How Hormones Make Birds Better Dancers
An interview with a biologist who studies physiological mechanisms of complex social behavior about new research on the hormones that affect bird behavior.
Jun 02, 2017•15 min
American Scientist Podcast
Periodic audiocasts from American Scientist, a publication of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society.
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Episodes
Next Steps After the March for Science
A discussion of three different experiences at three different Marches for Science, as well as some lessons learned in taking the next steps in advocating for science-based policy.
May 05, 2017•16 min
Lactose Intolerance and the Gut's Microbiome
An interview with a microbiologist about research on using the belly's bacteria to avoid the symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Apr 03, 2017•13 min
Defending Science and Scientific Integrity in the Age of Trump
A discussion about how to address the uncertainty about science's role in our federal government and the consequences of political interference.
Mar 01, 2017•14 min
Harder-Than-Diamond Carbon
A new form of carbon is harder than diamond and can be used to make diamonds, too.
Jan 31, 2017•9 min
Electron Microscopy: Now In Color
Even though they are far smaller than the shortest wavelength of visible light, tiny biological objects can finally be imaged in multiple hues.
Dec 30, 2016•6 min
Cancer Chemotherapy During Pregnancy
On the tough decision of whether to use chemotherapy to treat cancer while pregnant, and the resources available to help patients and their doctors make that decision.
Nov 30, 2016•10 min
Blue Whirls: Hungry Little Beasts
A low-emission method of combustion is full of puzzles and potential.
Oct 31, 2016•8 min
Graphene Takes Flight
Prospero, the world's first graphene-coated airplane, took flight this year. Hear a short conversation with University of Central Lancashire's Billy Beggs, the leader of the team who created it.
Sep 30, 2016•4 min
Surveillance, Privacy, and Security on the Internet
A short conversation with--and reading by--Jamie Bartlett, author of The Dark Net.
Aug 31, 2016•11 min
Testing the Toxicity of Black Cohosh
Initial studies from the U.S. National Toxicology Program indicate that black cohosh extract -- widely marketed to treat women's health issues -- is genotoxic.
Jul 28, 2016•11 min
Moving Forward After Flint
A discussion with Virginia Tech graduate student Siddharta Roy on his experiences uncovering the Flint water crisis and how it has affected his outlook on science and his career.
Jun 30, 2016•8 min
Using Computing to Advance Toxicology
A discussion on the use of computer models to screen chemicals for their toxicity--virtually--and so avoid time-intensive and expensive toxicology screenings, including animal testing.
May 25, 2016•23 min
Exploring The Dark Net with Author Jamie Bartlett
A discussion about the what happens in the part of the Internet that's anonymous but where market mechanisms, technology, ethics, and human behavior still mix.
Apr 28, 2016•18 min
Evolution of Sleep and Sleep Disorders
An evolutionary anthropologist thinks there are three particular ways that natural selection has made our sleep different from that of other great apes.
Mar 30, 2016•11 min
Dance: It's Only Human
How and why did we evolve to dance? It's only human, but the benefits are like what chimps get from grooming one another.
Feb 29, 2016•9 min
An Interview with Fracking Expert Avner Vengosh
Geochemist Avner Vengosh of Duke University describes the water issues posed by fracking that he thinks should be of top concern and discusses the politically charged environment surrounding this practice of shale gas extraction.
Sep 18, 2015•14 min
3D Printing Replacement Body Parts
Right now, if one of your body parts fails, the only option for replacement is a transplant. Enter regenerative medicine, a fledgling field with the aim of regrowing parts from a person’s own cells. Researchers in that field are now amplifying their efforts with 3D printing technology, to create scaffolds from organic materials that cells need to grow into their final forms. Richard Wysk, a professor of industrial and systems engineering at North Carolina State University, discusses the latest s...
Jul 17, 2015•13 min
The Living World in Eight Mandalas
Caryn Babaian, an artist and a biology instructor at Bucks County Community College, in Newtown, Pennsylvania, has found a visual format that encourages her students to see and think about these all-important interactions. Here she explains why the mandala, a Buddhist or Hindu graphic symbol of the universe, lends itself so well to the teaching of biology.
Jul 17, 2015•13 min
The Heart's New Beat: Evolution
Biologist Rob Dunn of North Carolina State University sat down to discuss the evolution of the heart, including why dog years are different than people years and the fascinating overlooked research of cardiologist Helen Taussig. At the end of the interview, Dunn divulges how he finds obscure science stories and his advice for students looking to do novel research like his.
Jun 12, 2015•20 min
Engineering Around Extreme Events
Ana Barros, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University and a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer, discusses how engineering can prepare us for extreme weather events, but also how changing climate and population conditions can affect the ability of infrastructure to hold up over time. She suggests that more investment needs to be in place for ensuring infrastructure is maintained, as well as adapting to and mitigating our role in climate change.
May 13, 2015•15 min
Moving Toward Open Access
Biologist Michael Eisen, who is also one of the founders of the open-access publisher Public Library of Science (PLOS), discussed how the idea for PLOS and the open-access movement began.
May 12, 2015•13 min
An Inside View: Tales Told by a Doctor
Terrence Holt, PhD, is a research associate professor in the Department of Social Medicine and a clinical assistant professor of geriatric medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Alongside his medical background, he is also an adjunct assistant professor of English and comparative literature also at UNC, where he teaches courses on medicine and society and on the writing of autobiographical narrative. Dr. Holt is an award-winning author who has published numerous artic...
May 12, 2015•14 min
From Balloons to Space Stations: Studying Cosmic Rays
Cosmic rays have mysterious qualities about them that scientists continue to research in order to better understand their origins and composition. Dr. Eun-Suk Seo, a professor of physics at the University of Maryland, and her colleagues, fly enormous balloons as large as a football stadium and a volume of 40-million-cubic feet for extended periods over Antarctica to reach as close to the top of the atmosphere as possible. The instruments in the balloons can then record the particles coming from ...
Feb 02, 2015•21 min
The Many Personalities of Animals
Have you ever wondered whether animals have personalities the way people do? Dr. Andy Sih, a professor of ecology at the University of California, Davis, researches animal personalities and shows that traits, such as an individuals level of aggressiveness versus passivity, can impact an individuals survival as well as the well-being of its surrounding group. Dr. Sih's work on insects even has implications for understanding how human behaviors are controlled by personality.
Feb 02, 2015•11 min
Compounds Treat Substance Abuse and Parkinson's Disease
F. Ivy Carroll is a distinguished fellow for medicinal chemistry at the Research Triangle Institute, where he is the director of their Center for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry. Carroll has spent more than 30 years studying potential treatments for substance abuse. Among them are two compounds, RTI-336 and JDTic, that he and colleagues studied as potential treatments for cocaine abuse, as well as a potential diagnostic agent for Parkinson’s disease, called Iodine-123 RTI-55. Associate editor Ka...
Nov 11, 2014•10 min
Through the Theoretical Glass
Its difficult to envision what dimensions beyond 3D are, and why physicists, chemists, and mathematicians want to study them. Duke University chemist Patrick Charbonneau studies the theory behind the formation of glass, tackling questions about an area of research called the glass problem. His research has helped progress this field to a new paradigm. American Scientist associate editor Katie L. Burke interviewed him in September 2013.
Nov 05, 2014•20 min
Ultrafast Animals: The Force Behind Trap-Jaw Ants
When people think of the fastest animals, most consider running cheetahs, flitting hummingbirds, or jumping kangaroos. But there's a level above what we think of as fast: Ultrafast organisms conserve energy and move in nano- or even micro-seconds. Sheila Patek, PhD, an associate professor in the biology department at Duke University, discusses her research on ultrafast creatures, including the powerful punch of the mantis shrimp and the force behind trap-jaw ants. By using high-speed digital cam...
Jun 13, 2014•4 min
Ultrafast Animals: The Powerful Punch of Mantis Shrimp
When people think of the fastest animals, most consider running cheetahs, flitting hummingbirds, or jumping kangaroos. But there's a level above what we think of as fast: Ultrafast organisms conserve energy and move in nano- or even micro-seconds. Sheila Patek, PhD, an associate professor in the biology department at Duke University, discusses her research on ultrafast creatures, including the powerful punch of the mantis shrimp and the force behind trap-jaw ants. By using high-speed digital cam...
Jun 13, 2014•7 min
Chasing Down Cosmic Dust
There are major discrepancies between model predictions and observations on cosmic dust and the theories of dust nucleation and formation. New additions to the theory may improve its performance and its ability to predict the properties and formation of nanoparticles. Listen to Dr. Lazzati discuss his research on cosmic dust with managing editor Fenella Saunders in this podcast
Jun 13, 2014•11 min
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