Inquiring Minds

We talk to celebrated science journalist Richard Harris about the “reproducibility crisis” in science and his new book Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions.

We talk to political scientist Eric Oliver about the surprisingly high percentage of people who believe in conspiracy theories and the reasons behind those beliefs. His forthcoming book is Enchanted America: How Intuition and Reason Divide Our Politics.

This week: A new study shows we only focus on something a few milliseconds at a time, but we don’t notice because we’re pulsing that focus; and research on how ants avoid traffic jams so perfectly.  Thanks to guest co-host Trace Dominguez!

We talk to author Andrea J. Buchanan about her experience with a brain injury and how she used playing the piano to recover. Buchanan’s new book is The Beginning of Everything: The Year I Lost My Mind and Found Myself.

This week: A jury decided that Monsanto’s Roundup caused a man’s cancer but the science is murky and a new study shows that children are susceptible to peer pressure by robots. Links: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-monsanto-cancer-lawsuit/monsanto-ordered-to-pay-289-million-in-worlds-first-roundup-cancer-trial-idUSKBN1KV2HB http://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/3/21/eaat7111

We talk to chemist Joseph Meany about his book Graphene: The Superstrong, Superthin, and Superversatile Material That Will Revolutionize the World.

This week: A Standford study used Google Glass to help kids with autism understand others people’s emotions; and breaking news regarding the way dogs pee.  Links: http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/08/google-glass-helps-kids-with-autism-read-facial-expressions.html https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/small-dogs-aim-high-when-they-pee/

This week: A new study from the University of Bristol showing the way plants accumulate sugar helps them tell what time it is; scientists have successfully transplanted lab-grown lungs into pigs; and Caucher Birkar was awarded the Fields Medal—and then it was immediately stolen.  Links: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/uob-pct073118.php https://www.sciencenews.org/article/scientists-transplant-lab-grown-bioengineered-lungs-pigs https://www.npr.org/2018/08/02/634889308/prestigious-mathematics-medal-stolen-minutes-after-it-was-awarded

Ben Goldfarb is a writer covering wildlife conservation and fisheries management. We talk to him about his new book Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.

This week: Italian scientists found a body of liquid water on mars using radar; a new study suggests that while dogs do feel empathy for us, training them to be therapy dogs doesn’t make them care more, it makes them more obedient; and research shows that military training can result in traumatic brain injuries even outside of combat.  Links: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/liquid-water-spied-deep-below-polar-ice-cap-mars https://hub.jhu.edu/2018/07/24/dogs-comfort-owners-canine-psychology/ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/25/632243103/marines-who-fired-rocket-launchers-now-worry-about-their-brains

We talk to Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who first proved that Flint’s kids were exposed to lead about her new book What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City. Links:  https://inquiring.show/episodes/2018/4/1/171-siddhartha-roy-the-science-behind-the-flint-water-crisis

This week: New research suggests labeling can increase GMO acceptance; Elle Macpherson’s terrible new boyfriend (it’s relevant, I swear); and research looking into the personality of caught fish. Links mentioned:  http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/6/eaaq1413.full https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180716114546.htm

We talk to sports and business journalist Zach Schonbrun about his new book The Performance Cortex: How Neuroscience Is Redefining Athletic Genius.

This week: New research into using CRISPR to destroy cancer cells with other cancer cells and a study suggesting rodents aren’t immune to the sunk cost fallacy.  Links:  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cancer-cells-engineered-crispr-slay-their-own-kin http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6398/178

We talk to author Richard Munson about his new Nikola Tesla biography Tesla: Inventor of the Modern.