Scienceline - podcast cover

Scienceline

Scienceline•scienceline.org
Science
The Scienceline podcast is produced by the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program in the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. For more information, e-mail us at [email protected].
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Episodes

Are atoms, bacteria and plants conscious?

In this podcast, Scienceline speaks to philosophers David Chalmers, Philip Goff, and biologist Karl Niklas to discuss whether atoms, plants, and bacteria are conscious.

Aug 05, 2020•7 min

Garrett Fondoules: Being alone on and off the Appalachian Trail

Can you be a pro at isolation? If anyone could be, it seems like it would be Garrett Fondoules. Normally, he travels across the Appalachian Trail, working to map its landmarks and boundaries. Sometimes, he scarcely sees another human face. Wouldn’t a little more isolation be nothing new? Yet like everyone, Fondoules’ life has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fondoules tells Rebecca Sohn of his life before the pandemic — one filled with scenic views, folk dancing with friends, and the hard ...

Jun 17, 2020•7 min

Is artificial intelligence changing art?

As artists harness the powers of technology for their art, several essential questions arise. What does it mean to create art with artificial intelligence? Are these techniques truly new? And why do we even need art that uses algorithms? This seven-minute episode will explore these questions, among others.

Jun 10, 2020•7 min

What makes music sound...good?

Think about a song you like. Regardless of the genre, the song probably includes either reverberation, distortion or both. These add texture to the music that we tend to crave. But how do they work? As a guitar player, I thought I knew. But I’d never taken a pause to think about the details. To find out what exactly reverberation and distortion are and how they are produced, I speak with Stephen Kurpis, audio engineer from Vitruvian Sound NYC.

Jun 05, 2020•7 min

Listening to the urban choir

Perhaps you were woken up today by the calls of a singing bird — perhaps trying to mate, or simply to communicate. In an Anthropocene world, those birdsongs are changing. Songbirds today, many of whom live in the midst of human cities, are singing into increasingly noisy skies. Their songs must compete with the din of planes, trains, and automobiles — and birds have been adapting their song to compensate.

Jun 03, 2020•7 min

Hot or not, cigarette butts release toxins

We all know smoking is bad for your health. So is second-hand smoke. It turns out, even a leftover cigarette butt could be bad for you as well. Most butts are made with plastic and are not biodegradable. Scientists know nicotine and other toxins leach out of these ubiquitous plastic waste products, but recent research shows they could expose us to hazardous chemicals through an unexpected path — the air.

May 14, 2020•5 min

Coronavirus: a name game

Corryn Wetzel speaks with a professor of ethnic studies, a civil rights organization and an infectious disease expert to understand how rhetoric around COVID-19 has impacted Americans.

Apr 16, 2020•6 min

How volcanic eruptions may hold the key to averting the climate crisis

As the world faces unprecedented climate disasters — from the months-long bushfires in Australia to the rapidly melting ice-sheets of Greenland and Antarctica — teams of scientists from around the globe are busying themselves to come up with new climate solutions.

Feb 05, 2020•11 min

PODCAST: What shells can tell us about the world

Shells, often overlooked on the sea shores, tell professor Geerat Vermeij a story about evolution that spans millions of years. Vermeij, a leading geologist and creator of the famous escalation theory, has been captivated by shells since a young age. His is the story of pursuit of passion despite an obstacle that might deter others. You see, professor Vermeij is blind. Listen to his inspiring story of beauty and undeterred curiosity about the world around us.

Jun 20, 2019•9 min

PODCAST: Dog cloning, explained

Earlier this year, the world learned that Barbara Streisand had cloned her beloved pet dog, Samantha. As a news item, it was a weird novelty that got a fair amount of attention. But I wanted to know: How exactly do you clone a dog? In this podcast, I dug into the science of cloning to figure it out. Along the way, I learned a bit about why people clone their pets and what parts of the cloning process can get a little hairy.

Jul 28, 2018•7 min

PODCAST: Call these plants by their names

In the far reaches of the South Pacific lies the country of Vanuatu, a small cluster of islands about 1600 miles east of Australia. This hard-to-reach archipelago covers an area smaller than the size of Hawaii. Despite its minute size, the islands are immensely diverse. The country has one of the highest language densities in the world (112 to be precise) and its forests are teeming with a rich array of local plant life. Vanuatu’s plant diversity has never been fully recorded, however, and the c...

Jul 07, 2018•7 min

PODCAST: If you can sing, can you talk?

Whether it takes place onstage, at karaoke, or in the shower, singing is a special activity unique from speech. And since it uses a lot of the same machinery (mouth, tongue, voice box, etc.), at least some of that difference must lie in the brain. This podcast looks at the mental phenomenon of song from both sides. Bernadine Gagnon, a Columbia speech therapist, explains how singing can sometimes help stroke victims re-learn to speak, and Kalman Katlowitz, a NYU neuroscientist, talks about his la...

Jun 20, 2018•6 min

PODCAST: How researchers track sound to spy on migrating birds

It’s a bird! It’s a plane? No, wait, you can hear that it’s a bird. Tracking bird migration can be tricky, especially in a dark sky. But when individual species of birds talk with each other through flight calls, researchers can listen in to determine exactly what species are flying overhead. And now, researchers are developing a computer system — dubbed BirdVox — that automatically picks out and identifies the bird sounds. In this podcast, I chat with creators of BirdVox to learn how they cut t...

Jun 09, 2018•6 min

PODCAST: The Hudson River is flowing with pharmaceutical drugs

Prescription drugs seep from Manhattan into the Hudson River, where they can wreak havoc on unsuspecting fish. A recent study found drugs at several points along the river, providing one more piece of evidence in a trend found across the nation. Dan Shapley, one of the study’s authors, explains how the drugs made their way into the river, and Jim Meador, an aquatic toxicologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, describes the potential consequences for fish.

Jun 07, 2018•6 min

PODCAST: Take a Tour of Central Park's Feathered Friends with Birding Bob

Robert DeCandido, or Birding Bob as he is known by his legions of fans, is infamous in New York’s birding community for his boisterous antics and extreme enthusiasm. Experts and novices alike flock to him (pun intended) to lead them through Central Park’s surprisingly abundant avian wildlife. In this podcast, I follow along on his tour to learn how a big city can offer great birdwatching.

Mar 21, 2018•4 min

PODCAST: Sense of self

Humans begin as tiny clumps of cells. Somehow, we evolve into mature individuals with unique personalities. I wanted to dissect that process and discover how babies develop a sense of identity. In this podcast, I speak with Peter Gordon at Teacher’s College, Columbia University and Catherine Tamis-LeMonda at New York University to learn about the milestones that mark the development of identity. I also interview Katie Moisse and her daughter Lou to watch the process unfold.

Mar 10, 2018•6 min

PODCAST: One man's quest to save a rare reef fish

Alex Vagelli is the no-nonsense director of science and conservation at the Center for Aquatic Sciences — a research center at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. In 1995, the aquarium received a shipment of Banggai cardinalfish, which is a peculiar reef fish from Indonesia. Vagelli found himself traveling to and from Indonesia for the next 20 years, studying this fish and documenting its precipitous decline. He became invested in its protection. But so far, conservation efforts have prove...

Feb 23, 2018•7 min

PODCAST: In herbs we trust

After spending years in the biodiverse jungles of Bolivia and tropical islands of the Caribbean, Ina Vandebroek came to New York City to study plants. To find them, she didn’t visit the parks or upstate forests. She went to the Bronx. More specifically, she went to botánicas, suppliers of amulets, candles, religious articles and hundreds of fresh and dried plants. There, Ina discovered a whole community of immigrants and Latinos who rely on these stores as an alternative health care system. An i...

Dec 07, 2017•6 min

PODCAST: Old Beef

Your steak might not be as fresh as you think. But that’s not a bad thing. Aging is actually an important step in the meat-making process. Dry-aged steak is perhaps the most commonly aged meat among carnivorous connoisseurs, with a distinct musky flavor and tenderness that only months of patience bring. But actually, a lot of the meat we eat is aged to some extent. Even game birds, lamb, pork and fish sometimes get the treatment. In this podcast, I talk to Jason Yang, head butcher at Fleisher’s ...

Nov 01, 2017•6 min

PODCAST: Bring oysters back into NYC’s waters

New York City used to be the Big Oyster before it was the Big Apple. But pollution and overharvesting drove oysters to extinction in this area. Now high school students and community volunteers are bringing these bivalves back into the city's waters. They believe that by helping oysters they can also help New Yorkers to develop a closer relationship with nature. Scienceline's Cici Zhang reports.

Sep 27, 2017•6 min

Atomic Town

The audio story Atomic Town allows listeners to wind their way though the inland American West, stopping along the way in towns that have been shaped by the atomic era. It focuces on Scienceline reporter Eleanor Cummins’s hometown, Richland, Washington, and the local high school’s nuclear mascot.

Aug 01, 2017•5 min

Keeping up with the collections

Universities and museums are stores of human knowledge, but not just in a metaphorical sense. Millions of plants, animals, and minerals fill cabinets in collections across the world. But collecting specimens is easy compared to cataloging them. Harrison Tasoff went to learn how institutions are addressing a growing backlog of samples.

Jul 02, 2017•6 min

PODCAST: The harp doctor is in

You can tune a harp, and then you can regulate a harp. The latter is a more intricate and precise tuning. If that’s what you need, Rachael Galbraith can help you. Galbraith is a certified harp technician, making her one of a small cohort of professionals trained to execute the miniscule adjustments needed to regulate a harp. Scienceline’s Leslie Nemo joined Galbraith for one of her appointments and learned a thing or two about the mechanical side of the musical instrument.

May 16, 2017•7 min

PODCAST: Sensing the team

Scientists pinpoint how chemicals drive social behavior in ants Ants are incredibly social animals. Thousands of ants scuttle around the colony, working together to accomplish all kinds of complicated tasks. Scientists have investigated the evolution of social behavior, revealing where and how sociability is built into an ant’s DNA. In this podcast, I speak with biologist Daniel Kronauer at Rockafeller University and James Traniello at Boston University to explore why ants are social butterflies...

May 08, 2017•5 min
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