Ask A Biologist Podcast

What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)? How do you make something that is a GMO? Are they safe? These are just a few of the things Dr. Biology discusses with biologist Kevin Folta . The two also talk about how and where you can find information about science that you can trust to be the most accurate.  If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about ne...

They might be colorful. They might be cute to some people. But don’t let that fool you—these bright-colored frogs are poisonous. Dr. Biology talks with biologist Molly Cummings to learn about her work with some frogs that advertise to predators to stay away and other frogs that take advantage of this signal by copying the colors of their poisonous cousins. Learn more - Colorful Copycat Frogs of Pe...

First, it was a knee bone, then a piece of an elbow. An anthropologist saw deep into the past when he discovered a skeleton in Ethiopia that represented a group of human ancestors. To understand a past that goes back millions of years, we often depend on the stories told by fossils. Dr. Biology talks with anthropologist Donald Johanson about the bits and pieces of Lucy and the interesting past tha...

Not everyone has been on a hike and very few have hiked with a park ranger. Dr. Biology hikes South Mountain Park with not one but two park rangers. Park Rangers Liz Smith and Justin Olson are our guides for the 2.5 mile trip up Holbert Trail. This episode provides hiking tips and a preview of what treasures await those who hike this park. This episode also has a companion story, A Walk in the Par...

Teamwork is part of life for ants. These social insects live in a society where group work is wired into each individual’s brain. Listen in as co-host Jane Rector and Dr. Biology continue their conversation about the world of ants with biologist Jennifer Fewell . There is even talk of how basketball teams might take lessons from these tiny animals.  If you have not already, please  subscribe to th...

Teamwork is part of life for ants. These social insects live in a society where group work is wired into each individual’s brain. Listen in as co-host Jane Rector and Dr. Biology learn about the world of ants from biologist Jennifer Fewell . Could leafcutter ants be one of the first animals to farm? If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes...

Young scientists, Farah Eltohamy , Amanda Benedetto, and Sarah Sakha , three of the top winners at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair talk about their work and interview ASU biologist Susan Holechek . Pauline Davies hosts the show as Dr. Biology is exploring the Panama rainforest to bring back fun and exciting stories. The event was sponsored by the Central Arizona Chapter of the Association...

Young scientists, CG Schultz and Jessica Mathews , two of the top winners at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair talk about their work and interview ASU ecologist Kiona Ogle . Pauline Davies hosts the show as Dr. Biology is exploring the Panama rainforest to bring back fun and exciting stories. The event was sponsored by the Central Arizona Chapter of the Association for Women in Science. If...

Have you ever thought of biology as a career path to running a multimillion-dollar project? In this episode, biologist Bruce Hammock talks about life as a biologist, being a businessman, and mountain climbing. Listen in as Dr. Biology learns just how these vastly different interests all fit together. If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episode...

The evening cricket chorus has gone silent on the island of Kauai. Behind the mystery is a parasite fly that is using male crickets as a factory and incubator for future flies. It sounds more gruesome than a science fiction movie, and it's real. Dr. Biology talks with biologist Marlene Zuk about how nature has come to the rescue of male crickets so they can mate and also live to see another d...

Are there really flesh-eating scarab beetles, or is it a movie myth? Just what are dung beetles doing with all the poop they gather in big balls? These are a few of the questions that biologist Mary Liz Jameson answers on this fun-filled podcast. If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.

Listen in on this fun-filled episode as guest Lucy Hawking talks about the Dear Aliens essay contest and also reads from her book, George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt. Then, plan your own essay with the tips that Dr. Biology and Lucy provide. If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.

Dr. Biology and Ask A Biologist co-hosts, Stephanie Galindo , Anthony Delgado, and Raenesha Willis explore the fascinating microscopic world with biologist Page Baluch . Listen in as they talk about their visit to the W. M. Keck Bioimaging Laboratory. If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.

In celebration of the launch of the new Ask A Biologist website, Dr. Biology sits down with biologist Nina Jablonski to talk about our skin - the largest organ of our body. With our new website look, you can think of it as its new skin. In this episode, you learn some fun facts about your skin, such as, did you know you are not wearing the same skin from last year? Also, Nina reads a section from...

What happens when Dr. Biology sits down to talk with science reporter Robert Krulwich ? He learns why the reporter is one of the best at communicating complex subjects. Listen in as the two talk about the craft of radio, film, new media formats, and Robert's podcast program, Radiolab. If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.

Are there vampire bats waiting to drink your blood? Do we have a funny bone in our body? These are just a few of the things Dr. Biology and his guests Rebecca Fisher and Elizabeth Hagen talk about in this interesting episode. You can even listen to some real bat chatter. Learn more: Bats story on Ask A Biologist If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about...

After a long hot summer, it seemed like a good time to see how some animals keep cool in extreme heat and stay warm when it is freezing outside. One animal even uses fiber optics to stay warm when the temperatures are below zero. Dr. Biology talks with biologist Dale DeNardo and engineer and thermographic artist Arno Vlooswijk about what's hot and what's not when it comes to thermoregula...

To fly like a bird. It's the dream of many people - being able to soar in the air without a plane or other device. But have birds always been masters of the sky? Dr. Biology talks with ornithologist Ken Dial about the evolution of bird flight and what he and other scientists have learned with the help of some modern baby dinosaurs (birds). Oh yes, and can penguins fly? If you have not already...

From high on top of the Tepui mountains in South America and into the depths of the Pacific Ocean, Vicki Funk (born: 26 November 1947 – died: 22 October 2019 | age 72 ) and Richard Pyle search the globe looking for new plants and animals. Dr. Biology has a chance to learn some interesting things about exploring and looking for new species - like what the Smithsonian Diet is, and how to lighten the...

Dr. Biology, along with a group of curious high school students, learns why Detective Flora Delaterre is investigating plants and how they can be the perfect medicine for what makes you sick. Once you get an idea behind detective Delaterre's investigations, you will want to jump over to her story on medicines we get from nature.  If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so yo...

It's that time of year when those who haven't been exercising think about starting their new routine, but is all exercise the same? Do you need to run five miles every day to get in shape and be healthy? Dr. Biology has a chance to sit down after a workout session to talk about exercise and kids with metabolic biologist Gabriel Shaibi . What he and a group of researchers found might surp...

Dr. Biology learns some of the secrets behind the jaguar in the southwest. Could they be living here? Listen in as wildlife biologist Emil McCain talks about Jaguars and the research being done to protect their home. If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.

Dr. Biology continues his conversation with Ed Wilson (born: June 10, 1929 – died: December 26, 2021) . The two talk about what it takes to be a great scientist and how to encourage students to be scientists. If you missed it, the link to the first part of the conversation is in Edward O. Wilson Science Rock Star - Part 1 . If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast so you can be no...

Dr. Biology meets up with one of the rock stars of science - Ed Wilson  (born: June 10, 1929 – died: December 26, 2021 ) . While one has his own comic book character the other is larger than life in the world of science. Listen in as these two sit down for a fun conversation about science and art. Edward O. Wilson Science Rock Star - Part 2 If you have not already, please  subscribe to the podcast...

When many people hear the words "marine biology", they think of oceans and the things that live in oceans and seas. What most people do not know is there is an area of biology that studies marine life found in lakes, rivers, and streams. Co-host Michael Saxon and Dr. Biology catch up with limnologist Jim Elser to learn more about these other marine biologists. Along the way, they learn a...