Science Talk

Christmas at the Moon; and <i>Instant Egghead Guide: The Mind</i>

24 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American editor Michael Battaglia discusses the online In-Depth-Report on Apollo 8, which orbited the moon 40 years ago this week. And auth...

From Carbon to the Cretaceous: Report from the American Geophysical Union Meeting

19 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American editor Davide Castelvecchi reports from the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco. Subjects incl...

Klaatu's Back and He's Not Happy

10 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Derrickson, director of the new version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, talks about his take on the iconic sci-fi movie. And Nobel laureate Ri...

The Science of Pain

03 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Stanford University pain expert Sean Mackey talks about the modern take on pain, how to treat it, why treatment is so important, and the relationship ...

Viruses against Disease; Going Batty for Bats

26 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American editor in chief, John Rennie, talks about the contents of the December issue, including bat evolution and how magicians are helpin...

Approval of Seals: Wildlife Docs and Their Exotic Patients

19 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Some veterinarians treat animals much more exotic than the family pet. Jeffrey Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center, talks about the ...

Kayaking Antarctica with Jon Bowermaster

12 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

How a warming climate leads to freezing penguins, with journalist and author Jon Bowermaster, who has kayaked the world's seas, most recently in Antar...

The Day After: Science in the Obama Administration

05 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Stanford University biologist Sharon Long, a science advisor to the Barack Obama campaign, talks about science in the upcoming administration. Plus, w...

Cemetery Science: The Geology of Mausoleums

30 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

For Halloween, we take a tour of Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, N.Y., with geologist Sidney Horenstein and Woodlawn expert Susan Olsen, concentrating...

Today's Alternative Energy; and November Issue Topics, Including Computer-Brain Interfaces and DNA Computing

22 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American magazine editor in chief, John Rennie, talks about the November issue's contents, including computer-brain interfaces, DNA computi...

More Than Pickles and Ice Cream: The Link Between Diet and Fertility

15 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist Walter Willett talks to SciAm correspondent Cynthia Graber about his latest book, The Fertility Diet as...

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about <i>E. Coli</i>, Part 2

09 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Carl Zimmer continues his discussion of E. coli, the bacteria that are the subject of his new book Microcosm: E. Coli and the New Science of Life. Plu...

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about <i>E. Coli</i>, Part 1

08 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Carl Zimmer talks about E. coli, the bacteria that are the subject of his new book Microcosm: E. Coli and the New Science of Lif...

Searching for Intelligence

01 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Carl Zimmer talks about the search for the physiological and biological basis of intelligence, the subject of his article in the...

Earth 3.0

24 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti talks about Earth 3.0, a new SciAm publication concerning energy, sustainability and the environment. And Sc...

The Large Hadron Collider Goes to Work

11 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek and Scientific American editor George Musser talk about the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful parti...

Tom Friedman's New Book--<i>Hot, Flat, and Crowded</i>

09 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Tom Friedman discusses his new book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--And How I...

Who's Watching You: The Future of Privacy

03 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American editor in chief, John Rennie, discusses the future of privacy and security, the subject of the September single-topic issue of Sci...

Return of a Killer: Tuberculosis in Russia

27 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran journalist Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in Science project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, discusses his serie...

What's the Buzz: A Conversation with Buzz Aldrin

20 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, talks about solar energy, buses between the planets, the Constellation program, his time on the moon ...

Superdove!: The Straight Poop on Pigeons

13 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Courtney Humphries talks about her new book, Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan...And the World. Plus, we'll test your knowledge of some recent ...

Inside <i>SciAm</i>: The August Issue

08 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this special edition of Science Talk, Scientific American editor in chief, John Rennie, talks to Steve about the August issue of the magazine, whic...

Inside China: Science, Technology, Energy and the Environment

06 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Former Washington Post Beijing bureau chief, Philip Pan, author of Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China, discusses the scienc...

Outsmarting Bombers; and A Warless Future?

30 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

IEEE Spectrum editor in chief, Glenn Zorpette, talks about high-tech attempts to battle improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq as well as the sta...

Visit to the Fair: Inside a Tech Expo

23 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we feature five interviews conducted at the Digital Experience! computer and electronics expo that took place in New York City in June...

The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory

16 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

George Musser talks about his new book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory. Plus, we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the new...

The Long and Winding Road: DNA Evidence for Human Migration; Plus July Issue Highlights

07 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Gary Stix discusses his July Scientific American cover article on DNA evidence for the history of human migration. And editor in chief, John Rennie, t...

Gott Ya: Astrophysicist J. Richard Gott on Time Travel and Presidential Polling

25 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Princeton astrophysicist J. Richard Gott discusses some of the realities and speculations of time travel (one human holds the record for time travel--...

One Singular Sensation: Will We Upload Our Brains, and Other Questions Related to "The Coming Singularity"

18 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Glenn Zorpette, executive editor of IEEE Spectrum magazine, and journalist John Horgan discuss various ideas related to what some call "the coming sin...

<i>The Happening</i>: A Conversation with Director M. Night Shyamalan

12 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

M. Night Shyamalan's new film, The Happening, involves an environmental backlash, the limits of reason and the beauty of math. SciAm editor George Mus...

Fact and Fiction: James Randi's "Amaz!ng Meeting" and Mark Alpert's Physics Novel, <i>Final Theory</i>

04 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

James Randi, famous debunker of frauds, talks about the "Amaz!ng Meeting" coming up in Las Vegas, and SciAm editor Mark Alpert discusses his new physi...

The Feral Biologist: A Talk with George Schaller; A Look in the June <i>SciAm</i>

28 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

The Wildlife Conservation Society's George Schaller talks about his new book, "A Naturalist and Other Beasts," which covers his 50 years of documentin...

Little Brains, Big Brains: Latest Flores Hobbit News and the Intel Science Fair

21 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Wong brings us up to date on the ongoing research into fossils of the tiny human, called the Hobbit, found on the island of Flores. And Ivan Oran...

China Quake Update; Fictional Scientists; What's New at SciAm.com

14 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

David Biello reports from China on the aftermath of the major earthquake that struck this week. Mark Alpert talks about the portrayal of scientists in...

Evolution Enclaves: Darwin the Botanist and Origins of Life Research

07 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

David Kohn, curator of the Darwin's Garden exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden, discusses Darwin's botanical studies. And Harvard Medical School'...

Plasma Physics: From Black Holes to Radio Reception

30 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Plasma plays a big role from the ionosphere to black holes. Stanford physicist Roger Blandford explains plasma and its connection to black holes in a ...

Can Science Save the Banana?

23 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

The banana is the world's most important fruit. But it's under threat from a disease spreading around the world. We'll hear from Dan Koeppel, author o...

On The Shoulders of Giants: John Wheeler and Salome Waelsch

16 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Physicist John Wheeler and geneticist Salome Waelsch both had incredibly long and fruitful careers, providing numerous fundamental insights in their r...

Expelled Explained

09 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

A new movie, Expelled, claims that intelligent design is good science that is being censored by adherents to evolution, which is nothing but Darwinian...

A Scientists' Bill of Rights?

02 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Francesca Grifo from the Union of Concerned Scientists talks about the need for legislation to protect federal scientists. We'll also hear from the U...

Baseball Science

26 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Gordon, editor of the new book "Your Brain On Cubs" from the Dana Foundation, talks about the neuroscience of baseball players and their fans. And...

For the Birds: A look at birds, habitat conservation and environmental economics

19 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Ornithologist and conservation biologist Jeffrey Wells talks about birds and their roles as markers for environmental health. He also discusses the Bo...

Science and America's Future

12 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Argonne National Laboratory director Robert Rosner talks about the role of science in keeping America an economic leader. Plus, we'll test your knowle...

A Mars Rovers Once-Over

05 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

We look at the state of the rovers currently on Mars, the big accidental discovery by the Spirit rover, and the next-generation device slated to join ...

Arachnophilia! And War...What Was It Good for (in Human Evolution)?

27 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Spider expert Greta Binford, from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and her student MG Weber talk about the fascinating world of spiders. And...

Science, Science Everywhere: AAAS Conference Highlights

22 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we'll hear about the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which took place last week ...

Fat Chance: Do Dietary Guidelines Actually Contribute to Obesity?

13 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Albert Einstein College of Medicine public health researcher Paul Marantz questions whether dietary guidelines are counterproductive, ...

You Say Potato, I Say Cassava: Language, Culture and Perception

06 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, University of California, Berkeley, linguist Alice Gaby talks about the relationships among language, culture, cognition and percepti...

Knock, Knock, Hal's There: Teaching Computers Humor; and the 50th Anniversary of America's First Satellite

30 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, University of Cincinnati researchers Lawrence Mazlack and Julia Taylor discuss their efforts to improve human-computer communications...

What's The Matter?: Cold Dark Matter and the Milky Way's Missing Satellites

23 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American editor George Musser talks with Caltech Astronomer Josh Simon about dark matter, and about the efforts to try to ...

Mindful Motion: Miguel Nicolelis and Mind-Powered Robots; and Creating Science Cities in Brazil and Beyond

16 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American editor Christine Soares talks with Duke University neuroengineer Miguel Nicolelis about his groundbreaking work i...

Whose Phone Is It, Anyway: Did Bell Steal The Invention?

09 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, journalist and author Seth Shulman talks about his new book, The Telephone Gambit, in which he produces compelling evidence that Alex...

Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: Sci Am's History of Debunking

02 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie talks about the magazine's history of involvement with efforts to debunk medical quak...

What's In A Latin Name: The Legacy of Linnaeus

26 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Harvard naturalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author EO Wilson talks about Linnaeus and the continuing effort to classify life on ear...

Here Comes the Sun--A Grand Plan for Solar Energy; and Sci Am's New Body

19 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti talks about an audacious new plan, featured in the January issue of Scientific American, fo...

Are There (Microbial) Aliens On Earth?

12 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, theoretical physicist, cosmologist and astrobiologist Paul Davies ponders the question of whether life originated more than once on e...

Three Whiz Kids, Two Winning Projects And A Nobel Laureate

05 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology solo winner Isha Himani Jain and team titlist Janelle Schlossberger (who shared the...

Neuroscience and the Law

28 Nov 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga talks about neuroscience's impact on legal practice, and The Law and Neuroscience Project, a new Mac...

The Science of Cheese; and Scientific American's New Community

21 Nov 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, University of Wisconsin-Madison cheese researcher Carol Chen explains the physics, chemistry and biology of cheese. And Scientific A...

The Ethics of Climate Change; and NOVA Does Dover

07 Nov 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, University of Wisconsin-Madison public health expert Jonathan Patz talks about the ethical issues raised by climate change--who's cau...

Good Germs, Bad Germs

24 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, journalist Jessica Snyder Sachs, author of the new book Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World, talks about ...

Chickens and Pigs and Yeast, Oh My!: The Public Health Threat of Animal Diseases; and Gene Duplication in Evolution

17 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American news editor Phil Yam discusses how veterinarians, physicians and multinational food companies need to work togeth...

When Worlds Collide: The Ig Nobel and Nobel Prizes

10 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Ig Nobel Prize maven Marc Abrahams discusses this year's crop of "winners." And we'll review the recipients of the 2007 real Nobel Pr...

The Final Frontier: Our Future in Space

03 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American editors George Musser and Steven Ashley discuss the special section of the October issue devoted to the future of...

Who Do You Think You Are: Chatting With Bots, and the Sexuality Spectrum

26 Sep 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, pyschologist Robert Epstein talks about his articles in the upcoming issue of Scientific American Mind, on being fooled by a chatterb...

What's In A Rose: Ethnobotany and the Search for Useful Plants

19 Sep 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, ethnobotanist Nat Bletter talks about his field and his recent article about the new plant family Simulacraceae--the phony plants. Pl...

Can Fat Be Fit?

12 Sep 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, award-winning journalist Paul Raeburn talks about his article in the September issue of Scientific American, called "Can Fat Be Fit?"...

Another Look at The World Without Us; and What's New At Scientific American

29 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, journalist Alan Weisman continues his discussion (started on the June 27th podcast) about his bestselling book "The World Without Us,...

The World Is Fat: Obesity Now Outweighs Hunger WorldWide

22 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode University of North Carolina Chapel Hill nutrition epidemiologist Barry Popkin discusses the growing problem of obesity, even in devel...

Is Your Food Contaminated; New Orleans Now; And the Science of Dogs

15 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti talks about the challenges of keeping the food supply safe and about the state of New Orlean...

Better Brains: The Revolution in Brain Science

08 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Scientific American correspondent Christie Nicholson talks to journalist Sharon Begley about the changing landscape of brain science. ...

Is Privacy Dead? Technological Approaches to the Technological Threat

01 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Latanya Sweeney talks about the changes in privacy due to data collection and approaches...

Saddle Up That Stegosaurus--A Visit to the Creation Museum

25 Jul 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Columbia College Chicago's Stephen Asma discusses the new antievolution Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., as well as his books on na...

Space For Both?--Human Vs. Robotic Space Missions

18 Jul 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Cornell University astronomer Jim Bell talks about future space missions and why people need to be part of them. Bell is the leader of...

Systems Biology: The Future of Biomedical Science?

11 Jul 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode eminent biologist Leroy Hood, founder of the Institute for Systems Biology, talks about systems biology, an approach to understanding ...

Benjamin Franklin the Scientist

04 Jul 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this Fourth of July episode, historian Joyce Chaplin discusses Benjamin Franklin the scientist, and how his science paved the way for his future ca...

The World Without Us: Suppose Humans Just Vanished--Then What?

27 Jun 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, journalist Alan Weisman, Laureate Associate Professor in Journalism and Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona, discusse...

Jared Diamond on the State of the World Environment

13 Jun 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, biologist, ecologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jared Diamond discusses the environmental state of the world and the relations...

How Cargo Containers Shrank the World and Transformed Trade; and Smart Skylights

30 May 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Maritime History Professor Arthur Donovan talks about cargo containerization and how it transformed world markets. And architect Paul...

The Encyclopedia of Life; and the End of John Horgan's Pessimism

16 May 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist and writer E.O. Wilson talks to award-winning journalist John Horgan about the Encyclopedia of Life ...

Beer Science; And A Cancer Research Report

09 May 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, University of California, Davis, professor Charles Bamforth talks about beer science. And journalist Kevin Begos discusses the cente...

Small Matters: Microbes In Us And The Environment

02 May 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Stanford's David Relman talks about the microbial life that lives on and in humans. Princeton's Andrew Dobson discusses the importan...

Peer Review of Peer Review; and the Franklin Institute Awards

25 Apr 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie discusses peer review of scientific literature, the subject of a panel he recently se...

Atul Gawande, Author of Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance

18 Apr 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, surgeon, writer and MacArthur grantee Atul Gawandee talks about his new book Better, which focuses on performance as a science. Plus...

Catching Corrupted Photos; and Big Bird Brains

11 Apr 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, animal behavior expert Bernd Heinrich discusses his article in the April issue of Scientific American on animal intelligence, and Ado...

Baseball Science

04 Apr 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, former big league pitcher Dr. Dave Baldwin talks about his run-in with Ted Williams, his life in science, the physics of the gyroball...

Alcoholism and Genetics; and Why Aren't the Pioneer Spacecraft Where They Should Be?

28 Mar 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, psychiatric geneticist Laura Jean Bierut talks about her article in the April Scientific American about the influence of genes on alc...

Naturally Speaking: Finding Nature's Treasure Trove with the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition; and Natural Products Chemistry

21 Mar 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the J. Craig Venter Institute's senior computational biologist Douglas Rusch talks about the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition's genom...

Made To Stick: Crafting Memorable Messages; and Cycling For Days On A Gallon Of Gas

14 Mar 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Stanford University's Chip Heath talks about his book Made To Stick, which discusses the secrets behind crafting messages and ideas t...

Leave It To Beaver (To Return To New York City); and AccesScience '07, Communicating Science To Everyone

07 Mar 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the Wildlife Conservation Society's Stephen Sautner and John Delaney talk about the appearance of a beaver in New York City for the f...

Who Speaks For Science?

28 Feb 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American contributing editor Wayt Gibbs talks about a session at the recent meeting of the American Association for the Ad...

No Laughing Matter: Mo Rocca On Humor Theory; Report From the AAAS Conference

21 Feb 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, TV essayist and radio host Mo Rocca talks about the science of comedy and vice versa; and journalist Corinna Wu reports on the annual...

My Unfunny Valentine: The Truth About Online Dating; and The Myelin Repair Foundation--A New Model For Outcome-Oriented Biomedical Research

14 Feb 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Scientific American Mind contributing editor Robert Epstein talks about the pitfalls and potential of online dating. And Myelin Repa...

The Heat IS On: International Global Warming Consensus; and Academy Award Winning Audio Science

07 Feb 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, SciAm.com associate editor David Biello discusses the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released last week in...

TV Of Tomorrow; Battle Of The Science Journals; US Budget Crunch Threatens National Lab

31 Jan 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, journalist Michael Antonoff, author of the article Digital TV At Last? in the February issue of Scientific American, talks about the ...

Good News About Coffee And Amazing Skeptic Conference

24 Jan 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, food ingredient expert Roger A. Clemens discusses research suggesting that coffee drinking has numerous beneficial health effects. S...

Better Ways To Cut A Cake and To Pick A Champion

17 Jan 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, mathematician Michael Jones talks about improved methodologies for cake cutting. (It involves the equitability of the division, not ...

The Inevitability Of Cancer's Commonality; and High School Math Whiz

10 Jan 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, author and journalist Carl Zimmer talks about his Scientific American article Evolved For Cancer?, which looks at how natural selecti...

Tears And Other Traits That Make Us Human; What Color Is Your Placebo Parachute

03 Jan 2007

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, journalist Chip Walter, author of Thumbs, Toes and Tears, takes us on a tour of the physical traits that are unique to humans, with s...

Rampaging Robots and Killer Komodos

27 Dec 2006

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, robotics writer Daniel Wilson talks about his book How To Survive A Robot Uprising: Tips On Defending Yourself Against The Coming Reb...