PNAS Science Sessions - podcast cover

PNAS Science Sessions

PNAS•pnas-science-sessions-podcast.libsyn.com

Welcome to Science Sessions, the PNAS podcast program. Listen to brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in PNAS, plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

Last refreshed: July 22nd, 2025 at 7:07 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Origins of the kinetochore

Eelco Tromer and Jolien van Hooff explain the origins of the kinetochore in eukaryotic cells.

Jul 20, 2020•17 min

Breaking the STEM ceiling

Fabiola Gianotti, Marcia McNutt, and Donna Shalala discuss the past, present, and future of women in STEM.

Jul 06, 2020•16 min

Size limits of ice

Francesco Paesani, Thomas Zeuch, and Valeria Molinero discuss the size limits of ice crystals.

Jun 22, 2020•14 min

How marine reptiles moved from land to sea

Julia Schwab and Steve Brusatte describe how marine reptiles made the evolutionary move from land to sea.

Jun 08, 2020•12 min

Nutrient dilution and grasshopper decline

Ellen Welti explains how grasshoppers in a Kansas prairie could be in decline even with abundant grass.

May 26, 2020•7 min

Protein design and its applications

NAS member David Baker describes how to design proteins from scratch and the products of his lab's own protein design efforts

May 11, 2020•18 min

Active learning in STEM

Elli Theobald and Scott Freeman describe the benefits of active learning for underrepresented minority students.

May 04, 2020•6 min

Designing street networks

Adam Millard-Ball and Chris Barrington-Leigh explain trends in urban street network design.

Apr 20, 2020•7 min

Engineering T cells to fight disease

NAS member and Nobel laureate David Baltimore describes efforts to enhance T cells' ability to fight cancer and HIV.

Apr 06, 2020•7 min

Dynamics of RNA frameshifting

Christine Dunham discusses RNA frameshifting and its potential applications in biotechnology.

Mar 23, 2020•6 min

Albatross patrol

Henri Weimerskirch describes how albatrosses can help detect illegal fishing boats.

Mar 09, 2020•6 min

Stardust predating the Solar System

Philipp Heck tells the story of interstellar stardust grains that predate the Solar System.

Feb 24, 2020•7 min

The Science of Science Communication

Baruch Fischhoff, a decision scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the ingredients necessary for effective science communication.

Feb 10, 2020•7 min

Impact crater in southern Laos

Kerry Sieh recounts the hunt for a meteorite impact crater in Southeast Asia.

Jan 21, 2020•6 min

Human–clam cohistory

Dana Lepofsky describes ancient sustainable clam gardening practices.

Dec 30, 2019•7 min

Artificial intelligence in the laboratory

Theoretical physicists Hans Briegel and Hendrik Poulsen Nautrup describe an artificial intelligence that can design quantum experiments.

Dec 16, 2019•7 min

Rhetoric of the French Revolution

Simon DeDeo and Alexander Barron discuss the rhetoric that shaped the French Revolution.

Dec 02, 2019•9 min

Ocean eddies and shark foraging

Cam Braun explains how ocean eddies allow sharks to dive and forage in deep water.

Oct 28, 2019•7 min

Signs of admixture in fossil record

Shara Bailey explains the significance of a three-rooted lower molar in an archaic jaw.

Oct 15, 2019•6 min

Nucleic acid liquid crystals

Noel Clark and Tommaso Bellini describe how nucleic acids form double-helical liquid crystals, with implications for the origins of life.

Sep 30, 2019•7 min

Eye movement and visual perception

Benjamin de Haas explains individual differences in eye movement patterns.

Sep 16, 2019•6 min

Serotonin, platelets, and immunity

Eric Boilard explains the role of serotonin and platelets in immune responses.

Sep 04, 2019•7 min

Interfaces and Mixing

A collection of research articles explores developments in interfacial transport and mixing, with wide-ranging practical applications.

Aug 19, 2019•14 min

Origin of sunflower family

Jennifer Mandel outlines the evolutionary history of the sunflower family.

Aug 05, 2019•6 min

Nutrients and Chesapeake Bay recovery

Jonathan Lefcheck and Robert Orth discuss nutrient pollution and recovery in the Chesapeake Bay.

Jul 22, 2019•8 min

Physics of chocolate-making

Daniel Hodgson explains the physics of chocolate-making.

Jul 08, 2019•6 min

Adapting to climate change

Chris Field discusses misconceptions about climate change and how humans can adapt to a warming planet.

Jun 24, 2019•6 min

Climate change and global economic inequality

Noah Diffenbaugh and Marshall Burke discuss how global warming impacts economies and income inequality.

Jun 11, 2019•6 min

Bacterial symbiosis with bobtail squid

Margaret McFall-Ngai describes how a symbiont bacterium affects a host cephalopod.

Jun 11, 2019•7 min

Aftermath of Chicxulub asteroid

A paleontological site preserves the immediate aftermath of the asteroid impact that may have caused a global mass extinction.

Jun 11, 2019•14 min

← Prev Next →

Hosted on Libsyn

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android