KGNU - How On Earth

On this week’s show, Beth speaks with Jennifer Ackerman, about her new book, What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds. In a writing career spanning over three decades, Jennifer has covered many aspects of science and nature but recently has focused on birds. In the book she regales the reader with the amazing adaptations of owls to their predatory lifestyle, and visits to many field biologists studying these avian hunters. You can see the fantastic photography of owl flight as captured by the BBC here. Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender Show Producer: Beth Bennett Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender & BBC Science Engineer: Sam Fuqua Listen to the show:

This week on How on Earth, we revisit bees and pollination biology. Beth spoke with Professor Michael Breed about honeybees and other pollinators. These insects provide crucial service to our agricultural systems by pollinating flowers whose seeds and fruit produce our foods. But many of us ignore or take them for granted. The Colorado State University Extension Service offers a lot of information on local pollinators. You’ll also hear about the once-in-200-years event occurring when 13 and 17-year cicadas emerge this month. Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender Show Producer: Beth Bennett Engineer: Sam Fuqua Listen to the show:

Birds of Spring, Habitat Preservation (start time: 3:08)  It’s springtime, when many of us are woken up at the crack of dawn by a chorus of chickadees or other songbirds outside. To celebrate these emblems of spring, and World Migratory Bird Day (May 18), How On Earth’s Susan Moran interviews two bird/nature experts about the state of affairs for the North America bird population , including threats to their survival, efforts to preserve their habitats, and how we humans can get outside and appreciate the natural world while helping to give birds, insects and other wildlife a leg up.  Terri Schulz is senior conservation ecologist at The Nature Conservancy Colorado, focusing on preserving habitats throughout Colorado.  Dave Sutherland is a naturalist in Boulder who worked for many years as environmental education coordinator at the City of Boulder’s Open Space Mountain Parks. He leads frequent nature hikes. Host/Show Producer: Susan Moran Engineer: Jackie Sedley Executive Producer/Contributor: Shelley Schlender Listen to the show here:

Gold Lab Foundation 2024 Illustration Gold Lab Symposium on Science and Health.  (starts 6:40) Boulder scientist and entrepreneur, Larry Gold, shares a sneak preview of this year’s Gold Lab Symposium at CU-Boulder Muenzinger Auditorium this Thursday and Friday.  This year’s symposium focuses on Pain, Culture and Intelligence. The symposium includes discussion of the paper, Organ aging signatures in the plasma proteome track health and disease CU-Wizards (starts 1:00) and the upcoming show with CU-Boulder Nobel Prize Winner Eric Cornell Scott Falci – Denver Neurosurgeon (starts 2:45) and the quest to solve suicidal pain in people who have been paralyzed.  Falci will speak live at the Gold Lab Symposium.   Executive & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Additional Contributions: Joel Parker

  Dr. Danile Wildcat c Indian Leader Rising Voices Changing Coasts – Indigenuity Science leader Daniel Wildcat, talks about the Rising Voices/Changing Coasts symposium taking place this week Boulder.  The symposium connects Indigenous Leaders with climate scientists to solve pressing climate and environmental challenges.. Science Moab – Our “sister science program” features two Native American students, who tap the wisdom of Western scientists and Native American elders as they explore desert biocrusts and how to clean up uranium mines.  Go here for the full interview. Executive & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Additional Contributions: Esther Frost, Benita Lee, Science Moab

Seahorses (starts 4:10) Science Writer Till Hein explains his new book, The Curious World of Seahorses:  The Life and Lore of a Marine Marvel. Also in this episode, we share this week’s DomeFest West at CU-Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium (starts 2:00).  And we share congratulations to three new CU-Boulder members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (starts 1:00) Executive Producer & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender Additional Contributions: Esther Franke, Joel Parker

In this week’s show, Beth speaks with rewilder Derek Gow about his new book, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, in which he explores the mythology, mystery and history of wolves in Europe, and their speckled history with our species. Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender Show Producer: Beth Bennett Additional Contributions: Esther Franke, Joel Parker Engineer: Sam Fuqua Listen to the show:

Dr. Christopher Kerr The Science of Deathbed Visions  Many people have visions and dreams as they near the end of their life in which they reunite with loved ones who have gone before them. What can science tell us about these mysterious and common experiences? And how do they affect those who have them? These are questions that Chris Kerr, a hospice physician and neurobiologist, set out to answer  through research decades after he witnessed his dying father having one when Kerr was an adolescent.  Dr. Kerr, is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Hospice & Palliative Care  Buffalo. He was featured in a recent New York Times magazine article .  He is also the author of the book Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning in End-of-Life Dreams. Host: Susan Moran Producers: Susan Moran, Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender Listen to the show here:

Corban Tillemann Dick c Maybell Quantum Colorado – The Quantum State:  We speak with Corban Tillemann-Dick about how Colorado has emerged as a world leader in Quantum Technologies.  Tillemann-Dick will speak at CU-Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs, Thursday, 10:30, at the UMC Central Ballroom.  Tillemann-Dick heads up Elevate Quantum, a consortium of over 85 quantum-focused organizations in Colorado and the Mountain West.   He’s also the founder and a CEO of the Denver company, Maybell Quantum.  It’s named after the tiny town of Maybell, Colorado, which  holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Colorado – Minus 61 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Maybell Quantum honors the little town’s record-breaking cold with a refrigerator the company calls “The Icebox”    Quantum computers can only operate at the incredibly cold temperature of -441 F.   Maybell Quantum’s  Icebox” is designed to help quantum processors stay that supercold – which is one of the many keys to unlocking the quantum breakthroughs up ahead. Show Producer, Executive Producer and Host: Shelley Schlender Additional Contributions: Pam Johnson  

In this episode of How on Earth, we talk about the upcoming 2024 April 8th solar eclipse.  Our guests are science writer David Baron, author of American Eclipse, and Dr. Doug Duncan, served as Director of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium. Show Producer and Host: Joel Parker Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender Listen to the show: