The Best Of Our Knowledge

Artificial intelligence is reinventing scientific research. We’ll speak with a scientist who says machine learning can be used to develop anti-venoms for toxic snakebites. And Connecticut has hired its first student loan ombudsperson. We’ll speak with them about their goals in their new role.

A team of researchers uses lasers to unveil tattoos on ancient Peruvian mummies. And modern 3D imaging technology is being used to uncover dinosaurs’ diets and how they changed hundreds of millions of years ago.

New York’s governor has proposed free community college for adults retraining for careers in high-demand fields. We’ll speak with the chancellor of the state’s public college and university system about the idea. A new lab at Western New England University is dedicated to studying “extended reality.” And Marist College has officially rebranded as Marist University

Sea ice in the Southern Ocean is melting, leading to increased ocean heat loss and stronger storms. We’ll speak with a climate scientist to learn more. And New York’s largest teachers’ union is backing a proposal to ban cell phones in classrooms across the state.

According to new research, stars similar to our own sun may produce superflares about once per century. And after the death of American filmmaker David Lynch, we’ll speak with a film studies professor about how Lynch’s films impacted him and his students.

2024 was the hottest year on record. We’ll speak with a NASA climate scientist to learn more. And a new study suggests evidence of water reserves deep underground on Mars.

On this episode, we’ll learn about how an increase in research spending over decades has changed NYU. And we’ll speak with an international scholar in the area of therapy dogs in classrooms.

This week, we’ll celebrate the best of The Best of Our Knowledge in 2024. We’ll visit a former pig barn that is serving as a temporary home to the largest collection of popular music in the world. We’ll spend time at the intersection of music and evolutionary theory. And we’ll learn how children’s ideas are brought to life in glass.

The Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York has expanded. Officials say new lab space will make the facility a national leader in cancer research.   And we’ll learn about a giant centipede with a talent for toxins.

On Christmas Eve, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will make the closest approach to the sun ever. We’ll learn about the science behind the mission. And the Fish and Wildlife Service wants to place the monarch butterfly on the Endangered Species List.

The biggest T. Rex to ever live may be bigger than previously thought. Several Northeast communities experienced record dryness this fall. And a private New York college is becoming a university.

The spongy moth caterpillar has been defoliating forests in the United States for more than a century. Now, a study hopes to learn how the invasive species is affecting populations of the tick that carries Lyme disease. And we’ll visit the ancient sand dunes of a unique upstate New York landscape.

After 25 years of stumping scientists, a mysterious mollusk found drifting in the ocean off the coast of California, has been identified. We’ll learn more about this unusual animal. And we’ll learn about how human practices can both contribute to and help prevent wildfires.

Award-winning screenwriter Jacob Krueger teaches students how they can become better screenwriters and travels to share his knowledge with writers of all sorts. We’ll speak about beginning a writing career, avoiding writer's block, and adapting books for TV or film.

The solar cycle is in its maximum phase, causing the northern lights to recently be visible in lower latitudes. We’ll learn about the science of auroras. And amid a drought in the northeast United States, we’ll learn about the causes and science behind wildfires.

A meteorite that struck the Earth more than 3 billion years ago might have acted like a giant “fertilizer bomb” for life on the Blue Planet. We’ll learn about a new national study that may lead to a new affordable treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.   And officials are celebrating a new national hub for semiconductor research.  

Four years ago, Columbia University launched the Columbia Climate School. We’ll speak with Climate School Dean Dr. Jeffrey Shaman. And a New York Congressman wants to place new restrictions on mobile sports betting. We’ll learn how sports betting affects student athletes

For more than a decade, glass artists at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in southern Vermont have been challenged and inspired by the creativity of children. We’ll speak with an artist who is bringing drawings to life. We’ll meet students in upstate New York who are celebrating the turning point of the American Revolution. And we’ll catch up with an apple researcher in Western Massachusetts.

Guitarist and composer Gary Lucas breathes new life into a nearly century-old vampire film. We’ll learn about how farmers create a seasonal corn maze. And we’ll take a trip to the weight room.

What’s your favorite scary story? We’ll speak with Jeremy Dauber, author of American Scary. The book chronicles the history of horror in America. And we’ll learn about how libraries are creating sensory-focused spaces.

With Americans divided over climate change, communicating the issue can be a daunting task. We’ll speak with a University of Buffalo researcher who says storytelling is the key to finding solutions for a warming climate. And a Colgate University physics professor’s research on oysters could lead to advancements in the medical and construction industries.

As discussions over a state policy in New York to restrict cell phones in schools continue, we’ll speak with elementary school counselor about how students are affected by electronic devices. And Hartwick College, a private liberal arts school in Oneonta, New York, rolls out a new “life balance” initiative.

Let’s face it, academic writing can be…boring. We’ll speak with author Leonard Cassuto about his book, “Academic Writing as if Readers Matter.” And we’ll catch up with a pair of college presidents.  

Scientists are continuing their celestial search for dark matter from an underground facility in South Dakota. We’ll visit a native plant farm in upstate New York. And we’ll celebrate the return of Friday night lights at a new field in Massachusetts.

Peter Godfrey-Smith is a scuba diving philosopher, professor at the University of Sydney, and author. His new book, “Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World,” explores the riddle of life on this planet. We’ll speak with Godfrey-Smith about his latest work.