Talk Archives

Polio was the most feared disease of the middle part of the 20th century. Every child everywhere was at risk of catching this horrific disease that had no prevention or cure. Thousands of children died and thousands more were paralyzed. Dr. David Oshinsky, author of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize winning book Polio: An American Story, shares the enthralling story of America’s battle with polio, the terror it caused, and the intense effort to find a cure.

Concerned about the bird flu? What would happen if a case appeared in the U.S.? Emerging global public health challenges like bird flu and SARS require innovative methods to understand and control the spread of new diseases. Dr. Lauren Meyers discusses how strategies for stopping the spread of deadly diseases can be developed by creating mathematical models of the transmission of diseases.

The biodiversity of the oceans is in critical decline. Major drivers of the Brave New Ocean include over-exploitation, destruction of habitats, globalization of species, ocean warming, poisoning of food webs, and the rise of slime. Dr. Jeremy Jackson share ideas for developing successful management and conversation strategies for sustainability in the oceans.

Infinity is big. For thousands of years, people also thought it was incomprehensible – an idea so vast that understanding it was beyond the scope of any person’s finite mind. But a child’s method of sharing – ‘one for me, one for you’ – , an Infinite Inn, a barrel containing infinitely many Ping-Pong balls, and a game called Dodge Ball combine to take us to infinity. And beyond.

Rattlesnakes are efficient predators that play an integral role in maintaining the balance within ecosystems. Unfortunately, their capacity to injure or even kill humans has made them among the most misunderstood vertebrates on the planet. Dr. Travis LaDuc dispels some of the myths surrounding rattlesnakes by sharing insights into their natural history.

The Mars Exploration Rover Mission, part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, reveals evidence for water and prospects for life on Mars. The goals of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission were to characterize the climate and geology of Mars, determine if life ever arose on Mars, and prepare for human exploration of Mars. Dr. John Grotzinger shares the latest discoveries about the mysterious red planet known as Mars.

The science of paleontology is 300 years old, and even today it fundamentally relies on the discovery of new fossils. Dr. Rowe shares the unprecedented blossoming of digital technologies that allow us to understand the new fossils in ways never before possible, and how they can squeeze even more information from the fossils that were collected decades or centuries ago.

While Antarctica and Greenland may first come to mind when thinking of frozen fields of ice, glaciers occur widely across the planet – even on the equator. These glaciers at tropical latitudes preserve paleoclimate histories unattainable elsewhere. Unfortunately, these glaciers are rapidly melting. Dr. Lonnie Thompson shares the work done on both glaciers in the Antarctica and tropics.

The scientific collection and evaluation of evidence has taken on an increasingly important role in apprehending and convicting criminals. We’ve seen the television version of these efforts on shows like CSI, but what goes on in a real crime laboratory? William Ginn, Manager of the Department of Public Safety's Crime Lab in Austin, shares the scientific procedures used to protect the innocent and convict the guilty.

Ever wonder how stuntmen stay safe when they’re on fire, crashing through windows, or jumping from buildings? Steve Wolf shares how mechanics, kinetics, heat, electronics, optics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, computers and safety are used to create special effects.