AMSE Science Report with Katie McKissick
AMSEcast
Katie McKissick, author of the book DNA is You: The Marvelous Science Behind Your One-Of-A-Kind-Ness is our guest on this episode of The AMSE Science Report. Our wide ranging conversation looks at the mechanisms of DNA and how it shapes our lives.
info_outline
Building the Empire of the Sum with Keith Houston
AMSEcast
Keith Houston is the author of Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator. He joins Alan on this episode of AMSEcast to discuss the history of calculating. From the ancient Lebombo bone to mechanical calculators, Keith covers the evolution of calculating tools. This includes modern milestones like John Napier’s logarithms, the HP-35 scientific calculator, and the TI-81’s impact on U.S. classrooms. Keith also discusses his forthcoming book, Face With Tears of Joy. In this book, he explores the history, culture, and governance of emojis. Guest Bio Keith...
info_outline
AMSEcast Conversations: Climate Change Science from Eisenhower to Bush
AMSEcast
Alan Lowe, Executive Director of the American Museum of Science and Energy, launches AMSEcast Conversations with a compelling discussion on Jay Hakes’ book, The Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science from Eisenhower to Bush. The panel, featuring Hakes alongside energy experts David McCollum and Charles Sims, traces the origins of modern climate science to the 1950s work of Roger Revelle and Dave Keeling. The panel explores the evolution of climate science, the challenges of political resistance, and the growing urgency of action in the face of today’s visible climate impacts....
info_outline
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...
info_outline
AMSE Science Report The Physics of Santa
AMSEcast
A few thoughts on the 24 hour, madcap & meteoric flight across the planet
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
A reflection of the year 2000
AMSEcast
A few thoughts about the technological development and advancement over the past 25 years.
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outlineRita Colwell is a Distinguished University Professor with an appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.
Colwell is one of the world’s leading researchers of cholera—a waterborne disease estimated by the World Health Organization to strike three to five million people annually, many of them young children. Her efforts to track and predict cholera outbreaks are multi-faceted, combining bioinformatics with the pioneering use of satellite imaging. She was one of the first scientists to employ remote sensing for disease prediction, as well as recognize the impact of climate change on the waterborne microbial world.
Show Notes
- (0:35) About Dr. Rita Colwell
- (1:52) Dr. Colwell’s irritation at people saying we need to interest more women in science
- (2:49) How Rita dealt with overt sexism and still found the determination to keep moving forward
- (3:56) What lead Dr. Colwell to marine biology and focus on Vibrio
- (6:20) How she ended up at the University of Maryland
- (9:31) Rita’s groundbreaking work on cholera and obstacles in getting her findings accepted
- (15:03) How long it took the professional world for her findings to be accepted
- (18:49) Dr. Colwell’s work as the director of the National Science Foundation
- (21:39) The role she played in the response to the 2001 anthrax attacks
- (26:03) The prospects for women in the business world
- (28:58) The cost of persistent sexism
- (30:41) Rita’s thoughts on how to advance women in the science and business worlds
- (33:40) What’s next for Dr. Colwell
Links Referenced
- A Lab of One’s Own: One Woman’s Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science: https://www.amazon.com/Lab-Ones-Own-Personal-Journey/dp/1501181270