

KGNU - How On Earth
KGNU - How On Earth
The KGNU Science Show
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 27, 2021 • 27min
Funnel Web Spiders at Sawhill Ponds
Boulder County Nature Association Naturalists Steve Jones and Scott Severs search for autumn spiders and other creatures among the tall prairie grasses at Boulder’s Sawhill Ponds.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender

Sep 14, 2021 • 28min
New Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
On this week’s show Beth talks with Alzheimer’s Disease researcher Dale Bredesen. In his new book, The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s, he lets some of his patients speak. He also describes in detail his complex diagnostic and personalized therapeutic approaches.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Producer: Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:

Sep 1, 2021 • 24min
Ready for RoundUp?
Today on how on earth, Beth talks to MIT scientist Stephanie Seneff about her book, Toxic Legacy. Dr Seneff takes us on a fast paced tour of the large range of toxicities produced by glyphosate. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, the most commonly used weedkiller in the world. Nearly 300 million pounds of glyphosate-based herbicide are sprayed on farms—and food—every year. Although the herbicide is claimed
to be safe for humans, animals, and the environment, Seneff summarizes research showing otherwise.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:

Aug 24, 2021 • 27min
Wes Marshall – Love Cars LESS
West Marshall (CU Denver photo)
Wes Marshall – Love Cars LESS (Entire Show) CU-Denver Transportation Engineer Wes Marshall argues that people are safer and cities are more vibrant when communities focus LESS on speedways and parking lots.
(This is part 2 of FUTURE of CARs series. Go Here for Part 1, about the Glory Days of Fast Cars, at Boulder’s Shelby American Collection)
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender

Aug 17, 2021 • 27min
Future of Cars – Shelby American Collection//Colorado DIgital ID
FUTURE OF CARS – Shelby American Collection (Starts 3:30) We tour Boulder’s Shelby American Collection of world-famous Vintage Shelby Cobra racecars, with founder Steve Volk. We discover what made people in the 1960s LOVE fast cars, and we learn how hot rodders created many automotive innovations. We also hear about the world famous race Le Mans, taking place this weekend, and including some hybrid electric cars. Plus the Shelby American Collection Annual Car Show and Raffle, happening Labor Day Weekend.
(For Part 2 of this series, GO HERE)
Colorado Digital ID for Vaccinations (Starts 1:00) Colorado’s Digital Transformation Director 00 tells us how the MyColorado app now lets you display a valid vaccination card, likely to be useful for everything from traveling on a plane to getting tickets to a show. For an extended version of this interview, GO HERE.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender

Aug 15, 2021 • 16min
My Colorado Vaccination App – Extended Version
Here’s the Extended Version of the Interview with Russell Castagnaro about Colorado’s official way to display your vaccination record AND your driver’s license, on your smart phone. – Shelley Schlender

Aug 12, 2021 • 27min
A New Way to Measure Aging
This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Professor Tom LaRocca, professor in the department of Health and Exercise Science at CSU in Fort Collins. His background is in molecular biology and physiology, but he is particularly interested in translational research (using laboratory science to develop practical applications or treatments that can help people). He is especially interested in the biology of healthspan, the period of life during which we are healthy and productive, and in research on ways to increase healthspan. He talks particularly about some of his recent work which has identified genetic marks of our biological age, as opposed to our chronological age or the number of years one has under their belt. You can see his website as well as the Healthy Aging website he and his colleagues maintain.
Executive Producer:
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:

Aug 3, 2021 • 27min
Psychedelic Mushrooms & Depression
Alex Kwan, Dept of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine. Image courtesy of Yale School of Medicine.
In this How on Earth episode, we learn about the latest research on psychedelic mushrooms (psilocybin) and their potential for treating depression. Jill Sjong speaks with Alex Kwan, a neuroscientist and Associate Professor in Psychiatry at Yale University’s School of Medicine, who studies dendritic plasticity in mice using advanced optical methods. Dr. Kwan explains how psilocybin changes the brain, how these changes last long after the psychedelic effects have worn off, and how these results may lead to future treatments for depression.
Host: Jill Sjong
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Listen to the show:

Jul 13, 2021 • 27min
Dismal US Mortality Data – Ryan Masters
Ryan Masters
Rare Ebony Winged Damselfly at Flagg Park (starts 1:00) Naturalists Scott Severs and Ruth Carol Cushman take us to Lafayette’s Flagg Park to see a rare and beautiful cousin of the dragonfly
Early Warning for Celiac Disease (starts 4:35)
Dismal US Mortality Rates (starts 7:07) – CU Sociologist Ryan Masters discusses his new study on US Death Rates and how US Death Rates compare to the death rates in other high income countries. Bottom line – middle-aged people are dying more often in the US, especially people of color.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender

Jul 11, 2021 • 28min
Emerging World: A Road Map for a Better World
Today on How on Earth, Beth speaks with author Roger Briggs about his new book: Emerging World. Briggs explores the evolution of consciousness and shows that this is behind everything humans have done, are now doing, and are capable of in the future. By bringing together knowledge from paleoanthropology, cultural philosophy, cognitive psychology, and evolutionary theory, he makes the case that humanity is now on the verge of a major transformation, a monumental turning point in our story. Emerging World offers a new understanding of our crisis today and points the way to a bright future for humanity and life on our planet. You’ll also hear about new research into the surprising role that the microbiome plays in aging fruit flies. You can find out more about Roger’s ongoing project at his website.
Executive Producer: Beth Bennett
Show Producer: Beth Bennett
Listen to the Show: