Now you see it, now you don’t – episode 9 of Yet Another Science Show is finally here! Special guest, Harvard PhD Student Phil Munoz, sits down at Jesse’s table with Orad, Jes and Nina to talk meta-atoms, metamaterials and invisibility cloaks. Don’t miss out!
Smell is a powerful thing. In fact, some say it’s the most powerful of our senses. But it’s not a well-understood sense by any means. Every now and again, a new study appears with a new set of categories or a new angle, but for now, the definitive answer on how smell really works remains elusive. A recent study set the number of odour categories at 10, but the YASSers think that something about it just smells off. Take a listen to find out why.
After a brief hiatus, the guys are back! Orad and Jesse introduce their new co-host Nina Pariser and discuss smell. Plus, our first legit voicemail!
Hi Yassers!
Miss Yet Another Science Show? Well, here’s a quick teaser of our imminent return. It’s a convo Jes and Orad had about Voyager when it was leaving the solar system. Stay tuned for more full-length episodes and science minutes, coming soon!
Orad in his cleanroom gear.
Ever wondered what your co-hosts do when they’re not being fab broadcast personalities? Or what the show would sound like if at least one of us really knew what we were talking about? Well listen up, because it’s about to happen: In this episode, Orad describes just what it is he does as a scientist, while Jesse tries to not get confused. Plus, the strangest voicemail we’ve gotten so far… Okay, the only voicemail we’ve gotten so
far…
Good morning Yassers!
We’re trying something new at Yet Another Science Show called our Science Minute. No time to explain it (that’s the point!) so just give her a listen and let us know what you think.
And don’t you fear – a full episode of Yet Another Science Show will be coming up in just two short weeks!
Professor Steve Yalisove of the University of Michigan
Do you know what the difference is between a material’s strength and its toughness? If you’re like most of us, you don’t. But that difference plays a big part in why springs don’t snap under pressure and why only certain materials can be used for the frames in buildings and bridges.
Listen in and get the scoop on material toughness and strength as we host our first interviewee, Professor Steve Yalisove of the University of Michigan’s Material Science and Engineering department, where he teaches an introductory material science course. Continue reading
Philips LED lightbulbs on sale in a Canadian hardware store.
The lightbulb, right? The good old incandescent lightbulb.
Well, it’s maybe not so good anymore. Or comparatively speaking, at least. New lights that boast better energy use and less waste heat are changing the field for the better — or so some would claim. Others prefer the light and warmth offered by the old-fashioned bulb. No matter which side you’re on, the fact is that there’s more than one way to light a room, and we’re talking all about it in this episode. So settle in, give us a listen… and then maybe get in on the conversation!
Next up: Material toughness. Continue reading
An African Cichlid. Source: Flickr user orlyscis
Deep in Africa’s Rift Valley lakes, a story of extinction and evolution is unfolding at an incredible rate, while elsewhere, islands have their own stories of divergent evolution writ large in their fossils. Speciation is an unending process that has shaped our planet’s history in many ways, and continues to do so today.
In this episode, Jesse and Orad tackle the topic of speciation — from its different types to its more extreme cases — along with special guest (and regular behind-the-scenes team member) Aimee Gillespie!
Our next show will be about the history of lighting and how the simple light bulb has changed over the years. Post questions below or contact us here!
Note: due to scheduling conflicts with our guest, we will not be able to discuss the planned topic (material toughness) quite yet, but stay tuned! Continue reading
An example of a “real” magnetic dipole found in ordinary matter, created by a current-carrying wire. Source: Wikipedia
Magnetic monopoles are one of those things that really should be real. There’s practically an empty space in physics waiting to be filled by them. But nobody’s found one yet.
In some ways, Paul Dirac was as elusive a figure as his monopoles are. Taciturn, impossible to know and sometimes downright bizarre, he nevertheless gave the world of science some of its most enduring theories and equations.
Join us for a discussion on Paul Dirac and the magnetic monopole, featuring Orad’s new microphone and Jesse’s wicked head cold.
Our next episode will be about genetic diversification, so write in or call about it if you’ve got questions you want us to answer!
Thanks for the great feedback about episode 2! We’re hard at work taking down notes to make the show better, and make it what you want to hear.
We’re getting together to record the third episode about magnetic monopoles soon. You still have time to be featured on the mailbag segment of the show if you call in or write in now! You can even reply to this post below, of course. So if you have any thoughts about magnetic charges (or if you still want to talk about black holes), now’s your chance to let us know about them.
