Podcasts about outstanding science

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science and Children,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for elementary school science teachers. In this issue, I read the section on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  The selections are a collaboration of the National Science Teaching Association and the Children's Book Council. In part 2 of this two-part podcast series, I share eight books that were selected for early elementary students.  The books are: “Whale Fall” by Melissa Stewart “Find Out About Animal Camouflage” by Martin Jenkins “The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils” by Jane Kurtz “The Clues are in the Poo: The Story of Dinosaur Scientist Karen Chin” by Jane Kurtz and Karen Chin “Masked Hero: Who Wu Lien-teh Invented the Mask that Ended an Epidemic” by Dr. Shan Woo Liu “Tell Me About Space” by Lisa Varchol Perron “If the Rivers Run Free” by Andrea Debink “Zero Waste: How One Community is Leading a World Recycling Revolution” by Allan Drummond

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science and Children,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for elementary school science teachers. In this issue, I read the section on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  The selections are a collaboration of the National Science Teaching Association and the Children's Book Council. In part 1 of this two-part podcast series, I share nine books that were selected for early elementary students.  The books are: “We are Branches” by Joyce Sidman “How Birds Sleep” by David Obuchowski “Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider” by Jessica Lanan “The Pie That Molly Grew” by Sue Heavenrich “Santiago Saw Things Differently: Santiago Ramon y Cajal, Artist, Doctor, Father of Neuroscience” by Christine Iverson “We are Starlings” by Robert Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli “At Home with the Prairie Dog: The Story of a Keystone Specie” bu Dorothy Hinshaw Patent “Creep, Leap, Crunch: A Food Chain Story” by Jody Jensen Shaffer “Queen of Leaves: The Story of Botanist Ynes Mexia” by Stephen Briseno

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school science teachers. In this issue, I read the section on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  The selections are a collaboration of the National Science Teaching Association and the Children's Book Council. In part 2 of this podcast series, I share seven more books that were selected for middle-school students.  The books are: “A Star Explodes: The Story of Supernova 1054” by James Gladstone “Old Enough to Make a Difference: Be Inspired by Real-Life Children Building a More Sustainable Future” by Rebecca Hul “Becoming Bionic” by Heather Camlot “Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation) by Steven Johnson “Hidden Systems” by Dan Nott “Sisters in Science” by Linda Elovitz Marshall “The Woman in the Moon” by Richard Maurer

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for high school science teachers. In this issue, I read the section on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  The selections are a collaboration of the National Science Teaching Association and the Children's Book Council. In this podcast, I share the two books that were selected for high school students.  The books are: “Hidden Systems” by Dan Nott “The Woman in the Moon” by Richard Maurer

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school science teachers. In this issue, I read the section on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.  The selections are a collaboration of the National Science Teaching Association and the Children's Book Council. In this first of two podcasts, I share six of the twelve books that were selected for middle school students.  The books are: “My Indigo World” by Rosa Chang “Before Colors: Where Do Pigments and Dyes Come From” by Annette Bay Pimental “Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness” by Frances Backhouse “Mission Arctic: A Scientific Adventure to a Changing North Pole” by Katharina Weiss-Tuider “We Need to Talk About Vaginas” by Dr. Allison K. Rodgers “Evolution” by Sarah Darwin and Eva-Maria Sadowski

Interview with Dr Maria Kovaleva, a finalist in the Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia category for research that is will lead to innovative solutions for Australia's national security. - В Австралии с 12 по 20 августа 2023 года проходит национальная Неделя науки. SBS Russian поговорили с доктором наук из Перта Марией Ковалевой о ее научном проекте по разработке антенн для австралийской армии. Проект вошел в число финалистов премии Эврика 2023.

I was recently reading the January/February 2023 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read an article on the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students in 2023.  Here are the 13 books selected as outstanding for elementary school students: Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night (K-5) Moving Words About a Flower (K-2) The Mystery of the Monarchs (K-2) Animal Sidekicks: Amazing Stories of Symbiosis in Animals and Plants (3-5) Building (K-2) Hidden Habitats: Earth (3-5) A Journey Under the Sea (K-2) Life in Hot Water: Wildlife at the Bottom of the Sea (3-5) Over and Under the Waves (K-2) A Walk Through the Rain Forest (3-5) Narwhal: The Arctic Unicorn (K-2) The Whale Who Swam Through Time: A 200 Year Journey in the Arctic (K-2) Lion Lights: My Invention That Made Peace with Lions (K-5)

I was recently reading the January/February 2023 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article on the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students in 2023.  Here are the 8 books selected as outstanding for high school students: American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the South Oceanarium: Welcome to the Museum Salmon: Swimming for Survival The Code Breaker — Young Readers Edition: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic Code Queer Ducks (And Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants Urgent Message from a Hot Planet: Navigating the Climate Crisis The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

I was recently reading the January/February 2023 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article on the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students in 2023.  Here are the 7 books selected as outstanding for middle school students: Antarctica: A Melting Continent Oceanarium: Welcome to the Museum Salmon: Swimming for Survival The Code Breaker — Young Readers Edition: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic Code Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

Who would have thought that running away with the circus could lead to a career as a successful filmmaker. Gary Glassman's path to filmmaking also, includes, street theater, teaching, prison work, and media technology. The through-line for Gary's creative adventure has been asking questions and, what else, telling stories.  BioGary Glassman believes television can change the world. He comes to television through street and circus performing – clowning, fire-eating, tight rope and stilt walking. His earliest media work is participatory projects with prisoners and the criminally insane, hospitalized children, and developmentally challenged adults. Prisoners, his first documentary, is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery, and the Pompidou Center in Paris. He started Providence Pictures in 1996 and as executive producer/director makes films for the world's leading broadcasters including PBS, Discovery, History, National Geographic, BBC, and Arte. His films consistently achieve the highest ratings and have won and been honored with nominations for the industry's most prestigious awards including seven Emmys, two Writers Guild Award, the AAA Science Journalism Prize, the CINE Golden Eagle, and the International Archaeology Film Festival Award. Glassman received a BA from Goddard College, and an MFA in Directing from UCLA. Notable Mentionshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding_Gray (Spalding Gray )(June 5, 1941 – January 11, 2004) was an American actor and writer. He is best known for the autobiographical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-person_show (monologues) that he wrote and performed for the theater in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as for his film adaptations of these works, beginning in 1987. He wrote and starred in several, working with different directors. Theater critics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Willis (John Willis) and Ben Hodges called Gray's monologues "trenchant, personal narratives delivered on sparse, unadorned sets with a dry, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo-Saxon_Protestant (WASP), quiet mania."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding_Gray#cite_note-1 ([1]): 316  https://providencepictures.com/ (Providence Pictures): “Since 1996, Providence Pictures has been collaborating with the world's leading broadcasters on more than fifty films seen by millions of people around the globe and honored with television's most prestigious awards.Providence Pictures is building on our foundation of innovative premium documentaries, expanding our repertoire with feature films that stir hearts and inspire action, and venturing into the ultimate sci-fi dream with an augmented reality time travel app. We believe stories can change the world.”:  https://providencepictures.com/our-work/show/building-wonders-of-the-world (Building the Wonders of the World:) A Providence Pictures series that explores the secrets of the Parthenon, Riddles of the Sphinx, Building the Great Cathedrals, Colosseum Roman Death Trap, Hagia Sophia Istanbuls Ancient Mystery, Petra Lost City of Stone. The series received nominations for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Science and Technology Programming, Outstanding Cinematography, Writers Guild of America Award, Best Film of the International Archaeological Film Festival, CINE Special Jury Award https://providencepictures.com/our-work/show/native-america (Native America): is a four-part PBS series that challenges everything we thought we knew about the Americas before and since contact with Europe. It travels through 15,000-years to showcase massive cities, unique systems of science, art, and writing, and 100 million people connected by social networks and spiritual beliefs spanning two continents. The series reveals some of the most advanced cultures in human history and the Native American people who created it. ...

The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has been listed as one of the candidates for the 2021 Outstanding Science and Technology Achievement Prize of CAS for its achievement in identifying the COVID-19 pathogeny. China's “bat woman” Shi Zhengli, and Yuan Zhiming, director of the WIV's Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory were selected as the outstanding contributors of the WIV group candidates. CAS published the candidate list on its official website on Friday. The award is mainly given to individuals or research groups who have made or demonstrated significant achievements in the past five years. CAS awards 10 such individuals and research groups annually. CAS said the WIV quickly carried out pathogen identification after the outbreak of COVID-19, completed the entire virus genome sequencing and virus isolation within a short time, confirmed that the COVID-19 virus shares the same functional receptor as the SARS virus, systematically analyzed the basic biological characteristics of the virus, and revealed that coronavirus carried by bats may be the evolutionary ancestor of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The WIV scientists also established an animal model of COVID-19 infection by using human ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme2) transgenic mice and rhesus monkeys to simulate the symptoms and pathological changes of humans contracted with COVID-19. In addition, the research group established a variety of coronavirus serological tests, and nucleic acid detection techniques were established and applied to the detection of clinical samples, which revealed multiple transmission routes of the coronavirus such as fecal-oral transmission. http://globalreportage.org/2021/10/24/wuhan-coronavirus-lab-shortlisted-for-outstanding-science-achievement-prize-by-chinas-academy-of-sciences/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/global-reportage/support

I was recently reading the January/February 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the article listing the “2022 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  In this podcast, we look at eight “Outstanding Science Trade Books” recommended for middle school students in grades 6 - 8: “Beavers: Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers” by Frances Backhouse “Inside In: X-Rays of Nature's Hidden World” by Jan Paul Schuttten “Tracking Tortoises: The Mission to Save a Galapagos Giant” by Kate Messner “Ocean Planet: Animals of the Sea and Shore” by Ben Rothery “Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear” by Trang Nguyen “Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum” by Gaya Ester “Fred and Marjorie: A Doctor, A Dog and the Discovery of Insulin” by Deborah Kerbel “Wonder Women of Science” by Tiera Fletcher and Ginger Rue

I was recently reading the January/February 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the article listing the “2022 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  In this podcast, we look at 13 “Outstanding Science Trade Books” recommended for students in grades 3-5: “The Body Book” Illustrated by Hannah Alice “Pooper Snooper” by Jennifer Keats Curtis “The Dirt Book” by David Harrison “Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor” by Kate Messner “History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics” by Kate Messner “Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist” by Laurie Lawlor “Fossils from Lost Worlds” by Helene Rajcak and Damien Laverdunt “Masters of Disguise: Camouflaging Creatures and Magnificent Mimics” by Marc Martin “Summertime Sleepers” by Melissa Stewart “Disasters by the Numbers” by Steve Jenkins “A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla” by Azadeh Westergaard “She Persisted: Virginia Apgar” by Dr. Sayantani DasGupta and Chelsea Clinton “Scientists: Inspiring Tales of the World's Brightest Scientific Minds” by Isabel Thomas

I was recently reading the January/February 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the article listing the “2022 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  In this podcast, we look at six “Outstanding Science Trade Books” recommended for K-2 students: “The Secret Life of the Sloth” by Laurence Pringle “If Bees Disappeared” by Lily Williams “Over and Under the Canyon” by Kate Messner “The Beak Book” by Robin Page “Curious About Fish” by Cathryn Sill “Hello Earth! Poems to Our Planet” by Joyce Sidman

The third episode of our support for ECTs series - we hear from Tom Holloway from the Primary Science Teaching Trust.  He shares a wealth of ideas to inspire and engage pupils in outstanding Science learning.  We discuss a range of topics, including teaching the Sustainable Development Goals through Science, Biomimicry and finding the true purpose of Science education for all.

Canary Cry News Talk 353 - 06.21.2021 - VIGILANT VARIANT: Champ Biden, Digital ID's, Eff Be Eye, Fifth Ocean, Nephilim Update Our LINK TREE: CanaryCry.Party SUBSCRIBE TO US ON: NewPodcastApps.com PAYPAL: https://bit.ly/3v59fkR   INTRO 2:30 -Juneteenth -Father's Day -Today's is Summer Solstice    FLIPPY 13:57  -Robot arm Yoda can helps discover new drugs (LimaOhio)   HARRY LEGS BIDEN 25:45  -Champ has passed away (CNN)…was it a Major plot?   WACCINE 35:45  -Huge statue gets masked in Japan, cringe (Clip) -NHS Sitting disco is cringe (Clip) -NHS to specify those who test positive, and those who are actually sick (Independent) -CA to offer Digital Proof for Jab (KTLA) -WIV candidate for “Outstanding Science and Tech Achievement” Award (GlobalTimes) -With Jab Goal in Doubt, Biden warns of variant threat (NY Times) -People with the wirus suffer significant gray matter loss in brain (Yahoo)   POLYTICK 1:34:42  -Biden on US messing with foreign elections (Clip) / Recall: ex-CIA James Woosley in 2018 (Clip) -Capital “Riot” does not suggest FBI Entrapment Scheme, pushes back on Tucker (Nat'l Review) -Macy Gray met with criticism and applause suggesting new American Flag (Radio) -Republican candidate recorded threatening to kill political opponent (CNN/MSN) -Tucker Carlson Outed as Secret Source (Huff. Po)   BREAK (producer party) 2:25:35    NEW WORLD ORDER 3:13:24  -National Geographic adds Fifth Ocean around Antarctica (News Nation)   NEPHILIM UPDATE 3:24:27  -British actress claims she has Alien boyfriend (Int'l Business Times)   ADDITIONAL STORIES -Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse admits we're entering a NWO (Clip) -Heat dome moving west (WaPo) -Smart Meters adjusted automatically during ERCOT's Call (Fox) -World's “smartest man” warns of jab depopulation agenda (Big Leag Pol) -Many Companies want Remote workers, except from Colorado (WSJ)   PRODUCERS FOR ep.353 Derek PR** Aaron J* Alex G* John K Ismael S Jacqueline A Sir Casey, the Shield Knight Malik W Scott K Giovanni M Sylvan C ize2see Tristan H Kim W ReverieDecoded PaulEilers.com   CRYPTO: Anonymous Michael Carlson*   TIMESTAMPS: Christine C JINGLE: BDUBs ART: Allie Dove MrJag Christine C Josiah G   MEET UPS: SoCal Meet up Contact Ciara: ciaralauren93@gmail.com   Oregon/Washington Meet up Please contact Kimberly (shieldmaidenforchrist) at maidservantofchrist88@protonmail.com or find the Oregon Meetup post on Canary Cry Community if you are interested in the Northern Oregon/Southern Washington meetup in Estacada. I would like to plan a short hike and share a meal with my fellow Canarians on a Saturday. Estacada is a reported Bigfoot hotspot not far from the Mount Hood National Forest. (it's pronounced es tah KAY duh))

The National Science Teaching Association in collaboration with the Children's Book Council released the 2021 list of the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.  In this podcast we look at the 12 books recommended for Third through Fifth Grade Students. The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids: Homemade Science Experiments and Activities Inspired by Awesome Chemists Past and Present Animal Homes Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids: Activities and Ideas for Watching, Feeding, and Housing Our Feathered Friends North Pole/South Pole: From Pole to Pole: A Flip Book Grow: Secrets of Our DNA Bones: An Inside Look at the Animal Kingdom Pika Country: Climate Change at the Top of the World Pretty Tricky: The Sneaky Ways Plants Survive The Big Bang Book Journey Under the Arctic Wildlife Ranger Action Guide: Track, Spot and Provide Healthy Habitat for Creature Close to Home Bright Dreams: The Brilliant Ideas of Nikola Tesla

The National Science Teaching Association in collaboration with the Children's Book Council released the 2021 list of the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.  In this podcast we look at the 9 books recommended for K-2 Students. Nesting The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine If You Take Away the Otter Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas Packs: Strength in Numbers What Do You Do If You Work at the Zoo? Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist Jumbo: The Making of the Boeing 747 What Do Scientists Do All Day?

The National Science Teaching Association in collaboration with the Children's Book Council released the 2021 list of the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.  In this podcast we look at the 12 books recommended for Middle School Students. Condor Comeback Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table Old Enough to Save the Planet Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution Return From Extinction: The Triumph of the Elephant Seal Sea Otters: A Survival Story The Big One: The Cascadia Earthquakes and the Science of Saving Lives Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease Born Curious: 20 Girls Who Grew Up to be Awesome Scientists Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts

PBS NewsHour’s three-part series “Stopping a Killer Pandemic” was named the recipient of the News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Science, Medical and Environmental Report.  The award was presented by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences during the virtual awards ceremony held in September. The series, which aired in June 2019, explored the potential threat of a likely flu pandemic and the advances in medical research leading to a solution.  The producer of the documentary series was Maea Lenei Buhre, of Samoan heritage.  Maea Lenei is a video journalist and reporter currently working at the PBS NewsHour, a national nightly news show based in Washington D.C.. Maea Lenei received a Masters of journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and she interned with the New York Times video team.  Before becoming a journalist, she worked in the Queensland State Government and graduated from the Australian National University in Canberra with degrees in law and Asia-Pacific studies (majoring in Chinese language and Pacific Studies). Part One: Why another flu pandemic is likely just a matter of when Part Two: Why the race to stop the next flu outbreak starts at state fairs and the beachPart Three: A universal flu vaccine could finally be within sight  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PBS NewsHour’s three-part series “Stopping a Killer Pandemic” was named the recipient of the News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Science, Medical and Environmental Report.  The award was presented by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences during the virtual awards ceremony held in September. The series, which aired in June 2019, explored the potential threat of a likely flu pandemic and the advances in medical research leading to a solution.  The producer of the documentary series was Maea Lenei Buhre, of Samoan heritage.  Maea Lenei is a video journalist and reporter currently working at the PBS NewsHour, a national nightly news show based in Washington D.C.. Maea Lenei received a Masters of journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and she interned with the New York Times video team.  Before becoming a journalist, she worked in the Queensland State Government and graduated from the Australian National University in Canberra with degrees in law and Asia-Pacific studies (majoring in Chinese language and Pacific Studies). Part One: Why another flu pandemic is likely just a matter of when Part Two: Why the race to stop the next flu outbreak starts at state fairs and the beachPart Three: A universal flu vaccine could finally be within sight  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s something that we all encounter. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to think straight. Our thoughts get jumbled and before we know it, we’re lost. We tend to call it being scatterbrained and for the most part, that’s considered a bad thing. On this week’s show, we’re going to look at the science behind this apparent flaw in our mental machinery and why it may be good for us when it comes to learning and understanding. Our guest for the entire show is Henning Beck, a neuroscientist, science slammer, consultant, and the author of the new book, Scatterbrain. We first explore why this problem occurs in the first place. It turns out that our brains can only do so much especially when it is learning and committing thoughts to memory. It’s impossible to collect a large number of individual pieces and so our brains tend to forget almost as fast as we learn. But as Beck explains, there is a better approach in the form of understanding. Putting items into context can help us develop links and that improves both memory and our actions in the future. We next discuss the issue of distractions. In our modern world, we are surrounded by them and this can quickly take us off any mental path. Beck reveals the reasons behind our inability to stay focused due to boredom, fear, and the ever present reality of fake news. We also find out whether isolation is the best option to ensure mental success.   In our SASS Class, Beck offers us ideas on how we can improve our brain function through a variety of different tactics he discusses in his book. We learn about curiosity, creativity, framing, and focusing mechanisms such as meditation and mindfulness. Some work, others don’t but in the end, Beck reveals that information for the brain is like food for our stomach. As long as we take the time to learn and digest the information, we can achieve great things.   If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  We have just completed our first year and we look forward to bringing you even more awesome science in the year ahead. Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Henning Beck Web: https://www.henning-beck.com/english/ Twitter: @HenningBeck1

This week, we’re going to look at one of the most revolutionary ideas to improve our planet. It’s called the zero emission vehicle – better known as ZEV – and it may be able to reduce our contribution to air pollution and possibly climate change. Most people may know the name Tesla, which is one of the first truly zero emission vehicles on the market. It runs on batteries like many others that are in the pipeline. But there are other types that exist including an engine that runs on hydrogen. Our first guest takes us on a guided tour of the hydrogen engine and why it may represent the real future of ZEVs. His name is Xianguo Li and he is a Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Professor at the University of Waterloo. While ZEVs may seem like an excellent purchase, the reality is that there isn’t much of a demand for them. However, when people are asked about their perception of these vehicles, they are quite high. This is known as latent demand and our next guest reveals to us how we may be able to turn that interest into actual sales. She is Zoe Long and she is the Research Manager for the Sustainable Transport Action Research Team at Simon Fraser University. In our SASS Class, we learn about how governments and people who like ZEVs can improve sales. Our guest teacher is Scott Hardman and he is a professional researcher in the Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center, in the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California Davis. We learn about the different types of government incentives that exist and which country happens to have the greatest success in getting people to adopt ZEVs. We also find out that governments can only do so much and that word of mouth may still be the best way to increase purchases. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: XianGuo Li Web: https://uwaterloo.ca/mechanical-mechatronics-engineering/profile/x6li Zoe Long Web: https://sustainabletransport.ca/our-team/ Scott Hardman Web: https://its.ucdavis.edu/people/scott-hardman/ Twitter: @scottiehardman

Cancer continues to be one of our greatest health concerns. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, nearly 1 in 2 Canadians will develop one form of cancer in their lifetimes. But treatments are getting better and more lives are being saved thanks to new treatments. On this week’s show, we’re going to take a closer look at three new strategies that may soon lead to cures and also vaccines. Our first guest is one of Canada’s premier cancer researchers, John Bell at the Ottawa Hopsital Research Institute. He has been working on ways to combat cancer for decades and his work is showing promise in clinical trials. But rather than chemotherapy or radiation, his approach is to use viruses and our own immune system. We first talk about the use of viruses to destroy cancer. Viruses are known to kill human cells and Bell has been programming certain types to target cancer cells while leaving our healthy cells alone. We explore how this is performed in the lab and how the process works in the human body. We also explore how viruses may one day be used as a vaccine to alert the immune system that something has gone wrong. We then discuss how cancer the immune system can also be used to improve the fight against cancer. Usually, cancers can avoid being detected by our immunity and grow without any worry for attack. Bell had found ways to develop immune cells that specifically look for tumours and kill them. They are known as Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells, or CAR-T cells. This approach has been effective at tackling leukemia and research is showing we may be able to battle other cancers as well. As for making a vaccine, Bell suggests that we may be able to use these CAR-T cells as a means to train the immune system to identify cancers when they start and destroy them before they can cause harm. In our SASS Class, we look at an upcoming treatment that unfortunately is surrounded by hype. The use of stem cells. Our guest teacher is Riam Shamaa, who has been studying the effect of stem cells on various diseases including cancer. We explore how stem cells can be used to fight the disease and also why we are not yet at a stage when people should put their trust in this approach. It may be useful in the future but for the moment, you shouldn’t believe the hype. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: John Bell Web: http://www.ohri.ca/profile/jbell   Riam Shammaa Web: www.Intellistemtech.com

We all have our mother tongue but over forty percent of the world’s population also can speak a second language. Bilingualism is a natural part of many people’s lives and research has tried to explore what this does to the brain and what the benefits happen to be for our lives. On this week’s show, we’re going to learn why having that second language can be good for your life and also your health.   Our first guest has been studying bilingualism for decades and is here to help us understand how it helps our lives. She is Judith Kroll and she is a Distinguished Professor of Language Science at the University of California, Irvine. Before we get into what bilingualism gives us, we learn about the process of learning a second language and why it is beneficial to learn earlier than later. We also explore the concept of codeswitching which allows a person to immediately change languages even in the middle of a sentence. We also explore how being immersed in a multilingual environment can be good for both your learned language as well as your mother tongue.   We then move on to the benefits that come with knowing more than one language. While this certainly allows us to travel and possibly increase our job potential in many sectors, some of the best benefits come in the way of improved health. We hear about how one the effects of our greatest concerns with aging, cognitive decline, can be helped by knowing that second language. The research reveals a that while our brains age, we may still be able to hold on to our abilities.   In our SASS Class, we take a different approach to knowing a second language. While we may tend to think of French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, and others as that bilingual choice, there are large segments of the population who focus on speaking fictional languages such as Klingon and Sindarin. Our guest teacher is David Peterson and he is the creator of two languages, Dothraki and High Valyrian from Game of Thrones. We learn about his experience becoming a language creator and how these dialects are formed. We also learn that these languages are just as useful to have as any other…as long as you are in a population hat speaks it.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com  Guests: Judith Kroll Web: https://bilingualismmindbrain.com/lab-members/judith-f-kroll/  David Peterson Web: http://www.artoflanguageinvention.com/  Twitter: @Dedalvs 

Synthetic biology was once considered little more than science fiction. But with the rise of genetic engineering and the ability to make living cells in the lab, there is a real potential for this technology to change our lives for the better. Not surprisingly, this has led to much debate about whether we should use it or not. On this week’s show, we discover how “synbio” can help to improve our food security.   Our first guest is Lenore Newman and she is the Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley. She has been exploring the continual decline in our food supply and has authored the book, Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food. We first discuss the problems with our current food supply and the issues that need to be addressed. While we may believe climate change is the most important factor, Newman reveals many issues that can lead to a dwindling food supply. We next focus on the use of synthetic biology to help resolve some of these troubles. But rather than explore the use of genetically modified organisms, Newman explains that synthetic biology is better used to develop alternatives to our natural sources. From enzymes in milk needed to make cheese to meat alternatives, we learn about how synthetic biology isn’t just the future, it’s also happening right now. In our SASS Class, we learn about how synthetic biology is being used to transform food security in the developing world. Our guest teacher is Sabrina Marecos and she is a research associate at the National University of Asuncion in Paraguay. We hear how the technology is helping to transform the food economy and how one particular plant considered to be a staple in the natural health community is being helped by synbio. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Lenore Newman Web: https://www.ufv.ca/geography/faculty-and-staff/faculty-members/newman-lenore.htm Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food - https://ecwpress.com/products/lost-feast Twitter: @DrLenoreNewman Sabrina Marecos Web: https://www.sabrinamarecos.com/  

Food security is a major concern as our populations increases and our food supply dwindles. Although efforts around the world are focused on trying to sustain our ability to eat, efforts in Africa tend to go unnoticed. This week, we’re going to look at the work being done in various regions across the continent and more importantly, how they are being led by women. Our first guest is Esther Ngumbi, who is originally from Eastern Kenya and is now a professor at the University of Illinois School of Integrative Biology. She focuses on drought and insects and is trying to develop ways to help crops stay viable in harsh conditions. Using a combination of genetics and microbes, she hopes to ensure that the farms where she was raised continue to offer significant yields to keep the population fed. We next travel to the Ivory Coast to talk with Virginie Mfegue, who is a Program Manager at the World Cocoa Foundation. We have heard in the past that our chocolate supply may end up disappearing in the coming decades thanks to several cocoa plant diseases. We hear about the efforts she is leading to tackle these problems and to ensure that we will be able to enjoy this guilty pleasure long into the future. Our third guest is Ruramiso Mashumba and she is the first ever woman Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Farmer’s Union Youth. Zimbabwe is an agricultural nation although it is underproducing. We learn of the work that is being done to improve farm yields and also to empower those who are most involved – women – in ensuring that the country will continue to be a significant contributor to our food supply. In our SASS Class, we look at the influence women are having on men to help ensure everyone gets involved in sustainable agriculture. Our guest teacher is Pacifique Nshimiyimana and he is the co-owner of Real Green Gold Limited, which works with banana famers to increase their market share in the industry. He explains how women inspired him to switch his focus from purely economic advancement to one that helps everyone through a better food supply.   If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com  Guests: Esther Ngumbi Web: https://sib.illinois.edu/profile/enn  Twitter: @EstherNgumbi Virginie Mfegue Web: https://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/experts/virginie-crescence-mfegue/  Ruramiso Mashumba Web: https://globalfarmernetwork.org/author/rmashumba/  Twitter: @RuramisoM Pacifique Nshimiyimana Web: https://www.facebook.com/realgreengold/ 

In a 24/7 news environment, stories sometimes get the facts wrong. But normally, these lapses are not intentional. But recently, there has been an explosion in false, inaccurate, and harmful stories that are made with the sole purpose of convincing the public that a different reality exists. It’s known as fake news and on this week’s show, we’re going to explore its nature, how to diagnose it, and also how not to be fooled by it.      Our first guest is Amber Day, a professor at Bryant University. She reveals that fake news has a base in satire and parody although it has devolved into something more troubling. We learn about how the goals have evolved from bringing humour to bringing trust. What makes fake news so difficult is that many of the tactics used mimic tried and true modes of satire and parody such that we may be unable to judge between what is and what is not real. Because fake news is hard to identify, our next guest has developed software that can detect different types of fake news. Her name is Victoria Rubin and she is an associate professor at the University of Western Ontario. She has developed the LiT.RL news verification browser that can identify fake news and highlights it so you are informed before you click. We discuss how this browser was developed and how accurate it is compared to the human eye. In our SASS Class, we learn about one of the main reasons people fall for fake news. Our guest teacher is Gordon Pennycook and he an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan. He has tried to understand why people tend to believe these falsified stories and has come up with a rather unexpected result. While partisan beliefs do play a role, the most important factor is one we can all appreciate. It’s laziness. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Amber Day Web: https://departments.bryant.edu/english-and-cultural-studies/faculty/day-amber Victoria Rubin Web: https://victoriarubin.fims.uwo.ca/ Twitter: @vVctoriaRubin LiT.RL Browser: https://victoriarubin.fims.uwo.ca/2018/12/19/release-for-the-lit-rl-news-verification-browser-detecting-clickbait-satire-and-falsified-news/ Gordon Pennycook Web: https://www.uregina.ca/arts/psychology/faculty-staff/faculty/pennycook%20gordon.html Twitter: @GordPennycook

Mushrooms can be a welcome addition to any dish. They offer an earthy flavour as well as a meaty texture to tickle our palates. But while mushrooms are great in cuisine, they also have other uses outside of the kitchen. On this week’s show, we explore some of the scientific uses of these edible fungi and how they may be able improve our lives. For centuries, mushrooms have been regarded as medicines in several cultures. Our first guest is working to merge the modern with the ancient. His name is Chow Lee and he is a professor at the University of Northern British Columbia. He is trying to find chemicals in mushroom varieties that may help to treat a disease that has spanned the ages, cancer. We learn more about his work and also his belief that we can learn from traditional medicine to develop modern day cures.    Apart from being used for cures, some mushrooms are known for their ability to cause hallucinations. These “magic mushrooms” are known to contain a chemical known as psilocybin. There’s been an interest in this chemical for use in mental health as it seems to be helping people who suffer from migrains, anxiety and depression. Our next guest has been looking at the function of this chemical in nature and how it has spread across the mushroom landscape. Her name is Hannah Reynolds and she is an assistant professor at Western Connecticut State University. She has found that this chemical may be harnessed for mass production so that we can test it for its medicinal value.  In our SASS Class, we look at how mushrooms can help us live better. Our guest teacher is Robert Beelman, who is the Director of the Center for Plant and Mushroom Foods For Health at Penn State University. He’ll take us through some of the chemicals that can sustain our health and introduce us to one called ergothioneine that might eventually be used to give us a chance to live longer.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Chow Lee Web: https://www.unbc.ca/chow-lee Hannah Reynolds Web: http://wcsu.edu/biology/surf/faculty-mentors/reynolds/ Twitter: @hreynolds_fungi Robert Beelman Web: https://foodscience.psu.edu/directory/rbb6

Have you ever seen strange lights in the sky? How about odd shaped vessels floating around in the air. If you have and cannot explain its nature, you have seen an unidentified flying object, better known as a UFO. On this week’s show, we’re going to venture into the world that’s working to figure out what these mysterious craft happen to be. It’s known as Ufology.     Out guest for the entire episode is Ryan Sprague. He’s one of the prominent members of this community and has shared his views in a variety of ways from written articles, interviews with news outlets, his podcast, Somewhere in the Skies, and his latest project, the television program, Roswell: Mysteries Decoded, which appeared on CW’s streaming network, CW Seed. We first learn about the nature of ufology including most importantly, what it’s not. While there are several stereotypes, the true goal of ufology is to find answers to questions we simply do not yet know about the crafts themselves, whether alien or human made. We hear about the work that is being performed and some of the advancements in the field that have opened the door to even greater interest. We continue the discussion to explore how ufology is performed and shared with the community. As one of the most prolific members of the community, we learn about his passion for discovery and how he tries to ensure his work is both accurate and also compelling. We hear about the detractors, for which there are many, and about the scientific staple, the conference. In our SASS Class, we explore the phenomenon known as Alienstock. First conceived as an invasion of the infamous Area 51, where apparently extraterrestrial life and technology are housed, it has become an opportunity for anyone who has an interest in UFOs and of course aliens to find a like-minded community.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Ryan Sprague Web: https://www.somewhereintheskies.com/about.html Twitter: @ryansprague51

On this week’s show, we’re going to take a serious look at bullying and how we may be able to prevent it. We first talk with Melissa Holt, who is an associate professor in counseling psychology at the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development at Boston University. She has been studying bullying for close to two decades and has revealed that it is far more complex than we might believe. We hear about what fosters bullying and victimization and how a bully-victim relationship can become part of society. We continue our discussion to explore the effects of bullying on the victim and learn that the effects can be long lasting and may hinder a person’s success as they age. We also touch on the topic of suicide and hear that the victim may indeed idealize this route but in many cases, so might the bully who may have been a victim of some other type of maltreatment.   In our SASS Class, we look at how bullying can be prevented with Lisa Wexler, a professor of social work at Michigan University. She has developed social interventions such as toolkit to be able to help at-risk children find positivity in their lives at all ages of development. As we hear her work has not only proven to help individual children, it has also shown to benefit entire communities.    If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Melissa Holt Web: https://www.bu.edu/wheelock/profile/melissa-k-holt/ Lisa Wexler Web: https://ssw.umich.edu/faculty/profiles/clinical-and-research/lwexler   For more information on bullying: Bullying Canada: https://bullyingcanada.ca Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network (PREVnet): https://www.prevnet.ca Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.ca/

Education is traditionally thought to be comprised of the three Rs – reading, writing, and arithmetic. But research has revealed that students can become better if they are able to see problems and questions in a particular social context. This is known as relevance. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore how relevance can be used to keep students creative and positive.    Our first guest is Heidi Bertels at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York. She has explored how to develop relevant responses using a technique known as framing in which context is put into the problem. She explains how framing can be used in the classroom to entice creativity and takes us through one of her studies to provide an example of how this can be done using either opportunity or prosocial approaches. When we hear about the results, we realize the importance of framing to come up with relevant answers. We also learn that framing can lead to a trade off such that the answers will have a different effect on the situation, the environment, and in this case, the community. In our SASS Class, we change the focus of relevance from the subject matter to the student. We talk with Michael Rousell, an associate professor of education at Southern Oregon University. He has developed a way to improve the perception of a student’s own relevance to the classroom and the world through the use of surprise. We explore the neuroscience of this emotion and how it can lead to better self-esteem and ultimately, better grades.   If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Heidi Bertels Web: https://www.csi.cuny.edu/campus-directory/heidi-bertels Twitter: @heidibertels Michael Rousell Web: http://michaelrousell.com/about Twitter: @rousellm

Over the last few years, getting around by bicycle has surged in popularity. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore what has led to the increase and how we might be able to make Canada a cycling nation. We first talk with Meghan Winters at Simon Fraser University about the rise in biking across the country. She reveals some of the reasons behind the surge and why biking hasn’t become the most utilized form of transportation. Using examples of success stories in this country, she shares her belief that Canada may one day mirror European cities such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, where biking predominates. Making a cycling community takes more than just promotion. Cities also need to plan for increased ridership and this means spending money to ensure access and safety. We next speak with Khandker Nurul Habib, a professor at the University of Toronto who is one of the go-to researchers on how to best achieve this goal. His research reveals some of the obstacles that prevent increases in cycling and how these can be managed. In our SASS Class, we look at a new trend in biking, the e-bike. Our guest teacher is Alex Bigazzi at the University of British Columbia. He has been looking at what makes these motorized vehicles more attractive and explains that they offer not just a quicker and easier ride but also some good exercise in the process. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Meghan Winters Web: https://www.sfu.ca/fhs/about/people/profiles/meghan-winters.html Khandker Nurul Habib Web: http://civmin.utoronto.ca/home/about-us/directory/professors/khandker/ Alex Bigazzi Web: https://www.civil.ubc.ca/faculty/alex-bigazzi  

A decade ago, no one knew what mindfulness was other than a trait you were taught by your parents when it comes to others. But this traditional practice of self-improvement has gained significant attention in the medical community as it appears to help reduce anxiety. On this week’s show, we’re going to venture into the other benefits of mindfulness that may lead you to add this technique to your lifestyle.  Our first guest is Adele Diamond. She is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia and has been listed as one the 15 most influential neuroscientists alive today. Her work has explored the effects of mindfulness on something we all use but know very little about. It’s called executive function and it is the basis of everything you do during the day. We hear about how mindfulness can help executive function although perhaps not in the way most people think. Instead of sitting or lying in one place, the research has suggested that we need to be moving in order to get the best results. We continue the conversation to learn more about how to achieve the best returns from mindfulness. It turns out that you’re better off doing something you love. There’s also another trick to success. It may be better to immerse yourself in whatever you are doing than trying to master individual activities.     In our SASS Class, we move from the head to the heart as we talk with our guest teacher, John Durocher, an associate professor in biological sciences at Michigan Technological University. His research has shown that a single session of mindfulness can benefit the cardiovascular system. It can also spur people to try it more often and make it a part of their routine…including his.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Adele Diamond Web: http://www.devcogneuro.com/AdeleDiamond.html Twitter: @DrAdeleDiamond John Durocher Web: https://www.mtu.edu/biological/people-groups/faculty-staff/faculty/durocher/ Twitter: @Dr_Durocher

Water worries.  Our water supply - and some of the dangers it faces.  The subject explored on the Super Awesome Science Show podcast. Guest:  Jason Tetro.  Host: Super Awesome Science Show. Winner of Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series.  Author: The Germ Guy & The Germ Code. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Access to clean and safe water is a human need and is a right. However, for over 2 billion people, this simply is not the case. What’s worse is that in countries that have enjoyed the luxury of treated water, there is a troubling trend. From boil water orders to breaks in the system to massive outbreaks, our water supply is at risk. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore why we should be worried about our water. We first talk with Natalie Hull, an assistant professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering at the Ohio State University. Her work has explored the risks to the domestic water supply and we hear of the various factors involved such as increased pollution, climate change, and the water pipeline microbiome. We also learn how the situation might be improved by changing our focus from the water treatment plant to our taps. One way to improve water safety particularly from microbial pathogens is to use ultraviolet light, which is known to kill microorganisms. It can be used both at the treatment facility as well as in the home. We continue the conversation with Dr. Hull and venture into her research on the use of UV light to improve water safety. According to her findings, we may be able to keep our water safe without overburdening our city and home budgets. In our SASS Class, we take a wider approach to water safety with our guest teacher, Amy Greer. She’s a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in population disease modelling and an associate professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College of the University of Guelph. She has looked at the various factors involved in keeping water safe and as you’ll hear, it comes down to an overarching goal known as One Health. From animals to climate to human activities, there are numerous ways water can become undrinkable and only by understanding all the parameters can we find ways to ensure we have access to water we can drink. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Natalie Hull Web: https://ceg.osu.edu/people/hull.305 Twitter: @water_micro Amy Greer Web: https://ovc.uoguelph.ca/population-medicine/faculty/Amy-Greer Twitter: @AmyGreerKalisz

On this week’s show, we’re going to explore the science behind making the perfect drink and whether this is another task that may be taken over by robots. We’ll also learn of one combination that really should never be done.    We first talk with a mixologist who is working to change the entire realm of the science. He’s Jim Meehan and he owns Mixography, Inc. He has been involved in the mixology world for years and has developed into a powerhouse in the industry. He takes us through the history of mixology and why the practice is now moving from the traditional mixture in a glass to an overall environmental experience.    Our next guests are Jim Whitehead and Johnathan Pagnutti. They developed an artificial intelligence cocktail generator in the hopes of developing an entirely automated mixologist. They take us through the experience of trying to develop this project and how mixology became far more than just a collection of ingredients. We’ll also find out how the experiments ended up tasting.   In our SASS Class, we’re going to hear about a combination that should never go together. Alcohol and energy drinks. While they continue to be popular, our next guest has been trying to find ways to moderate consumption to prevent health complications. He’s Timothy Stockwell and he is a Psychology at the University of Victoria and the Director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!    Twitter: @JATetro  Email: thegermguy@gmail.com   Guests:  Jim Meehan  Web: https://www.mixographyinc.com/about.html   Twitter: @mixography    Jim Whitehead   Web: https://www.soe.ucsc.edu/people/ejw   Twitter: @TheJimWhitehead / @jag_pag (Pagnutti)    Timothy Stockwell  Web: https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/psychology/people/faculty-directory/stockwelltimothy.php    

Every night, close to five million people spend the night away from home in accommodations, like hotels. With a number that large, there’s bound to be problems. Most of the time, they are easy to solve. On this week's Super Awesome Science Show, we’re going to look how a hotel stay may be a bane rather than a place for comfort.   We first talk with John Catucci. He’s best known hosting Food Network Canada's You Gotta Eat Here! and his most recent series, Big Food Bucket List. He’s travelled all over the world and has a few tales to recount ranging from the gross to the supernatural.   Our next guest provides us with some clues as to why we may feel we’re getting a great place based on the reviews only to be welcomed by a horror show. He’s Christopher Harris and he is an Assistant Professor at the University of Northern Colorado. He’s been researching hotel reviews and has attempted to figure out how to identify those that are fake. He also has been a hotel owner and shares some of his own horror stories from the other side of the front desk. In our SASS Class, we’re going to explore how the realm of food safety may be able to help ensure our hotels are clean and safe from contamination. Our guest teacher is Barbara Almanza and she is a professor at Purdue University. She has explored how keeping our food safe may be useful as a guide to hotel owners to quell the fears of contamination.   If you enjoy the Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve won a Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. We have been changing the way the world sees science, and it is definitely for the better. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Contact: Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: John Catucci Twitter: @johncatucci Web: https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/big-food-bucket-list/blog/john-catucci-is-back-with-big-food-bucket-list/ Christopher Harris Web: https://www.unco.edu/nhs/mathematical-sciences/faculty/harris.aspx Barbara Almanza Web: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/directory/faculty/almanza_barbara.html

Take a look at the cosmetics section of any store and you’ll see the most populated and diverse area happens to be hair care. We have an obsession with having those great locks although for many, trying to get the perfect ‘do can be a frustrating struggle. On this week’s show, we take a closer look at the nature of our hair by starting off with an historical perspective. We speak with anthropology doctoral student Tina Lasisi who has been exploring how our hair came to be and why we may have such a hard time getting it to do what we want. Whether it happens to be genetics or the climate, our historical roots may be more important than the ones on our scalp. We next move on to another historical issue with hair although this one is far more unnerving. It’s head lice. We speak with John Marshall Clark at the University of Massachusetts Amherst about our relationship with these little creatures including the origin of the word, nitpicking. We also learn why lice are resistant to treatments and what the future holds for those with those annoying itchy pests.   In our SASS Class, we’re going to head back into the shampoo aisle to learn about the effects of these products not on our hair but our skin. Our guest teacher is Sandra Skotnicki and she is a dermatologist and the author of the book, Beyond Soap: The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow. She’ll explain that our efforts to make our hair silky smooth may be making our skin unhealthy.   If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Tina Lasisi Web: https://anth.la.psu.edu/research/research-labs/jablonski-lab/tina-lasisi Twitter: @TinaLasisi John Marshall Clark Web: https://www.vasci.umass.edu/research-faculty/john-marshall-clark    Sandra Skotnicki Web: https://drsandyskotnicki.com/ Twitter: @DrSkotnicki

There’s little doubt Canada has the reputation of one of the best countries in the world. The same can be said about science in this nation. For over a century, Canadian scientists have been making discoveries that have changed the world. We’ve even had our fair share of Nobel Prize winners. Having a reputation in the scientific community is one thing but nothing beats having a voice on Parliament Hill and this week, we’re going to talk with Canada’s first ever Minister of Science, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan. There was no one better for the position because before she was making her mark in the House of Commons, she was changing the world with her research. We first discuss her past as a researcher and professor and explore some of her discoveries in medical geography. While we hear of the issues with climate change and health, Minister Duncan was finding the links. Her explorations eventually led her to dig deep into influenza research but instead of the lab, her work environment was the permafrost. Her journeys are now detailed in her book, Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist's Search for a Killer Virus. We next move away from the research environment into the political realm where she has made similar waves. As the Member of Parliament for the riding of Etobicoke North, she has continued to represent not only her constituents but also the wider scientific community. We learn about her journey since 2015 in the hopes of making Canada a recognized world leader in science. In our SASS Class, Minister Duncan looks to the future of science in Canada. She wants this country to be a homing beacon for both homegrown and international minds and reveals her excitement and passion for the younger generation. She also reveals that we are all scientists and why we should all care about being curious.     If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: The Honourable Kirsty Duncan Minister of Science and Sport Web: https://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister/honourable-kirsty-duncan Twitter: @KirstyDuncanMP

It seems every year we har about another disease that threatens our health. One of them happens to be a condition known as Lyme Disease. It’s cause by a bacterium known as Borrelia and it can have some pretty nasty symptoms including fever, fatigue, and joint pain. Worse, it may have the ability to stick around and cause people years of pains ranging from arthritis to neurological and even heart problems. As for how it’s spread, it comes from the bite of a tick. There’s been an explosion of cases over the last decade and in some areas of the country, ticks have replaced mosquitoes as public health enemy #1. On this week’s show, we take a closer look at the bacterium behind the disease and how to help you stay safe. Our first guest is an expert on this bacterium behind this disease. His name is George Chaconas and he is a professor at the University of Calgary. For years, he was a Canada Research Chair on the condition formally known as Lyme Borreliosis. We explore how the infection progresses in the body and manages to escape our immune system. We also get into the potential for resistance and long-term effects on the body. The bacterium is known as a spirochete, which means it looks like a corkscrew. This is similar to another bacterium that causes a more known illness, syphilis. We talk with Chaconas about the similarities between the two and how this may help us understand how we may be able to diagnose and possibly treat Lyme disease effectively. In our SASS Class, we find out how to avoid Lyme Disease through prevention. We talk with Katie Clow, a veterinarian and assistant professor at the University of Guelph. She’s been studying how humans and pets can avoid getting bitten by a tick and shares her knowledge with us. Her tips will help you to stay safe when you’re out enjoying the grassy and wooded areas. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: George Chaconas Web: https://www.ucalgary.ca/bprg/chaconas Katie Clow Web: https://katieclow.com/   Twitter: @KatieClow1

We’re getting close to summer and that means more sun and warmer temperatures. That also means a greater chance of skin damage due to that ultraviolet ray exposure. On this week’s show, we’re going to take a closer look at one of the most dire consequences of getting too much sun, skin cancer. To get a better idea of the risk, we have Jennifer Beecker, a cancer researcher with us to talk about this disease. We first get into the nature of skin and some of the issues with sun and skin including moles and freckles. We also explore how skin cancer can be quickly diagnosed and how it has gone from being one of the worst cancers to the one that can be treated most effectively. Of course, you want to avoid cancer altogether and for that, you have to practice safe sunning. Jennifer Beecker is also the National Chair of the Canadian Dermatology Association Sun Awareness Working Group and explains to us how we can be safe during the summer…and pretty much every other season. In our SASS Class, we’re going to look at the idea of sunscreens. Normally, we think of chemicals like zinc oxide, oxybenzone and others that are hard to say and may be even harder on our bodies. Our guest teacher is University of Waterloo professor Micheal Tam who is working to make natural sunscreens using an ingredient most of us have in our pantry, cinnamon. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Jennifer Beecker Web: https://www.drbeecker.com/ Michael Tam Web: http://chemeng.uwaterloo.ca/mtam/

The universe is an unending source of beauty but most of us in our daily lives tend to miss out on the wonders that exist. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore how we are blind to the beauty of the world around us and what we can do to improve our senses. We start off the show with Ziya Tong. She was the longtime host of Daily Planet and has written a book about our inability to see our universe. It’s entitled, The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths, And The Dangerous Illusions That Shape Our World and we discuss both her journey as she wrote this book and also learn of some of the blind spots that prevent us from truly enjoying the world in which we live. In our SASS class, we’re going to explore how we can better appreciate beauty by talking with our guest teacher, Aenne Brielmann. She’s a doctoral student at New York University and has been merging the worlds of philosophy and neuroscience to help us better understand how we perceive something beautiful. She also may be able to identify how we determine what is beautiful by using not a tenet, but an equation. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Ziya Tong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziya_Tong Twitter: @ziyatong Aenne Brielmann https://aennebrielmann.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @aabrielma

Summer is here and for many of us, that means going outside and cooking in the great outdoors. Although there are many ways to prepare food in the open, nothing quite compares to barbecue. Today, we’re exploring the world of barbecue and learning that it’s much more than a technique for cuisine. It’s a distinct and unique societal culture. We start the show with Matt Basile. He’s the creator of the Toronto-based street food brand Fidel Gastro’s although you might best know him for his television show, Rebel Without A Kitchen. He’s been revolutionizing the cooking world for years thanks in part to his love for barbecue. We discuss the science of barbecuing and how different varieties can define different worldly cultures. When it comes to barbecue, the mind might think of the American South. It’s an integral part of being a Southerner and our next guest has been exploring what this means from a sociological perspective. He is John Shelton Reed and for the last half Century, he has been researching the South and how differences in barbecue technique can reveal much about that society. In our SASS Class, we focus on the science of being sure your barbecue efforts turn out both delicious and safe. We talk with Jeff Savell, who is one of the world’s experts in meat and barbecue science. We learn that barbecuing may not seem all that difficult but when you get into the science, it really is worthy of study. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Matt Basile Founder and President, Fidel Gastro’s http://www.fidelgastros.com/home.html Twitter: @fidelgastros John Shelton Reed http://johnshelton.weebly.com/ Jeff Savell https://animalscience.tamu.edu/people/savell-jeff/ Twitter: @jsavell

For most of us, the sight of a bee might bring about a sense of unease. But for those people who study these amazing creatures, they represent an integral part of our planet and our food supply. Today, we’re going to explore the benefits of bees and why we should learn to love them rather than fear them. Our first guest is Noah Wilson Rich, the CEO of Best Bees. He’s been researching bees for decades although over the last few years, he has found a love for urban beekeeping. We learn about how bees have been a part of our human history and how that place is in danger due to some troublesome microbial enemies. Thankfully, having bees in the city may be a way to ensure they continue to support us with their pollinating prowess. We next talk with Jonathan Giacomini, a doctoral student at North Carolina State University. He’s been exploring ways to improve bee health using plants and has found one that seems to help prevent nasty infections. It’s the sunflower. We learn why this staple of summer is so good for bees and what we can do in our lives to help sustain their numbers.   In our SASS Class, we turn to Paul Kelly. He’s the manager of the Honey Bee Research Center at the University of Guelph. He has been working with bees for over three decades and now helps people learn how to find love through a combination of research and also courses on beekeeping. He’ll explain how the research into bees has changed over the years and how we can get involved to ensure they never disappear.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Noah Wilson Rich CEO, Best Bees http://bestbees.com Twitter: @NoahWilsonRich Jonathan Giacomini Doctoral Student, North Carolina State University https://irwinlab.weebly.com/people.html Twitter: @JonGiacomini Paul Kelly Apiarist, Honey Bee Research Centre, University of Guelph https://www.uoguelph.ca/ses/people/paul-kelly

Mother’s Day is approaching and today, we’re going to look at some of the science that makes mothers who they are and how we can support them every day of the year. We start off the show with one of Canada’s best-known personalities, Sangita Patel. She’s a Senior Entertainment Reporter for Entertainment Tonight Canada and the newest Canadian spokesperson for Cover Girl. She’s also a mother to two amazing daughters. We discuss the challenges of having a successful career in television and her life as a mom and how mothers everywhere can learn to find a balance. We then talk with Liisa Galea of the University of British Columbia. She studies the neuroscience of motherhood and reveals to us that the concept of baby brain is real. But don’t let that fool you into thinking you can get away with antics. As Liisa explains, as the kids grow up, the maternal brain get sharper and even better at memory. Our next guest explores the psychology of motherhood and the need for support throughout her life. She is Suniya Luthar and she explains that being a mother is a significant challenge, even if you are not trying to balance work and home life. Having the right support can make the difference between a mother who is happy and one who is subject to depression. In our SASS class, we’re going to explore a tactic almost every mother uses on her kids:  the guilt trip. We talk with Wendy Rote at the University of South Florida and learn that using guilt may indeed be a great way to raise fantastic kids. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Sangita Patel http://thisissangitapatel.com/ Twitter: @sangita_patel Liisa Galea Professor, Department of Psychology, UBC https://galealab.psych.ubc.ca/liisa-galea/ Twitter: @liisagalea Suniya Luthar Foundation Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University http://www.suniyaluthar.org/ Wendy Rote Assistant Professor, University of South Florida St. Petersburg https://www.usfsp.edu/psychology/portfolio-item/rote-wendy/

Dogs are known as our best friends and on this week’s Super Awesome Science Show, we’re going to explore some of the science behind these loving, caring, and devoted members of our lives. We first talk with Tanya Kim. She is one of Canada’s best known journalists but she also is one of this country’s strongest dog and animal advocates. She’s also the companion of Miss Mabel, a Dogue de Bordeaux who has carved out a career as a model. We learn about the importance of Mabel in Tanya’s life and what being a canine celebrity is like. In exploring the science of dogs in our lives, one conclusion that continues to be repeated is that when it comes to understanding us as humans and our emotions, dogs know. We speak with the researcher behind this statement, Nandini Maharaj. She is a health research development officer at the University of British Columbia and a doctoral student looking at the benefit of dogs in our lives. We learn about the psychology behind the connection humans have with dogs and learn that the impression can last a lifetime. Because of this effect of dogs in our lives, researchers have wondered if they can help to reduce the stress associated with loneliness. Our next guest, John-Tyler Binfet, an Associate Professor of Education at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, has been exploring this theory and the results have been amazing. We discuss the benefits of therapy dogs on students and learn how he’s branching out to help people of all ages. In our SASS Class, we learn how to take care of your best friend with Christina Karkanis, veterinarian and owner of the Bay City Animal Hospital in North Bay, Ontario. We learn about the best ways to care for your pet and how to ensure they have a long, healthy life.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Tanya Kim Web: https://tanyakim.ca Twitter: @Tanya_Kim Instagram: @Tanya_Kim1 Miss Mabel Instagram: @missmabelofficial Nandini Maharaj Health Research Development Officer, University of British Columbia Web: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nandini_Maharaj John-Tyler Binfet Associate Professor, Education, University of British Columbia Web: https://education.ok.ubc.ca/about/people/jtbinfet.html Christina Karkanis Owner, Bay City Animal Hospital

There’s something about the term quantum physics that brings both intrigue and intimidation. We see quantum as the way of the future but also know it’s one of the most complex branches of science. On this week’s show, we’re going to dive into this mysterious world to demystify it and reveal how it’s part of our everyday lives. Our first guest is Tracey Forrest. She is the Program Director for Transformative Quantum Technologies at the University of Waterloo. We explore what makes quantum so fascinating and why it has such immense power over our imaginations. She also explains how the quantum world is already playing a role in many of the technologies we use today. One of the most talked about aspects of quantum physics is quantum computing and we discuss the future with Alexandre Blais, a professor and the scientific director for the quantum institute at the University of Sherbrooke. We move away from the current computing mentality made up of bits and bytes and head into an area of research dominated by qubits.   In our SASS class, we’re going to find out how quantum physics will improve our ability to develop sustainable energy. Our guest teacher is Pavle Radovanovic at the University of Waterloo. His work focuses on nanocrystals. Unlike Swarovski crystals, which have the power of bling, he ones he’s working with may give us the ability to move away from non-reusable energy to improve our environment.   If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Tracey Forrest Program Director, Transformative Quantum Technologies, University of Waterloo Web: https://uwaterloo.ca/transformative-quantum-technologies/ Alexandre Blais Scientific Director, Quantum Institute, University of Sherbrooke Web: https://www.usherbrooke.ca/iq/en/personne/alexandre-blais/ Twitter: @circuitqed Pavle Radovanovic Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo Web: https://uwaterloo.ca/chemistry/people-profiles/pavle-radovanovic

We’ve all heard about Spring Fever although medically speaking, it’s not really an illness. Instead, it refers to a change in our behaviour that happens to align with the changing of the seasons. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore some of the science behind these changes to our ways and possibly offer some perspective on how to deal with the consequences. Our first guest may have a reason for the effects of spring fever. We are being exposed to more light. She is Dr. Kathryn Roecklein, an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She reveals the effects of sunlight on our brains and how the change in seasons may alter how we act. She also reveals that we may not see such a dramatic shift due to our continual exposure to artificial light.   The change of the seasons also means a rise in certain mental health concerns. Statistics have shown spring brings with it a rise in suicides and greater unhappiness in some people. We speak with Jon Abramowitz, a Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina and an expert on coping with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He reveals the truth about living with these problems and how to cope. In our SASS Class, we explore one of the stereotypes of spring fever – the urge to find new mates. Our guest teacher is Maryanne Fisher. She is a professor of psychology at St. Mary’s University but she is better known as the relationship doctor. We discuss the process of trying to find a new mate and how this can be complicated by competition. She also reveals that looking back to the 18th Century may help people figure out how to win at love today. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Kathryn Roecklein Web: http://psychology.pitt.edu/people/kathryn-roecklein-phd Twitter: @roecklein Jon Abramowitz http://www.jabramowitz.com/ Twitter: @DrJonAbram Maryanne Fisher http://www.smu.ca/future-students/relationship-doctor.html Twitter: @ml_fisher

When we feel unwell, we seek out medical attention. However, figuring out what is wrong with us may not be as simple as a quick visit to the clinic. On this week’s show, we’re going to dive into the world of disease detectives known officially as diagnosis. Our first guest is probably the best person to discuss what diagnosis means to us. She is Lisa Sanders and she is an educator at Yale University. But she is better known as the author of the long running New York Times Series, Diagnosis, and is the inspiration behind the beloved TV show, House M.D. She takes us through the process of diagnostics and how the process can be incredibly complicated requiring more than simple Sherlockian deduction. She also offers her perspective on the trend to use “Dr. Google” to self-diagnose. Our second guest is Madhukar Pai at McGill University. He has been trying to increase the ability of all countries to perform effective diagnosis especially with one of our greatest microbial enemies, tuberculosis. He has worked with the World Health Organization to make diagnosis a priority and will share his vision of the future for detecting diseases. In our SASS Class, our guest teacher is one of the thousands of people in Canada responsible for carrying out the tests needed to achieve a diagnosis. Her name is Krista Urchenko and she is a Medical Laboratory Professional. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science. She reveals the behind the curtain work that most of us don’t see but need to be able to figure out what’s wrong. She also introduces us to LAB WEEK, which will highlight the work of these important professionals in Canada. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Lisa Sanders Web: https://medicine.yale.edu/intmed/people/lisa_sanders.profile   Twitter: @LisaSandersMD Madhukar Pai Web: https://www.mcgill.ca/tb/investigators/madhukar-pai-director Twitter: @paimadhu Krista Urchenko Web: www.medlabmaven.com Twitter: @MedLabMaven

Super Awesome Science Show (SASS) talks with Larry Gifford about his journey with Parkinson's and find out how he manages to cope both physically and emotionally. His story is both compelling and also inspiring and will reveal why his podcast has been designated at one of Apple Podcast’s best of 2018.   In our SASS class, we’re going to explore the efforts to find answers to help those with Parkinson’s Disease. We speak with Rachel Dolhun, the Vice-President of Medical Communications with the Michael J. Fox Foundation. She reveals how the foundation is working to improve awareness and research into this disease. We also learn of her personal story as both a researcher in movement disorders and also as a communicator at the Foundation. She reveals that working to help those with Parkinson’s is truly a vocation.      If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com

We’re going to look at a disease that affects over ten million people worldwide and over 100,000 in Canada, Parkinson’s Disease. The movement disorder has been known for centuries and while we know the cause, we still have no cure.      We first talk with someone who has Parkinson’s to learn more about the disease and how it affects those who suffer. He is Larry Gifford, the Program Director at CKNW in Vancouver. He’s also the host of the podcast, When Life Gives You Parkinson’s. We learn about his journey with the disease and find out how he manages to cope both physically and emotionally. His story is both compelling and also inspiring and will reveal why his podcast has been designated at one of Apple Podcast’s best of 2018.   In our SASS class, we’re going to explore the efforts to find answers to help those with Parkinson’s Disease. We speak with Rachel Dolhun, the Vice-President of Medical Communications with the Michael J. Fox Foundation. She reveals how the foundation is working to improve awareness and research into this disease. We also learn of her personal story as both a researcher in movement disorders and also as a communicator at the Foundation. She reveals that working to help those with Parkinson’s is truly a vocation.      If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Larry Gifford, Program Director, CKNW & Host of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s Web: https://curiouscast.ca/podcast/160/when-life-gives-you-parkinsons/ Twitter: @Giffordtweet Rachel Dolhun, VP Medical Communications, The Michael J. Fox Foundation Web: https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/leaders.html?communications Twitter: @RachelDolhunMD    

Have you ever been the target of an April Fools’ prank? Although you may not realize it, the effort that goes into these attempts at humour are nothing to laugh at. It takes time, research, and proper planning to make a prank or even a joke work. This week, we’re going to learn more about the mechanics and the needs for a good April Fools joke. Our first guest is Thomas Limoncelli. He’s a systems analyst and helps information technology companies succeed. He’s also a web-based April Fools’ master and shares his insight into what makes an excellent online prank. Next, we talk with Julia Rayz at Purdue University. Her focus is on Artificial Intelligence and humour. She’ll explain why computers make for a horrible audience and may never be able to tell an effective joke. In our SASS Class, our guest teacher is Michelle Eskritt-Keck. She’s a psychologist who has been focusing on a special need for any good April Fools’ prank:  deception. We explore how humans find ways to get people to believe them and how one particular sector of our population may not fall for any attempts at humour. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve won a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Thank you all very much for helping us keeping this show AWESOME! Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Thomas Limoncelli https://everythingsysadmin.com/ Twitter: @yesthattom Julia Rayz https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/profile/taylo108 Michelle Eskritt-Keck https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/programsdepartments/bachelorofscience/psychology/facultyandstaff/eskrittkeck.aspx

When you hear someone talk science, you might find it to be an entirely different language. In many ways it is. However, since science is important for decisions regarding health and the environment, scientists need to translate their world to the public. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore how this is being done and why the work of translators can help you avoid going to classes to learn science as a second language. Our first guest is Maureen Dobbins, a professor at McMaster University who has spent decades taking clinical information found in the scientific literature and turning it into useful information to make health policy. We explore how her own work has changed such that she is now helping the public with online portals that provide recommendations people can trust. Our next guest is James Heilman. He’s been working for over a decade to ensure Wikipedia is scientifically accurate. Although this open source platform is the go-to site for many searches, science and medicine do not trust these pages. Heilman is trying to change that not just here but around the world so that everyone can be sure they can use Wiki to stay informed.   In our SASS Class, we talk with Paige Jarreau, a science communication researcher. Scicomm as its known is a part of the translation process and Jarreau provides an inside look at how it is performed and how you can get involved in the fun. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve won a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Thank you all very much for helping us keeping this show AWESOME! Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Maureen Dobbins https://nursing.mcmaster.ca/faculty/bio/maureen-dobbins James Heilman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Heilman Twitter: @WikiDocJames Paige Jarreau http://www.fromthelabbench.com/ Twitter: @fromthelabbench

No matter where you look, there always seems to be someone trying to sell you a new way to improve your life, health, or environment. Unfortunately, many of these products, programs, and routines are not based in science. In some cases, the hawkers purposefully reject science in the hopes you may believe they have the right answers. Historically, these people have been called a variety of names but today, we tend to call them quacks. On this week’s show, we’re going to explore this anti-science world with two people who have spent years trying as we say in science, quash the quackery. Our first guest is the host of two incredibly insightful science and medicine programs, “Cracked Science,” and “The Body of Evidence.” His name is Jonathan Jarry and he is a science communicator at the Office of Science and Society at McGill University. We explore the world of quacks and discover why they have become so popular and how trying to minimize their impact on us is incredibly difficult. He reveals some of his tricks to identify and counter those whose only wish to gain regardless of your losses.   We next talk with Darren McKee, who is one of the hosts of the long running series, “The Reality Check.”  He has spent over a decade putting the spotlight on the unscientific world and ensuring that the record – and the science – is kept straight. We discuss the sheer amount of quackery that exists and how you can find ways to prevent being tricked into spending your money. Thanks to you, we’ve won a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Thank you all very much for helping us keeping this show AWESOME! Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Jonathan Jarry https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/jonathan-jarry-msc-science-communicator Twitter: @crackedscience Darren McKee http://www.trcpodcast.com/ Twitter: @dbcmckee

Can you name a female scientist? How about two? If you can’t, don’t worry. The recognition of female scientists is rather poor. But don’t worry because on this episode of the Super Awesome Science Show, we have got you covered. We’ll go through some of the most amazing contributions women have made to advancing our technology and making your lives better. We also are fortunate to welcome two of Canada’s greatest science superheroines to the show. Our first guest has been known for well over two decades, Julie Payette. She first gained popularity in 1999 as the second female Canadian in space and was a member of a second mission to space in 2009.  She made headlines again in 2017 when she was installed as our Governor General. We speak about her journeys over this time and how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, known as STEM, has played a significant role throughout her life. She also offers her advice to those who feels that STEM is for them and why experimenting is a necessary part of life.   We next speak with Dr. Molly Shoichet. She is one of our country’s greatest scientists. She has achieved incredible success in her work and is the only person to be a fellow of Canada’s three national academies – the Canadian Academy of Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. She has also given back to the public through her attempts to merge Hollywood and research. She shares her journey with us and offers some inspiration to those who wish to seek out STEM as a vocation. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve won a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Thank you all very much! We really couldn't have done it without you! Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette http://www.gg.ca/en Twitter: @GGJuliePayette Dr. Molly Shoichet https://shoichetlab.utoronto.ca/ Twitter: @mollyshoichet

The rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria is a human health crisis. But few people appreciate the impact of this phenomenon on their lives. This week, we’re going to take a very personal look at what happens when someone gets a resistant infection and how a treatment from a century ago is making a comeback not just for our health but also our food supply. Our first guest is Dr. Tom Patterson. He’s a researcher at the University of California San Diego and the subject of the new book, The Perfect Predator. In 2015, he went through a nine-month ordeal in which he almost died. His infection was resistant against all antibiotics. The only reason he survived was due to the use of a method used almost a century ago, viruses of bacteria, known as bacteriophages, better known as phages. Our next guest takes us through the process of using viruses to defeat antibiotic resistant bacteria. She is Dr. Steffanie Strathdee at the University of California, San Diego. She is the author of The Perfect Predator, which is an account of her journey to save Tom from the infection. While her role as an epidemiologist may have spurred her on, her efforts had a very personal twist. Tom is her husband. In our SASS Class, we examine how these viruses can be used to improve food safety. Raw and uncooked meat carries risk of bacterial infection. Our guest teacher has been working to find ways to incorporate viruses into the food production pipeline so that we can be safe. He’s Dr. Lawrence Goodridge from the University of Guelph. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Dr. Tom Patterson https://profiles.ucsd.edu/thomas.patterson Dr. Steffanie Strathdee https://profiles.ucsd.edu/steffanie.strathdee Twitter: @chngin_the_wrld Dr. Lawrence Goodridge https://news.uoguelph.ca/2019/01/improving-food-safety-goal-of-1-million-gift/ Twitter: @SafeFoodCanuck

Did you know there are over 2,500 genres of music? Most of them have evolved over only the last fifty years. The rise in diversity stems from two major factors, technology and societal change. On this week’s Super Awesome Science Show, we’re going to explore this golden moment in music history with one of Canada’s most notable experts on the topic. He’s Alan Cross, the host of The Ongoing History of New Music. We first explore the technology side by looking back at the moments that changed music forever. There have been several from the invention of the electric guitar to the synthesizer to the concept of multi-track mixing. Through all of this, Alan relates some of his own memories and moments he’s witnessed over the decades. Then we get into the evolution of music and society. Music has been thought to be the spark of everything from the fall of the Soviet Union to the end of apartheid in South Africa to the LA Riots of 1992. Alan discusses some of the more personal aspects of society and music and how the notes and lyrics can bring people together not just for a cause, but also for the simple joy of being together. In our SASS Class, we learn that the best choice of music to improve your ability to workout happens to be your own. We speak with Dr. Jasmin Hutchinson, the Director for Sport and Exercise Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. As she tells us, knowing what right for us truly is personal and that your own playlist is most likely always going to be the best. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it onApple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together! Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Alan Cross http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/ Twitter: @alancross Dr. Jasmin Hutchinson https://springfield.edu/directory/jasmin-hutchinson Twitter: @DrJazzBop  

Love has been one of humanity’s greatest mysteries. For millennia, it has been the subject of art and social science. But over the last century, we have learned so much about the biology of this emotion and how it affects us. On this week’s episode of The Super Awesome Science Show, we’re going to devote the entire show to Dr. Helen Fisher, who has been a leader in deciphering the love code. Since 1975, she has been focused on understanding this emotion. Her research papers, books, and a relationship with the website Match.com has given us insight into not just how love happens but also how we can improve our relationships. We start by exploring her history as a love researcher and how this culminated in the 1994 book, The Anatomy of Love. It’s been re-issued and as Dr. Fisher explains, it has been completely rewritten because of the leaps we have made in analyzing love. She takes us on a journey around the world to explore how love is a part of all societies and in many ways, how similar we all are. We next learn how we can use neuroscience to find the perfect mate. Dr. Fisher has developed a test, which you can take, to identify the type of person you happen to be based on chemicals that circulate in your body. It’s a fascinating journey into the brain and may help you to find out who might be best suited to accompany you in life. For our SASS class, we take a 180 degree turn and explore the realm of rejection. Dr. Fisher has analyzed what happens when we are dumped and offers ideas to get over a love lost. Here’s a hint: those New York romantic comedies have it wrong. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together! Contact: Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Dr. Helen Fisher https://helenfisher.com Twitter: @DrHelenFisher

From the moment LEGO was started in the 1930s, it has focused on bringing out the creative in a person while allowing them to play. Today, it is an international sensation but not just in the world of pastime entertainment. LEGO is being used a means to increase scientific knowledge and education. We talk with one of the leaders of the LEGO education movement, Dr. Chris Rogers at Tufts University. He explains how LEGO helps kids of all ages get a head start on science and engineering. He also helps us to realize that in our economic realities, LEGO is a cost-effective means to keep students learning and growing. We next talk with William Church of White Mountain Science. He helps kids across the Northeastern United States get involved in LEGO activities and has his very own mobile lab to bring the creativity and fun of STEM to the high school classroom. In our SASS Class, we learn about how LEGO offers a different ability to learn than most traditional education styles. We speak with Barbara Bratzel who is a science teacher and author of books to help people learn how to use LEGO in the school environment to improve a child’s educational experience. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Dr. Chris Rogers Tufts University https://ceeo.tufts.edu/people/rogers.htm William Church White Mountain Science Inc. https://www.whitemountainscience.org/about-staff/ Barbara Bratzel Shady Hill School https://ceeo.tufts.edu/people/bratzel.htm

Have you ever had a great day in which nothing can go wrong and then out of nowhere a stressed person enters the room and your good feelings are replaced with feelings of anxiety and nervousness? You’re not alone. We may not realize it but stress is contagious and on this week’s show, we find out how this happens.    We first start with Dr. Stephanie Preston at the University of Michigan. She has studied how our compassion, known as empathy, can be a trigger for sharing someone else’s stress. She’ll help us to appreciate how our ability to care for someone else can work against us. Our next guest explains that stress can also be shared through our noses. Dr. Jaideep Bains at the University of Calgary has uncovered how the odors we make when stressed may have an influence on other people. While his studies are in mice, his proposal of an “alert pheromone” may offer some perspective as to why some people just smell stressed. In our SASS class, we examine how we can help to avoid sharing stress by being around friends. Dr. Loren Martin from the University of Toronto Mississauga explains that stress can be buffered by having people around us and dividing up the effect.   If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Dr. Stephanie Preston https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/faculty/prestos.html Twitter: @prestostwit Dr. Jaideep Bains University of Calgary https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/profiles/dr-jaideep-bains Twitter: @stressynomics Dr. Loren Martin University of Toronto Mississauga https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/psychology/faculty-staff/martin-loren Twitter: @_ljmartin

Coffee is one of the world’s most beloved beverages. Long before it was made popular by the television show, Friends, it stood as the drink that brought people together. Ironically, it’s also one of the most hotly debated subjects when it comes to health and taste. On this week’s episode of the Super Awesome Science Show, we examine one of the reasons behind this lack of consensus. Genetics. We first look at how our own genetics can alter the way we taste coffee and how it affects our health. We talk with Dr. Marilyn Cornelis at Northwestern University who has been looking at how small changes in our genetic code, known as polymorphisms, can change how we interpret and react to the chemicals in coffee. We then explore how genetics give different coffees from around their world their unique taste. But we’re not looking at the coffee’s DNA. Instead, we look at yeast. Although you may not know it, coffee beans are fermented before they hit store and coffee shop shelves. We talk with Dr. Aimee Dudley of the Pacific Northwest Research Institute about those microbes and how their diversity helps to give your favorite style of java that taste you love. In our SASS Class, we learn about a threat to our coffee supply. It’s called coffee rust fungus and it can decimate coffee plants and put your morning cup of joe at risk. We speak with Dr. John Vandermeer from the University of Michigan who has been studying how this fungus wreaks havoc and how genetics may help to keep those crops safe. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Dr. Marilyn Cornelis Northwestern University https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=31723 Twitter: @marlilyncornelis Dr. Aimee Dudley Pacific Northwest Research Institute https://www.pnri.org/research-programs/dudley-lab/  Dr. John Vandermeer University of Michigan https://lsa.umich.edu/eeb/people/faculty/jvander.html  

On this week’s episode of The Super Awesome Science Show, we dig into the nature of the ketogenic diet, its history, and what good it can do for you. There are all sorts of diets but only a few have proven to be effective at helping you lose weight. One of the most popular options that also works is the ketogenic diet. It’s known as a fat buster as it helps to melt away unwanted fat while improving your metabolic health.      We first start with Desiree Nielsen, a registered dietitian, author, and television host. She helps us understand what the ketogenic diet does to our bodies and how best to find the right foods to improve your chances at losing weight. My next guest is Dr. Roger McIntyre at the University of Toronto. He explains that there’s a potential hidden benefit of choosing the keto diet. It may help you emotionally and maintain your mental health. Although as he says, this isn’t quite ready for prime time, you’ll want to hear how the latest research may one day help us to stay balanced naturally. In our SASS class, we pour a little cold water on the keto diet by finding out just how much weight we can expect to lose and how long the diet will keep burning the fat. The Knowledge Translation and Evidence Coordinator for the College of Family Physicians, Adrienne Lindblad tells us that when it comes to weight loss, the keto diet may not be your first choice. If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!   Twitter: @JATetro Email: thegermguy@gmail.com Guests: Desiree Nielsen Registered Dietitian https://desireerd.com/ Twitter: @desireerd Dr. Roger S. McIntyre University of Toronto https://www.uhnresearch.ca/researcher/roger-s-mcintyre Adrienne Lindblad College of Family Physicians http://peerevidence.ca/the-team/adrienne-lindblad/ Twitter: @ajlindblad

Jeremy Newberger is the CEO of Ironbound Films, a documentary and new media production company based out of Garrison, NY. Ironbound Films which produced the a documentary titled "Evocateur" on legendary talk-show host Morton Downey Jr. He produced and directed "The New Recruits" (PBS 2010) and "The Linguists" which was nominated for an Emmy in 2010 for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary. He also produced and wrote an Internet comedy series called "The Fantastic Two" about fantasy football starring William Refrigerator Perry,as well as a producer of "Imus on MSNBC" television show, and an intern at "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" His latest film Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel which chronicles the journey of Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he joins Mark and Aj to talk about the project. Tune in each week on 540 am in NY NJ CT and streaming on www.sportstalknylive.com at 7pm Sundays for the live broadcast.Please take a moment to like our fan page WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY and follow us on twitter @sportstalkny

The Discovery Channel/Discovery Times ChannelJune 20031x60 min. documentaryOn the morning of February 1, 2003 disaster struck. A stunned nation woke to images of Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrating into a shower of hot metal over the Texas sky. In that instant, millions wondered, "What went wrong?" Only through understanding the daunting and complex challenges faced by engineers and scientists responsible for bringing the shuttle and her crew safely back to earth could this question be answered.* News and Documentary Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Science, Technology, and Nature Programming