KGNU - How On Earth

BUZZ:  Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils and Adrenaline Junkies.    We speak with clinical psychologist and author, Ken Carter about his new book BUZZ, and high-sensation seekers who can’t get enough “new” and love to seek out more.  Carter is a consultant for the Denver Science Museum’s Extreme Sports exhibit, running through spring 2020.  He speaks at the Boulder Bookstore … Continu...

How To [starts at 4:30] Our guest for this episode is Randall Munroe, perhaps best known for his comic xkcd, and author of the books “What If” and “Thing Explainer”.  Randall has figured out how to do many things, so he wrote a new book appropriately called “How To”, which promises to provide absurd scientific advice for common real … Continue reading "Randall Munroe Explains “How To”"

Almost Human – The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds (Extended Version) by Alfred Fidjestøl.  This is the full version of the interview.

Almost Human:  The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds.  In this fall pledge drive show, we feature  Alfred Fidjestøl‘s new biography about one of Europe’s most famous chimpanzees.   (We’ll broadcast the full interview with Alfred Fijestol at a later date.) Hosts: Shelley Schlender & Chip Grandits Producer/Engineer:  Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Joel Parker

We talk with University of Colorado Scholar in Residence Jorge Perez-Gallego about many non-traditional paths one might take after getting a science Ph. D. as well as CU’s Grand Challenge and the fascinating intersection of science and art through the Nature, Environment, Science & Technology (NEST) Studio for the Arts. Host, Producer, Engineer: Joel Parker Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlen...

Beth interviews neuroscientist and addiction researcher Scott Swartzwelder who talks about his research on reversing alcohol-induced brain damage in young rats. In past work, Professor Swartzwelder and colleagues have identified specific areas of the brain damaged by drinking, especially in adolescent rats. In this interview, he describes, how this damage occurs, and amazingly, how treatment … Con...

Amazon Burning – (starts 3:15) CU Boulder Earth Lab Director Jennifer Balch explains how the burning of the tropical rain forests may destroy them, and ways to protect the forests and sustainable development Hosts: Shelley Schlender, Susan Moran Producer/Engineer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Beth Bennett

Tackling ozone pollution in Colorado (starts at 3:55): Cooler fall weather might soon bring back the bluebird skies we all love. But last year ozone levels in the Denver metropolitan area were high enough to prompt state health officials to issue ozone action alerts an average of once a week. (This summer has fared somewhat better.) During … Continue reading "Tackling Ozone Pollution"

On this week’s show Beth speaks with Vicki Vargas-Madrid, Program Administrator for the Denver Lights Out Program. This program is part of the Denver Sustainability Office, which seeks to conserve energy and promote sustainable lifestyles. They discuss the program’s efforts to reduce bird mortality following collisions with windows by reducing night time illumination. To learn … Continue reading "...

Creative (Climate) Communications [starts at 7:40] As a climate scientist Professor Max Boykoff is part of a community that has been persistently making the case that global warming is a serious problem, with severe and widespread consequences and that human activity is contributing to the problem and significant changes in human behavior is instrumental to addressing … Continue reading "Creative...

Edible Bugs (Entire Program) When it comes to an animal that has high quality proteins and fats, plus a very small environmental footprint, there’s more bang to the bug.  We talk about, and taste, edible bugs with Wendy Lu McGill, founder of Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch, and Amy Franklin, Founder of Farms for Orphans that teaches orphanages in … Continue reading "Edible Bugs"

GLEE (starts at 8:06) We just recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing.  After the Apollo missions, scientists have returned to the Moon with robotic missions because of the scientific clues the Moon can provide about the history of the Earth and the solar system, as well as learning more about the lunar … Continue reading "Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone"

In this episode, Beth speaks with Dr Marc Bubbs, author of Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance, his book exploring the fundamentals of high performance. He offers science-based strategies on nutrition, training, sleep, recovery, and stress management to optimize performance for all levels of athletes and trainers. You can read more about the book … Continue reading "Marc Bubbs & The New...

  Slime:  How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us.  (Starts 00:00) We speak with science writer Ruth Kassinger about her acclaimed new book, which  Kirkus Review describes as “accessible and enthralling.”   Nature Science reports that Kassinger’s book, “ is a real pleasure. ” Publisher’s Weekly writes, “ Kassinger turns an obscure subject into delightful … Continue reading "Slime:...

The PUNCH mission (starts at 8:05) NASA’s new mission to study the Sun is called PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere).  In this episode of How on Earth we talk with solar physicist Dr. Craig DeForest, the Principal Investigator of the PUNCH mission.  Dr. DeForest is a Program Director at the Boulder office of Southwest … Continue reading "PUNCH-ing the Sun"

Despite all the advances in modern medical science, a diagnosis of Cancer often casts a pallor of hopelessness, for both the patient and the practitioner.  For many types the prognosis is often poor; the cure is often worse than the disease; victory is usually called simply remission, temporary, perhaps fleeting.  One might think the inability … Continue reading "Cancer, Immunity and the Future of...

Yeast & Entropy  (starts 2:30) When yeast cells eat sugar and then give off ethanol, it helps us make yeast breads and beer.  But WHY would yeast work so hard to metabolize sugar, simply to spit out as ethanol?  This is a mystery that Matthias Heinemann is  trying to figure out. Heinemann is a professor … Continue reading "Yeast & Entropy"

Air Pollution, Possible Solutions (start time: 2:36) It is ubiquitous and essential to our life. It it is also the cause of some 7 million premature deaths around the world every year, ranking just behind diet, cancer and tobacco as a health risk. That’s the air we breath. Beijing, New Delhi, and London are among … Continue reading "Toxic Air’s Health Risks"

This week on How on Earth, Beth interviews Nara Milanich, author of Paternity: The Elusive Quest for the Father, and professor of history at Barnard College. For most of human history, paternity was uncertain while motherhood most definitely was not. But in the 1920s new scientific advances promised to solve the mystery of paternity. The … Continue reading "Paternity Science"

In the first feature (start time 1:00) KGNU’s Maeve Conran speaks with Antonia Malchik, author of A Walking Life.  This book  explores the relationship between walking and our humanity, how we have lost it through a century of car-centric design, how we can regain it and more.  This part of the interview, produced especially for … Continue reading "A Walking Life // MOSAIC Arctic Expedition"

With graduation season is upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is our annual “Graduation Special”. Our guests in the studio today are scientists who have or will soon receive their Ph. D. in a STEM-related field.  They talk about their thesis research, their grad school experiences, and what they have planned next. Marcus Piquette – CU … Continue reading "2019 Graduation Special"

We speak with Larry Gold, founder of the Gold Lab Symposium that will take place at CU Boulder’s Muenzinger Auditorium this Friday and Saturday.  This year’s symposium will feature leading scientists discussing the double-edged swords of our modern treatments for cancer, immunity and autoimmunity.  To sign up or learn more, see Gold Lab Foundation. Host,Producer,Engineer Shelley Schlender … Contin...

Tackling Plastic Pollution (starts at 3:09):  It is, sadly, common for beachcombers around the world to see, along with clam shells and sand dollars, plastic bottles, bottle caps, cigaret filters and fish nets washed up on shore. According to estimates by World Economic Forum, our oceans will be populated by more pounds of plastic waste … Continue reading "Plastic Pollution & Solutions"

In this week’s show, Beth interviews Joshua Goldstein. He and co-author Steffan Qvist wrote eloquently about how nuclear energy can replace fossil fuels – a vital necessity in a rapidly warming world. A new generation of nuclear plants reduces waste and completely eliminates CO2. In Sweden, France and Ontario, these plants have allowed these countries … Continue reading "The Nuclear Option for Dec...

  Concussion Test (Starts 1:00)  David Howell is chief researcher at Children’s Hospital Colorado.  Howell says the century old Romberg Balance Test can help evaluate how long a child will need therapeutic intervention after a blow to the brain.   Pot & Pain Meds (Starts 7:00 )  Mark Twardowski is doctor in Grand Junction who does endoscopic procedures that include … Continue reading "Concussion T...