A Theory of Everyone with Michael Muthukrishna
AMSEcast
Dr. Michael Muthukrishna, Associate Professor at LSE, joins Alan to explore his book, A Theory of Everyone. It reveals how cultural evolution—our “software” of beliefs, language, and logic—shaped humanity's unique trajectory. He explains the "laws" of energy and innovation: energy abundance fuels cooperation and progress, while innovations like the steam engine drive efficiency and competition. Michael highlights the "paradox of diversity," where fresh ideas thrive amid aligned communication and norms. He links societal challenges like division and inequality to resource scarcity and...
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AMSE Science Report The Physics of Santa
AMSEcast
A few thoughts on the 24 hour, madcap & meteoric flight across the planet
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The Hidden Lives of Ants with Susanne Foitzik
AMSEcast
Alan, an ant enthusiast since childhood, is joined by Susanne Foitzik, author of Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors. She explains that while queens start colonies and lay eggs, they don’t control the colony. Worker ants take on specialized roles like brood care and foraging, with older ants handling riskier tasks. Ants communicate through pheromones and use impressive navigation skills. Some species, like the Argentine and fire ants, thrive in new environments due to human transport, forming super colonies. Susanne’s current research...
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AMSE Science Report with guest Eric Jay Dolin
AMSEcast
Following the horrific devastation wreaked by Hurricane Helene, I was so heartened to see many in our community and around the nation come together to help those who had lost everything. I had spoken a while back on our podcast, AMSEcast, with Eric Jay Dolin about his book, A Furious Sky: The 500 Year History of America’s Hurricanes. We talked about some of those storms, including the Galveston, Texas, Hurricane of 1900. The people there had been encouraged to think a hurricane could not do any serious damage to their island home due to a deeply flawed understanding of how those storms work....
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A reflection of the year 2000
AMSEcast
A few thoughts about the technological development and advancement over the past 25 years.
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Finding a Lab of One’s Own with Dr. Rita Colwell
AMSEcast
Dr. Rita Colwell is a pioneering scientist and professor at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins who has made groundbreaking contributions to microbiology and public health. She joins AMSEcast to discuss her experiences being the first woman to lead the National Science Foundation as well as her advanced research on Vibrio bacteria and cholera while founding CosmosID to improve rapid pathogen detection. During the 2001 anthrax attacks, she led a cross-agency effort to identify the spores, revolutionizing DNA sequencing techniques. Overcoming sexism early in her career, Dr. Colwell's...
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AMSE Science Report with guest Camper English
AMSEcast
Whether you like to have an occasional drink or are a teetotaler, you will enjoy a conversation I had on our podcast, AMSEcast, with Camper English about his book Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails. Camper’s book is a fascinating look at how, over the centuries, many alcohols and various things we add today to cocktails originally had medicinal purposes. For example, monks in the Middle Ages were at the center of research on agriculture and the distillation of alcohol. One thing they produced for medicinal uses can be found...
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The Wonders of Psychological Science with Joel Levy
AMSEcast
Renowned author and science historian, Joel Levy, shares his expertise on consciousness, intelligence, and the delicate dance between nature and nurture. Through his latest work, "Psychology for Busy People," the discussion traverses psychology's extensive history, from its origins to contemporary challenges and applications. Joel offers captivating perspectives on thought experiments, the core of consciousness, the nature-nurture debate, and the subtleties of mental health. Tune in as Alan and Joel guide us through the intriguing and complex realm of psychology. Show Highlights...
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AMSE Science Report with guest Sam Kean Author of the Bastard Brigade
AMSEcast
Ridge, Tennessee. Our home of Oak Ridge got its start as a major part of the monumental Manhattan Project, the nation’s successful effort to build the first atomic bomb and end World War II. We talk a lot at AMSE and the K-25 Atomic History Center about the history of the Project, the science and engineering behind it, and the role of Oak Ridge and other locations in its successful outcome. But what is hard to teach is the atmosphere that surrounded that work. Our nation was at war, our soldiers and marines, our sailors and airmen, fighting and dying on the battlefields of Europe and Africa,...
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AMSE Science Report with Carl Zimmer
AMSEcast
I have a fundamental question for you – what is life? For something seemingly so basic, it is quite hard to define. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Carl Zimmer, took on that topic in his book Life’s Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive. I spoke with Carl on our podcast, AMSEcast, and, among other indicators of life, he raised one that was a bit surprising – life is defined, in part, by decision making, and not just for us creatures who have brains.
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