Steffi Diem

The Relaunch Era Turns One!

August 31st, 2022  |  Season 3  |  53 mins 28 secs

scicomm, science

It's been a year since the Science Night podcast transformed into the show you've come to know and love. To celebrate we're looking back at our favorite moments from the relaunch era.

Gen Con: The Science of SciFi

August 24th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  41 mins 42 secs

ai, biology, epidemiology, evolution, fallout, fusion, games, gaming, mass effect, microbiology, parasites, physics, scicomm, science, scifi, ttrpg, video games

This week we have another special episode from our recent trip to Gen Con in Indianapolis, IN. This time, its some of the audio from both nights of the Science of SciFi panel presented by Indiana Sciences. First up, the Science Night crew talks about the science of the Mass Effect and Fallout series. In Night two, Dr. Bill Sullivan, Matt Sauers, and Rufus Cochran talk about parasites, physics-based traps, and AI. For the full audio and video from both nights make sure you head over to indianasciences.org.

Fresh and Foraged with Carolyn Dugas

August 17th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  45 mins 22 secs

astronomy, botany, coal, coal fire, food, foraging, geology, mushrooms, mycology, poison control, scicomm, science

This week we're talking to Carolyn Dugas, a forager and content creator who is teaching people to reconnect with the food in their backyards safely and sustainably. In the news, we're talking about underground infernos, space sausage, and poison control.

Gen Con: Games and the People That Make Them

August 10th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  40 mins 53 secs

critical care, d&d, gamer, gaming, gencon, genius games, indianapolis, indie games, indy, magic the gathering, mtg, nomnivore games, northstar games, rpg, scicomm, science, tabletop, ttrpg, warhammer

In the first of three Gen Con specials, we're sharing our thoughts on the Greatest Four Days in Gaming and sharing some of the sounds and conversations from the con floor. Be sure to check out our website for links to all the game makers featured in the episode.

The Simplicity of Complexity with Dr. Yasmeen Mezil

August 3rd, 2022  |  Season 3  |  56 mins 25 secs

anatomy, animals, art, brain fog, covid 19, sciart, scicomm, science

This week Dr. Yasmeen Mezil fills us in on her work as an anatomist and illustrator. She talks about her path in finding a way to combine the many facets of her life, and how to bring creativity into science. In the news, we're talking about some animal antics that have been in the headlines, and charting the foggy shores of "Covid brain".

Defending Truth with David Goldstein

July 20th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 11 mins

ai, alpha fold 2, archaeology, cern, chemistry, communication, disinformation, large hadron collider, misinformation, particle physics, physics, politics, quarks, scicomm, science

This week we're talking about disinformation, misinformation, and effective communication with David Goldstein, chief strategist at We Defend Truth. In the news, we're revisiting our favorite protein-analyzing AI, learning about quarks in their many forms, and talking about the dos and don'ts of finding things in the brave wilderness.

Open Heart Listening with Dr. Jen Ma

July 6th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  51 mins 40 secs

bioengineering, communication, computing, empathy, engineering, listening, physics, quantum computing, quantum physics, robotics, scicomm, science

Tonight, we welcome back Dr. Jen Ma to talk about her recent event where she brought together people with different viewpoints and have them actually listen to each other. It’s a great conversation about communication, empathy, and re-building our listening skills. We even got Jen to join us in the news segment to talk about synthetic skin and a return to the land of time crystals.

Biology Beyond the Binary with Camryn Martin

June 22nd, 2022  |  Season 3  |  49 mins 35 secs

asteroids, biology, engineering, gender, geology, green energy, hayabusa 2, nature, ocean currents, pride, scicomm, science, sexuality, space, super worms

This week we're talking to the host of the Nature is Gay podcast Camryn Martin. We talk about mating behaviors in nature, and how species after species don't fit in the "binary". In the news, we're covering terrific turbines, wonderful worms, and ancient asteroids.

Open Science with Prof. Lee Berger

June 8th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 1 min

anthropology, biology, dinosaurs, evolution, metabolism, paleontology, scicomm, science, sharks

This week we're extremely excited to bring you our conversation with the incredible Prof. Lee Berger. He shares stories from his work, and we talk about his efforts to include new people in his discipline and make his science more accessible to everyone. In the news, we talk about a sharcano, and dynamic dinos.

The Ballad of the Nine Inch Snails with Bea Ramiro

May 27th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  56 mins 4 secs

astronomy, biochemistry, biology, biomedicine, black holes, chemistry, china, climate change, comets, cone snails, epidemiology, field work, fusion energy, grad school, medicine, mollusks, monkey pox, nuclear fusion, physics, physilogy, scicomm, science, tritium

This week, we have the triumphant return of those marvelous mollusks, the cone snails! We're talking to Bea Ramiro from the Safavi Lab at the University of Copenhagen, who is looking at a potential medical use for cone snail venom. In the news, we hop aboard the de-hype train, talk about fusion fuel, sing a black hole song, and explore a secret garden. Plus a new line of cone snail merch at our website, scinight.com/merch!

Tik Talking About Teaching with Dr. Andre Isaacs

May 13th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 12 mins

bloodworm, chemistry, college, copper, data visualization, education, gallium, liquid metal, mentoring, mentors, open data, open science, open source, scicomm, science, students, teaching

This week we’re talking to chemist and tik tok star Dr. Andre Isaacs. We talked about mentorship, creating the proper learning environment, the importance of creating a more diverse and inclusive STEM landscape, and much much more. Plus we have a news segment covering oceans of open data, malleable metal, and creepy crawlers. Check out links to these stories and everything Dr. Isaacs talks about at scinight.com.

The 2022 May 4th Spectacular

May 4th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 29 mins

anatomy, biology, blaster, chewbacca, chlorophyll, death star, engineering, jabba the hutt, jedi, lightsaber, midichlorian, mitochondria, sand people, scicomm, science, scifi, sith, star wars, the force, tusken raider, wookie

It’s Star Wars Day and we’ve gathered a plucky team to talk about the science of this beloved saga. We have four great pieces of Star Wars scicomm covering lightsabers and blasters, languages, midichlorians, and Wookie anatomy, plus so much more. Don’t forget to checkout scinight.com for links to learn more about the topics we cover in this episode.

The Interface of Science and Policy with Dr. Alma Cristal Hernandez-Mondragon

April 29th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 5 mins

astronomy, biology, climate change, dartmouth, frogs, jpl, mating calls, mexico, nasa, physics, policy, scicomm, science, scipolicy, scorpions, snakes, space, the three body problem, theoretical physics, three body

This week we're featuring a conversation with Dr. Alma Cristal Hernandez-Mondragon, a science policy advocate from Mexico City that is paving the way for a generation of science advocates in Mexico. In the news, we're talking about troubling transmissions, frog tinder, and anti-venom achievements.

The 2022 Earth Day Special Featuring Dr. Devyani Singh

April 22nd, 2022  |  Season 3  |  56 mins 52 secs

biology, climate change, climate crisis, earth day, green party, invasive species, permaculture, plastic, pollution, scicomm, science, science policy

Earth Day is here, and what better way to celebrate than bringing back our favorite climate scientist, and Vancouver City Council hopeful, Dr. Devyani Singh! We share our feelings about the modern Earth Day holiday, talk about some counter-environmental efforts by large companies, counter that with how scientists are pushing back, and finally share some things you can do to help.

BeetleMania with Gabe Verduzco

April 15th, 2022  |  Season 3  |  43 mins 42 secs

batteries, battery, beetles, botany, engineering, invasive species, paleontology, plants, scicomm, science, technology

A Piece of Our Mind

April 1st, 2022  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 5 mins

biochemistry, climate change, cone snails, dance, dementia, fusion energy, green science, mcgill university, neurodegenerative disease, neuroscience, opiates, pain medicine, parkinsons disease, pollen, sciart, scicomm, science

This week we’re highlighting another scientist that is blending art with science.  Dr. Naila Kuhlmann is a Parkinson’s researcher from McGill University that has found an interesting way to include dance in her work, which led to the creation of the Piece of Mind Collective.  She’s also a host of the AMiNDR (A Month in Neurodegenerative Disease Research) Podcast and co-founder of the Green Labs Initiative at McGill.  In the news, we’re talking about Dr. Diem’s trip to the White House, medicinal mollusks, and pollen proliferation.  It’s another instant classic just waiting for you to listen.