Science for the classroom and beyond
Ever feel lost in the world of wellness advice online? Our guest, Dr. Jonathan Stea, has a new book called “Mind the Science” that helps cut through the noise of the wellness industry, exposing pseudoscience and mental health misinformation. As a promoter of science communication, Dr. Stea seeks to empower people to make informed decisions about mental well-being. His new […]
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As schools transitioned to online learning in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Skype a Scientist saw a increased demand for their service. Boasting a database of thousands of scientists, SKYPE a Scientist uses readily available video chat tools to connect scientists to teachers, students and other groups around the world. Founder and Executive Director Sarah McAnulty joins us to tell […]
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Our guest this week is Jared Lipworth, Executive Producer and head of Outreach and Impact at HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. Recent NSTA Conference attendees will recognize HHMI’s “Night at the Movies” hosted at the annual Conference. Without a physical conference to attend, we wanted to help share some of the media produced by the studio that harness the power of […]
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Our guest this week is Sarah McAnulty, squid biologist and founder of Skype a Scientist. Using readily available video chat tools, SKYPE a Scientist connects real scientists with classes around the world. Through these video sessions, classes can learn more about the scientist’s field of study, what it means to be a scientist and how they do their job. Sarah […]
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http://traffic.libsyn.com/wsst/LOL69.mp3 Ever wanted your students to conduct scientific research? Our guest this week has some insights for you. A second place winner in the Intel Science awards in 2006, Shiv Gaglani is now a graduate of Harvard working to spur interest in STEM among students. We talk with Shiv about his book (and website) “Success with Science”, how to engage […]
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http://traffic.libsyn.com/wsst/LOL57.mp3 Finishing our UK tour, we talk with Dr. Ben Goldacre, author of Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks and Big Pharma Flacks. Dr. Goldacre talks to us about interpreting scientific results, the tricks used to deceive us, and how science teachers might combat bad science in the classroom. badscience.net Bad Science Column at guardian.co.uk Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks and Big […]
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http://media.libsyn.com/media/wsst/LOL48.mp3 For our 100th podcast interview (including 52 interviews with Periodicity), we talk with former marine biologist turned filmmaker and author Randy Olson. Since we last talked with Randy about Flock of Dodos, he has since put out another movie (Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy) and a book (Don’t Be Such a Scientist: ). We talk with Randy about […]
Read morehttp://media.libsyn.com/media/wsst/LOL39.mp3 Our guest this week is Barry Cartwright – the Science Content Specialist for the Colorado Department of Education. In November, Colorado recently released their Final Draft of the Colorado Academic Standards in Science. Barry discusses some of the highlights of the new Colorado science standards and the future of standards in science education. Links: Colorado Academic Standards in […]
Read morehttp://media.libsyn.com/media/wsst/LOL38.mp3 Our guest this week is Jack Hidary, chairman of National Lab Day. Designed to encourage partnerships between scientists, engineers, teachers and students, National Lab Day emerged from a partnership between NSTA, the American Chemical Society (ACS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Jack D. Hidary Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. Jack talks to us about the program and […]
Read morehttp://media.libsyn.com/media/wsst/LOL36.mp3 With the upcoming 2009 HHMI Holiday Lecture on Science in December (Exploring Biodiversity), we decided to talk with one of the presenters – Dr. Bonnie Bassler. The focus of Dr. Bassler’s research is on how bacteria communicate with each other in a process called quorum sensing. This research has earned her a MacArthur fellowship in 2002, and her […]
Read moreWhile reviewing early recommendations for new social studies standards, a review team for the Texas State Board of Education decided to remove Neil Armstrong from the ‘science strand’ of their fifth grade social studies textbook. Their reasoning? Armstrong wasn’t a scientist. Now, I understand what this team is trying to do. They wish to keep the focus on learning instead […]
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