How do you explain science to your family? How has science helped your health or relationships? We talk about this and gut microbes with the amazing Dr. Kat Milligan-Myhre at the SACNAS National Convention in San Antonio. We also had the pleasure of speaking with Minerva Contreras who was presenting her work in neuroscience at the convention and was also a speaker at a live taping of Story Collider . Follow Dr. Kat, Minerva Contreras & SACNAS on twitter @Napaaqtuk @minicontreras @sacnas Check ou...
May 31, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Science, games, comics, any part of geekdom - Are they strong parts of your identity? If so, you will love this show about the annual Seattle convention, Geek Girl Con . We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. J. C. Lau about the mission of Geek Girl Con and video game development. We also met Dr. Adriana Ferez in the DIY Science Zone who shared the story of Chaos Theory with us. Big Thank You to Geek Girl Con , who we invite every year to join in the fun. Jurassic Park clip courtesy of Univers...
May 24, 2019•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know rats in Tanzania are saving lives by detecting landmines and tuberculosis? Our guest Dr. Danielle N. Lee shares with us her work with giant pouched rats and her work on decolonizing STEM. This is our first interview at the 2018 GeekGirlCon . Check out the rest of Dr. Lee’s TED talk featured in this episode by clicking on the link. Twitter: @DNLee5 & @GeekGirlCon Photo: Ryan Lash/TED...
May 17, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is the most common or dangerous geologic hazard in your region? Can you name the nearest Volcano to Bellingham, WA? We enlist the help of WWU’s own Dr. Jackie Caplan-Auerbach and students on campus to answers these questions. We also talk about Dr. Caplan-Auerbach’s research on underwater volcanoes which involved the recent eruptions in Hawaii. Don’t worry, we still bring up some pop culture, which includes commentary on the 1997 movie Dante’s Peak). Photo of Shishaldin Volcano by Pete Stel...
May 10, 2019•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is it like to be entrusted with running a university while being originally trained as an engineer? Check out our 4th Season Finale where we interview WWU President Sabah Randhawa. We discuss science's origins related to the leisure class, parking optimization and how training in science, technology, engineering or math can lead to problem-solving in other parts of life. Video of this interview coming soon but in the meantime, check out this wonderful clip, referred to in our interview, of ...
Jul 29, 2018•43 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast Is there one clear path to take to med school? WWU biology major, Nicole DeRaimo interviewed two other WWU students about their path and plan to go to medical school. Nicole created this podcast in Science Communication 497 taught by Spark Science Host Dr. Barber DeGraaff. Each student has opinions of what kept them on the path and what changed their plans. Image Credit: Michigan Medicine...
Jul 22, 2018•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast How can we watch an action and instantly know how to do it? What about 'Empathy' in humans? What kind of research is happening on the Western Washington University campus? Listen to this episode to find out. Outstanding Behavioral Neuroscience (BNS) graduate, Anna Marie Yanny, interviews BNS chair Dr. Jantzen for WWU Science Communication course. Another student in the class, Lilah Nay, then interviews Anna Marie Yanny about the research undergraduate BNS students are performing at WWU. Lilah Na...
Jul 15, 2018•28 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast Immunology, Tay Sachs, vaccines and the feeling of intimidation when interviewing a person who has won a Nobel prize are the topics of this episode. Dr. Beutler, who was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with another researcher, came to Bellingham, WA in 2018 and I have a few minutes to have a discussion with him. I also enlisted the help from Spark Science veterans and WWU scientists Dr. Jackie Rose and Dr. Dahlberg to answer some of the questions I had about biology termin...
Jul 08, 2018•50 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast Student correspondent, Andra Nordin, attended the 2018 Geohazards Symposium and spent many hours putting this show together. She spoke to scientists about a range of natural disasters and how to prepare for these events. Please enjoy.
Jun 24, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we share the work being done by Dr. Tim Kowalczyk at Western Washington University (WWU) in relation to Solar Thermal Fuels. We break down what this term actually means. We also go back in time and discuss Dr. Kowalcyzk's unconventional path to physical chemistry. Here is a short clip produced by WWU we refer to at the beginning of the interview. Music was created by Dr. Tim Kowalczyk (video game music discussed in the interview) Image credit: MCEC...
Jun 17, 2018•31 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast This episode turns the table on the Spark Science interview process. WWU Women in Physics students Grace Eliason and Megan McAndie interview their WWU Physics professors, Dr. Kristen Larson & host Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff. We talked about family life, paths to physics, being yourself in physics courses, historic women in STEM and what our experiences are as a woman in the physics department at WWU. Please enjoy this fun and personal episode. Image credit: Women in Physics - Jessica Reyna...
Jun 03, 2018•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the second episode featuring LPSC, Natalie talks to Chris Klein a planetary geochemist about Titan and Thomas Humphry Prettyman about using nuclear physics to understand the asteroid Ceres. We also revisit the question "what are biosignatures?" Spark Science Student Correspondent & Chief Audio Engineer, Natalie Moore, traveled to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) this Spring to present research.
May 27, 2018•36 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast Spark Science Student Correspondent & Chief Audio Engineer, Natalie Moore, traveled to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) this Spring to present research. In the first episode featuring LPSC, Natalie talks to Geologist & Astrobiologist Martin Van Kranendonk about hot springs on other planets and how important the drying/wetting cycle is to "life". Natalie asks "when we will know for sure if life exists or did exist off Earth?" They then try to answer the question "what are biosign...
May 20, 2018•31 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast This episode features Chemist Dr. Greg O'Neil f rom Western Washington University. We also have our co-host Jordan Baker back in the KMRE studios. Dr. O'Neil talks about his lab where he creates biodiesel and jet fuel from algae. We discuss scientific conventions dedicated to fuel and the interesting commercial products you can create from the biofuel waste. Image Credit: Tom Kleindinst - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution...
May 06, 2018•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode features another keynote speaker at the 2017 SACNAS National Convention, Dr. Yajaira Sierra Sastre. Dr. Sierra Sastre is a material scientist currently working at the US National Treasury and was selected for the first Mars analog mission funded by NASA. We have a great conversation about dreams, nanotechnology and living on Mars. Listen to find out why I apologize in advance to my friends named Debbie. Please enjoy. This interview was recorded on location in Salk Lake City, Utah in...
Apr 29, 2018•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode features an interview with Dr. Iwasa from University of Utah School of Medicine. She specializes in data visualization using Hollywood and video game techniques to create animations of systems of molecules. We recorded on location in a restaurant in Salt Lake City. We apologize for the sound quality. Image Credit: TED
Apr 22, 2018•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode features the first of our interviews from our annual SACNAS National Convention show. This conference is the largest gathering of scientists of color in the nation and we had the honor of interviewing keynote speakers. Today's speaker is Dr. Rosalyn LaPier who is an award-winning writer studying the environmental and religious history of indigenous plants. The conversation veered from her background in physics, what are the stereotypes when it comes to indigenous scientists and ende...
Apr 15, 2018•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode features work at WWU to create homes sustainably on a smaller scale. We talk with Dr. Imran Sheikh and Kellen Lynch from Project ZeNETH (Zero Net Energy Tiny House) about environmental science, who is really a "scientist" and the need/audience for tiny homes. This episode was co-produced and edited by WWU student Andra Nordin
Apr 01, 2018•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Friday, September 15th, 2017, Spark Science and the Planetary Society held a public wake at the Shakedown in Bellingham, WA, to celebrate the life of the Cassini Mission -- a 19-year space mission to study Saturn and its many moons. This episode features the eulogies read by Planetary Society’s Director of Space Policy Casey Dreier, NASA scientist Melissa Rice, Author George Dyson and music by Scary Monster and the Super Creeps. Enjoy the ride. Image credit: NASA Check out pictures of the wake o...
Mar 25, 2018•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we talk with award-winning author Ken Liu . His short story, "The Paper Menagerie", recently read by Levar Burton , is the only story to win the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. We talk about how this moving tale has touched so many people and also learned more about how Liu’s work weaves science into wonderful storytelling. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we enjoyed having it. Image Credit: © Lisa Tang Liu...
Mar 18, 2018•51 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Attending Geek Girl Con is now a tradition for Spark Science. This time we are featuring famed science communicator and creator of the DIY Zone (at Geek Girl Con) Dr. Raychelle Burks. We also had the pleasure of speaking with awesome astronomer Dr. Nicole Gugliucci (also known as twitter's @noiseyastronomer ), the Bug Chicks , SciFi writer Astrid Amara and more. We hope you enjoy listening to these amazing women....
Mar 11, 2018•59 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 4! We hope you enjoy our first episode of the season featuring author of The Martian and Artemis, Andy Weir. We had a great conversation about space elevators, history, & character development. The co-host for this show was environmental student and Spark Science blogger, Jonathan Flynn. Thank you to Andy Weir, WWU Video Services and Village Books Photo: Jonathan Willams - WWU
Mar 04, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast For our Season Three Finale we interviewed our national representative from the 2nd Congressional District of WA State, Rick Larsen . The guest cohost was Planetary Society’s Director of Space Policy and friend of the show, Casey Dreier. We did our first cross over podcast with Planetary Radio – Space policy edition and talked about Congressman Larsen’s love of science, how science gets funded, how politicians get their scientific information and what is the role of scientists and science enthus...
Sep 03, 2017•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast There are thousands of beautiful images of and from the surface of Mars. In this episode we talk about how and why these images are taken by rover photographers. From the taking images in black & white images verses color to church glass, how we study Mars through photography is fascinating. Special thanks to Emily Lakdawalla, Melissa Rice, Nicole Schmitz and resources from KMRE – Spark Radio & Western Washington University Image Courtesy of NASA
Aug 27, 2017•11 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Do you love Soccer? Is Futbol part of your life? If so, we have an episode for you. Student intern Taylor Raybould requested a show on the physics of the almost universally beloved sport. Our guest today is Dr. Andreas Riemann, the chair of the WWU physics department. Dr. Riemann teaches physics of sports course and has a great time talking to Taylor about the world of soccer/futbol. Note: This episode has a bit of an audio issue. We hope it isn't too distracting Image Reference...
Aug 20, 2017•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Enjoy this short PSA about the Solar Eclipse coming August 21, 2017 produced for Spark Radio, KMRE in Bellingham, WA. For more information go to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/ Thank you to Spark Radio and WWU's own Robert Clark for production and editing Image Courtesy of NASA
Aug 18, 2017•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode we have a round table discussion about what disaster and horror movies say about our society with WWU medical anthropology professor Dr. Sean Bruna and a couple of anthropology students. The first student works under Dr. Bruna's and also happens to be the Spark Science video editor, Kyle Mullins. The second student continues the Spark Science tradition of family member co-hosts, Dr. Barber DeGraaff's father Ramon Barber Jr. Ramon is finishing a degree in Anthropology at SDSU. Enj...
Aug 06, 2017•28 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode we explore the work of Western Washington University biologist Dr. Robin Kodner. She studies algae populations from the peaks of mountains to beautiful bays. Dr. Kodner's work combines the disciplines of computing (Bioinformatics) and astronomy (Astrobiology). She also has a great idea about how algae can be the plot of a disaster movie. This episode was edited by Victoria Highley. Check out her other work at Spoons for STEM Image Courtesy of Dr. Robin Kodner...
Jul 29, 2017•50 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s episode is a collection of student podcasts from a Science Communication course at Western Washington University. This is the second in a two-part series. Course professors were Mars Planetary Geophysicist Dr. Melissa Rice & Spark Science host, Astrophysicist Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff. The show features students Andrew Hood, Jonathan Cornet, Huy Nguyen and AJ Calder. Subjects range from science education, an exposé on a local Bellingham business owner/scientist, and one student’s journe...
Jul 23, 2017•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s episode is a collection of student podcasts from a Science Communication course at Western Washington University. This is the first in a two-part series. Course professors were Mars Planetary Geophysicist Dr. Melissa Rice & Spark Science host, Astrophysicist Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff. The show features students Derek Thedell, Zac Laycock, Andra Nordin, and Megan McAndie. Topics range from science education to research on binary stars to the societal impacts of stepping foot on Mars. Ima...
Jul 17, 2017•53 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast 
