We are beginning our "Seeing Science" series. Science influences many different areas our our lives- even ones that seem quite removed. Over the next three episodes, we are going to focus on how science influences politics, art, and the media. This episode we talked with Sheril Kirshenbaum, the executive director of Science Debate, a non-profit, … Continue reading Seeing Science: Science and Politics
Author: speakingsciencepodcast
Humans and Bacteria: Protecting our weapons so we can survive the war
So far in the last two episodes we've talked about how we can live and work with the tiny organisms that live in and around our body. Dr. Robert Britton spoke to us about what we're still trying to learn, especially concerning pro- and pre-biotics. Today we are wrapping up our human and bacteria series by … Continue reading Humans and Bacteria: Protecting our weapons so we can survive the war
Humans and Bacteria: The problems and promises of probiotics
Today we talk to Dr. Robert Britton, a scientist who works at the Baylor College of Medicine. His lab studies how microbes affect health and disease, particularly looking at what microbes might be therapeutic. Since he spends so much time thinking about how these tiny communities affect our health, we had a few questions to … Continue reading Humans and Bacteria: The problems and promises of probiotics
Humans and Bacteria: Coexistence is complicated
Everyday we live with a community of bacteria that outnumber the cells in our bodies! On shelfs in the store you can find yogurt labelled with "live culture" and bottles of pro- and prebiotics, but what does this all mean? We're diving in the microscopic world of our microbiome (biome means a community of living … Continue reading Humans and Bacteria: Coexistence is complicated
GMO’s: What’s on the menu?
This is the final episode of our first series. Today we're bringing the story full circle by looking at what happens when we have a genetically engineered plant on our plate. We walk through how our bodies digest and interact with things we eat, like proteins and DNA. We also discuss major concerns, like allergies … Continue reading GMO’s: What’s on the menu?
GMO’s: This little seed went to market
We're in episode 2 of our first series. In this episode we talked a few people at both ends of how a GMO seed gets from development to field. Wesley Bruce is a scientist at a company that researches how to make improved plants. He told us how all the steps that go into genetically … Continue reading GMO’s: This little seed went to market
GMO’s: What’s in a name?
"GMO" has become a word that's used all the time. We see "non-GMO" products on boxes in the store and labels above our vegetables. Picture from GMO AwarenessWe see pictures of a mysterious gloved hand poking a needle into a tomato, adding mysterious substances to our food. But do we really understand what this all means, both the term … Continue reading GMO’s: What’s in a name?
