KGNU - How On Earth

With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 1 of our annual “Graduation Special”. Our guests in the studio today are scientists and engineers who have or will soon receive their Ph. D. from the University of Colorado in a STEM-related field.  They talk about their thesis research, their grad school … Continue reading "2023 Graduation Special (part 1)"

In this week’s show Beth speaks with Adam Alexander, author of The Seed Detective, a treasure trove of stories about heirloom seeds and the plants they grow into. Not only does he entertain with his adventures in exotic places, but he also takes the reader on a journey through the history of many common cultivated … Continue reading "Chasing Heirloom Seeds with the Seed Detective"

Energy  Technology that will Power the World (Entire Show)  We look at a climate change discussion from CU-Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs about our Energy Future – where the panelists included ideas about hydrogen, geothermal and nuclear power . . . and we get audience reaction both pro . . and con. Go here for … Continue reading "Green Energy & Nuclear Power"

Chronic pain science and treatments (start time: 4:27) In this week’s show host Susan Moran interviews two experts on the emerging neuroscience of and mind-body treatments for chronic pain, which is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. As many as one in five Americans suffer from chronic pain. The problem has cost the … Continue reading "Your Brain On (and off) Chronic Pain: Part I"

We share news about upcoming science events, cancer-causing additives in Easter candy, and we hunt for Colorado’s native Easter Daisies. Tibetan Watershed in Danger (Starts 1:00)  Lobsang Yangtso speaks 11 AM Wednesday at CU Boulder about the crucial need to protect Tibet’s “Roof of the World” and its role in the world water supply.  Wednesday’s … Continue reading "Easter Candy Risks & Real Easter...

Today on How on Earth, Beth speaks with William Penuel, faculty in the School of Education at CU Boulder, and part of the Renee Crown Wellness Institute. He designs and studies curriculum materials, assessments, and professional learning experiences for teachers in STEM education, especially in science. His work is beginning to focus more on cultivating … Continue reading "How to Make STEM Better"

Water Recycling for Climate Resilience (start time: 7:54) When you poured tap water into your coffee maker this morning, or flushed the toilet, you may not have been thinking about where that water came from, or where it flowed to next. Pegged to World Water Week, on this week’s How On Earth host Susan Moran … Continue reading "Water Reuse for the Arid West"

On today’s show, Benita speaks with author John Perlin about his book, A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization. The book follows the rise and fall of human civilizations as they fuel their success and reap their downfall by using trees as a key resource. Published by Patagonia, Perlin revised this … Continue reading "Mankind Owes Its Success on Earth to Decimated Forests"

On today’s show Beth talks with Dr Elissa Epel, about her book, The Stress Prescription,Seven Days to More Joy and Ease. As the director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center and associate director of its Center for Health and Community, she studies stress, aging, and obesity. Her book is quick and easy to read … Continue reading "A Less Stressful Life- in Seven Days?"

We talk with Dr. Casey Fiesler, Associate Professor of Information Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder about “generative AI,” particularly regarding ChatGPT and DALL-E, which are topics of recent news stories expressing excitement and concern. We asked ChatGPT to write a description of what such an interview might be: Dr. Casey Fiesler joins Joel Parker on the … Continue reading "AI or...

Colorado Environmental Film Festival is an annual event that takes place in Golden, at the American Mountaineering Center.  This year’s festival starts Thursday Feb 23, 2023 and goes through Sun, Feb 26, 2023.  Today, we talk with festival co-chair Dave Steinke and Environmental Filmmaker John DeGraff.  We feature the films, Stewart Udall and the Politics … Continue reading "Colorado Environmental...

Your Brain on Music (start time: 6:18): Most people love music, whether it’s opera music, jazz, rock-n-roll, gospel, nursery rhymes or another genre. Whether you’re a trained professional or someone who just likes to sing in the shower or listen to your favorite playlists, you’ve likely felt the power of music in shaping your thoughts, … Continue reading "Music on the Brain"

In this episode, Jill Sjong interviews Wild Nature Media‘s David Neils who has been studying mountain lions and other apex predators in Colorado’s wild lands for over 20 years using remote cameras.  They visit one of the front range’s best habitats for mountain lions, the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, located near where the Big Thompson … Continue reading "Mountain Lions in Northern Colorado"

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – JWST – was launched on December 25th, 2021.  We talked with scientists and engineers about JWST’s first year and some of the projects it is being used for.  In this second part of our JWST special, our guests and their projects are: Dr. Imke de Pater (Distinguished Professor Emerita, … Continue reading "James Webb Space Telescope (Part 2)"

This week on How on Earth, Beth speaks with Professor Carol Gigliotti about her new book, The Creative Lives of Animals. She provides a new perspective on animals as agents in their own lives, as valuable contributors to their world and ours, and as guides in understanding how creativity may contribute to conserving the natural … Continue reading "Animal Creativity"

Various experts share pros and cons about Lecanemab (starts 1:00) the newly approved drug for Alzheimer’s. Dale Bredesen of Apollo HealthCo (starts 5:30) shares his criticisms of the new Alzheimer’s drug and gives recommendations for better ways to improve cognition. Links to topics mentioned in this show: American Alzheimer’s Association Statement urging Medicare and Medicaid … Continue reading "...

Better Electric Car Batteries are a key to moving toward all-electric cars.  While the standard liquid lithium ion/graphite battery is making advancements, this week’s show focuses batteries that add new materials to the mix for batteries that could be safer, faster charging and longer range.  Featured are Colorado’s Solid Power solid state battery, the Sila … Continue reading "Colorado’s Solid Po...

On today’s show, Beth speaks with Michael Stein, primary care physician and researcher, who has been writing about medicine and public health for decades. In Me Vs Us, he instigates a conversation about how we might change the current situation in which public health loses out to individual medicine and how public health nevertheless holds … Continue reading "The Health of the US Public Health Sys...

We share the science team’s top science stories of 2022: DART Asteroid Deflection (Starts 1:00) mRNA Vaccine for RSV (starts 3:30) Bumblebees Like to Play (starts 6:00) Sexual Pleasure in Female Snakes (starts 8:30) Alphafold Protein Folding  (starts 11:00) CU Boulder Scientists Make Graphyne (starts 13:30) Chatty Chatbots Can Backfire (starts 18:00) Ancient DNA Indicates … Continue reading "Top S...

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – JWST – was launched one year ago on December 25th, 2021.  We talked with scientists and engineers about JWST’s first year and some of the projects it is being used for.  In this first part of our JWST special, our guests are: Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney (Planetary Scientist Postdoctoral Researcher, … Continue reading "James Webb Space Telescope (Part 1)"

In today’s show Beth talks with Aric Prather, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, where he co-directs the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Center. A licensed clinical psychologist, he has helped hundreds of patients improve their sleep. In his new book, The Sleep Prescription, Dr. Prather describes the … Continue reading "Looking for a G...

Unruly Planet (start time: 5:31) This week on How On Earth Susan Moran interviews science journalist Madeline Ostrander about her recently published book, At Home On An Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge On A Changed Earth. The author reflects on what it means to reimagine the concept of home, and to literally find a secure home, … Continue reading "Finding Home in a Changing Climate"

This week on How on Earth Beth talks to Dr. Robynne Chutkan, about her newest book, The Anti-Viral Gut, in which she describes research elucidating the protective role of the microbiome. Many studies have confirmed the link between the health of our microbiome—the trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive tract—and our likelihood of … Continue reading "Can Your Microbiome Protect You Agains...

How on Earth’s Beth Bennett talks with authors Ridge Shinn and Lynne Pledger about how regenerative grazing can replace corn-based feedlots, which are responsible for significant climate emissions, nitrogen pollution, and animal suffering. Their book, Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World, outlines a hopeful path out of our broken food system via regional networks of regeneratively produced … C...

Recycling: Obstacles and Progress (start time: 4:35): This week’s How On Earth focuses on the state of recycling and composting in Colorado and well beyond. A newly published report by Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG shows that Colorado ranks well below the national average, and below its own goals, on recycling and composting. But the report also … Continue reading "Recycling: Obstacles and Progress"