The New York Academy of Sciences

Advances in genomic medicine indicate that pediatric cancers may be quite different from their adult counterparts. Hear from experts on why this might be and what scientists are doing to understand it better. Many pediatric cancers do not harbor the same targetable mutations seen in adult tumors, making it imperative that we understand the reasons behind these differences. Following up on the 2016...

Listen in to a discussion with writer Jim Holt, philosophers David Z. Albert and Hans Halvorson, and science writer Kate Becker about the realms where physics and philosophy intersect. For centuries, physics and philosophy walked side by side in pursuit of their shared goal understanding the nature of reality. The progress of science has pushed the frontier of physics into the realm of advanced ma...

The Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine and the Academy bring together patients, regulators, manufacturers, journalists, and experts to debate the difficult ethical issues surrounding “compassionate use” of pre-approved medicines. Patients with life-threatening illnesses face challenges in accessing potential therapies at the cutting-edge of R

Featuring cosmologist Neil Weiner, string theorist Eva Silverstein, and physicist Vijay Balasubramanian, with moderation from philosopher of science Jill North, this podcast explores what the future holds for physics. Modern physics and its leading theories have been remarkably successful in describing the history of our universe, and large-scale experiments, such as the Large Hadron Collider, are...

For 2016, the International Year of Pulses, our Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science is looking at the many opportunities provided by pulses edible seeds like dried, lentils, and chickpeas. Pulses provide a non-animal source of protein, appear to be healthy for the gut microbiome, and help replenish the soil where they are grown. In this podcast we'll talk to scientists studying the benefits of...

We explore research methodologies for building an evidence base for nutrition and obesity policy that are emerging across disciplines. Well-informed nutrition policy decisions that consider scientific evidence should strive to improve health outcomes on a large scale. But it's not always easy to find the right evidence to back up those policies. At our October 2015 conference, "Towards Evidence-ba...

Mobile technology is emerging as a powerful tool for transforming the way clinical research is conducted now and in the future. Acquisition of real-time biometric data though the use of wireless medical sensors will allow for around-the-clock patient monitoring, reduce costly clinic visits, and streamline inefficient administrative processes. With the promise of this technology also comes challeng...

It's easier to find people to invest in a great new tech product if you can show that it will be profitable relatively quickly. Unfortunately, that's not so easy to demonstrate. Learn how we're working to change that. The Academy and NYSERDA (the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) are teaming up to drive investment in the new technologies that will help revolutionize the way...

Understanding nutrition's impact on health requires an intricate knowledge of all the different systems within the human body. Learn how a systems approach to nutrition could change the field. Drawing on examples from obesity and diabetes prevention, weight loss threshold effects and the role of physical activity, this podcast highlights the need to bring biology, epidemiology, psychology and othe...

A recent conference held at the Academy asked a downright outrageous question: Can dementia be prevented by making changes to your diet? In this podcast we look at what the answers might be. Podcast listeners learned a lot over the past two months about neurodegenerative dementia - what it is, what it isn't, and how heartbreakingly little medical science can do right now to treat it. In that conte...

In the final episode of our Dementia Decoded series, we look at some of the innovative approaches that are being taken, and how they hold out new hope for the future. The prospects for a cure for neurodegenerative dementia might seem bleak - there's still so much we don't know about these conditions and about the brain itself, and research funding for it has traditionally been much lower than for...

In this episode of the Dementia Decoded series, we'll look at new and innovative ways people around the world are addressing this problem, and offer some tools and strategies for people dealing with dementia in their own families and communities. As the research community continues to work to find new and better medical treatments for neurodegenerative dementia, it's affecting millions more people...

In the third episode of our Dementia Decoded series, we look at the current slate of treatment options available to people living with neurodegenerative dementia, and the road toward new and better ones. Dementia isn't like other diseases - the fear and stigma surrounding it often make it difficult to even get someone who may be living with it to get a proper diagnosis, and the perceived lack of o...

In the second episode of our Dementia Decoded series, we look at the current state of knowledge about the basic physiology of Alzheimer's, and how scientists are working to unlock its secrets. We've known about the basic pathological signatures of Alzheimer's disease for more than 100 years, but there's still a very great deal we don’t know about how the disease works and how to prevent it's devas...

The first episode of our new five-part Dementia Decoded podcast series looks at what Alzheimer's is, how it differs from other forms of Dementia, and whether is it an inevitable part of aging. Polls show that Americans fear Alzheimer's disease more than any other illness. And little wonder - it's debilitating, fatal, incurable, and currently afflicts hundreds of millions worldwide, a number that's...

Leading scientists discuss the latest breakthroughs in lysosome biology and what they mean for treating Batten disease, and more common conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and cancer. This podcast is generously supported by the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation and brings you excerpted coverage from a recent event organized by the Academy in partnership with the Beyond Batten Di...

In the second of a two-part series, experts look at the links between health and nutrition. They examine everything from how nutrition impacts hospital stays, to cancer and aging, to developing food science innovations, and improving diet. In this second podcast, experts from The Sackler Institute of Nutrition Science discuss how proper nutrition is a crucial piece of global health, highlighting t...

In this first of a two-part series, experts from various sectors explore the available options to reduce "hidden hunger" micronutrient deficiencies in a population. In this podcast series, the many partners of The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science offer perspective on their work to better understand human nutrition, and to find new and better ways of feeding the world. For this episode, expe...

A young chemist discusses his goal of producing usable clean energy by artificially mimicking the process of photosynthesis. As a Ph. D. student at SUNY Stonybrook, Huafeng Huang (aka Wolf) is using chemistry to create an artificial leaf. His goal is to chemically imitate and adapt the process of photosynthesis to create clean energy. Science and the City thanks the Brotherton Foundation for its g...

Three budding biologists and their teacher discuss the vital work of conservation biology and how students are making important contributions to the field. Biologist Oscar Pineda and students Ines Muravin, Maya Drzewicki, and Arden Feil discuss their research and conservation work with the American Museum of Natural History's Science Research Mentoring Program. Dr. Pineda explains how students can...

Designer Josh Treuhaft discusses the issue of food waste and his creative approach to combating the problem. A whopping 40% of the food produced in the United States goes uneaten, which means we're literally throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion per year. This waste becomes an environmental problem as it decomposes and emits methane. To raise awareness about this issue and teach people how t...

By inviting the public to enjoy the Bronx River, the Bronx River Alliance is creating sustainability enthusiasts and improving the local ecosystem for both humans and wildlife.

High school student Grace Greenwald connects her peers with world class neuroscientists and mentorship. At the age of 15, Grace came up against a lack of resources to help high school students explore the field of neuroscience. Undaunted, she designed her own neuroscience curriculum and founded The Synapse Project, a virtual learning platform that connects professionals in brain research to high s...

A diverse panel of leading experts discusses innovative efforts to develop an effective treatment for Alzheimer's Disease. The search for a treatment for Alzheimer's Disease becomes increasingly urgent as global populations grow and age. In the United States alone, 16 million people are projected to suffer from AD by 2050. In this podcast, leading experts from different sections of the R D pipelin...

Experts discuss the merits of integrating nutrition and early childhood development interventions to nurture the physical and psychological health of underprivileged children. Almost a quarter of children under the age of five do not reach their full developmental potential as a result of chronic undernutrition, a lack of developmental and educational opportunities, and high social and environment...