Talk That Science

Can we trust our political institutions? And how is that trust—or distrust—shaped over time? In this episode of Talk That Science, we sit down with Hannes Bey and Giovanni D'Agostino, PhD candidates in the Challenges to Democratic Representation research group at the University of Amsterdam, to explore the complexities of political trust. Giovanni investigates how young citizens develop trust or distrust in political institutions, while Hannes examines long-term trends in political trust at the macro level. We discuss how political trust is measured, what drives its decline, and how researchers determine when distrust becomes ‘critical' or ‘blind.' Giovanni walks us through his research on 14-year-olds and generational trends in trust, while Hannes sheds light on the gap between actual political trust and public perception. We also explore how education can both strengthen and divide democracies, shaping the way different groups relate to political institutions. And, of course, all of this is accompanied by some thought-provoking tracks! Tracks played during the episode include: Ho Visto Un Re – Enzo Jannacci The Mess We're In – PJ Harvey What Did You Learn in School Today – Pete Seeger Hosts: Amity & Bronagh A big thanks to the Student Impact Center of the University of Amsterdam for financing our show and to EchoBox Radio for hosting us! Tune in for a timely discussion on political trust, democracy, and the factors shaping public perception today.

In this episode of Talk That Science, we sit down with Erik Stei, an assistant professor in theoretical philosophy at Utrecht University, to explore the fascinating world of logic and its philosophical foundations. Erik recently published his book Logical Pluralism and Logical Consequence with Cambridge University Press, and he joins us to unpack key ideas about the nature of logic, its different interpretations, and why it plays a crucial role in both philosophy and everyday life. We discuss what it means to study logic, how it connects to mathematics, and how we encounter logic in our daily thinking. Erik also walks us through the core arguments of his book, sharing insights into logical pluralism and his stance within the field. Plus, we get a behind-the-scenes look at his academic journey, the process of writing a book, and where his research is headed next. And, of course, all of this is accompanied by some sunny tunes to keep things lively! Tracks played during the episode include: Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell Shape of My Heart – Sting Handlebars – Flobots The Logical Song – Supertramp Host: Kira A big thanks to EchoBox Radio for hosting our show and to the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam for supporting this project! Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about logic, philosophy, and the many ways they shape our understanding of the world

Are glaciers really disappearing? And what does that mean for our planet? In this episode of Talk That Science, we welcome back returning guest Marion Dugue, a PhD student at ETH Zurich, to uncover the role of satellite technology in glaciology and climate research. Marion shares insights from her master's thesis in applied geophysics, where she used satellite data to analyze glaciers, and explains why distinguishing different types of glaciers is crucial in the context of global warming. We also dive into the challenges of fieldwork in extreme environments like the Arctic Circle, the physical and logistical hurdles glaciologists face, and how their research contributes to our understanding of climate change. Plus, Marion tells us about her shift from glaciers to agricultural research and how space technology ties into it all. And of course, all this is accompanied by some sunny tunes to brighten your day! Tracks played during the episode include: Au Temps des Coquillages – Meimuna Mexico – Mar Malade Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix Hosts: Amity & Kira A big thanks to EchoBox Radio for hosting our show and to the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam for supporting this project! Tune in for a fascinating discussion on glaciers, satellites, and the future of climate research.

What is quantum computing? and how might it impact our society? In this episode of Talk That Science, we sit down with Pablo Cova Fariña, a PhD student at the research institute for quantum computing and quantum internet to unpack the core principles of quantum physics, like superposition and entanglement, and discover how they're being harnessed to build the supercomputers of tomorrow. Pablo also tells us about his cutting-edge research using chips to simulate real-world materials, giving us a glimpse into work as a researcher and the exciting future of quantum technology. Plus, we discuss this emerging field's potential benefits, risks, and challenges – all between some great music! Tracks played during the episode include: Computer World - Kraftwerk Waves - Max Cooper Depende - Jarabe De Palo Sleepy Head - The Pillows Hosts: Amity & Kira As always, a big thanks to EchoBox Radio for hosting our show, and to the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam for supporting this project! Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about quantum computing.

What is an equal city, and how do we achieve one? In this episode of Talk That Science, we sit down with Elisabetta Gobbo, a PhD student at Erasmus University, to dive into the complex relationship between gentrification, housing, and tourism. Elisabetta explores how political philosophy helps frame discussions about city equality, property rights, and urban justice. We also discuss the ongoing housing crisis in cities like Venice and Amsterdam, where tourism is affecting the local way of life. Elisabetta shares insights into how cities around the world are coping with these challenges, highlighting the need for sustainable policies. Tracks played during the episode include: Venezia in Affitto - Pitura Freska Gentrification - Joy York & The Co-operators Troddin on - The Admirals The Beat Goes Ska! - Marina P and Mungo's Hi Fi Hosts: Amity & Nicolien As always, a big thanks to EchoBox Radio for hosting our show, and to the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam for supporting this project! Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of our cities.

Join us for a special episode on how the Iranian Revolution was perceived in the USSR. Lilit Zeltburg talks us through how these two historical revolutionary regimes came in contact. She has studied how the media in the USSR depicted the revolution of 1979, how the elites appropriated the narrative and what the differences were with the reaction of the Western world. Join our hosts Amity and Kira for one more appointment with the coolest science and the best tunes! This is the song list: Gruppa krovi, Kino, Blood Type https://open.spotify.com/track/0qlCTm0U6Jcgx29HEYIXrg?si=892fdb8fabf24b7f ; Millions Of Scarlet Roses, Alla Pugacheva https://open.spotify.com/track/6hZKMAiaIepVtAtgFKm4xt?si=36853e392d244afd; povorot, Mashina Vremeni, Turn https://open.spotify.com/track/0cNewbixCGIsFYH32kGcF3?si=9e4345f7c05d43d3

This episode Annemie Ploeger, a Senior Lecturer at the programme group for Developmental Psychology at the University of Amsterdam will be our guest.She is an evolutionary developmental psychologist whose research provides an evolutionary perspective on mental disorders, with the focus on depression. Her main topic I study is the mismatch hypothesis: the mismatch between our current modern environment and the one in which we evolved makes us vulnerable to diseases and disorders. Enjoy our chat! Here is the music and videos Annemie proposed to us: -Mad World - Tears for Fears -Bayaka foragers singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cdsyj5kgWE -Moment of meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyj8l9miy4w -Back to the Garden - Delta Rae -Breathe Me - Sia

Tune in for a fascinating discussion on the philosophy of conspiracy theories, why do people believe them, is it wrong to believe in conspiracies, and why do they seem so useful for pursuing political goals? In this episode we answer to these questions, and pose many more, with Giulia Napolitano, Assistant professor at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, and our hosts Amity and Gabriele. The tracks played during the episode are: MK Ultra - Muse Turn The Fricking Frogs Gay - YOLODANKMEMESBRO Voglio Vederti Danzare - Franco Battiato As always, huge thanks to Echobox Radio for hosting our show and to the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam for financing the whole project!

Sexual double standards shape the ways in which we interact with each other and how we think about ourselves. We spoke with Gijsje Maas, a PhD candidate and junior lecturer at the Communication and Media research group of the Behavioural Science Institute at Radboud University. In this episode we discuss the role of entertainment media in the establishment, continuation, and transformation of gendered norms surrounding sex, specifically the sexual double standard. Tracks played during the episode: 1. If I Were a Boy, by Beyonce 2. Azadi, by Naaz 3. Samaritans, by Idles 4. One of Your Girls, by Troye Sivan Big thanks to the Echobox Radio team for hosting us and helping out with everything!

An ollie is a fundamental trick in skateboarding. But have you ever wondered about the physics of an ollie, and what the ideal skateboard for performing one looks like? Delve into the world of sports engineering and the complexities of using science to enhance performance with Jan T. Heinen, a recent alumnus of the TU Delft, who has recently co-authored a paper on how to maximize the height of an ollie. The tracks played during the episode: 1. Avril Lavigne, Sk8er Boi 2. Kato Kato, L'Evasion 3. Kraftwerk, The Man Machine Big thanks to the Echobox Radio team for hosting us and helping out with everything!

Logic has a rich philosophical history for understanding the limits of our reasoning. But can it also be used for computational tasks? Nick Bezhanishvili is the President of the Dutch Association for Logic and Philosophy. His main field of research is the relationship between algebra and geometry. He recently researched the application of polyhedral semantics for 3D modeling. The tracks played during the episode: 1. Some Kind of Game, by Against all Logic 2. The Logic Song, by Supertramp 3. Logic, by Logic System Big thanks to the Echobox Radio team for hosting us and helping out with everything!

Join us for an enlightening episode featuring Marion Dugue, a geophysics master student and analogue astronaut. In this episode, Marion opens up about the unique challenges women face during scientific expeditions in survivalist conditions, particularly the pressing issue of the lack of menstrual products suitable for extreme environments, including space. Marion has confronted this issue head-on, pioneering a prototype for a menstrual product designed to function in zero gravity. This innovation isn't just about aiding women in their participation in scientific expeditions; it might also unlock valuable medical applications through the collection of menstrual blood during prolonged space missions. In this episode, we'll explore Marion's research on menstrual blood in zero gravity and her role as an analogue astronaut. We'll also delve into the broader issue of gender imbalances in expeditions. The tracks played during the episode: 1. Fly Me to the Moon, by Astrud Gilberto 2. Walking on the Moon, by Roseaux and Aloe Blacc 3. Space Girl, by Frances Forever Big thanks to the Echobox Radio team for hosting us and helping out with everything!

Coral reefs are the only structures made by a single living organism (apart from humans) that you can see from space, and they are the most diverse and productive ecosystems out there. In this episode of Talk That Science, dr. René van der Zande and Sarah Solomon MSc explain how coral reefs are formed, how corals function and how they are affected by climate change. The tracks played during the episode: 1. Andrean Sand Dunes, by Drexciya 2. Sea Swallow Me, by Cocteau Twins, Harold Budd 3. Seaweed, by Tindersticks 4. Diving, by Bombay Bicycling Club, Holly Humberstone

Cooperation is everywhere around us, at the heart of nature's most triumphant endeavors. It shows up in the cells that make up complex organisms, in ant colonies, and, of course, in the societies we live in. But it is also a bit of a mystery, because it involves being helpful at a personal cost. So how can individuals be motivated to look beyond their immediate self-interest and embrace the enduring advantages of collaboration? It turns out that game theory, a tool loved by economists, has much to say on this. Joining us for a discussion on the mechanisms underpinning cooperation is Fernando P. Santos, Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam. He guides us through the core concepts of game theory, shows why reputation is important, and gives insights into what to anticipate when engaging with artificial agents. The tracks played during the episode: 1. Games, by Graham Nash, and David Crosby 2. Tomobiki, by John Zorn 3. All That We've Become, by Society 4. Verdes Anos, by Carlos Paredes Big thanks to the Echobox Radio team for hosting us and helping out with everything!

The human vaginal microbiome is quite unique for its high level of acidity. This environment is maintained by a variety of bacteria, but a healthy vaginal microbiome is dominated by Lactobacillus Crispatus. Once other more harmful bacteria increase in number in the vaginal microbiome, the chances of bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections (UTIs) increase. In order to understand the favourable conditions for a microbiome populated mainly by Lactobacillus Crispatus, Rosanne investigates the behaviour of different vaginal bacteria in the lab. Besides, she is also one of the founders of the Crispatus foundation which uses citizen science to investigate the vaginal microbiome. After writing columns for NRC for an extended period of time, Rosanne recently made the decision to go into politics as a candidate for the party NSC of Omtzigt. In the podcast we talk about being both a scientist and a public figure, how do they overlap and collide? And what is the meaning of scientific objectivity when combining the scientific and the political? Tracklist: 1. Gonna get along without you now - Skeeter Davis 2. Disco Science - Ventolin 3. Straight Outta Vagina (feat. Desi Mo & Leikeli47) - Pussy Riot, Desi Mo, Leikeli47

Marcel Vélez Vásquez is a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in explainable artificial intelligence for playability from musical audio. In this episode, he explains all about what AI for music is, and how it is different from textual AIs like ChatGPT. Artificial intelligence can be of help at many facets in the world of music: write and master songs, mix instruments together, but also predict whether an audio fragment could potentially grow out to be a smash hit, or help a beginner choose the next song to learn on their instrument. We also talk about the more challenging sides of his field, like using someone else's voice and the Western bias in available data. Tracklist, can you guess which are easy or hard to play on the guitar?: 1. Stevie Wonder - Do I Do 2. Jimmy and David Ruffin - Stand By Me 3. X Ambassadors, Elle King, Wiz Khalifa - Not Easy 4. Can AI Kick It? - Abbus (with AI generated music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbsWkhcJjg4)

Particle physicist Flavia de Almeida Dias helps us understand the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Working from CERN in Switzerland and Nikhef in Amsterdam, she knows all about elementary particles and how to make them visible to humanity, that has been interested in this since the ancient Greek's four elements: water, fire, earth and air. What are the elements of today? And how can we find more of them? These questions and a lot more are discussed in this month's episode. Tracklist 1. The Pointer Sisters - Neutron Dance 2. Kraftwerk - Radioactivity 3. Blood Orange - Hadron Collider 4. Hammer - Collision

When women have breast cancer, they sometimes have to undergo chemotherapy to lower the risk that the cancer will spread out from the breast. This is however not always necessary if the cancer is not so aggressive. Computer scientist Ajey Pai Karakala does research on how we can use deep learning to detect if the cancer is likely to spread through the body or not. We spoke to him about the strange beauty of cell tissue, supervised and unsupervised learning, and about how he thinks AI will augment the doctors' capability to treat patients. Tracklist: 1. Benjamin Zephaniah - Genetics 2. Bona Dish - Mutation 3. Maati Baani - Hiye Kaya Mein

Our guest, engineer and storyteller Vikas Bagde, moved from India to Amsterdam for his PhD. He immediately noticed differences in mobility, and especially in the way that people travel the 'last mile'. In this episode, he tells us about how the popularity of the bicycle rose in the Netherlands decades ago, and in which ways that is similar to the rise of the electric rickshaw that is happening right now in India. What role is, or should be, played by the people when tackling mobility challenges? And why is it that the technologically most efficient solution does not always work best? Find out in episode 25 of Talk That Science! Tracklist: 1. Cymande - Rickshaw 2. Malarians - Rickshaw 3. Mungo's Hi Fi - Bike Rider 4. Slow Nomaden - Rickshaw This podcast was broadcast by Echobox Radio on February 16th, 2023.

Met Amsterdamse stadsecoloog Geert Timmermans bespreken we twee diersoorten en één plantensoort die van nature niet in de stad voorkomen, maar er toch terecht zijn gekomen en al flink zijn ingeburgerd. Hoe? En waarom zit niet iedereen op de komst van deze zogenoemde exoten te wachten? Dat en meer komt uitgebreid aan de orde in deze aflevering. Tracklist: 1. Parakeets - Max Woiski Jr. 2. The Wasp - J-Walk 3. Invasion - Desired State 4. The Squirrel - Tadd Dameron Sextet ---EPISODE IN DUTCH--- This podcast was broadcast by Echobox Radio on January 19th, 2023.

In this episode we are live at the photography museum Huis Marseille during Musuemnight Amsterdam. There is an exhibition 'Natural Sources' from Jochen Lempert, consisting of poetic pictures of the natural world, inspired by Jochen's scientific background in biology. Jochen and our guest, Bram Langeveld, share a fascination for the Great Auk, a bird that became extinct in the 19th century. We will talk about his discovery of the Great Auk fossils in the Netherlands, and the portrayal of the Great Auk by Jochen Lempert. Why are Bram and Jochen so fascinated by this bird?

During her bachelor thesis, Tess Heeremans shared her bedroom with worms. She put these worms in a maze, and got half of them drunk. She then looked at the behaviour of sober and drunk worms in the maze. In this way, the worms served as a model for active matter: a set of particles that can move on their own. Active polymers are currently a big topic in chemistry, biology and physics. More knowledge about this kind of matter will help us understand the behaviour of flocks of birds and schools of fish. This interview is recorded live during Museumnight Amsterdam 2022 in Huis Marseille.

Do trees talk to each other? In this episode we are exploring the underground world of Fungal Networks with Vincent Merckx, assistant professor at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics and research fellow at Naturalis. His research focuses on a specific type of fungi that exchanges nutrients with plants, and its mechanisms have a remarkable resemblance to the economic model of a fair trade market. We also ask Vincent what he thinks of the idea that plants can really "communicate" with each other by using the underground network of fungi that they are connected to.

*disclaimer: episode in Dutch* De laatste tijd wordt het steeds duidelijker dat hormonale anticonceptie bijwerkingen heeft waar we niet altijd goed over worden ingelicht. Een inmiddels wel bekende, maar vreselijke bijwerking is dat de kans dat vrouwen depressieve klachten ontwikkelen wordt vergroot. Er zijn daarnaast nog veel meer mogelijke bijeffecten zijn van de pil: onze partnerkeuze zou kunnen veranderen, onze stressrespons wordt aangetast, en het lijkt alsof het er voor kan zorgen dat we de wereld minder intens kunnen meemaken en dus ook minder ervan kunnen genieten. In deze aflevering praten we met Margot Morssinkhof over deze mogelijke bijwerkingen en haar eigen onderzoek hiernaar. Tracklist: 1. Circle - Phil France 2. Sexy Boy - Air 3. Mystery - Fabiana Palladino 4. Heel Even Niets - Meetsysteem

Dit is de tweede aflevering die is opgenomen tijdens de open dag op het Science Park in Amsterdam. Misschien heb je wel eens gehoord over vogels die in de winter Nederland verlaten voor een vakantieland in het Zuiden waar het warmer en beter is. Maar hoe weten vogels waar ze heen moeten vliegen? En wat is de impact van klimaatverandering op deze vliegreizen? Met Chiel Boom praten we specifiek over de Brandgans die afkomstig is uit het Poolgebied en die Nederland als warm vakantielandje beschouwt! We spelen het nummer "Italy" van Soap&Skin.

Dit is de eerste aflevering die is opgenomen tijdens de open dag op het Science Park in Amsterdam. We praten met Annelotte Derkink over zware sterren. Dit zijn sterren die maar kort bestaan en snel steeds kleiner worden terwijl ze even zwaar blijven. De allerzwaarste sterren kunnen hierdoor zelfs zwarte gaten worden. Wat zijn sterren eigenlijk en hoe ontstaan ze? En wanneer noemen we een ster een “zware ster''? Annelotte geeft antwoord op deze vragen en vertelt hoe ze er onderzoek naar kan doen. We spelen het nummer "Zontimenteel" van Don Melody Club.

(English below) We weten dat de maan ervoor zorgt dat er getijden in de zeeën bestaan, maar er zijn nog een boel meer fenomenen waarvan sommigen zeggen dat ze worden veroorzaakt door de maan. Er zijn mensen die denken dat er een link bestaat tussen de positie van de maan en hun humeur of slaapkwaliteit. Er zijn ook speculaties over het synchroniseren van de menstruatie- met de maancyclus. Samen met astroloog en geschiedenisstudent Nora Gosselink praten we over wat de astrologie, wetenschap, en maatschappij te zeggen hebben over de invloed van de maan op het leven op aarde. We know that the moon causes the tides in the oceans, but there is a whole range of phenomena that people say are affected by the moon as well. Some people, for example, argue that there is a connection between the position of the moon and people's moods, and their quality of sleep. It is also speculated that period cycles synchronize with the lunar cycle. Together with astrologist and history student Nora Gosselink, we discover what astrology, science, and societies have to say about the effect of the moon on life on earth. *disclaimer: episode in Dutch

"Calculate before you give" Effective altruism is a recent movement that brings extensive rationality and altruism together. It aims to calculate the most effective way to spend your money or time in order to improve the world. The idea that one life can never be worth more than another is far embedded in the philosophy. Rather than just following the heart when wanting to do good, the intuitive feeling should be combined with reason and evidence, according to the people that adhere to this mindset. In this episode, we talk with Amarins Veringa, who currently works as the community director of Effective Altruism the Netherlands. In the past, she researched the difference between ‘quality-adjusted life years' (qalys) and ‘self-reported happiness' as an output measure of altruism. Our second guest is Tim Bakker, a PhD candidate in machine learning. He took the Giving What We Can pledge. With this pledge, he vowed to give away part of his income to do a significant amount of good. We explore their choices and worldviews and talk about the underlying ‘science' in altruism.

Last year, Daniela Loustalot Knapp and Nicolien worked on a project to study matching algorithms for the school choice problem. Matching is the abstraction of a problem that arises in many real-world situations and consists of making pairs of individuals from two groups that have preferences over the other group. Examples include organ donation programs, house allocations and the school choice problem. In the school choice problem, the question is how to fairly assign kids to schools. Every year, kids going to secondary school have to submit a ranking of their preferred schools. As it happens, some schools turn out to be more popular than others. Consequently, not all kids can go to their favorite schools. To decide who gets their first choice and who doesn't, the school boards in Amsterdam use a matching algorithm (sometimes also called ‘matching mechanisms'). In this episode, we discuss how different algorithms have varying normative properties. This means that choosing and designing matching algorithms is not just a mathematical problem. The choice for what algorithms to choose may have far-reaching effects. On whether everyone gets equal opportunities, for example. Talking about matching means talking about how to divide limited goods or places as fairly as possible. Finally, Daniela recently wrote a thesis on justifying matching algorithms. The idea is to provide non-experts with a step-by-step explanation of why the computed assignment is a good compromise between all the agents' preferences, grounded in a set of principles that are appealing to them. We will touch upon this in the last part of the episode.

In this episode we talk about 3D printing on Earth and in Space. We have a range of guests from the physics' soft matter group: Mazi Jalaal, Jackson Wilt and Olfa D'Angelo. Soft matter is a type of soft material, examples include tooth pasta and chocolate spread. As you can imagine, it is harder to print these materials than solid materials. We talk about what soft matter is, what the challenges of printing it are and finally how printing it in space is different than on earth.

Nature itself is circular. Trees produce fruits that birds can eat, and their feces in return replenish the soil so that new trees can grow. If a bird builds a nest it simply uses branches from the tree that will decompose into the soil again. For us humans it now seems almost impossible to go back to such a circular ecosystem. While the bird's nest will deteriorate into the soil again, we have started to design and build products in such a way that the materials cannot be recycled. The Dutch government has aimed to make our economy circular in 2050. This means that we need to start designing products in a circular way. In this episode, we will talk with Deborah Sumter and Christiaan Maats about what can help designers make their products more circular. Christiaan Maats coaches sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship at a company called Circo and similar work at Noorderwind. Deborah Sumter recently finished her PhD thesis about what competencies designers should acquire in order to design circular products and services. Tracklist 1. Masahiro Sugaya - Future Green 2. Daisuke Miyatani - Memories of Furniture 3. Shiho Yabuki - Ki No Nagare 4. Catching Flies - Ghosts 5. Max Cooper - Circular 6. HNNY - Montara 7. Seb Wildblood - Sketches 8. L'Indécis - Soulful 9. Acid Pauli & Nu - 12 10. Tycho - Circular Reeducation

How often do you use Google Translate? I do quite often. It is so easy to go from one language to the other. But suppose you want to communicate with a deaf person, or you are deaf yourself. Then Google Translate is of no use, because deaf peope speak sign langue. There are 70 million deaf and hearing impaired people in the world, but there is so far no tool to translate a written language to a sign language. But this is about to change. Our guest this episode, Floris Roelofsen, is currently working on a project to develop an avatar that can speak sign language. We will talk about the importance of sign language, about how it differs from written languages and about how we can develop such an avatar. — Tracklist — 1. Charles Writh & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Express Yourself 2. BROCKBEATS - More Silence 3. SparkySynth - The Robots Are Talking 4. Rival Consoles - Vibrations On A String Floris Roelofsen is associate professor at the University of Amsterdam. You can find out more about his research on his webpage: www.florisroelofsen.com.

In STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), but also in areas like philosophy and law, women and racial minorities are underrepresented. In the Netherlands only 35% of the people who pursue a career in academics in STEM are women. At the University of Amsterdam, only 4% of the Dutch staff has a non-Western background. In this episode, we invite Rosie Zheng and Merel Dap to talk about their experiences as young women of color in science. They explain how micro-aggressions can lead to the feeling of not being welcome in science. We talk about how as soon as we start school, we start believing that girls cannot be as smart as boys. When women want to go into academia they need to work way harder then men to be taken seriously, get funds and positions and have their articles get published. We also discuss how the underrepresentation of minorities in science can lead to racist and sexist scientific developments. For example, in Artificial Intelligence and medical science, techniques will be developed that disadvantage women and people of color. At the end, we brainstorm about how we can tackle these problems. Tracklist: Wildfires - SAULT More women - Saâda Bonaire VV Violence - Jessy Lanza Emancipense - Yelle

Every day, we deal with causation. We assume that when we shoot a billiard ball against another it will start rolling, we assume that when we smoke we will have a bigger chance of getting lung cancer, and we think about how human activities can impact climate change. In all these cases, we assume that one event A can cause another event B. Dean McHugh, a phd student of philosophy and linguistics, studies how people use words like “because” and “cause” in order to determine how we understand the concept of causation. Different understandings of causation can have practical implications for society, especially in the law. In this episode, we will talk about how the outcome of a lawsuit can depend on how we understand causation. Thijmen Nuninga is finishing his phd in law and gives us many examples of how causation is crucial to determine responsibility. We talk about the Urgenda case and whether the Netherlands is responsible for climate change, about if we can understand discrimination because of sexual orientation as discrimination because of sex, and about how to determine whether a heavy smoker got lung cancer because there was asbestos in his work environment. Tracklist: ‘Cause I'm a man - Tame Impala Goed te doen - Meetsysteem Discoscience - Ventolin

The media have covered many of the recent achievements of artificial intelligence: there are chess-computers that can beat humans, there is Sofia the robot who has been granted actual citizenship and with the help of deep fakes, fake videos are easily created. It is often assumed that artificial intelligence has achieved this success by virtue of its brain-like computation and, therefore, its ability to imitate human cognition. In this episode, we examine what it means for a machine to think like a person, and whether that is ultimately possible. We do this with our two guests: Nynke Boiten and David Knigge. Nynke is currently doing the master Brain and Cognitive Science at the University of Amsterdam, where she focuses on computer models of the brain. David Knigge is studying Artificial Intelligence, also in Amsterdam. He is writing his thesis, in which he tries to build an artificial intelligence system that can recognize pictures. Tracklist: What is the Human Machine - Helium Mindwalk - Robert Schroeder Robot Motion - Frank Fischer-Goeppingen ICE - Lorn The Man Maschine - Kraftwerk Crawl Up - Satoshi & Makoto Voices of the Mind - Herbert Bodzin Cyborg - Egyptian Lover

In this episode, Nicolien and Nikki host the first live show of Talk That Science on Echobox Radio. We introduce you to the people behind Talk That Science, explain what we love about science and why we think that making science more accessible is important. With the live chat on Echobox Radio, we hope to interact more with you, the listener, so you can let us know your opinions and what you want us to discuss in the future. Last but not least, Nico and Nikki talk about their own scientific interests. From now on, every month we will be going live at Echobox Radio on Thursday at 2pm. The upcoming show will be on the 2nd of September and then every four weeks we will have another one. Go to echobox.radio to listen live and say hi in the chat! Or listen back to the shows on your usual streaming platform.

In this episode, we talk about material culture with Maikel Kuijpers. Material culture concerns that aspect of society that is grounded in material objects. As an archeologist, Maikel is specialized in material use over time. Although archeology focuses on the past, Maikel interestingly enough uses his knowledge to create a more sustainable future. In this episode, we will therefore talk about sustainable material use, craftsmanship and the role of a scientist when bringing a message to the public. Maikel shares many interesting thoughts on this, as he isn't only a scientist, but also author at De Correspondent and director of the documentary “The Future is Handmade”. — Find out more — Maikel's work for De Correspondent - https://bit.ly/3ymauPN Maikel's documentary - https://bit.ly/3ymGdjw — Tracklist — 1. Ti-de - KOKOROKO 2. Ode to Ancient Rome - Michael Levy 3. Closer - Satoshi & Makoto 4. After Midnight - Skinshape 5. Peri Banu vid sjön - Dungen 6. Abusey Junction - KOKOROKO 7. Mumma Don't Tell - Leifur James 8. Progress - Public Service Broadcasting Talk That Science is powered by the Student Impact Centre FNWI and Radio Tempo Não Pára.

In this episode, we talk about crystals with Noushine Shadidzadeh, professor of crystallization at the UvA. We can all agree: crystals are beautiful to look at. And this is exactly what Noushine loves about her research field. Interestingly enough, crystals play a huge role in our everyday lives, for example in food - think of salt - and in drugs such as paracetamol. During this episode, we will come across various applications of Noushine's research: from reducing the amount of salt in food to fortifying salt with rare minerals and even preserving cultural heritage. Well, you get it: crystals are everywhere around you! Listen to this episode and let the science behind crystals be unraveled for you. — Tracklist — 1. Steve Hiett - Love That Bird 2. Natural Positions - Goloka 3. Pete Beardsworth - Purify 4. Ashra - Oasis 5. Hype Williams - Gelato 6. The Durutti Column - Conduct 7. Mildlife - Phase 8. Jasper Van 't Hof - Associations 9. Verminkte Toekan - Betonkunst & Palmbomen II Track selection by Waldemar Theodor. Talk That Science is powered by the Student Impact Centre FNWI and Radio Tempo Não Pára.

In this episode, we must discuss drugs. Many people experiment with recreational drugs like Cannabis and MDMA every now and then. But do we know how they affect our brain? Although some research has been done on their negative effects, it is only recently that scientists started to do research on the medicinal effects of Cannabis, MDMA, ketamine and psychedelics. We talk about this and much more with our two guests: Olivier Otten and Sebastiaan van Bruchem. Olivier is an art student and tells us about his experience with Cannabis and how he felt it helped him with his attention disorder. Sebastiaan, who finished a Masters in Brain and Cognitive Science, explains what science can tell us about the effect of drugs on the brains. —Tracklist — 00:40 Summer Winds - Vincent 02:06 Aquarius - Prins Emanuel 07:02 Never Heated - Suzanne Kraft 10:46 Bye Bye Macadam - Rone 12:25 Wait - Nuages 14:30 The Edge Of Space - Sombrero Galaxy 20:04 XTC - DJ Koze 22:50 World - Sunshower 28:01 Summer Madness - Khruangbin 31:38 Oblique - Gillespie 36:05 The Most - Weval Talk That Science is powered by the Student Impact Centre FNWI and Radio Tempo Não Pára.

In this episode we talk about evolutionary robotics. Evolutionary robotics is a new approach to artificial intelligence. Standard artificial intelligence designs solutions for small problems, such as playing chess games. The problem with robots designed in this way is that they will not be able to live a human-like life, solving many problems simultaneously. This is where evolutionary robotics comes in: it lets evolution design robots that are perfectly adapted to a certain environment. For this reason, evolutionary robotics can produce robots for applications where standard robotics is not able to find solutions. Think of robots for seabed mining, robots keeping an eye out in rainforests and robots cleaning old nuclear power plants. Follow us on our journey this episode to discover how evolution can be implemented in robots. Explore the implications of evolutionary robots, because if evolution created life, do we create artificial life with artificial evolution? On the way, enjoy songs such as Seu Jorge's “Life on Mars” (yes, a cover of David Bowie!) while we explore the options of a robot evolution on Mars. — Tracklist — 1. Caribou - Dundas, Ontario 2. I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project 3. Shinichiro Yokota - Right Here! Right Now! 4. Die Roboter - Kraftwerk 5. Daniel Grau - Robot Mágico (Daniel Wang Remix) 6. Whodamanny - Dancing Ritual 7. Seu Jorge - Life On Mars? 8. Sign Libra - Intro / Tropical Plantarum 9. Larry Heard - Evolution Of Mind 10. Harvey Sutherand - New Paradise 11. Louie Vega - Elements Of Life 12. Sono - Keep Control (ARTBAT Remix) Talk That Science is powered by the Student Impact Centre FNWI and Radio Tempo Não Pára.

We present to you: our new format Must Discuss! In Must Discuss, we open up a discussion about the most pressing questions in science! We invite a group of students and researchers from different disciplines to shed their light on a subject from their point of view. We must discuss: Time. Chances are that you think that time in the universe passes at the same rate for everyone and that there is an absolute past, present and future. However, according to modern physics, this common picture of time is not correct. Special relativity theory, for example, tells us that moving clocks tick slower! We will talk about the consequences of relativity theory for our conception of time and about more puzzling questions related to time, such as: Can we change the direction of time? Is time travel really possible? We will discuss these questions with Grace Shao, a Philosophy Master student, Hidde Fokkema, who completed a Bachelors in Physics, and Sean Gryb, PhD-student in Philosophy of Physics. — Tracklist — 1. River Moon - Mango 2. A Vision of Panorama - Time Capsule 3. Patrick Cowley - The Runner 4. BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow 5. Ernest Ranglin - Surfin' 6. Ranil - Las Oladas 7. Eddy La Viny - Havan' Hamac 8. Abdou El Omari - Alghoroub 9. Joe Pass - A Time For Us 10. Hotaru - Au Paradis 11. João Donato - Chorou, Chorou Talk That Science is powered by the Student Impact Centre FNWI and Radio Tempo Não Pára.

It is almost impossible to imagine the world without plastic. Plastic is everywhere around us! However, nowadays there is so much plastic pollution in the world that it has become one of the biggest problem for nature and humanity. This has led to the development of alternatives in recent years. One of which you may have heard is bioplastic. But how much of the current bioplastics are actually "bio"? How much better are they for the environment? We talk with Maria Murcia Valderrama, PhD student in polymer chemistry and specialized in bio(degradable) plastics, to seek answers to these important questions. — Tracklist — 1. Wilson Tanner - Pilot 2. Bobby Hutcherson - The Ice Cream Man 3. Sampha - Plastic 100°C 4. Papa M - Plastic Energy Man 5. E Ruscha V - Who Are You 6. Plastic Mode - Mi Amor (Maxi Version) 7. Theo Parrish - Reaction To Plastic 8. Four Tet - Plastic People 9. Smile Street People - Smile Street 103 10. Roland Louis Orchestra - Play Up Play Up 11. Madaleine Uzho - Satisfied (Ext. Version) 12. Jason Mraz - Back To The Eart Talk That Science is powered by the Student Impact Centre FNWI and Radio Tempo Não Pára.

Het is zaterdagavond, 20 februari 2010, als een groep mannen met bivakmutsen een vakantiehuisje binnendringt, de bewoners mishandelt en op de vlucht slaat. De dagen erna volgt intensief onderzoek en verderop worden bivakmutsen, met DNA sporen, in de berm gevonden. Helaas is dit nog geen concreet bewijs dat de bivakmutsen daadwerkelijk van de daders zijn. Er zijn tegenwoordig echter manieren om toch de kracht van een bewijsstuk te meten met behulp van kansberekening. Hoe veel waarschijnlijker is het dat de bivakmutsen bij het misdrijf horen dan dat de bivakmutsen daar toevallig liggen? Hierover praten we in deze aflevering met Marjan Sjerps, hoogleraar forensische statistiek aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam! Om meer te leren over Marjan's onderzoek, zie: uva.nl/profiel/s/j/m.j.sjerps/m.j.sjerps.html — Tracklist — 1. Wes Montgomery - I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You 2. Azymuth - Villa Mariana (Pela Madrugada) 3. David T. Walker - On Love 4. Robert Rich - Lifeblood 5. Byron the Aquarius - The Essence 6. The Scorpions & Saif Abu Bakr - Nile Waves 7. King Tubby - Crimewave 8. Dwain Vinyard - Searching For The Truth 9. Mr. Flagio - Take A Chance (Original Mix) 10. Mike Collins - Halfway House 11. Lord Echo - The Sweetest Dub 12. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car Talk That Science is mede mogelijk gemaakt door Student Impact Centre FNWI en Radio Tempo Não Pára.

We are in touch with democracy every day. For example, when the population of a country needs to make a decision as for who should rule their country. However, democratic decision making takes place on much smaller scales as well. Think of a committee that together has to decide who to hire for a job, or if you have to choose a restaurant with a group of people. But did you know that there are in fact many different ways in which you could run a democracy? And that computer science can actually help to design ways to run a democracy? In this episode, Ulle Endriss, professor of Computational Social Choice, talks about politics, participatory budgeting and of course their relation to: computers! Because computers can help us when it comes down to making collective decisions, whether big or small. Listen to find out why! To find out more about Ulle's research, see: https://staff.science.uva.nl/u.endriss/ One of the things we discuss in this episode, is that every voting rule in which it is impossible to vote strategically, will result in a dictatorship. Watch this video to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJcqNEyTUwg — Tracklist — 1. C. Tappin - High Moon 2. Toshio Matsuura Group - Change 3. Banda Black Rio - Cravo e Canela 4. Joe Thomas - Polarizer 5. Fallen Roses - Lies 6. Jex Opolis - Sharing 7. Morgan Geist - Fuzzy Detail 8. Amnesty - Mister President 9. Nu Guinea - Howls 10. D. K. - Stick To The Rules 11. Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World 12. Hareton Salvanini - Amazonia 13. Grandmaster Flash - Jesse

You have probably heard of black holes. They are known as all-destructive holes that sluck up everything that comes near it. Some say they might be used as time machines! But what about this is science, and what is fiction? In this episode, Sera Markoff shares insights about how she made the first picture of a black hole, time in black holes and the importance of science for society. Sera Markoff is professor of theoretical high energy astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam. Follow the link to learn more about her research: www.seramarkoff.com — Tracklist — 1. Pharoah Sanders - Astral Traveling 2. Ryo Kawasaki - Hawaiian Caravan (Original Mix) 3. Milt Jackson - Delilah (Take 3) 4. Ronald Langestraat - A fast drive through the universe 5. Laraaji - Interlude II 6. Perishing Thirst - Morning Light 7. Kink - The Universe In Her Eyes 8. Charlie - Spacer Woman (Instrumental) 9. Hidden Spheres - ~~~~~~ 10. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Talking Straight

Wat is muzikaliteit? In hoeverre zijn dieren muzikaal? En in hoeverre kunnen we hier eigenlijk onderzoek naar doen? Deze vragen beantwoordt Henkjan Honing, professor muziekcognitie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam, in de eerste aflevering van Talk That Science. Meer over onderzoek van Henkjan's onderzoeksgroep: www.mcg.uva.nl — Tracklist — 1. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Brazil (Alternate Take) 2. Cymande - Changes 3. Badbadnotgood - Cashmere 4. Chassol - Birds, Pt. I 5. Floating Points - Argonaut 6. Gal Gracen - Winds of Solace, Pillars of Sand 7. The Tony Benson Sextet - Ugali 8. Arrangement - Coconut Mango 9. Mr. Fingers - Mystery Of Love 10. Azymuth - Villa Mariana (Pela Madrugada) 11. Glenn Gould - Sinfonia No. 9 in F minor