Steaming Piles of Science

The first episode in a while and it is a great one. This conversation was recorded a while ago, but it brought about even more questions the second time. Dr. Kotlewska and I talk about how we perceive ourselves and how, or if, that changes over time or as things change, like our names. It is so interesting. If you would like to reach Ilona, you can reach out to her on Facebook here. We also talked about a really awesome personality/ self-awareness questionnaire you can take at home or give to someone else. It's called the cube test and you can find a good version of that here. I really hope you enjoy and please do take the test - it's quite thought provoking. I'd love to hear some of your answers or maybe even revelations after taking it! 

This episode was previously published, but there was an issue with the audio. This issue has been corrected! The episode is my coverage of the 6th science pub at Salt Hill Pub in Lebanon, NH. Two experts discussed soil health, organic farming, aquaponics, GMOs, and rice. There is so much to learn about what we eat and this episode only scratches the surface. I hope you enjoy!

In this episode we interview Dr. Seth Frey about his work on understanding online social communities. We even get a sneak peak at his recent study on the behaviors in online poker that lead to winning or losing! 

This episode is my coverage of the March 2018 Science Pub. Science - the work of analysis, experiment, fail, and try again – relentlessly pursues answers to some of the most complex and pressing issues of our time, but work in the lab won't change the world if it stays in the lab. How to get research findings out in the world, to fuel the zeitgeist, and inform policy to address those complex issues, is an important art. Although the work of scientists impacts almost every part of our daily lives, mis-steps in communication on the science-to-policy path can be disastrous. What does it take to be an effective advocate for science-informed policy? What is the difference between policy that impacts science and science that impacts policy? What are the roles of scientist, advocate, and policy-maker? These and other questions were discussed by Melody Brown Burkins, Celia Chen, and Anne Kapuscinski.

This week our episode features a Ph.D. candidate in Dartmouth's Molecular and Cellular Biology program. Nadia Cumbal, researches a particular protein, whose mutation is associated with cancer, in the lab of Dr. Michael Cole. She speaks about what cancer is, how it can happen, the cellular mechanisms that may be able to provide new therapies, and where the future may be in cancer research.

Dr. Damian Sowinski is a post-doctoral researcher at Dartmouth who studies information theory. He uses information theory in many different ways, from understanding why stars are stable to how people construct a narrative of the world based on experience. In our discussion, we talked about the basics of information theory to fields of application like quantum mechanics, philosophy and physics. 

This episode is our coverage of January's Science Pub at Salt Hill Pub in Lebanon, NH. We had 3 experts discussing the evolution of communities from the online space to a traditional commune. What motivates people to make decisions? How does technology change or add to traditional social communities? Tune in to find out.

This episode covers cellular changes by which neurons form altered connections within the brain that lead to phenotypes like autism spectrum disorder. We cover everything from the specific gene they research to the broader impact of this kind of research. We hope you enjoy and please post any questions or comments on our website.

This episode is our coverage of the 3rd Science Pub. We had 3 experts talking about black holes and alien life! What exactly are black holes? What is the latest research on alien life? How do we study these questions? Listen and find out! 

What is evolution? What drives changes in species? What are current day examples of adaptations? Listen to Dr. Mark McPeek from Dartmouth College explain the simple and complicated details of evolution.

This episode is a full discussion of current STI testing, advice on how often to get tested, and treatments of common STIs. Turns out - a lot of STIs are curable! Her message is to get tested, and get tested often! The technology is quick and much more advanced than ever before. We even talk about the history of STIs back to the Roman empire. Ever heard of a parasite STI? Listen up for the science!

Dr. Olivera is a renowned scientists with discoveries credited to his name in the field of DNA enzymes and, the topic of today's episode, cone snail toxins. Luckily, as Dr. Olivera explains in the interview at the end of his seminar, you have to really perturb the little guys to get stung as a human. That being said, harnessing our natural environment to treat human disease has never been more interesting. Who would've thought that something so deadly has the potential to save millions of lives! The components of various cone snail toxins, called conotoxins, have proved to effectively treat a variety of diseases including chronic pain, epilepsy, and type II diabetes. 

This episode is our coverage of the October science pub about climate change. The experts discuss the current state of agriculture, where your food comes from, and some of the problems we face in feeding all the people in the world. In the Q&A section we hear about GMOs and bumble bees. Listen up and learn about where your food comes from.

This episode is a gem. We talk with Dr. Khokhar about the "chicken and the egg" problem with marijuana and schizophrenia. We also get to Ritalin in children, legalization of drugs, and much more. We hope you enjoy and be sure to leave comments or questions on our website or Facebook page!

We answer some of the questions you've submitted on our website and Facebook page. Let us know what you think!

Allison is an engineer who focuses her work on underwater vehicles to explore and study the ocean. In this episode we talk all about what we know, discuss mostly what we don't know, and speculate about the future. We also get in to her thoughts about being a female in science, particularly engineering, which is a very male-dominated science. We hope you enjoy!

Lucas Dwiel is earning his Ph.D. from Dartmouth's Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine. He studies the wide-spread electrical patterns in the brain. In our interview we talk about deep brain stimulation, predicting behaviors, the ethics of scientific research, and so much more. We hope you enjoy our friend, Lucas Dwiel, and please let us know if you have any questions or comments!

This episode is an interview with Dr. Emily Stephens. Her research focused on current efforts to understand the mechanism by which selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work (i.e. Prozac) by studying the effects on the drug on the cellular level. Her work is very approachable because she is an AMAZING teacher. She is extremely kind and genuinely interested in everyone having access to her findings. Please enjoy and we hope you learn something new!

This episode was our first coverage of the monthly Science Pub Series at Dartmouth. This month's science pub included three experts in gaming and gaming application. We talk about the history of games and the current state of games, which can be applied in the classroom. See our website for all of the resources mentioned in this episode and thank you for listening!

This episode walks us through the history of the human endeavor to understand the brain. We start 7,000 years ago and end with the most up-to-date information on how the brain works. We talk about the different parts of your brain, the cells that are in your brain, and the tools those cells use to communicate. Please see our website for more resources!

Here we talk about how to podcast will work and how you can be involved! We also leave you with a few short stories about how to think about science to initiate your role in the conversation and how we hope to represent science.  Don't forget to subscribe to the show!