Star Trek Meets Evolutionary Biology (And Good Things Happen)
Star Trek is one of the greatest science fiction universes ever created, spawning 12 main television series and 13 movies over the last 60 years. Who among us hasn't tried the "live long and prosper" hand signal or used our old flip phones as a communicator? But what about the science behind the fiction? Mohamed Noor, professor of biology at Duke University, is the author of Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds. He is also a science consultant for the Star Trek franchise, and he joins us to discuss the ways in which Star Trek characters and plotlines can be used to understand fundamental aspects of evolutionary biology. Joining Noor is Benjamin Ahr Harrison, co-host of the wildly popular and enjoyable Star Trek podcast, The Greatest Generation. Together with host Mat Kaplan, they share laughs, show off amazing recall of specific Star Trek episodes, and delve into the biological science of alien life forms as they boldly go where only a few humans have gone before.
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Teaching Evolution: Challenges, Progress, and the Road Ahead
The understanding of evolution has had a profound positive effect on human existence, from medical advancements to conservation biology, as we have heard from so many of our guests this season. Yet, despite this fact, evolution education continues to be threatened today, from the censoring of language in textbooks to the watering down of science standards. How did we get here? What is the current state of evolution education? And how can we ensure that our children have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in tomorrow's world? Host Mat Kaplan is joined by three science education experts from NCSE: Executive Director Amanda Townley and Science Education and Outreach Specialists Wendy Johnson and Britt Miller. Listen as they provide answers to these and many other questions about the past, present, and future of evolution education.
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Darwin's Reach: How Evolution Shapes Our World Today
Invasive cancers. Antibiotic resistance. Agricultural biodiversity. To better understand these and many other pressing issues of our times, we need to better understand evolution and its applicability to so much of what we encounter in modern life. So says Norman A. Johnson, the author of Darwin's Reach: 21st Century Applications of Evolutionary Biology. Host Mat Kaplan talks with Johnson about the myriad ways evolution affects each and every one of us on a daily basis, along with how applied evolutionary science may offer solutions to some of humanity's biggest challenges.
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Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic?
Maybe not, according to Todd Disotell, a biological anthropologist and science communicator from the University of Massachusetts. Among his many research interests, Disotell studies and teaches about disease ecology: how pathogens of every variety get to be so good at making us sick (hint: evolution is deeply involved), and how our bodies fight back. Join host Mat Kaplan for this enlightening, and sometimes sobering, look at those masters of adaptation: pathogens.
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Let's Talk About Sex (Scientifically)
Everything in our lives is related to sex, in one way or another. So says Carin Bondar, one of today's guests. Bondar, a biologist, author, and philosopher who teaches at the University of the Fraser Valley, is proud to be known as an animal sex biologist. She's joined by Nathan Lents, professor of biology at John Jay College of Criminial Justice at the City University of New York. His latest book is The Sexual Evolution: A Provocative Look at Sexual Behavior ." Along with host Mat Kaplan, Bondar and Lents explore the science behind sex, and also consider the cultural norms around sexuality and sexual identity. For both of them, biology tells us that diversity, through mutation and sexual reproduction, is critical to the success of species, including humans. "If we look to how nature behaves and treats difference, we could actually learn to live in better harmony with one another," Lents says. Join us for an illuminating (and very entertaining!) look at sex from a scientific perspective with two popular experts on the topic.
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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.
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