Science for the People

#446 Frogs From the Skin In

03 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pictures of poison frogs are a popular form of home decor. Tiny size, bright colors, super deadly, they've got it all. But how exactly do poison frogs...

#445 AI: Ant Intelligence

27 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at why ants seem to act much smarter in groups than on their own, and how we can study their swarm intelligence using robots. We'll ...

#444 The V-Word (Rebroadcast)

20 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking at the social and biological science of female sex organs. We'll talk to Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Bapti...

#443 Batteries

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People we take a deep dive into modern batteries: how they work now and how they might work in the future. We speak with ...

#442 From Nobel to Ig Nobel

06 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Nobel prizes are, well, the Nobel prize of prizes! One of the most elite prizes in the world. But where did they come from, why do they matter, an...

#441 Superhuman

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take a closer look at people with brain abilities that appear superhuman. We speak with Craig Stark, Professor of Neurobiology and Behavi...

#440 Weapons of Math Destruction (Rebroadcast)

22 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People we look at the modern, inventive ways we try to use math and algorithms to make better decisions, and what happens...

#439 Flooded

15 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People, we take a closer look at what happens when water falls from the sky, how it moves once its on the ground, and wha...

#438 Big Chicken

08 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We eat a lot of chicken. But we didn't used to. What changed? In part, what changed was the discovery that antibiotics could build a bigger, better ch...

#437 Tiny Bubbles, Big Impact

01 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're discussing an effect called cavitation: low pressure causes bubbles of vapour to form in a liquid, which can cause a lot of damage wh...

#436 Beauty is A Beast (Rebroadcast)

25 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're exploring the science of beauty products and procedures. We'll talk to cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski, co-founder of thebeauty...

#435 Total Eclipse of the Sun

18 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On August 21, 2017, a solar eclipse is going to appear, visible to most of the continent of North America. Bethany is very, very excited. What's going...

#434 The Dictionary

11 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at the science, art, and craft of lexicography as we go backstage into the process of how dictionaries are made. We spend the hour w...

#433 The State of Science Journalism

04 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we step into the world of science journalism from the perspectives of two unique and reputable popular science publications. Guest host Anik...

#432 A Sting In The Tail (Rebroadcast)

28 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're learning about the fascinating lives of bees, and the important role they play in our global ecosystem. We'll speak to University...

#431 Memory and Emotion

21 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at how our brains process memory and emotion. We talk to Michael Yassa, Associate Professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and B...

#430 Bacteria in Bodies and On The Farm

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at how new science and new challenges are pushing us to think differently about the role of bacteria in healthcare and pest control ...

#429 Gene Drives

07 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People: who is driving this genetic bus? We'll talk with Kevin Esvelt about gene drives, what they are, where they come f...

#428 Cities of the Future (Rebroadcast)

30 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're listening to "Cities of The Future," a panel discussion about the future of human living spaces recorded live at CONvergence 201...

#427 The Life Project

23 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're diving deep into the history and current state of some of the largest and longest running studies in the world. We speak with science ...

#426 Everybody Poops

16 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People, everybody poops! And everybody pees. But we probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about exactly how that wo...

#425 Cooperative Microbes

09 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking at some of the ways bacteria cooperate with other organisms to break down plants. First we speak with Dr. Lisa Karr, Associat...

#424 Biohacking (Rebroadcast)

02 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking about do-it-yourself biology, and the community labs that are changing the biotech landscape from the grassroots up. We'll dis...

#423 Built On Bones

26 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we dig into the world of bioarchaeology to discover what a bunch of dead people's bones can tell us about our past. We spend the hour with B...

#422 Is Our Children Learning

19 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on science for the people, we're taking on the educational system. We'll be talking with Ulrich Boser about what people think they know abou...

#421 Hopeful Monsters

12 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People, we are talking about a controversial theory in evolutionary biology that has led to research on the role of singl...

#420 Medical Marijuana (Rebroadcast)

05 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're taking a closer look at the medical marijuana controversy. How effective is medical marijuana and for what conditions is it a suitabl...

#419 The Death and Life of the Single-Family House

28 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People we take a closer look at North America's housing culture: how it got the way it is today, and how it's changing. W...

#418 Animal Research Revisited

21 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re revisiting animal research. There's no denying animal research has done amazing things for both humanity and the animals we live...

#417 Lab-Cultured Beef

14 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we go into a lab that's working to make our kitchens more sustainable. Guest host Jessie Yaros speaks with Professor Mark Post about lab cul...

#416 Bodies Everywhere (Rebroadcast)

07 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're looking at the morbid and fascinating history of our attempts to grapple with disease and death. We're joined by medical historian Ric...

#415 Weapons of Math Destruction

31 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People we look at the modern, inventive ways we try to use math and algorithms to make better decisions, and what happens...

#414 Perpetual Now

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us probably think about memories as being about the past. But when memories are gone, it becomes clear just how much they are also about the f...

#413 Concrete

17 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week is all about that most ubiquitous of building materials: concrete. Historian Robert Courland joins us to talk about his book "Concrete Plane...

#412 PTSD

10 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People, we’re talking about our changing understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how we define the trau...

#411 Coal Wars (Rebroadcast)

03 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're learning more about the fossil fuel that powered humanity's first industrial age, and helped set us on a course for a looming climate ...

#410 The Big Sleep

24 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take a closer look at hibernation and how it works. We speak with Kelly Drew, a neuroscientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who...

#409 Trump War On Science

17 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at what's happening to science in the first days of the Donald Trump presidency, and what might happen if we don't take action in a ...

#408 The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar

10 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we look at the strange, curious, and sometimes amusing strategies creatures use to make it through the day. Guest host Jessie Yaros spends ...

#407 Voices Within

03 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're thinking about how we think: the ways we talk to -- and with -- ourselves, why we do it at all, and what happens when some of us hear ...

#406 Running Low (Rebroadcast)

27 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're going back to a previous episode and looking across the Periodic Table and assessing the scarcity of modern society's essential eleme...

#405 STEM Pipeline

20 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at the current state of the STEM pipeline and what happens when people drip out. We speak with Paula Stephan, Professor of Economics...

#404 Sex In The Sea

13 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk about sex... in the sea! Anika Hazra speaks with marine biologist Marah Hardt about her new book "Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Conne...

#403 Indigenous DNA

06 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take a closer look at the intersection of genetics, politics, identity, and hundreds of years of colonization. We speak with Kim TallBear...

#402 Boozy Science (Rebroadcast)

30 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking back at a previous episode an discussing some science surrounding our favorite adult beverages. We'll revisit our interview w...

#401 The Serengeti Rules

23 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're exploring how life is regulated at very small scales -- down to the molecular level -- and how those rules and regulations also seem t...

#400 What Doesn't Kill You...

16 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're discussing public perception of entomologists and their study organisms of choice: insects. We speak with Justin Schmidt, author of th...

#399 The Sugar Pill

09 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're taking on the science of the sugar pill. We're talking about the placebo effect, its potential benefits and its pitfalls. We speak wi...

#398 Gifts For Nerds

02 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Once again, we're here to help you with all your nerd-specific holiday shopping with our annual gift guide for science lovers. We brought back Skepchi...

#397 Risk Management

25 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re talking about risks and resources. We speak with Dr. Lianne Lefsrud, Assistant Professor of Engineering Safety and Risk Manageme...

#396 Trench to Bedside

18 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking on maggots, wounds, and diarrhea in an episode about medical problems that plague the military, so make sure your last meal is ...

#395 Happy People (Rebroadcast)

11 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're exploring what science can tell us about happiness. We'll speak to John Helliwell, Co-Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced ...

#394 On the Origin of Bad Science

04 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking about what bad science looks like, why good scientists with good intentions often use techniques of bad science in their work,...

#393 Check Your Facts

28 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're sitting down with three experienced fact-checkers to better understand what the process of fact-checking looks like from the inside, a...

#392 Venomous

21 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're looking at some of the animals, insects, and creatures we fear the most and the venom that makes them so powerful. Biologist and scien...

#391 Effective Altruism (Rebroadcast)

14 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're learning how science can boost the effectiveness of philanthropy. We'll talk to philosophy professor William MacAskill about his...

#390 Decolonizing Colonization

07 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're trying to wrap our head around our colonial history and the ideas of decolonization. We speak with Ryan McMahon, creator of the Indian...

#389 The Jazz of Physics

30 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at what science, music and art can learn from each other. Theoretical physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander, author of the n...

#388 Fish

23 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People we have a trio of fishy experts helping us look at how fish are adapted to their — sometimes extreme —...

#387 The Melting World (Rebroadcast)

16 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we look back at a previous episode about how climate change is altering the face of the planet, and affecting the lives of the people who l...

#386 Humans Vs Robots

09 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're airing a recorded panel, moderated by Desiree Schell, from the recent Skepchickcon track at CONvergence 2016 in Bloomington, Minnesota...

#385 Sociolinguistics

02 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're learning about the field of sociolinguistics: what it is, why it's important, and what it can tell us about our culture and our societ...

#384 Grunt

26 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're tackling the science of the soldier and how to keep them fighting when difficult conditions -- and our own human bodies and brains -- ...

#383 The Atomic Era (Rebroadcast)

19 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking back at a previous episode and learning about the power and peril of the atom, with two books about women who were instrument...

#382 Risk of Going Nowhere

12 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're airing a recorded panel, moderated by Desiree Schell, from the recent Skepchickcon track at CONvergence 2016 in Bloomington, Minnesota...

#381 The Triumph of Seeds

05 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're exploring the world of seeds: how they've become so successful, how they work, how humans depend on them, and what we still don't unde...

#380 Yer A Wizard Harry

29 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today we mashup the science of genetics with the world of Harry Potter to get a better handle on how genetics works, and to find out what the odds are...

#379 A Special Hell (Rebroadcast)

22 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're going back to a previous episode talking about the use - and appalling misuse - of genetics in pursuit of human perfection. We'll spea...

#378 Paris Climate Agreement

15 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're reviewing the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris and trying to better understand what happened at the confere...

#377 Hearing From The Humanities

08 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking a tentative step into the humanities. We spoke with Jimena Canales, the Thomas M. Siebel Chair in the History of Science at the...

#376 Technology, Work and The Future

01 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're thinking about how rapidly advancing technology will change our future, our work, and our well-being. We speak to Richard and Daniel ...

#375 Severed (Rebroadcast)

24 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're going back at a previous episode, looking at our scientific curiosity - and morbid fascination - about the human body and its ama...

#374 The Ninth Planet

17 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week on we're turning our attention to Pluto – what we used to think of as our ninth planet – and also to the mysterious new Planet 9...

#373 The Confidence Game

10 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're looking at the science -- and art -- of the con, from huge Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds. We speak to Maria Konnikova about her n...

#372 The Planet Remade

03 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking a look at the controversial strategies and science of geoengineering. We'll speak to Oliver Morton, author of the new book "The...

#371 Meningitis

27 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking about meningitis and legal issues surrounding parents and standards of care. We speak with three members of The Maiden Lab, a ...

#370 Me, Myself, and Why (Rebroadcast)

20 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're revisiting a previous episode and exploring genetics, neuroscience, and psychology, to find out what makes every person - and pe...

#369 Fraud and Forgery

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking a look at two very different types of white collar crime -- financial fraud and painting forgery -- and how we use investigatio...

#368 Beyond the Galaxy

06 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're looking at astrophysics, zooming out to get a better idea of how universe works and what it might look like. Astrophysicist Ethan Sieg...

#367 Neurodiversity

29 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're exploring our evolving understanding of neurodiversity and the different ways people think. We've invited award winning science writer...

#366 Self-Driving Cars

22 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Science for the People, we’re talking with three guests about the technology challenges, possible repercussions, and ethical quanda...

#365 Evolutionary Psychology

15 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking at the field of Evolutionary Psychology: what is it, how the research is done, what types of questions it might be good at an...

#364 Combat-Ready Kitchen

08 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking at how food -- and the containers it comes in -- have changed over time, and some of the factors that have influenced these c...

#363 Falling Into The Fire (Rebroadcast)

01 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking back at a previous episode to get a gripping first person account of the challenges involved in mental health diagnosis and t...

#362 Roadkill

25 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're looking at the surprisingly robust science research that can be done with animals that have died along our highways. We'll speak with ...

#361 Too Hot To Handle

18 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking about sex education: why we started teaching it in schools in the first place, how it's changed over the years, and what it mi...

#360 Medical Marijuana

11 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're taking a closer look at the medical marijuana controversy. How effective is medical marijuana and for what conditions is it a suitabl...

#359 In The Courtroom

04 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're going inside the courtroom to try and understand how evidence and witness testimony is presented, and how courtroom strategy can affe...

#358 Zika

26 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're focusing in on the Zika virus and the current outbreak to better understand what we know about how its spreading and what the risks ar...

#357 The Brain Electric

19 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking at the progress we've made toward connecting our minds with machines. We talk with journalist Malcolm Gay about the challenge...

#356 Insects En Masse

12 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're looking at two types of insects that have made their homes among us in our cities, and are almost always found in large groups and col...

#355 Superstorm (Rebroadcast)

05 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're revisiting a previous episode, exploring the evolving frontier of extreme weather, and how it's influenced by our warming planet. We'...

#354 HIV and AIDS: Updated and Revisited

29 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we've brought together a panel of experts to talk about the history of HIV/AIDS, and get an update on the current science, ongoing research...

#353 Scream

22 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking about fear: how it works, what it does to our bodies and brains, and why we sometimes seek it out. We'll spend the hour with M...

#352 Good Thinking

15 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're trying to better understand our human brain, it's quirky ways and unexpected processes, so we can use it better in daily life. We'll ...

#351 Contraception

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking a closer look at our current – and potential future – contraceptive methods. We'll speak with Beth Sundstrom and An...

#350 Science In Wonderland

01 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're learning about imaginative ways to teach science to children, and how to use science as a tool for parenting. We'll hear about fancif...

#349 Getting Away With Murder (REBROADCAST)

25 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're looking back to a fan favourite, "Getting Away With Murder," a panel discussion about forensic science and pop culture recorded live ...

#348 Artificial Intelligence

18 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're talking about artificial intelligence, and how thinking machines are fitting into – and changing – our lives and cultures...

#347 Where Do Camels Belong?

11 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're discussing ecosystems, biodiversity, and whether or not "invasive" outside species are really as bad as they're made out to be. We'll...