klaus Lackner to talk about how he is hacking the environment in order to pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air. If he succeeds, it could help reduce CO2 in atmosphere and redirect it towards better uses.

Television portrays the lives and work of forensic artists, but what is it like to really be a forensic artist? Are the tools you see on the big and little screen really used by the people who recreate the face of someone when there might only be a skull or parts of a scull to use as a starting point? Dr. Biology visits with forensic artist and author Catyana Falsetti to learn the answer to these questions and a lot more.

What would life be like on other planets? Life on Earth is tied to carbon and water, but would this be the same for life forms that evolved on other worlds? These are just a few of the questions that Biochemist and author Nick Lane talks about while visiting with Dr. Biology. Listen in as Nick explores not only life on our Earth, but also what it might be like on other planets. Nick also reads from his book, The Vital Question, and weighs in on the question of viruses - are they living or non-living?

In the tiny world of DNA, we might call genomes monsters. These huge sets of information include all the codes for all the genes present in an organism. From genomes, we can learn about the traits, diseases, and evolution of a species, and that’s just a start. What might such a monster set of data do for us if it was about our very own North American monster – the Gila monster? Computational biologist Melissa Wilson Sayres tells Dr. Biology about the Gila monster, the life-saving venom in its saliva, and what we might learn from the monster genome.

Did you know the westerly winds in the Southern Ocean have been helping to keep our planet livable? Yes, they have been responsible for soaking up half of the human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) along with a whole lot of excess heat. Dr. Biology has the opportunity to talk with geoscientist Joellen Russel about the research she and a group of scientists have been doing in the southern hemisphere that tells us how important these winds and ocean are for regulating the temperature of the planet.

Dead men tell no tales, but their bones can. It just takes a particular kind of scientist to read the clues that tell the story. Dr. Biology sits down with guest Tony Falsetti a forensic anthropologist who knows his way around a skeleton. They talk about the role of forensic anthropology and some of the historical mysteries Tony has helped to solve.

These fluttering icons of North America are a favorite of many people across the world, but they may be having some population problems. Don’t worry though, there are ways you can help. Conservation specialist Gail Morris talks with our student guest host Kayna Lantz about these colorful insects, their identification, migration, and the many groups that are working to better understand them.

Around 4,000 years ago, on the wind-swept island of St. Kilda, Scotland, people started creating a food storage of sorts. They moved a population of sheep to the island, likely as a back-up food resource for when times were tough. Little did they know that their actions would affect 21st century science. Today, rather than ending up as a meal, sheep from this isolated population are the subjects of research on immune function. Evolutionary Ecologist Andrea Graham takes Dr. Biology on a trip of exploration through the dangerous cliffs, windy conditions, and wormy world that the Soay sheep deal with on St. Kilda.

The race is on. It is one where scientists and citizen scientists are working as quickly as possible to find and identify all the species on Earth before some go extinct. It might not seem like an important race, but we learn from entomologist Kelly Miller, that not knowing what species we are losing might be more important than we think.

If you could travel back in time what would you find 50 million years ago? What was the climate like and what plants and animals were crawling, walking, and flying around? Paleoentomologist Bruce Archibald takes Dr. Biology back in time to explore the planet during the Eocene Epoch where things were a bit different than today – including things like giant flying ants.

You hear that space is the final frontier, but could we have another frontier right here on Earth? The microscopic world offers a limitless opportunity to explore amazing places and life forms. You just need the right tool for the trip – a microscope.

Remember your last paper cut, or the bad cold that had you coughing and blowing your nose? It was your immune system that was busy battling the bacteria or virus that was attacking your body so you could get well. How your immune system works is the discussion Dr. Biology has with pediatrician Paul Turke. They also about how our immune system has to reboot to keep up with evolving bacteria and viruses.

During a plague year, locusts can swarm over 20 percent of the world’s landmass, affecting one out of every 10 people on the planet. Sounds bad – right? Enter biologist Arianne Cease who has been studying why these insects swarm and how to control them.

According to an old German proverb the animal that is the subject of this show was made by the devil. Dr. Biology gets a lesson about this devilish study subject from biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar. They talk about what he has learned from years of observing these misunderstood animals. There is even a surprise ending that we call the 'Queen Switcharoo'.

What is a media artist doing developing games based on large science data sets? It turns out he is looking into how the planet ticks and also what David McConville calls global weirding. Listen as Dr. Biology learns how a media artist makes his home in the world of science, biology, and and mountains of scientific data, which we call big data.

If you are a tobacco plant, you have a bad reputation. The link to cancer and other health related diseases is cause for any person to avoid you. But there is another side to this plant. Dr. Biology sits down with biologist Charlie Arntzen to talk about how tobacco plants are helping scientists produce treatments for viruses like Ebola.

"Your home has termites" – is not something anyone wants to hear. But these insects are really important for our survival. Dr. Biology learns about these insects from entomologist, Barbara Thorn. It turns out that these critters are like tiny 'green machines' and one of the best recyclers for the planet.

Natural history museums may not come to life as they do in a Hollywood movie, but they do have some amazing stories. They also have all kinds of cool stuff that many of us never get to see. Paleontologist Richard Fortey talks about the life and some of the treasures hidden behind locked doors at natural history museums that are also part of his book Dry Store Room No.1.

If you think of the instruments used to study and explore the world of biology it is clear that most are visual. So what if you cannot see? How would you understand the structure of – say a cell? Dr. Biology discusses a new tool for learning about biology with newly graduated student and biologist Ashleigh Gonzales.

Extreme environments can be found on Earth, in space, and in the depths of the ocean. Dr. Biology and physiologist, astronaut, and mountain climber Scott Parazynski sit down and talk about what life is like to explore these environments. So hold on to your seat as we blast off for a fun trip. Did we mention the Vomit Comet?

So you think zombies are only on television and in the movies, think again. Dr. Biology learns the details of a nasty fungus and something called the "death grip" from biologist David Hughes. It turns out there are real live, well maybe not live, zombies. The good news is this fungus attacks ants and not humans.

with biology? You get an adventure that has filled many lifetimes (bird lifetimes). Dr. Biology had the opportunity to sit down with Peter and Rosemary Grant to talk about the more than 30 years they spent studying what have come to be called Darwin’s finches.

What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)? How do you make something that is a GMO? Are they safe? These are just a few of the things Dr. Biology discusses with biologist Kevin Folta. The two also talk about how and where you can find information about science that you can trust to be the most accurate.

They might be colorful. They might be cute to some people. But don’t let that fool you. These bright colored frogs are poisonous. Dr. Biology talks with biologist Molly Cummings to learn about her work with some frogs that advertise to predators to stay away and other frogs that take advantage of this signal by copying the colors of their poisonous cousins.

Looking into the past can be strange and exciting. To understand a past that goes back millions of years, we often depend on the stories told by fossils. Dr. Biology talks with anthropologist Donald Johanson about Lucy, a fossil of human ancestors that has taught us some interesting things about the human-like species that existed before us.

Not everyone has been on a hike and very few have hiked with a park ranger. Dr. Biology hikes South Mountain Park with not one but two park rangers. Park Rangers Liz Smith and Justin Olson are our guides for the 2.5 mile trip up Holbert Trail. This episode provides hiking tips and a preview of what treasures await those who hike this park.

Wait - there's more! Dr. Biology and co-host Jane Rector continue their visit with Jennifer Fewell, a biologist who is exploring the world of social insects including ants. There is even some talk of how professional basketball teams could learn a thing or two from these six-legged insects. Not that we are saying there are tiny basketball games taking place inside ant colonies.

As scientists study the amazing social network of ants they are discovering we could learn a lot from these tiny animals. Dr. Biology and co-host Jane Rector visit with Jennifer Fewell, a biologist who is exploring the world of social insects including ants. They learn a lot about this female dominated world and just what leafcutter ants are doing with all those leaves.

Young scientists, Farah Eltohamy, Amanda Benedetto and Sarah Sakha, three of the top winners at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair talk about their work and interview ASU biologist Susan Holechek. Pauline Davies hosts the show as Dr. Biology is exploring the Panama rainforest to bring back fun and exciting stories.

Young scientists, CG Schultz and Jessica Mathews, two of the top winners at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair talk about their work and interview ASU ecologist Kiona Ogle. Pauline Davies hosts the show as Dr. Biology is exploring the Panama rainforest to bring back fun and exciting stories.

Have you ever thought of biology as career path to running a multi-million-dollar project? Biologist Bruce Hammock talks about life as a biologist, being a businessman and mountain climbing. Listen in as Dr. Biology learns how biology, being a businessman and mountain climbing all fit together?

Love them or hate them, something is going on with male crickets on the island of Kauai. Once evenings filled with a chorus of these tiny singers has become strangely silent. Dr. Biology talks with biologist Marlene Zuk about how things are changing fast – maybe the fastest observed evolutionary change in an animal in the wild.

Are there really flesh-eatting scarab beetles or is it a movie myth? Just what are dung beetles doing with all the poop they gather in big balls? These are a few of the questions that biologist Mary Liz Jameson answers on this fun-filled podcast. Did we mention the show includes insect recipes fit for humans. Try one on you next pot-luck or dinner.

If aliens were to contact us, what would you say? How would you say it? These are just a few of the questions that Dr. Biology talks about with guest Lucy Hawking. The two have fun with these ideas and more as part of the Dear Aliens essay contest. This episode includes a fun reading by Lucy Hawking from "George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt."

Three inquisitive young co-hosts, Stephanie Galindo, Anthony Delgado and Raenesha Willis visit with biologist and microscopist Page Baluch. Together with Dr. Biology they explore the tiny world of inner space and learn that there is more to a flower than can be seen with only the eye.

Dr. Biology gets the skinny on our largest organ - our skin. Professor and author Nina Jablonski talks about the important ways our skin works for us each day. Learn some fun facts like - did you know you are not wearing the same skin from last year?