Early Bird Science

A podcast for morning people who want a little science to start their day

Why COVID-19 Vaccine Development Is Fast AND Safe 12/19/2020

Why COVID-19 Vaccine Development Is Fast AND Safe There is a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel in the U.S. The FDA is starting to grant emergency use authorization to COVID-19 vaccines! Kristen talks about how the current vaccines were developed so quickly without compromising safety. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/17259164

Busting Six Mask Myths 11/21/2020

Busting Six Mask Myths Where do the data stand on masks during the COVID-19 pandemic? Kristen tackles six myths: /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/16893956

Misinformation 10/03/2020

Misinformation Welcome to Season 2! Kristen gets real about why a summer break was necessary, and also talks about what to expect this season. This extra-long episode provides a framework to empower you to minimize consumption and spread of misinformation. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/16222031

Summer Break 2020 07/06/2020

Summer Break 2020 Early Bird Science is taking a break for the rest of the summer. Thank you for listening! /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/15093302

Robots Made of Frog Cells & An Exclusive Sneak Peak of an Important Upcoming Episode 06/22/2020

Robots Made of Frog Cells & An Exclusive Sneak Peak of an Important Upcoming Episode The creation of tiny, bio-based robots called xenobots could spark a future of biodegradable, self-replicating, self-repairing ‘bots. Stick around to the end of the episode for a sneak peak of the next Headshake episode with a very special guest! /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/14910668

Friendship Bracelets for Glacier Mice 06/08/2020

Friendship Bracelets for Glacier Mice Glacier mice are rare fuzzy little green balls that mysteriously move in herds atop some of the world’s glaciers. They are not mammals, but they are kind of cute and may be important parts of glacial ecosystems. Researchers are learning more about them. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/14728985

Why Coffee Makes You Pee 05/25/2020

Why Coffee Makes You Pee Most of us have experienced nature’s call shortly after having a cup of coffee. Why does that happen? Kristen talks about the kidneys and how water and caffeine affect them. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/14516102

How Does the Internet Work? With Steven Gago 05/11/2020

How Does the Internet Work? With Steven Gago Kristen and her software engineer spouse Steve Gago have been “safer at home” for weeks, so they decided to record an episode together while trying to stay sane. Steve is back on the show to talk about how the Internet works! /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/14345234

GIANT FLYING REPTILES 04/27/2020

GIANT FLYING REPTILES PTEROSAURS! Commonly known as pterodactyls, the most massive flyers in the fossil record could inform modern biomimetic aerospace engineering. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/14150822

Ice on Mercury?! 04/13/2020

Ice on Mercury?! Surprisingly, Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, which can reach daytime temperatures of 430 degrees C (about 800 degrees F), has ice! Kristen discusses research describing a newly-discovered mechanism for water formation and freezing on Mercury. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/13957664

Take Care of Yourself 03/30/2020

Take Care of Yourself Kristen discusses mental health during the pandemic. Wash your hands and be well. <3 /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/13750910

Early Bird Pseudoscience: "N-Rays" 03/16/2020

Early Bird Pseudoscience: "N-Rays" AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/13562237

Coronavirus 03/02/2020

Coronavirus The coronavirus-caused disease COVID-19 has the potential to spread to pandemic levels. What are the facts? /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/13359494

Calculating the Limits of Human Endurance 02/17/2020

Calculating the Limits of Human Endurance Studying energy expenditure of athletes in sporting events ranging from 0.5 to 140 days long, researchers have calculated the limits of human endurance. Pregnant women are endurance masters! Kristen’s Headshake co-host Nathan A. Libby pays a visit. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/13144313

Ancient Stardust in an Old Meteorite - PLUS a Special Announcement! 02/03/2020

Ancient Stardust in an Old Meteorite - PLUS a Special Announcement! An ancient meteorite contains the oldest solid material ever found on Earth. Kristen makes an exciting announcement about an upcoming project! /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/12903500

Flex Those Muscles 01/20/2020

Flex Those Muscles The types of muscles you pump up at the gym are just one of three different muscle types in your body. Kristen introduces the muscle types skeletal, cardiac, and smooth, and discusses their differences in appearance, location, control, and contraction. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/12771671

How Do Computers Work? With Steven Gago 01/06/2020

How Do Computers Work? With Steven Gago Happy new year! Software and firmware engineer Steven Gago is the first human guest on Early Bird Science! Oh, yeah, he is also Kristen’s spouse. :-) He joins Kristen for this special, double-length episode to talk about how computers work. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/12555635

Evergreen for the Holidays 12/23/2019

Evergreen for the Holidays Evergreen trees keep their green leaves all year long. What benefits and challenges do they experience as a result? Kristen discusses this topic and wraps up 2019, the Year of the Periodic Table. Happy holidays! /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/12440042

Is Blood Blue? 12/09/2019

Is Blood Blue? Human blood: Kristen addresses the argument about human blood color. She talks about common misconceptions and what gives blood its appearance. As a bonus, she also talks about the variations in colors of blood in other animals. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/12007718

Self-driving Cars and Motion Sickness 11/25/2019

Self-driving Cars and Motion Sickness To help many future drivers-turned-passengers avoid motion sickness, designers of self-driving cars need a better understanding of how vehicle acceleration affects human physiology. Kristen discusses this challenge and ongoing research. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11872031

Snail Slime Inspires Superglue 11/11/2019

Snail Slime Inspires Superglue A new super strong, reversible adhesive inspired by nature: The combo of properties is currently rare and in-demand. Kristen discusses the technology itself and how it could get into your hands as a consumer in the future through technology transfer. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11756096

India’s First Lunar Lander: Why Loss of Contact Is a Bummer but Also Brings Hope 10/28/2019

India’s First Lunar Lander: Why Loss of Contact Is a Bummer but Also Brings Hope Chandrayaan 2 lunar mission: Description and opinion. Kristen discusses what happened during the Chandrayaan 2 mission on September 7, 2019 when the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) lost contact with their spacecraft as they were trying to land it on the moon. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11271581

EKGs Part 2 of 2 10/14/2019

EKGs Part 2 of 2 Have you ever wondered what those squiggly lines mean on heart monitors in the hospital or on TV? Kristen talks about what you’re seeing when you look at an EKG. Part 2 of 2 /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11064923

EKGs Part 1 of 2 09/30/2019

EKGs Part 1 of 2 Have you ever wondered what those squiggly lines mean on heart monitors in the hospital or on TV? Kristen talks about what you’re seeing when you look at an EKG. Part 1 of 2 /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11064851

Bees Can Count to Zero 09/16/2019

Bees Can Count to Zero In this first ever episode of Early Bird Science, Kristen gives an introduction to the show, and she talks about a big scientific discovery that bees can recognize zero. We hope you are BUZZing with excitement! /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11155994

Coming Soon! 08/30/2019

Coming Soon! Early Bird Science is coming soon! Kristen and AV tell you how to find out the moment Episode 1 is available. /episode/index/show/earlybirdscience/id/11063927

Early Bird Science

TOPICS