KGNU - How On Earth

Alexander Kramida – NIST Atomic Spectroscopy Group – phote from NIST Federal cutbacks have led the National Institute of Standards and Technology to shut down a long-running, highly prized information center used by scientists around the world, for projects ranging from searching for exoplanets, to making better microchips, to detecting atomic missiles.   Atomic Spectroscopy Database Manager Alexander Kramida explains the purpose of the Atomic Spectroscopy Group, the impact of losing it, and what’s next, now that federal budget cuts mean NIST is shutting it down. For a Transcript, go here. Host & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Additional Contributions: Joel Parker Executive Producer: Joel Parker

image credit: NASA Our guest today is Dr. Simone Marchi, Institute Scientist in the Solar System Science & Exploration Division at the Boulder office of Southwest Research Institute. Dr. Marchi is the Deputy Principal Investigator for NASA’s Lucy mission.  Lucy will be the first space mission to explore a population of small bodies known as the Trojan asteroids, which orbit out at the distance of Jupiter. Lucy has two “practice” flybys of main belt asteroids: Dinkinesh in November 2023, and Donaldjohanson coming up in just a few days on April 20, 2025. Producer and Host: Joel Parker Listen to the show:

Poisoning the Well (starts 2:00)  Boulder science writer Sharon Udasin discusses her new book,  Poisoning the Well:  How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America.  The book chronicles how these chemicals have ended up in our soil , drinking water, our bloodstreams . . . including in Colorado.  She also explains what we can do about these sometimes useful, but far too often, health-endangering chemicals. Sharon will speak April 8th at the Boulder Bookstore. Other events discussed in this show are the CU-Boulder Conference on World Affairs and the Dinosaur Ridge Raptorthon Special thanks to Simon Roberts and his youtube channel, Environmental Chemistry Explained, for the song, “Forever Chemicals.” Producer and Host: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Joel Parker Listen to the show:

Today is April Fools’ day, when jokes and pranks are played, sometimes among friends and family, sometimes on a more public scale.  But why is there such a day for culturally-accepted foolishness? To delve into the origins and history of April Fools’ Day, we talk with Dr. Angus Kress Gillespie, folklorist and professor of American studies at Rutgers University. (Image credit: Zurijeta | Shutterstock.com) You might find it shocking that scientists have a sense of humor, so we also talk with, Dr. Mike Lund from the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the Infrared Processing & Analysis Center / CalTech about the tradition among Astronomers to write and even review  humorous research papers for April Fools’ day. These papers are often posted on the arXiv preprint server, and Dr. Lund, the author of several such papers, also is the editor of the Acta Prima Aprilia that shares some of those papers. Producer and Host: Joel Parker Additional contributions: Beth Bennett Executive Producer: Joel Parker Listen to the show here:

oil and gas rig Image courtesy of USGS NEPA rollbacks, environmental impacts (start time: 6:25) Amidst a flurry of moves by the Trump administration to roll back environmental regulations, last month a White House agency proposed a rule to rescind a landmark law meant to protect wildlife, their habitat, and human  communities from unchecked development, and to ensure that the public has a say in projects ranging from oil and gas drilling to wind and solar farms.  The rule, if it goes into effect, would mean that the White House Council on Environmental Quality would no longer enforce how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is carried out. As a result, many infrastructure projects would not be subject to environmental review. A public comment period regarding this proposed rule ends on Friday, March 27. (Click here to submit any comments.) How On Earth host Susan Moran interviews Jim McElfish, a senior advisor at the Environmental Law Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit center working to strengthening environmental protection by improving law and governance. Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker Show Producer: Susan Moran Engineer: Joel Parker Headline contributors: Beth Bennett, Joel Parker Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Listen to the show here:

In this discussion, Brianne Barker, an Associate Professor of Biology and Director of Undergraduate Research at Drew University, shares her expertise on the measles virus. She explains how measles invades cells and wreaks havoc on the immune system, causing long-term health issues. The conversation emphasizes vaccine importance in preventing immune amnesia, where the virus erases memory of past infections. Barker also unpacks the virus's complex life cycle and its ability to outsmart immune defenses, highlighting urgent public health implications.

We speak with Environmental Scientist Alan Townsend about his new book, This Ordinary Stardust: A Scientist’s Path from Grief to Wonder.  It chronicles what happened when his family received two unthinkable, catastrophic diagnoses: his 4-year-old daughter and his brilliant scientist wife developed unrelated, life-threatening forms of brain cancer. As he witnessed his young daughter fight during the courageous final months of her mother’s life, Townsend – a lifelong scientist – was indelibly altered. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Hosts: Joel Parker and Shelley Schlender Engineer: Joel Parker Listen to the show:

Marc Bekoff, a professor emeritus specializing in animal behavior, and Mary Angilly, an advocate for force-free training, dive into the complexities of wolf reintroduction in Colorado. They share insights on the ecological impact of wolves and human-fear dynamics, highlighting the need for better communication to improve coexistence. The discussion also covers innovative training methods for both wolves and dogs, advocating for compassion and understanding to resolve conflicts with local ranchers. Their collaborative approach paves the way for a harmonious future.

Tom Cech’s New Book             The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets     CU Boulder Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist Tom Cech says that RNA has long been the biochemical backup singer that slaves away in the shadows of the diva.  In his new book, The Catalyst, Cech puts RNA in the spotlight, along with dazzling and determined scientists who’ve been helping us learn more about RNA. Show Host/Producer: Shelley SchlenderEngineer: Jackie SedleyExecutive Producer: Beth Bennett

Landfill photo credit: iStock Tackling CH4 emissions from landfills (start time: 5:59) Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, and its emissions have been rising recently in the U.S.  The largest source of methane emissions is oil and gas production, followed by livestock farming. The third largest source of methane emissions is landfills.  Food scraps, yard debris, paper and cardboard products and other carbon-based detritus that pile up in landfills release methane and other chemicals as they decompose in the soil. As part of the state’s goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is developing new, and stricter, rules  that will require landfill operators to do more to monitor and capture methane emissions. KGNU host Susan Moran interviews Clay Clarke, director of the Climate Change Program at CDPHE; and Madison Hall, an associate with the Rocky Mountain Institute‘s US Program. For info on the Feb. 26 final public hearing on the  methane rule, click here. Show Host/Producer: Susan Moran Engineer: Jackie Sedley Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Headline Contributors: Beth Bennett, Joel Parker Listen to the show here: