Sinopsis
Each week Inquiring Minds brings you a new, in-depth exploration of the place where science, politics, and society collide. Were committed to the idea that making an effort to understand the world around you though science and critical thinking can benefit everyoneand lead to better decisions. We endeavor to find out whats true, whats left to discover, and why it all matters with weekly coverage of the latest headlines and probing discussions with leading scientists and thinkers. Produced in partnership with Climate Desk, a journalistic collaboration dedicated to exploring the impact of a changing climate and consisting of The Atlantic, Center for Investigative Reporting, Grist, The Guardian, Mother Jones, Slate, and Wired.
Episodios
-
Inside the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine with Brendan Borrell
15/11/2021 Duración: 44minIn early 2020, experts predicted the development of the COVID-19 vaccine would take 12 to 18 months. Fast forward to today and there are at least five vaccines approved by the World Health Organization. Joining Indre today is Brendan Borrell, a health scientist and business journalist who’s written for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Wired, and The New York Times. He also happens to be the author of a new book, The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine, and in today’s show, he discusses his book, providing valuable insights into the early days of the virus, the political football and money plays involved, and other enthralling details surrounding the race to the COVID-19 vaccine. Show Links: Inquiring Minds Podcast Homepage Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds See https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Scie
-
Moving Your Way Through Cancer with Dr. Kathryn Schmitz
02/11/2021 Duración: 36minThe topic of cancer is one that has been addressed more than once before on Inquiring Minds, and today Indre visits it once again, this time looking at the impact that exercise can have on those undergoing cancer treatment. Joining her for this revelatory discussion is Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, whose many, many accomplishments include holding the position of Distinguished Professor of Public Health Sciences at Penn State’s College of Medicine and Penn State Cancer Institute, and as a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. A tireless researcher and advocate in the field of exercise oncology, Dr. Schmitz has recently authored Moving Through Cancer: An Exercise and Strength-Training Program for the Fight of Your Life - Empowers Patients and Caregivers in 5 Steps. It is essentially a thoroughly science-based guide to how to strategically use exercise and strength training to help people fight cancer and recover from it, and Dr. Schmitz discusses it and so much more in today’s highly informative and
-
Making Sense of Self with Anil Seth
27/10/2021 Duración: 46minIndre continues to pursue her fascination with the neural basis of consciousness in this week’s episode. In her never ending quest to understand how the biology of the brain gives rise to every experience we’ve ever had, ever will have, and everything in between, she has picked the brains of a number of experts in the field over the years. Today is no exception as she revisits this favorite topic by welcoming to the podcast Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, and Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, for a discussion about his new book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness. Show Links: Inquiring Minds Podcast Homepage Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds See https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. Being You: A New Science of ConsciousnessSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Up to Date | From the Microscopic to the Astronomic
21/10/2021 Duración: 22minOn the show this week, Adam Bristol introduces Florida’s controversial genetically modified mosquito pilot program, and then delves into the details of the Dual Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which should be launching in the near future. Indre also explains recent efforts to use music to help humans visualize proteins.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
A Matter of Life, Death, or Maybe Somewhere in Between with John and Lois Crowe
05/10/2021 Duración: 26minWe think of consistent water consumption as a necessary component for life… but then there are tardigrades. Adorable and tiny, tardigrades can survive intervals of extreme drying or dehydration and then later be revived. They’re amazing animals, and much of what is known about them comes from the work of John and Lois Crowe, two former UC Davis researchers who devoted much of their careers to studying these little guys. They both join us on the show this week.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
The Sound Mind with Nina Kraus
28/09/2021 Duración: 34minNina Kraus, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist who has done groundbreaking research on sound and hearing for more than three decades. She's the Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology, Communication Sciences, and Otolaryngology at Northwestern University, and she has been a frequent guest on Indre’s other podcast, Cadence: What Music Tells Us About the Mind. Nina has just released her first trade book called “Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World”. Today she joins Indre to explain just how important sound is, how the hearing brain engages how we think, feel, move, and incorporate information from our other senses, and why the “sound mind” is so integral to how we experience the world. Show Links: “Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World” by Nina Kraus Brainvolts Website https://brainvolts.northwestern.edu/ Inquiring Minds Podcast Homepage Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds Listen to the Cadence Podcast Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/
-
Managing Our Criminal Nature with Mary Roach
15/09/2021 Duración: 37minWho among us hasn’t, at some point, wondered just what exactly a bear manager or a danger tree feller blaster does? Well, Mary Roach, America’s funniest science writer, TED 20 Most Watched list member, and increasingly frequent guest on this podcast has, and now she’s written a book for our collective enlightenment. In today’s episode, Mary discusses her latest offering, FUZZ: When Nature Breaks the Law, taking us on a fascinating journey around the world to explore these and other unique professions dealing with animals and plants whose interactions with humans can be dangerous and even fatal. Show Links: Inquiring Minds Podcast Homepage Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds See https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. Episode 31 - The Science of Your Guts Episode 138 - The Curious Science of Humans at War Mary's Homepage Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Unwrapping the Gifts of Good Anxiety with Wendy Suzuki
06/09/2021 Duración: 40minAnxiety has become a staple of modern life, particularly over the past year and a half. It can be debilitating, but it is at its core a necessary component of our lives—if it can be managed. Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University, is best known for her extensive work studying areas in the brain critical for our ability to form and retain new long-term memories. But on the show this week, she joins us to talk about anxiety and the gifts it offers as outlined in her new book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science with Sam Kean
01/09/2021 Duración: 34minThis week we welcome back Sam Kean, the New York Times bestselling author whose previous books include The Bastard Brigade, Caesar's Last Breath, and The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons. Sam joins the show to discuss his latest book, The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Investigating The Memory Thief with Lauren Aguirre
23/08/2021 Duración: 39minOf all the side effects of opioid use that exist, one that is only recently starting to get the attention it deserves is that of becoming amnestic. That doesn’t mean that this effect hasn’t been on the radar of some researchers over the years, though. As far back as 2016, Neurology Specialist, Dr. Jed Barash, brought some case studies to Indre’s attention, and today’s guest, Lauren Aguirre, has built upon Jed’s findings to write The Memory Thief and the Secrets Behind How We Remember. An award-winning science journalist who has produced documentaries, short-form video series, podcasts, interactive games, and blogs for the PBS series NOVA, Lauren combines her personal experience with her extensive amount of research to generate both a book and an interview here today that you will not soon forget. Show Links: Inquiring Minds Podcast Homepage Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes with Melinda Wenner Moyer
16/08/2021 Duración: 41minOne side effect of the pandemic is that a lot of parents have spent more time than they were expecting to with their kids, and were sometimes left questioning their parenting decisions along the way. Melinda Wenner Moyer’s new book How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting—from Tots to Teens could not be more timely, and she joins us on this week’s episode.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Up to Date | Social Parrots; Empathetic Rodents; Microbiome Analyses
09/08/2021 Duración: 21minThis week we delve into a study with a citizen science element regarding the evolution of a social behavior in parrots, followed by a collaborative study regarding empathy in rodents, particularly toward those with whom they were kin or had some sense of association. Our hosts share the results of their own recent microbiome analyses which leads into a study looking at the impact of dietary fibre on gut microbes—and they finish up with a look at how migratory birds may help redistribute plants as the impact of climate change intensifies.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Opening Up the World of Quarantine with Nicola Twilley
26/07/2021 Duración: 38minIn the summer of 2019—before Covid-19 had emerged—author, researcher, and ‘Gastropod’ co-host Nicola Tilley and her husband and co-author Geoff Manaugh told a rapt audience, “You and everyone around you is going to be quarantined, is going to experience quarantine in your lifetimes.” They had just presented their extensive research into quarantine that would ultimately become their new book, Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine. The book provides remarkably valuable information and insight into this now all too familiar part of life and its relationship with freedom, governance, and mutual responsibility.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Building Up Your Mental Health Immunity with Andy Norman
19/07/2021 Duración: 37minAmong COVID-19’s many side effects are two that seem to be in direct conflict – on the one hand we’ve all become armchair epidemiologists, and on the other, conspiracy theories are at an all time high. In the common search for answers regarding the virus, some have put all their faith in the certainties of science while others are just as committed to making decisions based upon opinions and beliefs. This leads to the question, ‘What happens when we apply our newfound knowledge of diseases to parasitic infections of the mind?’, and today, Andy Norman offers his response as he discusses his new book, Mental Immunity, which maps out how bad ideas can take on these parasitic qualities and outlines what we can do to generate cognitive antibodies. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Generating the Element of Harmonic Surprise with David Rosen
12/07/2021 Duración: 34minOver the years, music producers have tried to predict what audiences want to hear while at the same time advances in science and technology have taught us a lot about what happens in the brain when we listen to music that we love. Now, David Rosen, CEO and Co-founder of Secret Chord Labs, has brought these two fields together to explore the potential for artificial intelligence to generate guaranteed hits, and just what exactly that would mean for music and musicians. Listen in today as David joins the podcast to present a fascinating case study of the impact of AI or algorithms on human creativity. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Thinking about Thinking about Yourself with Iris Berent
05/07/2021 Duración: 42minWhat are your thoughts regarding the relationship between the mind and the brain? For that matter, what are your thoughts? Iris Berent has definitely done some deep thinking on these questions, unearthing the stories we tell ourselves about what we know and who we are as well as the impact these stories can have. She shares her thoughts here today in our eye-opening conversation about her book, The Blind Storyteller. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
The Hidden Geometry of Information and Everything Else with Jordan Ellenberg
21/06/2021 Duración: 43minWhen was the last time you thought about geometry? Unless you're an architect or a kindergarten teacher, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about shapes. But mathematician Jordan Ellenberg wants to bring geometry back, and show us not just how shapes can measure the world, but how they can explain it. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
‘The Untapped Science of Less’ with Leidy Klotz
14/06/2021 Duración: 34minJoining Indre on the podcast today is University of Virginia Professor, Leidy Klotz. A former professional soccer player, Leidy has gone on to pursue his interest in studying how we transform things from how they are to how we want them to be, and has written for a number of prominent publications including The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, and The Behavioral Scientist. His new book, Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, explores the concept of subtraction as an effective yet often overlooked problem-solving strategy, and forms the basis for today’s fascinating episode.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Mom Genes: Abigail Tucker on the Science of Motherhood
07/06/2021 Duración: 38minWe all know how babies are made, but science is only now exploring how mothers are. Abigail Tucker discusses her latest book, exploring the factors that shape the behaviors of mothers and other caregivers.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
-
Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary
01/06/2021 Duración: 01h09minAndy Weir, science fiction writer and author of The Martian, joins us to talk about his new book Project Hail Mary: A Novel.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds