Synapse Science Podcast

The Synapse Science Podcast is a science & society podcast that highlights the interdisciplinary and socioculturally diverse attributes of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Hosted by Alexa Erdogan and joined by a multitude of guests from various fields of science.

Botanists Are Real-Life Druids with Claire Hopkins 12/28/2018

Botanists Are Real-Life Druids with Claire Hopkins We chat with botanist and science educator, Claire Hopkins, about how she got started in botany and how that led her to starting Brilliant Botany, a science educational platform and YouTube channel. We also chat a little about being #QueerinSTEM and how that experience can vary from scientist to scientist. Show notes & transcripts can be found at synapsescience.com. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/8051903

Everybody Has A Brain with Alie Caldwell 06/27/2018

Everybody Has A Brain with Alie Caldwell We chat with special guest, Alie Caldwell, about her fascination with the brain and the cells in it that give rise to her online nickname, Alie Astrocyte. We also chat about Neuro Transmissions (the educational YouTube channel she co-created and runs with her partner, Micah Psych) and why science education & communication are so important to her and other scientists. Show notes & transcripts can be found at http://synapsescience.com. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/6750180

Per Aspera Ad Astra with Rose DF 05/02/2018

Per Aspera Ad Astra with Rose DF We're joined by science enthusiast and advocate, Rose DF (@_Astro_Nerd_), to chat about our passion for science and space, her struggles and experiences on her journey into STEM, and her science communication projects (like ChickTech). Show notes & transcripts can be found on our website at synapsescience.com. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/6547777

Diving Into the Depths of SciComm with Melissa C. Marquez 04/09/2018

Diving Into the Depths of SciComm with Melissa C. Marquez We chat with special guest, Melissa Cristina Marquez, about her research with sharks and her dive into science communication, through the Fins United Initiative and the ConCienca Azul podcast. Show notes & transcripts can be found on our website at http://synapsescience.com. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/6460214

Tackling Math Phobia with Saramoira Shields 03/27/2018

Tackling Math Phobia with Saramoira Shields Do you cringe at the very mention of mathematics? Have you ever thought you might not be "good enough" to do math or science? Special guest, Saramoira Shields, talks to us about how to tackle our math phobia & realize our own mathematical potential. Show notes & transcripts can be found at synapsescience.com. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/6380987

How to Be a Gique with Danielle Olson and Ashli Polanco 09/20/2017

How to Be a Gique with Danielle Olson and Ashli Polanco We're joined by two of the founders of Gique, a non-profit educational organization that brings interdisciplinary opportunities to youths in the Boston area. Danielle Olson & Ashli Polanco share their journey of how their backgrounds & their shared passion for STEAM led to the start of Gique as we know it. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/5757435

Science Journalism & Boosting Women's Voices in STEM with Eleanor Cummins 06/14/2017

Science Journalism & Boosting Women's Voices in STEM with Eleanor Cummins Science journalist, Eleanor Cummins, discusses her interdisciplinary work in science and culture. We also talked about the movement to promote more female science communicators, as well as the need to highlight stories written for women and relevant to many women's issues, both of which Eleanor is contributing to by producing the Tie My Tubes podcast and curating the Curie Mag Instagram (@curie_mag) account. For more information & links, visit our website at synapsescience.com ---- All audio clips included in the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed by guests appearing on the program do not necessarily represent those of the Synapse Science Podcast and/or its host. The Synapse Science Podcast is licensed under a . /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/5445060

Biological Design with Alec Sullivan 08/01/2016

Biological Design with Alec Sullivan On this special episode of the podcast, we have an enlightening conversation with friend and colleague, Alec Sullivan, on the nature of biological design. From bioluminescent trees to Amazon's new biodome building, we chat about the spectrum of biological design and the ethical issues that may accompany it. Could biological design truly be biology's "nuclear moment", as Alec calls it? Tune in to find out! You can find Alec on social media through Twitter (@) and on his curated Facebook page, . --- Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. Sound effects used in this episode are from All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips included in the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. The Synapse Science Podcast is licensed under a . /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4557289

The Growing Problem of Space Debris 07/18/2016

The Growing Problem of Space Debris We're back for another season! In this episode, we go through a basic rundown on the current state of space debris, the reality of its danger, and what we can do to solve our growing space junk problem. Show notes for this episode can be found at . Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. // Sound effects used in this episode are from Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Dreamy Flashback" // "On the Ground" // "Dances and Dames" // "Bass Walker" // "Spy Glass" // "Unanswered Questions" // "Your Call" // All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips included in the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. The Synapse Science Podcast is licensed under a . /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4517721

When Science & Painting Collide 11/24/2015

When Science & Painting Collide We top off the first season of the podcast with an interesting look into how science and art can work together to create a greater understanding of our planet, culture conservation, and engineering technology. The podcast will be back after a short break with Season 2, featuring even more science and a few exciting surprises, as well. If there are any science-related stories you'd like to hear on the podcast and/or if you know of some interesting scientists & science communicators that would be ideal guests for the show, let us know on our website at Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. --- Sound effects used in this episode are from Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Marty Gots A Plan" // "Dreamy Flashback" // "Artifact" // "Bass Walker" // "Frost Waltz" // "Disco Medusae" All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips included in the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. The Synapse Science Podcast is licensed under a . /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501869

The Reality of Head Transplants 10/08/2015

The Reality of Head Transplants We take a look at the body of evidence surrounding the world's first proposed human head transplant surgery for 2017. Always best to look at the facts first, lest we get a-head of ourselves... Biological evidence, ethics discussions, and more head puns await in this new episode of Synapse Science. Find the show notes for this episode on . Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. --- Sound effects used in this episode are from Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Fast Talkin" // "Artifact" // "Sneaky Snitch" // "Marty Gots A Plan" // "Bass Walker" // "Clean Soul" // "Unwritten Return" // All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips added to the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501871

The Genius is in the Giraffe 09/12/2015

The Genius is in the Giraffe What do a Swiss engineer, a giraffe, and a German pilot traveling at 9G's have in common? The answer lies in a new field of science called biomimicry. Find the show notes for this episode on . Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. --- Sound effects used in this episode are from . Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Bass Walker" // "Dreamy Flashback" // "Marty Gots A Plan" // "Fast Talkin" // "Artifact" // "Political Ad" // "Cold Funk" // All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 . All audio clips added to the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501872

3D Printing in Medicine 08/14/2015

3D Printing in Medicine What is 3D printing and how can we harness this new technology to make progress in the field of medicine? Find the show notes for this episode on . Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. --- Sound effects used in this episode are from Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Fast Talkin" // "Universal" // "Unwritten Return" // "Mining by Moonlight" // "Bass Walker" // "Cold Funk" All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips added to the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501873

New Horizons Pluto Flyby 07/30/2015

New Horizons Pluto Flyby Join us on an enchanting adventure through the history of the New Horizons mission and the fascinating things humanity is learning about the former ninth planet in our Solar System, Pluto itself. Find the show notes for this episode on . Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. --- Sound effects used in this episode are from Audio clips from NASA space missions are attributed to NASA: Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Fig Leaf Rag", "Lithium", "Lost Frontier", "Phantom from Space", "Frozen Star", "Clean Soul", "Frost Waltz", and "On The Shore" All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips added to the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501875

Scientists Attempt to Genetically Edit Human Embryos 04/25/2015

Scientists Attempt to Genetically Edit Human Embryos Scientists from China have recently published research on their attempts to genetically modify human embryos. What exactly did they do and why is it causing such a stir? Find the show notes for this episode on Thanks for tuning in! The Synapse Science Podcast is a science communication show created and produced by Alexa Erdogan. Find her on Twitter @. --- Music used in this episode (in order of appearance): "Cold Funk" // "Space 1990-B" // All music tracks are attributed to Kevin MacLeod and are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 All audio clips added to the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501876

Scientific Study Reports There are Too Many Scientific Studies 03/22/2015

Scientific Study Reports There are Too Many Scientific Studies Meanwhile in the land of scientometrics, a new scientific report concludes that there are too many scientific reports for scientists to keep track of. As you can tell, this episode of the podcast gets just a tad meta. Show notes can be found on our website at Do you have any questions, comments, and/or corrections? Tweet at us @ or email us at synapsepod[at]gmail[dot]com. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501877

Undergraduate Research with Krittika D'Silva & Heena Panjwani 03/12/2015

Undergraduate Research with Krittika D'Silva & Heena Panjwani More research! More undergraduates! More guests! In this episode of the Synapse Science podcast, I sit down and talk with two amazing undergraduate researchers about the work they do in the fields of diagnostic technology and autism, respectively. Krittika D'Silva is an undergraduate studying Bioengineering and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington. Her research involves developing a diagnostic tool for serious diseases using accessible means, such as smart phone technology. Read more about some of her research here: . You can also visit her website: Heena Panjwani is a undergraduate senior studying Psychology and Physiology at the University of Washington. In the past three years, she has been involved in autism research both on campus and now at the Seattle Children's Institute. Her current role in research involves processing EEG information as part of a transnational, collaborative study on autism and its unusually high occurrence in females. To find out more about the URL program and the Undergraduate Research Program, check out their website: / Do you know someone (yourself included) who is involved in cool research and who you would like to hear on the podcast? Do you have any questions, comments, and/or corrections? Tweet at us @ or email us at synapsepod[at]gmail[dot]com. --- Intro/outro music: "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) All audio clips added to the podcast are used for nonprofit, educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501878

Double Jeopardy - Women of Color in STEM 02/17/2015

Double Jeopardy - Women of Color in STEM In honor of Black History Month, this episode of the Synapse Science podcast delves into the type of gender and racial biases faced by women of color in STEM fields. We geek out about some of the amazing contributions to the STEM fields from scientists who happen to be women of color. This is an important conversation to have, and gender/racial representation in STEM fields is extremely vital. That being said, if you know of scientists whose work is not as widely known or whose contributions are being undermined, spread the word! Get people talking about scientists from more diverse backgrounds. We encourage you to make your own podcast episode, YouTube video, social media post, etc. to continue this conversation. Show notes can be found on our website at Do you have any questions, comments, and/or corrections? Tweet at us @ or email us at synapsepod[at]gmail[dot]com. *New! We're now part of the list of podcasts on ! --- Intro/outro music: "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) All audio clips added to the podcast are used for educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4501880

Undergraduate Research with Terence Leach & Elizabeth Chang 02/03/2015

Undergraduate Research with Terence Leach & Elizabeth Chang Starting off with a special episode of the podcast in an ongoing series dedicated to undergraduate research! In this episode, we sat down and chatted with undergraduates Terence Leach & Elizabeth Chang about their experiences with undergrad research and how their involvement in research has influenced their lives. Both Terence and Elizabeth are also active Undergraduate Research Leaders (URLs) at the Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Washington (UW). Terence Leach is an undergraduate at the UW studying Ecology, Evolution, & Conservation Biology & Oceanography with a minor in Marine Biology. His research in the Oceanography department explores certain evolutionary relationships of Pseudo-nitzschia, specifically focusing on a neurotoxin that is produced by these organisms. Elizabeth Chang is an undergraduate at the UW studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology & Biochemistry. Her initial experience in undergraduate research was at an academic lab studying certain aspects of pulmonary research. Since then, her research interests have shifted, and she now researches cancer care and technology at a local biotech company. To read more about their academic backgrounds and their research projects, visit their URL profiles here: To find out more about the URL program and the Undergraduate Research Program, check out their website: *Correction! The deadline to apply for the UW Undergrad Research Symposium is February 23, 2015. --- Intro/outro music: "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) All audio clips added to the podcast are used for educational purposes. /episode/index/show/synapsescience/id/4547720

Synapse Science Podcast

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