Sounds of Science brings leading voices in discovery and innovation to our studios at NJN Public Radio -- on the way to your car, your home, your headphones, your mind. The series aims to make important news, concepts, and issues in the scientific world intimately accessible through conversations with some of the world’s top researchers. Subjects range from ecology to cosmology, from neuroscience to information science, from basic research to real-world problem solving. Energy alternatives, stem cell science, computer security, and other timely topics are also on the agenda.
NJN News Science Correspondent Patrick Regan is a widely trusted guide to the sometimes forbidding terrain of science and technology. Join him and his guests for Sounds of Science – via broadcast, live streaming, or podcast.
Episode 11- "International Year of Astronomy"
First broadcast: April 14, 2009
A year-long global celebration has begun, involving research institutions, schools, science centers, and local astronomy clubs, all under the auspices of UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union. Marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical observations – a turning point in the history of science – the International Year of Astronomy is a worldwide outreach program with something for everyone. This conversation with the program’s U.S. spokesperson, Franklin Institute Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts, focuses on the state of astronomy in 1609 and 2009.
Episode 10- "Economic Behavior and the Science of Happiness"
First broadcast: January 27, 2009
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s most influential ideas, experiments, and discoveries have focused on the interplay of intuition and reasoning in decision making. Along with many major awards in psychology, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences “for having integrated insights from psychological research into economic science, especially concerning human judgment and decision making under uncertainty.” This line of research has led, in recent years, to attempts to measure, explore, and explain such elusive aspects of experience as well-being and happiness. Based at Princeton University, Kahneman is a professor of psychology, emeritus, and a senior scholar in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs.
Episode 9- "Fusion: The Other Nuclear Energy”
First broadcast: November 25, 2008
Patrick Regan and physicist Rob Goldston review the past few decades of research toward harnessing nuclear fusion – the reaction that powers the sun – and consider the outloook for the future. Goldston joined the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility operated by Princeton University, as a grad student in 1972 and was named its fifth director in 1997. He sees fusion as a viable component of a future energy mix in which fossil fuels are increasingly replaced with renewable alternatives such as wind, solar, and biodiesel – and a safer option than conventional, fission-based nuclear power.
Episode 8- "Stem Cell Biology”
First broadcast: November 11, 2008
“Stem Cell Biology” – how scientists are investigating the potential of these remarkable cells, and how their research can also shed new light on basic questions in biology. The term “stem cell,” little known just a few years ago, has come to represent, on the one hand, hope for conditions previously considered hopeless, and on the other, a divisive ethical and political issue. With Rutgers University researcher Jennifer Moore, we aim to shed more light on stem cell biology – that is, what all the fuss is about, not the fuss itself. Jennifer Moore’s research has focused on the differentiation of stem cells into heart cells, and on protein “signaling” that guides stem cells toward becoming the types of cells that make up the central nervous system. As assistant director of the Stem Cell Core Facility at Rutgers, she oversees cultures of human embryonic stem cells and works with other scientists who would like to use them in their research.
Episode 7- "Electronic Elections”
First broadcast: September 23, 2008
When U.S. voters have cast their ballots in November, how sure can they be that they will know who won? There is not a simple answer. As New Jersey and other states have adopted computer-based electronic voting systems, serious questions have been raised about their reliability and trustworthiness. Princeton University computer scientist Edward Felten reviews technical issues, nationwide trends in electronic elections, and research findings -- including demonstrations that widely used systems may be vulnerable to malicious tampering as well as to common computer failures.
Episode 6 - "Pine Barrens Ecology”
First broadcast: August 26, 2008
A unique and biologically diverse ecosystem thrives in the midst of a rapidly developing part of the country’s most densely populated state. Fire-adapted plants and fungi anchor rich communities of native species that have flourished here since shortly after the last ice age. Two experts join host Patrick Regan to discuss Pine Barrens ecology – past, present, and future. Walter Bien is director of Drexel University’s Pinelands Research Center, and John Dighton is director of Rutgers University’s Pinelands Field Station.
Episode 5 - "Neurogenesis”
First broadcast: July 22, 2008
Ideas about the brain have changed dramatically in the past decade or two, in part because of insights into neurogenesis, the production of new brain cells throughout life. There’s strong evidence, for example, that learning causes more of the neurons “born” every day to survive. Other findings suggest that it may one day be possible to enhance the brain’s ability to repair itself. Steve Levison of the New Jersey Medical School and Rutgers researcher Tracey Shors discuss recent discoveries and what they might mean for health and healing.
Episode 4 - "Antarctic Perspectives”
First broadcast: June 24, 2008
The continent of Antarctica offers a unique vantage point for scientific research, from marine biology to astrophysics. Studies aimed at better understanding of the global carbon cycle and climate change – past, present, and future – are the focus of this conversation. Geoscientists Michael Bender of Princeton University and Sandra Passchier of Montclair State University also talk about what it’s like to live and work “on the ice”.
Episode 3 - "Launching Ocean Observatories”
First broadcast: May 27, 2008
Ship-based studies of ocean physics, chemistry, and biology are being augmented by measurements from undersea robots, moored instruments, satellites, and coastal radar installations. At the same time, ocean research is becoming increasingly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and global. Potential payoffs include better understanding of climate change and better management of fisheries. Rutgers oceanographers Scott Glenn and Oscar Schofield review progress toward a network of "ocean observatories" that could operate year-round, worldwide.
Episode 2 - "Alternative Energy Timelines”
First broadcast: April 22, 2008
What technological options, available or on the horizon, appear best suited to the goals of ensuring the availability of energy, reducing risks associated with reliance on oil, and stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions? In this conversation, Rutgers researcher Paul Falkowski and NJIT R&D Vice President Don Sebastian explore alternative ways to meet future energy needs and consider possible timelines for different scenarios. A professor of geology and biological oceanography, Falkowski serves as acting director of the Rutgers Energy Institute. Sebastian is a chemical engineer and research manager who has led statewide initiatives in areas such as nanotechnology and stem cell research.
Episode 1 - "Strange Days in Your Universe: Precision Cosmology and the Trouble with Physics”
First broadcast: March 25, 2008
The scientific picture of our universe seems to become more alien to human experience and intuition with every big advance in observation and theory. For instance, less than five percent of the universe is thought to consist of the stuff that we’re made of, “ordinary” matter and energy. Princeton University astrophysicists Neta Bahcall and Paul Steinhardt lead the way through this strange cosmology and consider what might lie beyond it.
