JJJPod: Science Magazine Podcast

I've donned my jogging clothes and laced up my shoes. As I step outside, I stretch my arms up to the sky, and turn on my iPod. I rev my legs into a jog and enjoy the intro music of the Science Magazine Podcast, an upbeat riff. I imagine some hipster dude with crazy hair and gigantic headphones jamming on a keyboard and then pointing to the host with a wink, shooting the attention to him. A friendly voice cuts in and the music fades. "Hello and welcome to the science magazine podcast for June 3rd, 2011. I'm Robert Frederick." He launches into the line up science news stories for the week and I can't help reciprocate his excitement. My legs find a tempo as a young woman explains that the podcast is supported by AAAS, the science society!

The intro music finally fades and the first story begins. I've found my stride. There are about 3 or 4 stories, each lasting roughly 10 minutes and cover an array of topics. They delve into each interview, diving below the surface but not far enough as to get lost (or confuse their listeners). I nod in agreement, chuckle at the jokes, and form questions of my own as I listen--keep in mind I'm running and listening.

Finally, Frederick says, "Now, David Grim, Science's online news editor, is here with a wrap-up of some of the latest science news from our online daily news science site, ScienceNOW." When I hear this, I know the program (and my jog) is almost over. I kick it into high gear for the last 15 minutes, wiping sweat off my brow.

This program is my favorite jogging podcast because it just the right length (35 to 50 minutes), the reporting is professional (supported by AAAS), and the topics are diverse yet not too complex. I enjoy solid science stories while experiencing oxygen deprivation from a reputable organization. Outstanding!




Special note: I am sad to say that this episode featured in this post, June 3rd, is Frederick's last with this program. When I complied a list of reasons why I like this show, he was on top. He has such a kind voice and it makes me feel like I'm going for a jog with an old friend who knows a lot about science. I hope he can be replaced with someone just as nice!

JJJPod: Emerging Infectious Diseases

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's social media involvement is impressive. They're on twitter, flickr, facebook, and they have podcasts. In fact, they have a lot of podcasts that cover an array of topics. My favorite of which is esoteric and comes as a supplement to the CDC's Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) journal. As an aspiring epidemiologist, I have a special interest in diseases. And infectious ones. And also emerging ones! This program rules for three reasons: it's technical, it's short, and it has bonuses.

When I first listened to the EID podcast, I was deterred by the formality of it. The host and guest often read right from the script. However, I came to appreciate this element, knowing that I'm going to get a highly research-based and technical explanation of each topic. It often feels as if I'm reading out of a textbook or reading a research paper, a level of science that I sometimes crave.

This program delves deep into science in less than 10 minutes. Simple as that! A listener can spend hours reading the online journal or they can just enjoy the audio snippet available during their morning commute.

The online journal is a bonus to me as initially just a podcast listener (although it is the other way around--the podcast is a supplement to the journal). Published monthly, the journal offers the high quality of research generated through the CDC. The podcast interviews one of the scientists whose work is featured that month. I often pull up the journal on my iPhone and read it when I'm waiting for the train or during a break at work. This can be trouble, however, when a coworker asks, "What are you up to this weekend?" after I've completely immersed myself in tick-borne relapsing fever borreliosis in rural Senegal and that the presence of this bacterial infection was detected by using specific semiquantitative real-time PCR with primers. Additionally, they used water as their negatives! Science is so incredible yet simple and you're asking me about my weekend?

Another wonderful element of the journal is the cover artwork, highlighting the connection between art and science. Each month features a piece of artwork, entitled by a poem. In June the CDC is remembering the 30 years that HIV/AIDS has been prevalent and this month's cover, "captures both the complexity of the scientific challenge of this unknown and lethal disease and the massive human loss." The piece depicts those tangled in the human web, either from illness or the complexity of life. We are all humans, suffering from the same diseases and living in the same way. The poem connecting this all together is from Wallace Stevens, called The Emperor of Ice Cream. As the cover description says,

The only element of value is to "be" alive. Prolong and embrace it. All other considerations only "seem" important. Or as Stevens put it, "Let be be the finale of seem / The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream."
In short, this podcast and it's "bonus material" successfully cover rare diseases and contemplate the meaning of life. Yay science!

JJJPod: Science Friday

Pretty blue lichen on a tree. I like lichen because of Science Friday! See my Flickr photo sets for more (here and here).

NPR's Science Friday with Ira Flatow set the standard for my love of science podcasts. Back in the day my iPod was a silver nano with the round dial controls, and I slipped it in my fifth pocket as I hoofed it to class. Flatow interviews scientists and takes callers (if you hadn't guessed this program typically airs on your local public radio station on Fridays), covering a wide array of topics. I love this program for three main reasons: it has history, it has unpredictability, and it has passion.

Science Friday has history. It has been on air for 20 years, bringing experience to every aspect of showcasing science and technology. This ranges from consistent sound quality to interviews with big name scientists. Flatow's experience in interviewing brings out the silliness and intellect of each guest. In addition, they air some throw backs to highlight the change in technology.

There is an element of unpredictability because the show is recorded live. My favorite moment was the discussion on forensic science. At the time I was working in a forensic toxicology lab and had a very clear view of how difficult this one small aspect of forensic work could be. Of course, it is nothing like TV--not everyone is that sexy. Specifically, Flatow and the guest were discussing bite mark analysis and how judges and juries opinion of this science have been swayed because of shows like NCIS, thinking this science is ironclad. This is way subjective. A caller was invited on the air and the interchange went something like this:


Caller: I just wanted to talk to you guys about bones. Specifically teeth bones. They can chew stuff really well.

(Long pause)

Flatow: Ok. Do you have a point you want to make?

(Pause)

Caller: Yeah, when they bite into human skin they leave marks.

(Pause)

Flatow: Are, are you a scienist?

Caller: Yes.

Flatow: And, so, what is the point you're trying to make?

(Pause)

Caller: They can leave marks that can be studied.

The caller was attempting to welcome another argument and probably got nervous. However, I laughed about this for weeks (I'm still laughing) AND I remembered the discussion very clearly. Way to go aloof caller! The magic that goes along with live recordings can be very charming and lasting.

In addition to Flatow's experience, he brings passion for science. Each week, I find myself interested in the random topic discussed due to the contagious excitement of the host. I can imagine he has an intense stare or tips his head at pensive angle as he opens a new segment or banters with an expert. Maybe he nods fervently when he agrees with a guest. Of course, I'm not sure if he's doing those things but I know I am when I listen.

BONUS: This program has a video program! Their lichen video is the reason I became and avid lichen hunter.

Science Friday on Twitter

The J & J Jamboree of Podcasts

I identify myself as an avid podcast listener, and I'd like to share this love with you. I have no cute anecdotes to entice you because I believe the content of each podcast, given the proper attention, will do that involuntarily. During the months of June and July (J & J, get it?) I will highlight one amazingly scientific podcast a week. You may have heard me mention a program in passing but now I will take the time to elaborate on how I fell in love with each podcast, what is so excellent about their content, and why I look forward to listening in every episode.

STAY TUNED, dweebs.

The Age of Wonder

When I heard Richard Holmes on WNYC's RadioLab, I knew we'd be good friends. I mean, at least he'd let me sit next to him--on the bus. That is, we'd be good friends before I forced him into small talk and subsequently sprayed him with spit as an effuse of science vomited out of my mouth.

Holmes was featured on an episode of RadioLab talking about his admiration of scientists and an interaction he had with a German mathematician, who successfully explained group theory (created by French mathematician Evariste Galois), despite the obvious language barrier. The mathematician gestured and swung his arms around all the dishware on the table, hugging them to his placemat. "Scientists love to discuss their science. They're very often very good at describing it," Holmes professed. "I love you science people. Nothing will stop you. You're jolly well gonna explain it." Inside my thoracic cavity, myocardial cells burst and contracted with pride. Yeah, I am jolly well gonna explain it! AND, I'm gonna make myself look goofy, trip over things, and completely cover my arms and fingers in chalk as I do it. I might even teach you something.

With an introduction that provoked so much buzz, I knew I had to read Holmes's book, The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science. The book features the lives of three scientists who essentially created modern science. It's intimidating with nearly 500 pages and includes an index, bibliography, references, a cast list, and (thankfully) pictures.

Breezing through the first 90 pages, the writing is divine and the stories compelling. Holmes drew a picture of Joseph Banks in Tahiti and the juxtaposition of beauty and horror involved when two cultures interact. Although a society of open sexuality and beauty, Tahiti would soon be a paradise lost (I learned that at the National Gallery of Art exhibit of the artist Gauguin). On the other side, Banks collected thousands of specimens and paved the way for mutually beneficial contact. I believe my coworkers and fellow train commuters have seen me scoff and smile into the pages of The Age of Wonder. I am thoroughly looking forward to the next 400.

Ok, I'll say it: I'm a knitter.

Day 1: This yarn was love at first sight.

It's true. I am a knitter.

My transition from 20-something to old lady is in the works. I'm skipping all the steps in between. I'm retiring from my job (that I've only been at for 6 weeks) and finding a porch to sit on--WITH A LEMON DRINK. I'm having no marriage, no children, and going straight to grandma. Anyone have kids who would enjoy homemade baked goods? I would even provide them with crayons and Highlights magazines.

Last weekend I discovered Forever Yarn, a knitting shop within walking distance of my house. It was filled with chit-chat and affection. Each woman was surrounded by skeins of yarn (aka a yarn ball) and partly finished projects. I scheduled three lessons, the first of which was last Saturday. Arriving early I admired the yarn and picked out a style suitable for my first lesson. A handful of women showed up to knit with each other, share ideas, and split goods from the farmers' market across the street. By the end of my lesson, I had learned to relax in my seat and had successfully knitted half of the skein.

The driving force behind my grandmafication is the Sant Ocean Hall at the National Museum of Natural History, which recently featured an exhibit of crochet coral reef. Although the exhibit is no longer on display, the organizing group is The Institute for Figuring. This hobby ties together many passions in my life: female companionship, mathematics, environmental activism, and art. The shape of coral reefs is represented in a specific type of geometry (like the curly structure of kale). It is called hyperbolic geometry and although it's been recognized for hundreds of years, it was discovered only in 1997 that it could be modeled through crochet. Co-Founder Margaret Wertheim explains this at a TED Talk.

It is going to take some time for me to be able to create a sea of coral reefs in my living room but I am looking forward to the journey (and getting to eat prunes without judgement).

Einstein's War

Sitting in the lap of a giant. Sorta like standing on their shoulders.

This morning was a bright spring morning. I went down to The National Mall and meandered along Constitution Ave. The birds chirped and sang. Of course, because I'm a scientist, I had parked my car right next to the Einstein Memorial. I'm a scientist, you see, and naturally gravitate towards science. This is commonplace for my ilk, as our gravitation pull is altered due to a change in molecular arrangement in our brains. Thus, giving us the ability to know when and where science is happening.

Einstein sits in what looks like a hot tub from certain angles. The ground is speckled with metal, showing the location of prominent celestial objects on April 22, 1979, the day the exhibit was opened. Crossing the street, I made my way to the war memorials. From where I was standing, Einstein now looked like a large tree stump (if you squint your eyes).

I began walking down the Vietnam War Memorial and I felt overwhelmed by the amount of names. As you walk, the wall starts at your feet and grows until it is over your head. At this point I stopped and gazed at the grass peaking over the top of the wall. Losing someone you love is devastating. I know first hand. I thought about the families who felt that loss and wondered if these soldiers died for a just cause. I am not interested in wars. I was in high school when 9/11 happened and I felt completely confused about why that happened and how we responded. I have very distinct memories driving in the country, after having just obtained my license, and listening to the radio explain blasts in Iraq. I started watching MSNBC but was hopelessly confused. The international section of our county's paper was tiny and didn't offer much insight. In subsequent years have remained perplexed.

Standing in front of this wall, I recognize that this is only a small fraction of people who have died and I have yet to understand why. I had to get out of there. My emotions waned from confusion and sadness to full-blown anger.

I went to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, which is a National Park and like most, is completely underfunded. I don't know who funds the memorials but I can say that they are pristine. The gardens, on the other hand, are a mess and clean up is dependent upon volunteers. What would Einstein think of this? More funding into parks and science while less into our military? It is torturous that he overlooks the memorials of wars he didn't support. If we're only putting money into our military, then we are only left to defend, well, our military.