Parsing Science: The Unpublished Stories Behind The Worlds Most Compelling Science, As Told By The Researchers Themselves.

How do our brains respond when people behave in unpredictable ways? In episode 80, Jordan Theriault from Northeastern University discusses his research into a set of brain regions which, when activated by a variety of social tasks, can provide insights into how we judge the moral objectivity or subjectivity of others' unexpected claims. His article "Theory of mind network activity is associated with metaethical judgment: An item analysis" (PDF here), was published in April 2020 with Adam Waytz, Larisa Heiphetz, and Liane Young in the journal Neuropsychologia. The Metaethics of Moral Claims - Jordan TheriaultThe Metaethics of Moral Claims - Jordan TheriaultThe Metaethics of Moral Claims - Jordan Theriault The Metaethics of Moral Claims - Jordan TheriaultThe Metaethics of Moral Claims - Jordan TheriaultThe Metaethics of Moral Claims - Jordan Theriault {{svg_share_icon}}Click bottom of waveform to add your commentsSubscribe: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | RSS jQuery(document).ready(function

What's that on your breath? In episode 79 of Parsing Science we talk with Neil Garg from UCLA about his research into the fundamental chemistry necessary for the creation of a small, electronic test of marijuana that works by way of a simple electrochemical oxidation process similar to that used in an alcohol breath test. His open access article “Electrochemical Oxidation of Δ9 [delta 9] ‐Tetrahydrocannabinol: A Simple Strategy for Marijuana Detection,” which he published with Evan Darzi on April 24, 2020 in the American Chemical Society journal Open Letters.  A Marijuana Breathalyzer - Neil GargA Marijuana Breathalyzer - Neil GargA Marijuana Breathalyzer - Neil Garg A Marijuana Breathalyzer - Neil GargA Marijuana Breathalyzer - Neil GargA Marijuana Breathalyzer - Neil Garg {{svg_share_icon}}Click bottom of waveform to add your commentsSubscribe: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | RSS jQuery(document).ready(function ($){var settings_ap7650 = { design_skin: "skin-wave" ,autoplay: "off",disab

What if mosquitos weren't just annoying bugs, but instead were bio-inspiring features? In episode 78, we talk with Richard Bomphrey from the University of London’s Royal Veterinary College about how mosquitoes can detect surfaces using the airflow caused by the movement of their own wings … and the autonomous drones he developed to mimic them.

What impact did Black politicians have during the Reconstruction? In episode 77, Trevon Logan from The Ohio State University's Department of Economics discusses his research into the election of Black politicians after the Civil War ended in 1865, which led to increased tax revenues that were put toward public schools and land ownership reform. White Southerners, however, reversed that progress just 12 years later, augmenting the systematic disenfranchisement of African Americans that remains today.

Why do some of us choose to remain ignorant of information that - though perhaps unpleasant - could help us make better informed decisions in the future? In episode 76, Emily Ho from Northwestern University’s Department of Medical Social Sciences discusses her research into why we keep our heads in the sand about important information for a variety of psychological and economic reasons. Her article "Measuring information preferences,” was published on March 13, 2020 with David Hagmann and George Loewenstein in the journal Management Science. When Ignorance is Bliss - Emily HoWhen Ignorance is Bliss - Emily HoWhen Ignorance is Bliss - Emily Ho When Ignorance is Bliss - Emily HoWhen Ignorance is Bliss - Emily HoWhen Ignorance is Bliss - Emily Ho {{svg_share_icon}}Click bottom of waveform to add your commentsSubscribe: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | RSS jQuery(document).ready(function ($){var settings_ap7505 = { design_skin: "skin-wave" ,autoplay: "off",disable_volume:"default" ,loop:"off"

In episode 75, Daniel Field from the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge discusses his research into a 66.7-million-year-old bird fossil which mashes up features from chickens, turkeys, and ducks, providing the best evidence so far for understanding when groups of modern birds first evolved and began to diverge.

Very few animals can combine information to adjust their predictions in a flexible way by using domain-general intelligence as humans do. In episode 74, Amalia Bastos from the University of Auckland discusses her research demonstrating that kea parrots can make predictions based in probabilities, and adjust those predictions based on physical and social information.

Are drivers of more expensive cars really the jerks we make them out to be? In Episode 73, Courtney Coughenour and Jennifer Pharr from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas discuss their research into what differentiates drivers who are likely to yield for pedestrians in crosswalks from those who don't.

Are wild tigers now extinct in Laos? In episode 72, Akchousanh "Akchou" Rasphone from Oxford's  Wildlife Conservation Research Unit discusses her research which concludes that improvised snares appear to have decimated the country's wild tiger population, a species whose worldwide population is now estimated to be around 200.

Why is it that we treat various species of animals so differently? In episode 71, Verónica Sevillano with the Autonomous University of Madrid's Department of Social Psychology and Methodology discusses her research applying social psychology and conservation biology to understand the relationships people have with animals.

Can even a single-celled organism truly learn? In Episode 70, Jeremy Gunawardena with the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School talks with us about his replication of an experiment originally conducted over a century ago, which suggested that at least one single-cell organism - the trumpet-shaped Stentor roeseli - is able to carry out surprisingly complex decision-making behaviors

Why Velcro 3D glasses onto cuttlefish? In Episode 69, Trevor Wardill from the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota discusses his research into the previously unknown ability of the cephalopod to see in stereo vision.

What factors best predict success at college among youth formerly in foster care? Royel Johnson discusses his systematic literature review of research on the college success of this historically underserved population.

How can research improve the lives of livestock, even as they're on their way to slaughter? In episode 67, Temple Grandin from the Colorado State University's College of Agricultural Sciences talks with us about her work on promoting improved communications between academic researchers and those in the animal agriculture industry.

Did you catch that? In episode 66, Katherine Wood from the University of Illinois talks with us about her research with Daniel Simons, the scientist behind the famous “Invisible Gorilla” experiments, into if and when people notice unexpected objects in inattentional blindness tasks.

Can your doctors' beliefs about the efficacy of a treatment affect how you experience pain? In episode 65, we’re joined by Luke Chang from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College. He talks with us about his research into socially transmitted placebo effects, through which patients can pick up on subtle facial cues that reveal their doctor's beliefs about how effective a treatment will be.

The global decline of births from 1990 and 2015 has to a reduction in the proportion of people aged 15-29. So might this explain why the world’s homicide rate has dropped by nearly 20%? In episode 64, we’re joined by Mateus Rennó Santos from the University of South Florida. He talks with us about his research into how an aging population is a driving force behind the decline in homicide that most countries across the globe have enjoyed for the past three decades. His article, “The contribution of age structure to the international homicide decline,” was published with Alexander Testa, Lauren Porter, and James Lynch on October 9th, 2019 in the open access journal PLOS One. Global Decline of Homicide - Mateus Rennó SantosGlobal Decline of Homicide - Mateus Rennó SantosGlobal Decline of Homicide - Mateus Rennó Santos Global Decline of Homicide - Mateus Rennó SantosGlobal Decline of Homicide - Mateus Rennó SantosGlobal Decline of Homicide - Mateus Rennó Santos@rwatkins says:Next time, in episode 65 of Parsing Sci

Why are bold, broad, and terse depictions of science perceived as more important, robust and generalizable than nuanced ones? In episode 63, we're joined by Susan Gelman from the University of Michigan, who talks with us about her research into the use of generic language in scientific papers.

Sure, you might have a tongue piercing. But would you consider something far more extreme for a bump on the social ladder? In episode 62, we're joined by Dimitris Xygalatas from the University of Connecticut, who talks with us about how extravagant and painful rituals can foster greater subjective health and social standing.

How can what engineers learn from how barn owls pinpoint the location of the faintest sounds apply to their development of nanotechnologies capable of doing even better? In episode 61, we're joined by Saptarshi Das, a nano-engineer from Penn State University, who talks with us about his article "A biomimetic 2D transistor for audiomorphic computing," co-authored with Sarbashis Das and Akhil Dodda, and published on August 1, 2019 in the open-access journal Nature Communications.