Podcasts

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize winner James Smith

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:34:29 -0400

Economist James Smith discusses the effect of childhood mental problems on adult life.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize winners Erica Machlin Cox and Selena Sagan

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:32:07 -0400

Erica Machlin Cox and Selena Sagan discuss an unusual interaction that protects the hepatitis C virus from our body's defenses.

Life’s building blocks

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:01:07 -0400

George Church discusses the potential of synthetic biology.

The science of sleep

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:03:29 -0400

Erin Hanlon and Jeanne Duffy introduce their research on sleep, in a recording of PNAS' "Science of Sleep" event held in Washington, DC on March 14, 2011.

Rebooting damaged vocal cords

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:27:11 -0400

Robert Langer and Steven Zeitels describe a polymer gel that could help patients regain lost voice.

Drivers of embryonic development

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:39:40 -0400

Developmental biologist Cliff Tabin explains how genes shape the formation of organs.

Stem cells and diabetes

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 13:27:25 -0500

Can stem cells help cure Type 1 diabetes? Douglas Melton hopes to find out.

Sex-specific scientific reporting

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:15:36 -0500

Nancy Adler discusses the need for sex-specific scientific reporting and the role it has played in women’s health over the last 20 years.

The science of fear - Part 2

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:30:49 -0500

Psychology experts Daniel Pine and Mark Wiederhold answer fear-related questions from the audience, in second of two recordings from PNAS's "The Science of Fear!" event held in Washington, DC on October 12, 2011.

The science of fear - Part 1

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:08:59 -0500

Psychology experts Daniel Pine and Mark Wiederhold introduce their research on fear, in the first of two recordings from PNAS' "The Science of Fear!" event held in Washington, DC on October 12, 2011.

Catalysts for energy storage

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 09:22:34 -0500

Daniel Nocera discusses how efficient catalysts can help us store solar energy in the same way plants do.

Scent of a predator

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:03:25 -0500

Molecular biologist Stephen Liberles discusses how prey learn to recognize the scent of a predator.

Human lung on a chip

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:17:23 -0500

Donald Ingber discusses the "microfabrication" of human biological systems as a means to replace animal testing during drug development.

New Editor-in-Chief of PNAS

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:32:25 -0500

Inder Verma discusses his new role at PNAS and his future plans for the journal.

Social computing, mobile phones, and the developing world

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 10:42:52 -0400

Wendy Kellogg discusses her research into social computing and her boots-on-the-ground observations of how mobile phones can impact the developing world.

Applications of rapid genome sequencing

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:16:49 -0400

Stephen Quake discusses rapid DNA sequencing and treating medical patients based on their genomes.

Imaging, information technology, and autism spectrum disorder

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:15:03 -0400

Gregory Abowd discusses the clinical applications of capturing and recording the every day experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Paper devices for medical diagnoses

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:41:37 -0400

George Whitesides discusses an inexpensive and easy-to-use medical diagnostic device that can be used in the developing world.

Social networking and predicting personality

Fri, 2 Sep 2011 12:31:59 -0400

Jennifer Golbeck discusses the intersection of computer science, sociology, and social networking.

The science of chocolate

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:34:54 -0400

Physicist David Weitz discusses the material properties that make chocolate to-die-for.

Ubiquitous computing and smart environments

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:40:25 -0400

Bo Begole discusses ubiquitous computing, behavioral modeling, and smart environments that can anticipate people's information needs.

Changing public perception of the Smithsonian

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:10:03 -0400

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Wayne Clough discusses his goal to educate the public about the Smithsonian's groundbreaking scientific research projects.

Genetically modified crops and agricultural productivity

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 14:40:23 -0400

Roger Beachy discusses the role of genetically modified crops in feeding the world's growing population.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Zvonimir Dogic

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:33:27 -0400

Zvonimir Dogic discusses how viruses can be coaxed into forming self-assembling, polymer membranes.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winners Won-Yong Song and Jiyoung Park

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:33:26 -0400

Won-Yong Song and Jiyoung Park discuss the urgent problem of arsenic-tainted rice in Southeast Asia, and genetically engineered rice plants that would be safe to consume and could help remediate arsenic-contaminated groundwater.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Liza Moscovice

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 15:59:14 -0400

Liza Moscovice discusses what her study on baboon behavior reveals about the evolution of cooperation in humans.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winners Robina Shaheen and Mark Thiemens

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 15:59:13 -0400

Robina Shaheen and Mark Thiemens discuss an oxygen isotope signature that reveals how carbonates on Mars form in the absence of life.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Cheryl Lyn Walker

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:45:46 -0400

Cheryl Lyn Walker discusses the role of a cellular protein, called ATM, in offsetting oxidative damage.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Benjamin tenOever

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:45:46 -0400

Benjamin tenOever discusses his team's prize winning discovery that could be the key to developing a universal influenza A vaccine.

The personalized medicine revolution

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:59:30 -0400

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins discusses "personalized medicine," a novel approach in which doctors diagnose and treat patients using detailed information about each individual.

Aircraft and Iceland's volcanic ash cloud

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:28:21 -0400

Susan Stipp discusses her PNAS research article that reveals whether the ash cloud from the 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano posed a threat to aircraft, and if the widespread airport closures in Europe were warranted.

Keeping Congress up-to-date on the latest scientific research

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:44:29 -0400

Jim Jensen, Executive Director of the Office of Congressional and Government Affairs, a branch of the National Research Council, discusses how scientific research shapes public policy.

Clean energy funding in the 2012 research budget

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 09:27:46 -0400

Kei Koizumi, Assistant Director for Federal Research and Development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discusses some aspects of the President's 2012 research budget.

Electronic artificial noses

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:55:45 -0400

Nate Lewis dicusses the design principles and applications of electronic artificial noses.

Visual prosthetic devices for the blind

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 16:41:27 -0500

Peter Schiller discusses a device that could one day restore sight to the blind by directly stimulating the visual cortex.

Call for papers: PNAS Plus

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:00:49 -0500

PNAS Editor-in-Chief Randy Schekman discusses the journal's new option to publish online-only research articles.

Nano-healing and the future of surgery

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:20:13 -0500

Rutledge Ellis-Behnke discusses his research in nano-healing, a technology that halts bleeding and helps the brain and body to recover from injury and disease.

Identifying the source of HIV infections in criminal cases

Fri, 4 Feb 2011 11:17:40 -0500

David Hillis explains how phylogenetics can be used to solve criminal cases involving the intentional transmission of HIV via unprotected sex.

Microexpressions and the science behind "Lie to Me"

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:11:27 -0500

Paul Ekman, the scientist whose research inspired the Fox television drama "Lie to Me," explains that almost everyone can learn to read the facial microexpressions that reveal concealed emotions, but that the technique is no "Pinocchio's nose."

The "missing link" between fish and land animals

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:00:18 -0500

Neil Shubin researches the evolutionary origin of anatomical features. Dr. Shubin's most recent discovery, Tiktaalik roseae, has been dubbed the "missing link" between fish and land animals. Dr. Shubin discusses Tiktaalik and the evolutionary shift from life in water to life on land.

Tracking the spread of flu-like diseases in schools

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:56:51 -0500

Marcel Salathé researches disease transmission and prevention, at the Penn State University Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. To investigate how flu-like diseases spread through schools, Dr. Salathé used wireless sensors to measure the number of close-proximity, person-to-person interactions during a typical day at a local high school.

Pollution in indoor environments

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:48:55 -0500

Charles J. Weschler studies the chemistry of indoor pollutants, including airborne particles, volatile organic compounds, and inorganic gases such as ozone. Listen as Dr. Weschler discusses the consequences of indoor pollution at home and in the workplace.

Dark matter, dark energy, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:05:17 -0400

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, author, host of "NOVA ScienceNOW," and the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Listen as Dr. Tyson discusses the extraordinary capabilities of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

Scientific credibility, public exposure, and irate third-graders

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:23:24 -0400

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, author, host of "NOVA ScienceNOW," and the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Listen as Dr. Tyson discusses the balance between scientific credibility and public exposure, and the pitfalls of challenging Pluto's status as a planet.

Public science literacy, and race and gender bias in science education

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:09:35 -0400

Dr. Mae Jemison is a physician and scientist, who on September 12, 1992 aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, became the world's first woman of color to travel into space. Listen as Dr. Jemison discusses race and gender bias in science education, and the importance of public science literacy.

The origin of malignant malaria

Mon, 9 Aug 2010 12:01:23 -0400

Dr. Nathan Wolfe is the Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford University and Director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative. Listen as Dr. Wolfe discusses malaria and the parasites that cause it, and his research that determined the origin of malignant malaria in humans.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Lennart Balk

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 10:48:09 -0400

Dr. Lennart Balk discusses the thiamine deficiency syndrome killing European wild birds.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Mary Immordino-Yang

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:43:25 -0400

Dr. Mary Immordino-Yang discusses her fMRI study of admiration and compassion.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Vera Gorbunova

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:16:37 -0400

Dr. Vera Gorbunova discusses the innate cancer immunity of the naked mole rat.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Daniel Rugar

Mon, 17 May 2010 09:29:22 -0400

Listen as Dr. Daniel Rugar discusses his 100 million-fold improvement in resolution to conventional magnetic resonance imaging.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winners Michael Köttgen and Owen Woodward

Fri, 7 May 2010 09:48:51 -0400

Michael Köttgen and Owen Woodward discuss identifying a key gene associated with gout, and the possible therapeutic implications.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner John Dore

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:48:17 -0400

John Dore discusses the connection between rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the increasing acidity of Earth’s oceans.

Adaptation and Evolution: The Life of an RNA Virus

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 16:42:37 -0500

Edward C. Holmes is a professor of biology and a Distinguished Senior Scholar in the Eberly College of Science at the Pennsylvania State University. Listen as Dr. Holmes discusses his research on using comparative genomics to study the genetic evolution of RNA viruses.

Privacy and Social Security numbers

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 12:17:52 -0500

Alessandro Acquisti is an Associate Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Listen as Dr. Acquisti discusses his research in the economics of privacy and his 2009 PNAS research article on predicting Social Security numbers.

Fundamentals of environmental economics

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:34:30 -0500

Maureen Cropper is an economics professor at the University of Maryland and a former lead economist at the World Bank. Listen as Dr. Cropper discusses her research in environmental economics and her 2008 election into the National Academy of Sciences.

The future and stem cells

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:11:42 -0500

James Thomson is best known for his pioneering work that isolated and cultured non-human primate and human embryonic stem cells. Listen as Dr. Thomson discusses his research and the future of stem cells in medical uses ranging from drug discovery, transplantation, and as a basic research tool.

Simulating material behavior

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:13:24 -0400

Emily Carter's work merges quantum mechanics, applied mathematics, and solid state physics to create simulations of various molecules and materials. Listen as Dr. Carter discusses her research and her 2008 election to the National Academy of Sciences.

Human expansion out of Africa

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:48:44 -0400

Richard Klein served as editor for the PNAS Special Feature titled "Out of Africa". This collection of articles explores the historical expansion of Homo sapiens from Africa to Eurasia. The Special Feature, along with an editorial by Dr. Klein, will publish in the September 22 issue of PNAS.

Seeing inside cells

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 18:03:41 -0400

Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz's laboratory at the National Institutes of Health works to characterize the fundamental principles governing protein geography and movement within cells. Dr. Lippincott-Schwartz talks about her work and her recent election to the National Academy of Sciences.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Yoshiro Nagao

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 18:02:22 -0400

"Decreases in dengue transmission may act to increase the incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Karen McComb

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 18:00:49 -0400

"Cross-modal individual recognition in domestic horses (Equus caballus)."

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Marius Wernig

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:59:42 -0400

"Neurons derived from reprogrammed fibroblasts functionally integrate into the fetal brain and improve symptoms of rats with Parkinson's disease"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Albert-Laszlo Barabási

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:58:37 -0400

"The implications of human metabolic network topology for disease comorbidity"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner John Rossi

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:57:11 -0400

"MicroRNA-directed transcriptional gene silencing in mammalian cells"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Raymond Jeanloz

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:55:45 -0400

"Fluid helium at conditions of giant planetary interiors"

Interview with Randy Schekman

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:54:16 -0400

Randy Schekman, the PNAS Editor-in-Chief, discusses the selection process and history of the Cozzarelli Prize. The Cozzarelli Prize is given annually to six outstanding PNAS articles, each representing one of the major disciplines of the National Academy of Sciences.

Stem cells in neuromedicine

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:53:07 -0400

Fred Gage is a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. In this podcast, Dr. Gage talks about the subtleties involved as researchers explore how to use stem cells to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

Malaria and vector research

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:51:52 -0400

Thomas Wellems is the head of the Malaria and Vector Research Unit at the National Institutes of Health. In this episode, he discusses the advances made in the fight against malaria and the problems that still remain.

Inside Science

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:44:43 -0400

Bruce Alberts is the former President of the National Academy of Sciences and the current editor-in-chief of Science. In this podcast, Dr. Alberts talks about how he generates ideas for editorials, how Science approaches issues of scientific misconduct, and his opinion on the proliferation of journals worldwide.

Examining Proceedings

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:42:46 -0400

PNAS is one of the world's most-cited multidisciplinary scientific journals and has been published by the National Academies since 1915. This podcast, part of the Sounds of Science produced by the National Academies, looks at the history and future of this publication with Ken Fulton, publisher of PNAS.

Interview with Pamela J. Fraker

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:40:45 -0400

Pamela J. Fraker was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. She is known for her investigations of the impact of nutritional deficiencies, particularly of zinc, on immune defense. Her work provided evidence that deficiency in protein--calories causes a decline in antibody and cell mediated responses, which leads to higher rates of infection, poor wound healing, and other adverse impacts in the malnourished and those with chronic disease.

Interview with Ran Nathan

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:39:38 -0400

Ran Nathan organized the Movement Ecology Special Feature for PNAS. He is an associate professor and the chair of the department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Jerusalem, Israel.

Interview with Nina Fedoroff

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:38:03 -0400

Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1990 for her work in the field of Plant Biology, Nina Fedoroff is a pioneer in the molecular aspects of plant transposable elements. Building upon the work of Barbara McClintock, she elucidated the sequence of some of these elements, demonstrated their utility for gene cloning and was instrumental in converting the study of plant transposable elements into one accessible by molecular techniques.

Interview with Richard T. Durrett

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:34:55 -0400

Richard T. Durrett was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in applied mathematical sciences. Durrett's research in probability theory concerns problems that arise from ecology and genetics. He has developed mathematical models to study the evolution of microsatellites, impacts of selective sweeps on genetic variation, genome rearrangement, gene duplication, and gene regulation.

Interview with C. Owen Lovejoy

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:28:54 -0400

C. Owen Lovejoy was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in the field of anthropology. Lovejoy overturned traditional models of human origins by integrating biomechanics into biological anthropology, demonstrating that the earliest hominids walked on two legs. He developed novel methods for quantifying sexual dimorphism and revealing the demographics of prehistoric humans.

Interview with Albert Libchaber

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:26:29 -0400

Albert Libchaber was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in physics. Libchaber has made lasting and fundamental contributions to experimental chaos dynamics and its application to biological physics, from elucidating the forces at work when a fish swims through water to defining the minimal conditions necessary for artificial life.

Interview with John G. Hildebrand

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:23:28 -0400

John G. Hildebrand was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in animal, nutritional, and applied microbial sciences. His work on the functional organization, physiology, and development of the central olfactory system of insects has made him a pioneer in analyzing neural mechanisms underlying chemosensory control of mating behavior and insect--plant interactions. This work has application in disruption of insect mating behavior and herbivory, with practical benefit to human health and welfare.

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Kenneth A. Dawson

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:20:32 -0400

"Understanding the nanoparticle-protein corona using methods to quantify exchange rates and affinities of proteins for nanoparticles"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Brian Spencer

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:16:18 -0400

"Targeted delivery of proteins across the blood--brain barrier"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Andreas Reichenbach

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:11:02 -0400

"Müller cells are living optical fibers in the vertebrate retina"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner R. Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 16:39:57 -0400

"Savanna chimpanzees use tools to harvest the underground storage organs of plants"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Monica Olvera de la Cruz

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 16:36:13 -0400

"Faceting ionic shells into icosahedra via electrostatics"

Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Sandra Díaz

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 15:30:13 -0400

"Incorporating plant functional diversity effects in ecosystem service assessments"