Posts in Season 5
The archeology of a "good year"

Davide Tanasi is a native Sicilian and specialist in specialist in Mediterranean archaeology. He reconstructs ancient villas with drones and the latest in computer imaging, and battles the odds to find that perfect vintage. The older wine is the better it is right? So a 6000 year old bottle has to be amaaaaazing! Listen in to find out all about this discovery and more.

You can find his work at the USF Institute for Digital Exploration on their Facebook page where you can explore castles in Spain or the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, all from the comfort of your own home.

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The running scientist

John Brewer is a runner who works in science, and a scientist who studies running. We hear stories about the right kind of shoes, diet, hydration and technology but what's the evidence underlying the hype? John talks about how our bodies respond to heat, food and running barefoot, and how runners probably deserve that extra piece of pie during the holidays.

We were like kids in a candy store (or rather runners in a shoe store) for this one, so forgive us the indulgence!

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The nanochemist

Nanotubes...nanobots...nanonachos?! Terms you may have heard but what do they mean and what do they do? We asked Maia Mombrú a graduate student in chemistry at Universidad de la República de Uruguay in Montevideo.

She tells us about nanotubes in nature making butterflies bluer than blue, and in our TVs making screens brighter than bright. In her own research she is making these tiny particles to develop safer ways of delivering radiotherapies.

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Engineering the human machine

What do you get if you cross an engineer with a love for tiny blood vessels? Shayn Peirce-Cottler: a professor at the University of Virginia studying the role of microvasculature in disease. She's looking at how we can engineer treatments from raw materials including  fat cells from liposuction!

We discuss novel technologies, Women in STEM, and midlife collaboration crises.

No chinchillas were harmed in the recording of this podcast.

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It's the end of the world as we know it...

...and we're feeling kind of queasy if we're honest. Les Shaw is a researcher at the University of South Florida and he studies the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. Most of us have only known a world where many infections can easily be treated with readily available treatments, but the rise of resistant bugs such as MRSA is frighteningly common and threatens to become a major health issue. How did we get here, and is there hope for us in the future? Listen in to find out more.

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The original paleo diet

We've all heard of "The Paleo Diet", but what did our paleolithic ancestors actually eat? Well we found exactly the scientist to ask. Briana Pobiner is a paleoanthropologist whose research centers on the evolution of human diet. We discuss when and why humans started eating meat. We also had to ask her about the dream job she has at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where she helped put together the Human Origins exhibit. Listen in to hear more about education, evolution and the history behind our eating habits.

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Bright lights and sleeping tight

Sunlight, blue light, red light, sleep tight!

Virginie Gabel is a neuroscientist and a specialist in light and sleep cycles. Why do we sleep less when we're older and why do screens ruin our sleep? Why is our circadian rhythm important to our health, and how long should a "disco nap" be?

These are all important questions we tackled with her over our coffee and croissants.

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