Human Angle

Perhaps one of the most well-known female scientists, Barbara McClintock's work on genes earned her a Nobel prize. Join Kim and Kenna as they discuss Barbara's work, her awards, and her impact on society. This is the last episode for Human Angle, thank you for staying with us.

Avicenna or Ibn Sina was an Islamic Golden Age philosopher, writer, and scientist. In one of the last episodes of the podcast, Kim and Kenna discuss Avicenna's impact on medicine, as well as his political enemies and his weird medical experiments.

Being the first Indian woman to get a medical degree in America, Anandi Joshi faced community criticism, health problems, and a society that was against her from the start. Follow Kim and Kenna as they tell Anandi's story and show her courage.

Bertha "Birdie" Parker was a Native American actress and archaeologist. From being kidnapped to finding evidence of ancient giant sloths, Parker's life was filled with adventure and glamor.

In this episode, Kim and Kenna discuss Alice Ball, an African American chemist who found a cure for leprosy, saving thousands of lives.

Season 4 is here! And it's the last season of Human Angle. We're kicking off the podcast with a powerful female scientist: Tu YouYou, who discovered a cure for malaria. She won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for her work.

Perhaps one of the most beloved animal scientists and conservationists on television, Steve Irwin inspired an entire generation. This podcast does its best to honor his legacy, discussing his impact on conversation, his journey to becoming the Crocodile Hunter, and his cultural image. After this episode, Human Angle is taking a break for the holidays, and won't return until January. See you in 2022!

Under 5 feet her whole life and weighing less than 100 lbs, Mary Agnes Chase made herself a force to be reckoned with. Her work on studying grasses and plants around the world helped advance crop science. She was able to work in the USDA and fight for women's rights at the same time. Follow Kim and Kenna as they discuss Chase's life, her work, and her impact on our society.

His invention is probably one of the most important in the world: the radio. Guglielmo Marconi worked hard to patent his device, and the consequences of his tinkering saved thousands of lives. Follow Kim and Kenna as they discuss Marconi's early life, his work on the radio, the Titanic, and his later life.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we're releasing an episode on Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina woman in space, the first Latina director of the Johnson Space Center at NASA, and the second woman director. From playing the flute to logging over 1,000 hours in space, Ochoa's story is incredible.

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous artists in history, but also made significant contributions to science. Follow Kim and Kenna as they discuss da Vinci's work to advance science through chemistry, engineering, and even art.

Dr. Shubha Tole is an Indian Neuroscientist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Here in this bonus episode, Kenna interviews Dr. Tole about her work as a neuroscientist, as well as her inspirations for becoming a scientist.

Alice Hamilton was a woman who defied barriers at every stage of her life. From first being homeschooled by her parents, having to remain "invisible" to finish her studies, becoming a doctor, and eventually becoming the first woman professor at Harvard University, Alice Hamilton fought hard for her success. Listen as Kim and Kenna discuss her life and her impacts on workplace safety.

Edgar Allan Poe is probably the creepiest American poet in history. His life was plagued by tragedy, mystery, and adventure. But he also contributed to astronomy, describing the big bang and other ideas. Follow Kim and Kenna as they discuss Poe's contribution to modern science. Featuring an introduction with a reading by James Earl Jones.

Born on a Navajo reservation in Colorado, Fred Begay's life seemed to be a series of perfect timed accidents. Listen as Kim and Kenna talk about Begay's early life of being taken away from his family, his accidental success becoming a physicist, and his later work with the Navajo Nation.

An ecologist from the Indigenous Nisga'a Nation in British Columbia, Dr. Andrea Reid studies the interaction between Indigenous fishers and fish around the world. This episode also includes an interview with her discussing her work and background.

Nanibaa' Garrison is an Indigenous Geneticist who focuses on health conditions and genetic testing within Navajo communities. Her work has helped push government policies to help boost the Navajo Nation's health as a whole. Listen as Kim and Kenna examine her work.

This week is Cross-Over week on Human Angle, as we showcase the new podcast "From the Bibliofiles," a science writing book club of sorts. This episode features an exclusive interview with popular science writer and director of MIT's Knight Science Journalism Program, Deborah Blum.

If you like 3D movies, you can thank Valerie Thomas for that. A NASA engineer in the 1980s, Valerie found a way to develop 3D technology. Listen to Kim and Kenna discuss Valerie's work and impact on us today.

From fleeing the Nazis in Germany to winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering penicillin, Ernst Chain's story is full of suspense, danger, and success. Follow Kim and Kenna as they discuss Chain's life and his impact on society.

On this exclusive episode of Human Angle, host Kenna interviews Ph.D. student Elizabeth Campbell, who is researching Amazon river dolphins in Peru. Listen to Elizabeth's story and what her work looks like.

Arnold O. Beckman was a chemist and inventor that started Silicon Valley. Through his invention of the pH meter, Beckman was able to create an industry empire still in power today. Join Kim and Kenna as they discuss Beckman's life, charity, and inventions, as well as give an exclusive interview with Scott Nesheim, who used to work with Beckman personally.

Joseph Bell was a Victorian Scottish surgeon and doctor, and a mentor to the great author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Bell was the inspiration for Conan Doyle's literary detective, Sherlock Holmes. Join Kim and Kenna as they discuss Bell's early life, his investigations, and his later years.

Andrea Delgado-Olson is the founder and chair of Native Women in Computing, an organization that encourages indigenous women to pursue careers in computer science. Join Kim and Kenna as they discuss Delgado-Olson's groundbreaking work and the struggles she faced in order to inspire indigenous peoples to enter scientific fields.

A Chinese-American scientist, Flossie Wong-Staal was the first person to clone HIV and discover how it works. Follow hosts Kim and Kenna as they discuss Wong-Staal's early life, her discovery of HIV, and her later fame and influences on society. It's a story you won't want to miss!

Thank you for your patience listeners! Our latest episode is finally here! Thomas Stevenson is the father of famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Follow Kim and Kenna as they walk through what little detail we have on Thomas Stevenson, as well as the engineering of lighthouses back in the Victorian period.

Chieng-Shiung Wu is called the "First Lady of Physics," after she worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII. Her story is one of bravery and fire, as she was educated during the Chinese Revolution, came to America, worked on the Manhattan Project, and was later passed over for a Nobel Prize, because she was a woman. But if there's one thing to learn from Wu's story, it's to never give up!

From mummified cats to eating toasted mice, William Buckland has done it all. He's a Victorian scientist and theologian who ate his way around the animal kingdom, as well as started the field of corpology (the study of fossilized poop). While Buckland's eccentricities have made him memorable to us, he also added great contributions to science, such as finding the Megalosaurus, one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered, as well as the first full dinosaur dig account. Our Halloween episode on Buckland is sure to delight and terrify you!

One of the unsung bad-asses of science, Grace Hopper helped invent COBOL and other computer languages. She also helped popularize the term "debugging" when a literal moth stopped a computer relay. Without Hopper, we wouldn't have computers. Follow cohosts Kenna and Kim Castleberry as they discuss Hopper's rise to discovery while serving in the U.S. Navy.

Stephanie Kwolek is one of the world's most bad-ass chemists, as she worked in the 1960s at DuPont to create Kevlar, one of the strongest fibers in existence. Kevlar has saved thousands of lives with inventions such as bulletproof vests and parts of spaceships. Kwolek's journey was not an easy one, as she was continually passed over for a man. However, she is one of our unsung feminist heroes as she continued to pursue her career in science.

One of the most famous science writers, Michael Crichton is responsible for Jurassic Park and other amazing works, such as the Andromeda Strain and ER. Trained as a Harvard Doctor, Crichton rebukes practicing as one to become a Hollywood director, travel the world, and write some of the best-selling books in history. Join Kenna Castleberry, Matthew Dale, and guest star Austen Hughes as they discuss Crichton's work and legacy.

Ever wonder where hormones like testosterone or estrogen first came from? Thanks to African American chemist, Percy L Julian, mass production of these chemicals happened in the 1950s and 1960s. Julian himself fought tirelessly for his work throughout the racist eras of his childhood and adult life, facing lynching, discrimination, rejection, and even firebombing. Listen to the investigation of Julian's life, and why he should be given more credit in American history for his work.

Gladys West was one of the first human "computers" in the 1960s, and her work helped to model the surface of the Earth. She also contributed to the invention of GPS and was chosen as one of the Women of 2018 by the BBC. 

Welcome! This is the Trailer for our Podcast!

One of the most well-rounded researchers in history, Chappelle made monumental discoveries in bioluminescence and about life on Mars. He worked on the Viking Projects in the 1960s for NASA and helped develop methods of feeding astronauts and keeping them alive.

Season 3 of Human Angle is starting strong with the story of Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African American woman to her a Ph.D. from MIT and the second African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics. Join Matthew and Kenna as they discuss Jackson's early life, her struggles with racism, and her successes as a leader.

Clara Barton was an amazing Civil War nurse who often had brushes with danger, but survived and founded the American Red Cross. Her skills in nursing saved thousands of lives.

Asimov is known for his science fiction novels, but his life story includes getting his degree in chemistry, having a scandalous attitude towards women, and being interested in educating the public about science. Follow Austen and Kenna as we discuss Asimov's struggles to become the famous writer he is today.

Follow us as we look into the life of the father of modern forensics. From murders in cellars to brides in the bath, Sir Bernard Spilsbury's name will go down in history as the "Sherlock Holmes" of forensic science.

Rachel Carson always wanted to be a writer, that is, until she fell in love with nature. After becoming a writer at the Parks and Wildlife on the East Coast, she realized her writing had to count for more. Her manifesto, Silent Spring, is credited with starting the environmental movement and banning the usage of DDT.

Ivan Pavlov is one of the most famous psychologists, known for his operant conditioning. However, Pavlov wasn't always this way. Join us as we investigate his struggles to find work, love, and survival during the Russian Revolution.

Marie Curie is a woman science will remember, but her discoveries of radium couldn't have been done without her struggles for her education and to marry the man she loved. Follow us as we talk about one of the most revered female scientists, whose story has never quite been fully told.

From slip-ups to singing, listen to all of your cohosts, Jacqui, Matthew, and Kenna, show what goes on in the radio studio.

Justin Schmidt's methods of research would be considered unorthodox by most scientists. However, in an exclusive interview with Schmidt, we ask why he stung himself by over 150 insects to develop the Schmidt Pain Index.

Mendeleev's story is both unique and inspiring. While he's best known for creating the periodic table, we focus on what makes him human, his struggles for success, and the race to chart our field of chemistry.

Beatrix Potter is one of the most beloved children's authors of all time. But did you know she was also an amateur naturalist and mycologist? She even tried to study at Kew Gardens to further her research but was barred because she was a woman. Follow us as we go on Beatrix's journey from nature lover to writer to scientist.

Galileo Galilei is a scientist memorialized by society, but what made him to be so famous? Jacqui and Kenna dig deeper to uncover Galileo's trials with the Catholic church and his attempts to show the Medieval world the importance of the scientific method.

Sigmund Freud's life and theories are dissected to discuss his contributions to psychology. What made Freud so famous? Join us as we uncover Freud's dirty addictions to morphine, cocaine, and opium, as well as his weird circles of colleagues and friends, and how he narrowly escaped Nazi invasion in Austria.

Nikola Tesla's story is riddled with conspiracy theories. Did he build a laser-weapon known as the death ray? Was he the first to discover aliens? Jacqui and Kenna go deeper into this scientists' life to talk about the mysteries surrounding Tesla, and what made him human.

Mileva Maric is Einstein's first wife and may have been a contributor to his famous theories. Join us as we follow Mileva's struggles to give up her career and passions in order to allow her husband, Albert Einstein, to have his own.

Victorian Socialite Ada Lovelace may have been the first woman to work on computer code. Join Jacqui and Kenna as they discuss Ada's privileged lifestyle, Victorian women's rights, and the importance of computer coding.