Science for the classroom and beyond
What is a scientific illustrator? Ella Marushchenko joins Lab Out Loud to discuss her job and her journey from a traditional art background to creating scientific illustrations. Stressing the need for artistic freedom in scientific visualization, Ella describes how she balances the collaborative process between artists and scientists as she translates complex concepts into visually appealing art. Links: Featured image […]
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Thinking of snow? We first talked to Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht in 2006 when the US Postal Service began featuring his photographs of snowflakes on stamps. 16 years later, we wanted to find out what’s changed in snowflake science, so we invited him back to the show. Dr. Libbrecht joins us again to share new discoveries in snowflake science, describe how […]
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Our guest this week is Tim Hartelt from the Department of Biology Education at the University of Kassel in Germany. With colleagues Helge Martens and Nina Minkley, Tim recently published a study investigating if science teachers were able to diagnose the alternative conceptions they may hold when teaching biology concepts. Tim joins us to discuss the study and its findings, […]
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From the Learning Scientists podcast, cognitive psychologist Megan Sumeracki joins us to talk about the science of learning. With a goal to make scientific research on learning more accessible, the Learning Scientists started as a Twitter account that has now grown to a popular podcast aimed at teachers, students and other educators. Megan joins us to describe how scientists research […]
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To answer our questions about pumpkins, we connected with a pumpkin expert. From the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Rebecca Brown joins us to talk about growing pumpkins, the surprising results of pumpkin breeding, and the pumpkin industry in the United States. About Our Guest Rebecca Brown is an assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island in the Department […]
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For our latest installment of Scientist Out Loud, Dr. Terry McGlynn joins us to discuss his research with ants and other insects found in tropical rainforests. Since 1995, Terry has been working out of La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica studying ants as a model system. Instead of the boring ants we might find in North America, these tropical […]
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Our guest this week is Dr. Stefania Kapsetaki, a postdoctoral research fellow at Arizona State University at the Arizona Cancer & Evolution Center. Joining us from Greece, where she is working remotely during the pandemic, Dr. Kapsetaki is studying chimerism across the tree of life and its potential impact in triggering cancer. Representing a relatively new field of research in […]
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This week we explore Meet The Lab, a new educational resource from PBS Wisconsin Education designed for middle school science classrooms. Similar to our #ScientistOutLoud series, Meet the Lab introduces students to real world issues, scientific practices and concepts, and also to the people that work together to research and solve problems using science. To guide us through this new […]
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To wrap up season 13, we welcome Ainissa Ramirez back to the show. As science teachers are building their reading lists for the summer, they may want to check out Ainissa’s new book – The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another. In this collection of stories about eight inventions (from clocks to silicon chips), Ramirez unearths […]
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Our guest this week is Dr. Alex Evans. From a young age, Alex developed a love for science that eventually led to a career as a research scientist in animal physiology, focusing on measuring the energetics of animal flight. Changing gears to science communication, Alex now works as a science educator, presenter, and writer. Alex joins us to discuss his […]
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Our guest this week is Dr. Cassandra Raby, a research fellow at Leeds University Business School looking at diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Dr. Raby recently finishing her Ph.D. studying behavior and disease transmission in Namibian wild baboons, where she reflects: “a lot of my research involves poo”. Cass joins us to talk about collecting (and transporting) poo, what […]
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Our guest this week is Dr. J. Bryan Henderson, an assistant professor at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Part of Bryan’s research is geared towards using the science of learning to design physical and digital environments that encourage student interaction in evidence-based argumentation. This research has helped him to develop Braincandy, a suite of free, online […]
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Our guest this week is Dr. Lauren Robinson. As a postdoc at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, Lauren studies cooperation and partner roles in canids – particularly with North American Grey Wolves. Lauren joins us to discuss how she uses her background in psychology in her animal research, describes navigating through scientific research in another country, and […]
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Continuing our #ScientistOutLoud series, we welcome Susanna L. Harris to the show. As a Ph. D. candidate at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Susanna studies how bacteria stick to plant roots. Susanna joins us to describe her research, discusses how she got interested in science, and candidly shares with us her path in graduate learning – including […]
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This week we welcome Katherine Hatcher to the show. As a fifth year Neuroscience PhD Candidate at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Katherine investigates circadian rhythms and how exposure to environmental factors alters behavior and physiology, particularly in midlife women. Katherine joins us to discuss her path into research, her day-to-day work as a scientist, and how we might apply […]
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This week we welcome glaciologist Mike MacFerrin to the show. As a researcher from the University of Colorado Boulder, Mike studies ice sheet meltwater feedback in Greenland. Recently, his team discovered that growing ice slabs in Greenland are accelerating meltwater runoff that is contributing to rising sea levels. Mike joins us to discuss his work as a glaciologist, explain the […]
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Are you noticing less insects in your biology textbook? You’re not alone. Jennifer Landin, with student and co-author Kiran Gangwani, recently decided to quantify the coverage of insects in college-level introductory biology textbooks over time. By exploring the coverage of insect diversity concepts, the visual representation of insects, and conducting a text analysis of keywords, they discovered a significant […]
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As science teachers are preparing for the summer, many will be planning lessons and purchasing supplies for their classes next year. But just how much do science teachers spend on their classes from their own personal funds? After conducting a nationwide survey of middle and high school science teachers, a research team at North Carolina State University has an answer […]
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Do you have middle and high school students doing original research? Consider connecting them with the open-access Journal of Emerging Investigators for guidance and a chance to publish their findings. Jamilla Akhund-Zade (Co-Editor-In-Chief) and Nico Wagner (Director of Outreach) join us to talk about the Journal of Emerging Investigators and how it can guide young scientists in the research process that […]
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For the second episode in a three-part series on place-based education in science, we welcome Kevin Krasnow to the show. As ecologist, researcher and educator at Teton Science Schools, Kevin is currently studying differences in field research by comparing the outcomes from inquiry research, citizen science, and adventure hike experiences for middle/high school students. Kevin joins us to discusses the […]
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