Science out in the open

Anson Mackay studies the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. His work often takes him way out to areas like Lake Baikal in Siberia, but openness in his work is not limited to geography. He understands his privilege as a white male professor at a prestigious university. He is an advocate for more open access to scientific information. He also supports efforts for gender equality, increased diversity and inclusion of ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ community. Don’t believe us? Check out his Twitter!

Season 6ScientistsIncMarch 21, 2019Nude Coffee Roastersscience, scicomm, #2scis, podcast, environment, water, climate change, diversity, open accessComment

Statistically speaking

Ask the average scientist about statistics and watch them squirm. Not Dr. Karen Lamb though, she loves applying her training to real life problems. We met up with her in Melbourne to talk stats, scicomm and Superstars of STEM. You can follow Karen and her adventures on Twitter.

Season 6ScientistsIncMarch 13, 2019Grigons and Orrscience, scicomm, #2scis, podcast, Mathematics, maths, stats, mathComment

Stars in indigenous eyes

How does seeing monsters in the stars help scientists understand where ancient wildlife could be found? Much in the same way that a cultural man and astrophysicist can become friends. Australian aborigines have been telling stories for tens of thousands of years, but only now are researchers starting to find the science within them. In this story we talked to Muruwari man Willy Stevens and his scientific partner in crime Dr. Duane Hamacher.

Season 6ScientistsIncMarch 6, 2019Coopers Hotelscience, scicomm, #2scis, podcast, stars, astronomy, astrophysics, aboriginalComment

Dr Schaumberg (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the pill)

Mia Schaumberg always loved science, but she also loves exercise, so it would seem natural that she would end up as an exercise physiologist. Having received her doctorate she works as a lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, whilst researching links between exercise and brain health in the ageing brain. During her PhD, though, she focused on how the contraceptive pill might affect athletic performance.

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 27, 2019popolo science, scicomm, #2scis, biology, podcast, neuroscience, brain, women, exercise, physiology, contraceptiveComment

Addiction and attachment in monogamous mammals

Part III of our Stanford Special.

Dr. Natalie Nevárez is first generation Mexican, the first in her family to go to college, but only the second to receive a scholarship from Pornhub (yes you read that right), and she’s proud of all of these things! She talked to us about her past and present research looking at how animals form attachments, and the importance of social networks in tackling problems like addiction. Natalie also talked to us about struggling through grad school, getting therapy and her love for community colleges. You can follow her fighting the good fight on twitter.

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 22, 2019Stanford universityscience, scicomm, #2scis, biology, podcast, neuroscience, brain, addiction, attachment, monogamy, relationshipsComment

When brain meets machine

Part II of our Stanford Special.

No one wants someone poking around in their head and neither does your brain. This is a puzzle for scientists like Dr. Marc Ferro, who are interested in bioelectronics. He’s trying to develop brain implants to help in conditions like Parkinson’s disease, but how to do that when the brain wants to reject them?

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 21, 2019Stanford universityscience, scicomm, #2scis, biology, podcast, neuroscience, brain, electronics, bioelectronicsComment

The protein folding biologist: Marie Kondo of the cell

Part I of our Stanford Special.

Dr. João Rodrigues decided early on that as much as he loved biology, he didn’t want to get his hands too dirty, so now he studies the shapes that proteins make by using computer models. He works with biologists and chemists to look at the way the proteins in our cells go from being like beaded necklaces to more complex structures to help them do what they need to do.

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 20, 2019Stanford universityscience, scicomm, podcast, #2scis, biology, biochemistry, modeling, computational, protein, foldingComment