University of Michigan Museum of Natural History Podcast

Great Lakes fisheries are managed intensively to reduce nutrients from fertilizer runoff and to increase game fish populations such as trout and salmon. When you add invasive species such as non-native mussels and the possibility of carp, we have a very fragile system. Join us to discuss the past, present, and possible futures of Lake Michigan fisheries with Bo Bunnell of the U.S.G.S. Great Lakes Science Center and U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, Yu-Chun Kao of MSU's Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, and Ed Rutherford of the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.Originally recorded on February 19, 2020. 

If you stretched the DNA in one human cell all the way out, it would be about two meters long. How does all that DNA fit into one tiny cell? How does the way it is packaged matter for human health? Join Gyorgyi Csankovszki of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology for a discussion of current research into basic cellular biology and the implications this research may have on human health. This Science Café is part of a grant from the National Science Foundation.Originally recorded on January 22, 2020. 

Hidden in the feathers of museum specimens of birds is information on the air quality of past decades - very detailed information. These specimens also contain evidence of the impacts of recent climate change on birds. What do these birds have to say? Join Shane DuBay and Ben Winger of the U-M Museum of Zoology to discuss what bird specimens can tell us about air quality, climate change impacts, and what we can all do to help rapidly declining bird populations now.Originally recorded on October 16, 2019.

Microbes in the water take carbon from the atmosphere, break down plastics, and even cause and prevent toxic algae blooms. Join Dr. Melissa Duhaime of the U-M's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and members of her lab team to discuss the ecology of aquatic microbes, and how what we learn about them now could have huge impacts on our future.Originally recorded November 20, 2019.For more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

Have you ever helped with research by doing a Christmas bird count, helping to identify photos for an online project, or participating in local water testing? Join us as we explore the potential roles of citizen and community science projects in scientific research and public policy. We’ll highlight some U-M projects, with opportunities for involvement. Nyeema Harris - Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab (U-M Ann Arbor)Marty Kaufman -  Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment (U-M Flint); Natalie Sampson - Department of Health & Human Services (U-M Dearborn)Justin Schell - Shapiro Design Lab (U-M Ann Arbor Library)For more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

A discussion of the history and social psychology of nationalist and fascist politics and what light this scholarship may or may not shed on current events. Joshua Rabinowitz, lecturer, U-M Psychology DepartmentDario Gaggio, professor, U-M History DepartmentFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

New technology makes gene editing easier. Its use is being explored to correct diseases caused by genetic mutations, to fight cancer, and even to learn about human evolutionary adaptations, and its potential is amazing. We'll explore the capabilities and research that CRISPR Cas9 gene editing brings, as well as its ethical, legal, and social implications.Jody Platt, Assistant Professor in the Department of Learning Health Sciences at the U-M Medical SchoolDaniel Thiel, doctoral student at the U-M School of Public Health and Department of SociologyThom Saunders, Director of the U-M Transgenic Animal Model CoreFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

Human beings have changed Earth so extensively that geologists now propose renaming our current epoch as the Anthropocene—the era defined by people. Human influences are apparent in the shape of landscapes, the extent of biodiversity, ocean chemistry, and our climate. We will explore the history of human influence on Earth and the ideas driving the concept of the Age of Humans, taking time to discuss consequences and implications for our future world.Julia Cole, U-M Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesNaomi Levin, U-M Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

What are the stories of contemporary Latin American migration, and how do we uncover them? What can these stories tell us about borders, their impact, and the struggles of many families to find a new life? How can such stories inform policy and/or political action?Jason De Leon, U-M Department of AnthropologyFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

Basic science research seeks to improve our understanding of the world, without any direct, obvious application. Much of it is funded by government grants, including those from the National Science Foundation.  That funding may soon face cuts. A discussion on how much we spend on such research, what the rationale is, and what the implications of such cuts might be.  Meghan Duffy, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyKristin Koutmou, Assistant Professor, Department of ChemistryFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

A discussion on the politics of oil, water, and food production and how they are deeply intertwined with human-caused climate change and political upheaval, especially in the Middle East.  Jennifer Blesh, Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability, U-M School for Environment and SustainabilityJuan Cole, Professor of History and Director for U-M Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies Sponsored by Science for the People and MC²: Michigan & the Climate Crisis which is presented in conjunction with the Bicentennial LSA Theme Semester.For more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

Today's geologic era—the Anthropocene—is dominated by human activity. In this talk, Ben van der Pluijm explored the impacts of a growing human population and our increasing needs for resources, such as food, water and energy, and solutions toward a thriving human society in this new era.Ben van der Pluijm, B.R. Clark Collegiate Professor, U-M Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

A discussion with U-M faculty and librarians participating in the national DataRefuge project, which looks to preserve, organize, and increase access to publicly-funded research data.Jake Carlson, Research Data Services Manager, U-M LibraryPaul Edwards, Professor of Information, School of Information and Professor of History, College of Literature, Science, and the ArtsCatherine Morse, Government Information, Law and Political Science LibrarianJustin Schell, Director, Shapiro Design Lab, U-M LibraryFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

A discussion on the biological effects of past nutrition, stress, and toxicant exposures on our health and well-being. Are these changes heritable? Can diet and exercise protect our DNA?Kelly Bakulski and Dana Dolinoy of the U-M School of Public HealthSrijan Sen of the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan MedicineFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

A discussion on how the Earth's climate has changed many times, and the mechanisms of these changes may shed light on what we can expect in the future.  Chris Poulsen, Professor and Chair of Earth and Environmental SciencesNathan Sheldon, Associate Professor Earth and Environmental Sciences, Associate Director of the Program in the EnvironmentFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

In 2012, physicists at large particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) found evidence of the Higgs boson, long predicted by the Standard Model in physics. But since then, they have yet to find evidence of other predicted particles.Dante Amidei, U-M Professor of Physics Aaron Pierce, U-M Professor of Physics and Director of the Michigan Center for Theoretical PhysicsFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

In the fall of 2015, a farmer near Chelsea discovered part of a mammoth skeleton and donated it to U-M.  U-M scientists discussed the excavation and early research on the Bristle Mammoth -- named for Jim and Melody Bristle on whose land it was found.Professor Daniel C. Fisher, Director of the U-M Museum of PaleontologyAdam Rountrey, Collection Manager for Vertebrate Fossils, U-M Museum of PaleontologyFor more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website. 

You've probably heard of the harmful "algal" blooms in Lake Erie. These are caused by cyanobacteria (the organisms formerly known as blue-green algae), which grow in nutrient-rich water, often overpopulating due to fertilizer run-off. But did you know that cyanobacteria also absorb CO2 and that researchers are studying whether they might affect, or even mitigate, global warming? Learn about water quality and the carbon cycle, and discuss the possible policy implications. Join Vincent Denef of the University of Michigan's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Anthony Vecchiarelli of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Vincent Denef of the University of Michigan’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyAnthony Vecchiarelli of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.For more information on future Science Cafes, please visit our website.