Sci on the Fly

It seems like every week there's another headline about a breakthrough in AIxBio: the intersection of artificial intelligence and biological science. AI is being applied to accomplish feats that sound like science fiction. It's being used to control laboratories, connect with our brains, and even create new viruses. But is there a lesson to be learned in science fiction? In this episode, host Shan...

The CHIPS and Science Act was among the most ambitious pieces of industrial policy legislation in decades, allocating tens of billions of dollars towards building domestic capacity for semiconductor manufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. While passing the bill was a monumental feat, implementing the policy is a whole separate challenge. In this episode, host Angela Cleri spe...

What does the U.S. energy industry look like one year into the second Trump Administration? Sci on the Fly host, Angela Cleri welcomes Danielle Lemmon, a strategy and energy consultant, to break down the headlines. From the massive power demands of the AI revolution to the kitchen-table issue of energy affordability, they dive into some of the biggest topics in energy today. This podcast does not...

Clean hydrogen is one of many key components of the path to decarbonization , with emissions - intensive hydrogen currently used in several industrial sectors. Over the past few years, the Biden Administration and Congress had made massive investments into accelerating nationwide growth of a clean hydrogen industry and many countrie s around the world were following suit to keep up with U.S. innov...

In this episode of  Sci on the Fly , host Connie Bolte , current Executive Branch Fellow at the National Science Foundation, speaks with Dr. Angela Bednarek , who leads Pew Charitable Trusts' scientific advancement portfolio. Dr. Bednarek's AAAS STPF Fellowship at the U.S. Department of State revealed how researchers often failed to provide timely, relevant information to policymakers grappling wi...

Rooted in Language and Community: Supporting Multilingual Learners   In this episode of the AAAS STPF Sci on the Fly podcast, AAAS STPF alumna and RAICES Principal Investigator (PI) Heather Olson Beal sits down with two co-PIs of the RAICES team, Dr. Chrissy Cross and Dr. Marisol Diaz, to discuss the importance of creating productive learning environments for English learners and multilingual stud...

The CHIPS and Science Act is one of the landmark pieces of legislation relaunching American industrial policy. The legislation led to the creation of NSF's first new directorate in 30 years and the formation of regional innovation hubs, expanding training and workforce development opportunities nationwide. The legislation also authorized specific federal investments for STEM education and workforc...

Every year, AAAS Congressional Fellows travel to the Hill to bring their expertise of STEM and evidence-based decision-making into the offices of senators, representatives and committees. From the outside, the Hill can feel opaque and its inner workings are hard to understand, especially to academic researchers. On this episode of  Sci on the Fly , host and current fellow Mark Feuer DiTusa sits wi...

Since the start of the second Trump Administration, a wave of executive actions has frozen research funding, slashed the federal science workforce, and erased publicly available data. What does this mean for the future of U.S. research—and the scientists caught in the crossfire? In this episode of Sci on the Fly , host Angela Cleri sits down with Marisa Vertrees from the Union of Concerned Scienti...

Welcome to AAAS STPF Sci on the Fly, a blog and podcast run by fellows of the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships! Sci on the Fly promotes public understanding of science and policy. It provides STPF current and alumni fellows an opportunity to gain vital experience in writing and podcasting for lay audiences.  Launched in 2013, Sci on the Fly is the brain child of fellows Lynn Adams, Judy Kee...

Just over a month into the second Trump Administration, there is a lot of uncertainty in the energy sector around how the new policy landscape may affect the momentum of the clean energy transition. In this episode, current AAAS STPF fellow Mark Feuer DiTusa speaks with Danielle Lemmon, a current energy consultant and former AAAS Executive Branch Fellow, about the impact of the new administration...

This special storytelling episode is filled with AAAS STPF fellows sharing personal, funny, enlightening, and science-based stories.  The STEAM Team Affinity Group and Sci on the Fly recently co-sponsored a workshop for current AAAS STPF fellows and alumni titled, "Storytelling: A Way to Rebuild Science in the Public Mind". This event was designed to promote the use of storytelling as a means for...

In this episode, AAAS STPF fellow Jose Hurtado sits down with Dr. Omar Aguilar, a Mixtec archaeologist from Oaxaca, to discuss his innovative approach to science communication through the lens of his film "Sacred Skins." Dr. Aguilar shares his journey of reappropriating Mixtec heritage and language, the challenges of balancing academic research with community ownership, and the powerful impact of...

In this podcast, we explore the rapidly evolving landscape of AI policy and ethics with Dr. Ravit Dotan. With AAAS STPF fellow Jose Hurtado, the two begin by discussing how AI policy has become a major topic in recent headlines, sharing insights on the importance of integrating ethics into AI development and policymaking. They delve into the challenges federal agencies and organizations face in de...

"Change minds, change hearts, change behavior, achieve transformation." That's bio-cultural anthropologist Dr. Irma McClaurin's motto and through writing and science communication, she's been able to achieve that. STPF alum Saira Mehmood and current STPF fellow Meryleen Mena, both anthropologists, have a conversation with Irma McClaurin, who is also an STPF alum, about her time in the fellowship a...

Computing is a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives and rapid advances continue to shape the way we work and live. In the fourth episode of our "Science Helps Us…" series, Dr. Margaret Martonosi, acclaimed computer scientist and leader of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF), shares her insight into the future of computin...

Dr. Harshini Mukundan, Program Manager and Scientist for Chemical and Biological Technologies at the Office of National and Homeland Security, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and visiting Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory sat down with host and AAAS STPF fellow Dr. Adejare (Jay) Atanda to discuss her research on pathogen agnostic disease detection and diagnostics, why this is impo...

In the third episode in our "Science Helps Us…" series, we explore how hydrologic science can help bring people to the negotiation table.    Water is a resource that defies political boundaries – managing it effectively can serve as a catalyst to international diplomacy. Our three guests highlight the important role that science plays in the shifting landscape of water diplomacy. We discuss scienc...

In the second episode in our "Science Helps Us…" series, we explore the ways that science shapes the ways we tell stories – and how it helps make those stories a reality.   Our guests, Brian Johnson and Rebekah Brubaker, put the "science" back into science fiction by convening the gold-star standard of science paneling at one of the largest comic cons in the country: Phoenix Fan Fusion. We discuss...

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Joe Biden's former Chief Medical Advisor sat down with host and AAAS STPF fellow Dr. Adejare (Jay) Atanda to discuss pandemic preparedness and response. Dr. Fauci also discusses the duality of his former role as a public facing physician-scientist, lessons from his service responding to...

STEM careers have historically been performed by and for populations that do not represent the complete spectrum of unique lived experiences. In recent years however, the STEM community has been experiencing a sort of renaissance for diversity, equity, and inclusion -- or DEI. Efforts to address inequities in who participates in STEM and in who benefits from its advancements are becoming common ta...

When most of us think of "scientists , " we envision someone in a lab coat huddled behind a lab bench. AAAS STPF f ellow Alexandra "Ali" Giese defies this stereotype – her work with glaciers has taken her all over the world , f rom the Himalayas to the Greenland ice sheet . It has also taught her the culture and importance of glaciers and mountains . Ali chats with host Reshmina William , telling...

As the world changes, scientists and policymakers must grapple with increasingly complex, global, and interdisciplinary challenges. AAAS STPF fellow Alex Loewi sat down with host and fellow fellow Reshmina William to discuss the importance of asking the right questions to tackle these challenges, the role of government in social well-being, and how the National Science Foundation is working on 21...

As science and technology progress, so do the impacts of those advances and pollution on communities. Veronica Eady, Senior Deputy Executive Officer of Policy and Equity at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and a lifetime advocate for environmental justice aptly states, "science and justice go hand in hand." Join Eady and host Reshmina Williams as they discuss the important role of sci...

According to a survey of 2000 adults, the average American hasn't made a new friend in the last five years, and yet, 45% of people would go out of their way to make a new friend if they knew how. Former fellow and friendship expert Dr. Marisa Franco joins Dr. Stephanie Gage for a candid conversation about her NYT best - selling book "Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make and Ke...