Assigned Scientist at Bachelor‘s

Bad news: Tessa got COVID. Good news: She's fine! And so is her wife, and presumably her lizard. We talk through her experience, give a PSA on sexually transmitted HPVs, advocate for a new max vax movement, and talk about which animal we would least hate to be stuck as if we got trapped à la Tobias in Animorphs.  Show notes and a transcript for this episode will be posted at: https://asabpodcast.c...

Román Ramos Báez (Romi) joins us to talk about PLANTS! Plant hormones, plants living their best and worst lives, and the mysteries of plant development. Specifically, what's even up with bonsai?  Romi can be found on Twitter @ sensitiveroots and on their website .  Show notes and a transcript for this episode will be posted at: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/12/18/episode-40/ The show is on Twitter...

In this episode we're joined by astronomer Emily Hunt to talk about space, galaxies, the taxonomy of celestial bodies, and whether to put your brain in a robot body, and why. We had some connectivity issues so the audio isn't perfect, but it was such a delightful conversation, we couldn't scrap it.  Emily is on Twitter @ emilydoesastro .  Show notes and a transcript for this episode will be posted...

Regress to your emo years and revisit with us Repo! The Genetic Opera, a cult classic - but deservedly? We're not so sure. It may be Halloween but it feels like Christmas for Charles, who got to trap Tessa in a podcast about musical theatre. Also we talk about organs a lot.  You can find this episode's transcript at our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/10/31/episode-38/ The show is on Tw...

On this week's episode, we discuss different science-fictional (and some fact-ional) scenarios that are our own personal nightmares. Subjects include alien abduction, brain implants, space travel, and fish wearing glasses.  You can find this episode's transcript at our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/10/28/episode-37   The show is on Twitter @ ASABpod , Charles @ cockroacharles , and Te...

This week we're joined by myrmecologist and all-around delight, Aaron Fairweather. Aaron joins us to talk ants, taxonomy hot-takes, and being a furry in science communication - our first furry guest, but certainly not our last.  Find Aaron and their scicomm on Twitter @ entobird and @ insectaaron .  A transcript and show notes are on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/10/01/episode-36/...

In this episode we watched and discuss the first two episodes of the classic alien teen romance drama, Roswell (not the CW show from 2019). Aliens! Mysteries! Teen love! A perfect show, except for everything wrong with it.  A transcript is available at our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/09/04/episode-35/ Charles is on Twitter @ cockroacharles , Tessa is @ spacermase , and the show is @...

We chat with astrophysicist Teal about the James Webb Space Telescope, their research on space, what makes an atmosphere, and whether there's any controversy to what makes an atmosphere, among other topics. There's also another long rumination on death, which isn't even because we're living through a pandemic, we're just Like That.  Teal is not on social media. Don't perceive them! Only appreciate...

Delayed but never forgotten, we recorded this episode with materials scientist and all-around delight DECADES (months) ago so there are some timeline inconsistencies but it's still a banger of a conversation that touches on Nicole's graduate work, moving from academia to industry, what would the alien industrial complex be, and thank God most old blogging platforms are defunct.  Nicole's work can...

This week we decided to be almost timely for once, and talked about "Helicopter Story" by Isabel Fall, recently nominated for a Hugo in two categories. We talk about the story itself, backlash, counter-backlash, and managed to get Chuck Tingle in there.  For a transcript and some links, check out our website: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/07/16/episode-32/ Charles is on Twitter @cockroacharles Tess...

In this episode, Theo Tiffney - recent PhD, crucial figure in ASAB history, and our friend - tells us about hepatitis C. We go through the disease itself, its treatment, and how drug companies once again screwed people over.  A transcript of the episode is available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/07/01/episode-31/ Theo isn't really Online, but you can find Charles @cockroacharle...

For our first Pride Month episode, we're joined by biologist Fayth Tan, whose work focuses on regeneration. We talk about what the heck regeneration really is, why we see it in some organisms and not others, the lies told to us by pop culture, and our most beautiful "is it gay if it's in space?" yet.  Follow Fayth on Twitter @faythtan or check out their lab at Caltech, the Goentoro Lab .  See show...

For this week's episode we're joined by "trans scientist, engineer, and inventor" Michaela Gallucci, founder of State of the Climate and host of science channel izzitMichaela , to talk about her background in science, her ongoing projects, and whether any of us would date a robot (yes, depending).  We're having some technical issues with our website, so show notes and a transcript will be posted w...

This week's episode is an exploration of the modest but fascinating family Ulidiidae, the "picture-winged flies." Tangents include fly phylogenies (fly-logeny), sperm and the distribution thereof, and whether there's any truly correct way to pronounce scientific names.  A transcript of the episode is available at our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/05/06/episode-28/ This episode follows...

This week we are ecstatic to share our conversation with Annalee Newitz, author of fiction (Autonomous, Future of Another Timeline) and nonfiction (most recently Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age) and podcaster (Our Opinions are Correct, which they host with Charlie Jane Anders). We talk about coming out as non-binary to the world, archaeology, writing science fiction, and whethe...

This week we have Kaitlin Rasmussen, "stellar astrophysicist and exoplaneteer," on to talk about their research in exoplanets, planets in general, spectrographs, and telescopes. We get a lengthy interlude about history of scientific methodology, which delights Charles.  To see more about Kaitlin's work, check out her website at https://www.kaitlinrasmussen.com/, or see them on Twitter @ toomanyspe...

On this episode we have Cel Welch, founder of Queer Engineer, on to talk about Cel's research and background in medical diagnostics. We talk about what goes on in there and the process of developing new diagnostic tools.  Cel is on Twitter @citizenSTEM and Queer Engineer is on Twitter @QueerEngineers.  A transcript for this episode is available at our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/04/...

In this episode we tackle two Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes about Ferengi and their weird gender stuff: "Rules of Acquisition" (a classic "women dresses as man to pursue opportunity" plot) and "Profit and Lace" (a well-intentioned? disaster of '90s transmisogyny). We get pretty personal and ask the real questions, like, why would anybody ever do this?  Warning for body/transition talk, dysph...

Our second episode with Gabi Fleury. In this one, we talk more specifically about their experiences being non-binary, Black, and queer in conservation, and include only one tangent to talk about cool bugs. (Leafcutter ants have a Neotropical distribution; they don't live in Africa) Gabi was named in 2021 as one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 for science:  https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2021/...

We're joined in this week's episode by conservation biologist Gabi Fleury. Gabi works on wildlife-human conflict, primarily with African mammals. We talk about their work, doing conservation responsibly, conservation in space, and Gabi's many varied accomplishments. We also get a rare dose of real optimism!! It's unfamiliar but not unwelcome.  Gabi was named in 2021 as one of Forbes Magazine's 30...

In this episode, we talk to recently graduated bioanthropology student Caitlin Hobbs on their thesis research investigating responses to death during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Tangents include what we want done with our bodies after death, how Victorians were very goth, and whether human bodies can be composted.  Caitlin is still collecting responses for their thesis here: https://www.surveym...

In this episode, we explore the four species of Neotrogla (Insecta: Psocodea: Prionoglarididae) and their unique genitalia. Females in these species have a penis-like organ which penetrates the male, retrieves sperm, and deposits it back in their own body. We discuss the genital mechanism here, the broader genital landscape in animals, the meaning of sex and sexual adaptations, and some of the hum...

In this episode, analytical chemist Dr. Carolyn P Hutchison, professor at St. Bonaventure, talks to us about their research in anticoagulant rodenticides and wastewater. Topics include rodenticides, bioaccumulation, environmental chemistry, a brief tangent about insects, and Carolyn's post-apocalyptic plans.  More information on Carolyn and their research can be found at their website: https://www...

On this episode we consider the implications of strange radio emissions from around Proxima Centauri. Tangents include Pluto, the meaning of planets, how to even detect radio signals, speculating about aliens, and why do we care about water so much anyway.  This episode was inspired by the findings written on in this article from the SETI institute: https://www.seti.org/signal-proxima-centauri?fbc...

On this, our first episode of 2021, we talk to Rae Lambert, a research virologist at Jefferson University about immunology, vaccines, rabies, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), viruses, applied science, spiders in space, and the existential horror of inhabiting a human body.  Show notes and a transcript are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2021/01/12/episode-17/ Rae is on Twitter @appall...