KPCW Cool Science Radio

Author and entrepreneur Steve Lucas highlights actual, doable uses of AI and the potential benefits for small business in his new book "Digital Impact: The Human Element of AI-Driven Transformation." Then, one-time local, Peter Rizzo, talks about his time as the station doctor for the 77th Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition and what it's like to live and work in Antarctica.

Michele Rehbein discusses the City Nature Challenge, which will take place April 25-28, 2025. This four-day annual event encourages people to find and photograph plants and wildlife in their own cities and towns using iNaturalist. Then, Izzy Vogel and Naomi O'Connor, two members of Team Minerva, a robotics team from Park City High School, tell us about their competition at the Premier event in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Neuroscientist and doctor Kieran Fox explores Albert Einstein's little-discussed spirituality and it how it both informed and complemented his science in Fox's new book "I Am Part of Infinity." It draws on little-known conversations, recently published letters and new archival research on what Einstein really believed and why his perspective still matters today. (0:45)Then, author Timothy Morton draws on philosophers Kant and Heidegger to reframe what it means to be ecological, and what sorts of actions count as we head into an age of mass extinction in his book, "Being Ecological." (26:14)

Co-founders of HIRO diapers, Miki Agrawal and Tero Isokauppila, talk about the world's first digestible diapers — that is, digested by fungi and designed to break down in landfills. Then, theoretical physicist and science writer Kathryn Zurek from the California Institute of Technology talks about the mysteries of dark matter.

Thure Cerling, a University of Utah professor of both geology and biology, and a pioneer in the use of isotope analysis, shares how geologists have developed a method for tracking the movements of large herbivores across landscapes, even for animals now extinct, such as mastodons and mammoths. Then, Ben Stanger discusses the history, science and wonder of the cell in his book "From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine."

Science writer Diana Kwon writes in Scientific American on how new effective treatments are shaping new research and understanding of schizophrenia. Then, Erin Shupe, the program coordinator at the Natural History Museum of Utah, talks about the Teen Explainers program that brings in high school students to hone their communication and education skills.

Jill Heinerth is one of the world's premier underwater explorers and the first person to dive inside iceberg caves. On April 22, Earth Day, Jill speaks at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah as part of the Natural History Museum of Utah's lecture series. Then, the Europa Clipper, NASA's first mission to study a moon of Jupiter, launched last October for its 1.8 billion mile journey to Jupiter, and will arrive in April of 2030. Ingrid Daubar, Jet Propulsion Lab Project Staff Scientist, shares more about the mission and what scientists hope to discover.

Harvard University science historian Rebecca Lemov talks about brainwashing, mind control and hyper-persuasion. Then, is it really possible to change your entire personality in a year? Award-winning journalist Olga Khazan reveals the science behind lasting change.

Nate Pederson, historian, librarian, and co-author of the new book "Pseudoscience: An Amusing History of Crackpot Ideas and Why We Love Them," sheds light on why we love to believe in things we know aren't true.Then, University of Utah Physics professor George Cassiday talks about the history of particle physics and detection in Utah, and Park City's role in the search for these elusive particles.

Award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer discusses a field of science known as aerobiology, the study of air-borne illnesses. Then, while we may still be in the dead of winter, billions of birds are preparing for spring migration. Science writer and lifelong birder Daisy Yuhas takes us into the fascinating world of bird migration.

Award-winning business professor Andrew Brodsky talks about ways to make the most out of interacting digitally and practical strategies for navigating virtual communication. Then, author Faisal Hoque discusses unlocking AI's full potential while also protecting what is most precious about the human experience, and how AI can unlock untold human potential.

As the polar ice melts, biologist and paleontologist Neil Shubin explores the contents within and uncovers mysteries in his book, "Ends of the Earth: Journeys to the Polar Regions in Search of Life, the Cosmos, and Our Future." Then, nature writer and professor David Gessner explores the story of the world's most famous bird, Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from Central Park Zoo and captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of followers around the world.

Physicist Dr. John Matthews of the Telescope Array Project in Delta, Utah talks about their cosmic ray detectors and latest findings. Then, paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson talks about the 50th anniversary of his discovery of the iconic fossil Lucy.

Award-winning environmental journalist Marco Visscher talks about the rise, fall and return of our mightiest, most-feared and most misunderstood energy source: nuclear power. Then, Dr. Randall Irmis, curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah, previews an event that highlights the little-known dinosaurs that lurked beneath the surface of oceans, rivers and streams during the age of dinosaurs.

Daniel Oberhaus, science writer and author of the new book "The Silicon Shrink: How Artificial Intelligence Made the World an Asylum," talks about AI's emergence in mental health treatment. Then, Peter Trapa, dean of the College of Science at the University of Utah, talks about the college, their programs and amazing opportunities for students.

Science journalist Erica Cartmill from Scientific American highlights some new research of great apes showing that a sense of humor may be a primal and very ancient response to our life's foibles and fun. Then, science journalist Olivia Campbell shares how four women physicists escaped Nazi Germany and made scientific history in her new book, "Sisters in Science."

Alex de Vries, author of the paper, “The growing energy footprint of artificial intelligence,” tells more about AI's use of electricity and other resources. Then, Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and MIT, shows why we must maintain a freethinking critical perspective toward innovation, until it proves itself worthy of our faith.

In this "Best of 2024" episode, we revisit these two favorites from the past year: Nadina Galle, 2024 National Geographic Explorer and ecological engineer, discusses her book, "The Nature of Our Cities: Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet." Then, Daniel Brooks, Professor Emeritus at University of Toronto, and Salvatore Agosta, Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, discuss their new book “Darwinian Survival Guide: Hope for the Twenty-First Century.”

NASA research astrophysicist Dr. Grant Mitchell reveals how NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make history on Dec. 24 with its deepest dive into the corona of the sun. Then, Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics and astronomy, explores the history of time keeping and the very human need to know what part of the day you're experiencing, or what time it is.

Summit Land Conservancy's Conservation Leadership Interns Lauren Page and Alana McClements talk about the science of saving land. Then, imagine what it would be like to surf the rings of Saturn or golf on the Moon with John Moores, co-author of the new book “Daydreaming in the Solar System: Surfing Saturn's Rings, Golfing on the Moon, and Other Adventures in Space Exploration.”

Writer Dava Sobel shines a spotlight on the remarkable Marie Curie in her new book, "The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science." Then, award-winning journalist Vince Beiser explores the global hunt for cobalt, lithium, nickel, copper, and other metals that power our electro-digital existence in his new book, "Power Metal: The Race for the Resources that Will Shape the Future."

Marc Abrahams, founder and master of ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prize, recaps this year's ceremony and winners. Then, Fraser Cain talks about Universe Today, his website, podcast and YouTube channel that are great sources for everything on the latest research and discoveries about space.

Renowned researcher, physician and neuroscience professor Godfrey Pearlson talks about the science of weed. Is it a cure-all? A toxic, addictive substance? Or something in between? Then, Jasmine Smith, CEO of Rejuve.AI, shares their new app, now in beta testing, intended to help you reduce your biological age.

University of Utah professor of physics and astronomy Kyle Dawson talks about the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument that is probing the fundamental physics of the universe. Then, astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio and Nobel prize-winner and professor of chemistry Dr. Jack Szostak talk about whether or not Earth is the exception to the rule for life in their new book, "Is Earth Exceptional? The Quest for Cosmic Life."

Paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson, who found the 3.2 million-year-old iconic fossil "Lucy," discusses finding the fossil 50 years ago in the Ethiopian desert. Then, Scientific American journalist Mark Fischetti explains why the earth's rotation is changing and how that relates to how global timekeepers accurately keep time.

Terrence Sejnowski, a leader in the recent convergence between neuroscience and AI, talks about the mystery and possibility of AI consciousness in his new book, “ChatGPT and the Future of AI: The Deep Language Revolution.” Then, learn about ice-patch archeology and what is melting from the world's ice sheets with author Lisa Baril in her new book, “The Age of Melt: What Glaciers, Ice Mummies, and Ancient Artifacts Teach Us About Climate, Culture, and a Future Without Ice.”

Eleanor Spicer Rice shakes your pets' family trees, peeks between their feathers, dives into their brains and sometimes hitches a ride on their poops to uncover the meanings behind some of our animal friends' wildest behaviors. Then, ophthalmic surgeon, physician and neuroscience researcher Dr. Mithu Storoni discusses how to optimize your brain to transform the way you work in her new book, "Hyperefficient."

Author Mark Weinstein discusses restoring our sanity online and dealing with internet bots and trolls. Then, BBC zoological correspondent Jules Howard talks about the simple egg and how it has evolved, adapted and innovated over time.

Research Professor Marie Jackson from the University of Utah's Geology Department talks about three locations in Utah that were just named to the list of the world's top geoheritage sites. Then, follow geothermal scientist Andrés Ruzo journeys to far-off lava fields, hidden boiling rivers, and through fiery portals to the Earth's core. He previews his talk on Friday, Oct. 4 presented by Park City Performing Arts at the Eccles Theatre in Park City.

Ben Orlin, math teacher, and author of the new book “Math for English Majors: A Human Take on the Universal Language” talks about how math can be translated into a language that non-math people can use. Then, author David Lipsky argues that the dismissal of scientific facts is affecting the real issues of climate change in his book “The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial.”

Science journalist Lauren Young talks about a recent Scientific American article that explores how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic quiets the "food noise." Then, scuba diving philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith explores consciousness and who and what can be called a sentient being.

Professor Jeff Karp, who teaches biomedical engineering at Harvard Medical School and MIT, talks about the brain's neuroplasticity and how he adapted his brain to tackle his early learning disabilities and ADHD. Then, science writer Chris Wanjek and NASA photographer Chris Gunn talk about their time documenting the building of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Anna Von Mertens shares the story of how 1900s astronomer Henrietta Leavitt laid the foundation for modern cosmology with her use of glass plate photographs of the stars. Then, University of Utah chemist and associate professor Luisa Whittaker-Brooks talks about her research of ultra-thin electronic materials and nanoscale circuits.

Adam Frank, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, talks about the real possibility of alien life and the challenges of finding it. Then, Dr. Lauren Birgenheier, associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah, discusses the potential of extracting rare earth elements from existing coal mines.

Math whiz Shalinee Sharma reveals not only the dire need for numeracy, but also the beauty and creativity of math in her new book, "Math Mind: The Simple Path to Loving Math." Then, astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker is at the forefront in the quest to use physics to define life and identify other forms of life in the universe and explores it in her book, "Life As No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence."

Jamie Farrell, chief seismologist for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, talks about the recent viral explosion at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Then, Anil Seth, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Utah, talks about a once-in-a-career discovery of the most solid evidence ever for an intermediate-mass black hole.

Jeremy Kahn, award-winning journalist for Fortune magazine, discusses his new book "Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future," and owner and founder of Nexus IT, Earl Foote, walks us through the debacle behind the Crowd Strike technology update that upended health care and air travel over the last few weeks.

In his book, “Extraterrestrial Languages," Daniel Oberhaus leads readers on a quest for extraterrestrial communication and considers how philosophy, linguistics, mathematics, science and art have informed the design, or maybe limited the effectiveness of our interstellar messaging.Then, Anna Abraham, Director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia, explores the myths and truths of the creative brain.

Local resident, founder and expedition leader of Ocearch, Chris Fischer, shares some upcoming expeditions to explore and study sharks in the Mediterranean Sea and on the second anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope's science operations, NASA Astronomer Dr. Christine Chen shares some of Webb's latest discoveries.

Park City Water Quality and Treatment Manager Michelle De Haan and Water Quality Scientist Iwona Goodley talk about the new 3 Kings water treatment plant and the science behind providing us with clean water, then, Michael Stewart and graduate student Chloe Marks of the University of Illinois highlight Utah's diverse landscapes in their Geology Field Camp.

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Thomas Cech, who has worked on RNA for his whole career, presents his new book, "The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets." Then, Nadina Galle, 2024 National Geographic Explorer and ecological engineer, discusses her book "The Nature of Our Cities: Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet."

Sabrina Sholts, curator of biological anthropology at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and author of the new book, “The Human Disease: How We Create Pandemics, from our Bodies to our Beliefs,” talks about humans' role and responsibility in diseases and pandemics. Then, Roberto Casati, director of the Jean Nicod Institute and professor at the School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris, shares more about maps, what they are and how they work in his new book “The Cognitive Life of Maps."

Acclaimed physicist Sean Carroll makes the most complicated ideas in physics accessible for anyone who wants to learn.And innovator and entrepreneur, Charles Loughheed, explains how the intersection of technology and healthcare leads to happier, healthier and more successful outcomes for doctors and their patients.

John Lin, Associate Director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy at the University of Utah, talks about the center and its Climate Solutions Launch Prize.Then, professors at LUISS University, Rome, Cristina Alaima and Jannis Kallinikos talk about the role that digital revolution plays in today's market economy and highlight their book “Data Rules: Reinventing the Market Economy.”

Ophthalmologist Dr. Barbara Wirostko, co-founder and medical director of MyEyes, a local company that helps glaucoma patients with new technology, talks about the latest advances in the treatment of glaucoma.Then, author Jennifer Holland talks about her new book, "Dog Smart: Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence," a cutting-edge science narrative that outlines Holland's quest to learn the true meaning of dog intelligence.