Charles Darwin is one of the most recognizable names in science. His On the Origin of Species is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. In this episode of Safeguarding Sound Science, we speak with three experts who marvel at Darwin's innovations while also surfacing what Darwin may have gotten wrong and was unable to consider due to the limitations of his era. Joseph L. Graves Jr. is an evolutionary biologist and a professor of biological science at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Agustin Fuentes is a biological anthropologist and primatologist at Princeton University. And Holly Dunsworth is a biological anthropologist at the University of Rhode Island. Together, in conversation with host Mat Kaplan, they discuss how our understanding of Darwin and evolutionary biology has itself evolved over time, along with related critical issues such as race, virology, and ideological attacks on evolution. "We need to take evolutionary thinking seriously because it literally could mean the future or non-future of our species," Graves states.
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1:00:49
Human Evolution: Uncovering our Origins
You know the t-shirt, right? The one that shows the progression from a monkey to a human? In this episode of Safeguarding Sound Science, we talk with two renowned paleoanthropologists, Jeremy DeSilva and Briana Pobiner, to find out why that image is in fact a viral misconception. DeSilva and Pobiner study the real ancestry of homo sapiens, a story that continues to unfold in Africa and elsewhere around the world. It’s a story that’s as dramatic, as exciting, and as complex as the very best detective novels. DeSilva, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth University, studies the locomotion of the very first apes and our own, earliest human ancestors, known as hominins. Pobiner is a Research Scientist and Museum Educator in the Human Origins Program, part of the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Together, they share their understanding of how we came to be who we are today.
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Peter Hotez on Vaccines, Evolution, and Your Health
Vaccine skepticism and efforts to curb vaccine access are in the news almost daily. This despite the fact that for decades, vaccines have saved millions of lives and reduced suffering immeasurably all across the globe. In this episode, host Mat Kaplan speaks with Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and global health expert and an outspoken and well-known proponent of the value and science-backed efficacy of vaccines. Dr. Hotez describes the forces at play in the rise of the anti-vaxx movement and the potential harms that could result. Mat also talks with NCSE’s Wendy Johnson. She discusses a curriculum unit she helped author that focuses on the evolution of pathogens and how that evolution shapes the vaccines to combat them: for instance, why flu shots are recommended every year, but measles vaccinations are not.
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1:12:38
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1:12:38
Safeguarding Sound Science Season 2: Evolution Edition
The second season of Safeguarding Sound Science from The National Center for Science Education examines the everyday impacts of evolution, the grand theory that informs our understanding of all life on this planet. Host Mat Kaplan talks with scientists, researchers, and other experts as they dispel common misconceptions about evolution, discuss its sometimes invisible importance in our day-to-day lives, and marvel at the wonders of ongoing scientific discovery that help us piece together more of the evolutionary puzzle. Tune in beginning Oct. 1.
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The New Face of Climate Denial: Online Influencers
Like nearly everything ever created by humans, social media can be used for good or evil. The same goes for podcasting and other streaming media shows. We’ll talk with two experts whose work helps us understand how these tools and platforms are misused, particularly when it comes to climate change denial, AND how they can contribute to the progress of good science and the public’s appreciation of it. John Cook, creator of the mobile game "Cranky Uncle," which aims to fight climate and science misinformation, discusses his years-long effort to help inoculate against climate denial arguments and the special problems posed by social media and online influencers. Samantha Harrington, from Yale Climate Connections, then discusses with host Mat Kaplan her findings from her recent article, "Eight of the top 10 online shows are spreading climate misinformation." Join us for this special bonus episode of Safeguarding Sound Science, Climate Change Edition.
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Safeguarding Sound Science from the National Center for Science Education combats misinformation, disinformation, and misconceptions with actual science. The second season of Safeguarding Sound Science examines the everyday impacts of evolution, the grand theory that informs our understanding of all life on this planet. Host Mat Kaplan talks with scientists, researchers, and other experts as they dispel common misconceptions about evolution, discuss its sometimes invisible importance in our day-to-day lives, and marvel at the wonders of ongoing scientific discovery that help us piece together more of the evolutionary puzzle.
Netherlands