The natural world through computer eyes

Peter Bentley is a scientist's scientist. A man who thinks you should only be doing science as long as you love it (as he does). His subjects of study range from brain networks to hunter-gatherers to autopilots on planes. He looks at how the natural world works through the medium of IT, and in turn how IT can benefit from how the world works. 

Peter's love of science extends to writing numerous books on the subject and coming out to talk to us.

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The anatom-artist

A chicken, an alligator and a turtle walk into a lab...

Just a few of the weird and wonderful species that Richard Wingate uses to study the cerebellum or the "little brain". When not wearing his anatomist's hat, he explores the fine line between science and art working with artists and non scientists to find out how they see the world of scientific research. Stay tuned in to hear the tale of the mysterious headless chicken.

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The volcano seismologist (a re-release)

Tis the season to be thankful, and we are, for our friend Mel and her return to Tampa. So to celebrate we wanted to re-release her podcast. The volcanologist who studies the earthquakes generated by volcanoes, in order to predict potential eruptions better. Mel's work requires her to spend a lot of time in close proximity to volatile, active volcanoes – even sacrificing her favorite sweater to collect a sample of rock from a lava flow. Can't handle the heat? Get out of the volcano... and listen to Mel's story in this podcast.

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Our little black box

Our brains are our little black boxes, making us who we are. But how does a brain store memories and where? Why do we lose them as we get ill or old? This was the subject for our guest, neurologist and neuroscientist Emrah Düzel. His group in Magdeburg Germany, looks at new ways of tackling diseases such as Alzheimer's, like exercise and brain training. So listen in and form a few new synapses of your own.

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Do computers dream of electric scientists?

Meet Randy: scientist of data, teacher of machines, master of visualizations. Like a lion tamer, he uses his computer to whip that data into shape; whether you want to plan your ideal road trip or just learn the perfect way to create a pie chart. A proponent of artificial intelligence, he's excited about all the ways it can help improve our lives.

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The nuclear option

Think of nuclear power stations and you might think meltdowns with Homer Simpson at the reins. The truth is that nuclear power is a clean and efficient source of energy and far safer than we give it credit for. Just ask Claire Blackett Taylor, a human reliability expert who works at the Halden Reactor in Norway. As the name implies, she studies how the men and women working at these plants can be prepared for anything. We talked safety, sunshine and sea-sickness whilst enjoying a mimosa or two.

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Don't judge a book...

You're not prejudiced are you? No, neither are we. Yet we all unintentionally make snap judgements about people every day. This "implicit bias" is the bread and butter of criminologist Lorie Fridell. Her work with the police highlights the dangers of this kind of bias, but also shows that, with a little bit of training, this is something we can all overcome.

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Making it hard to resist

Resistance is futile! Or not, if you're a disease causing parasite or mosquito. This is where evolutionary biologist Silvie Hujiben comes in. She is looking for new ways to prevent and maybe even eradicate diseases like malaria but without just throwing drugs at the problem. Listen to her explain how controlling evolution might be the answer.

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Running from the pain

Starting out as a chemical engineer Megan Detloff decided that wasn't enough pain for her so she switched to neuroscience. Now as a researcher at Drexel University in Philadelphia, she looks at what she describes as the "pain of everyday living" or the pain that results from spinal cord injury.

Listen to her tell us more about using exercise as a treatment and the veterans that inspire her to keep going.

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The bio-hacktivist

From inflammation to intellectual property, Ruan Cox details his scientific career to date. Why not all scientists stay in science and why that's a good thing. This scientist talks about his favorite tech and how we should be using it to learn more about our own health. Oh, and if you think of a twitter handle for him, let us know so he too can communicate in 140 characters or less.

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Mind over matter

Sit back...take a deep breath... and relax. Feeling better? Well maybe you shouldn't be.

Catherine Wikholm is a psychologist studying how meditation might not be all peace and happiness. As with any treatment, mindfulness might actually be damaging. On the upside though, find out how man's best friend might specifically be a veteran's best friend in cases of post traumatic stress disorder.

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Getting our sh!t together (or: saving the planet with poop power)

Daniel Yeh is an engineer and associate professor at the University of South Florida and his passion is... waste water? He believes that one man's waste is another man's treasure. Listen in as he tells us more about smarter ways to purify our water whilst generating greener energy. Also, how in India you might get a little Bollywood with your bowel movements.

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When a cure is not enough

What if we had a cure for 1 in 20 cancer patients? Even better, what if we could cure cancer before it even occurred?

Meet Anna Giuliano, an epidemiologist at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the director of the Center for Infection Research in Cancer. There she specializes in research on the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV (not to be confused with HIV!). How does HPV cause cancers and how can we cure them with a simple vaccine? Listen in to find out more about Anna’s research, the benefits of recruiting Taylor Swift, and how sometimes girls and boys are the same.

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