Welcome to Science Sessions, the PNAS podcast program. Listen to brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today’s scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in PNAS, plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
The podcast PNAS Science Sessions is created by PNAS. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Sustainability of plant-based meat alternatives
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers discuss the environmental, health, and economic tradeoffs that limit the potential benefits of plant-based meat alternatives.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:19] Rodolphe Barrangou explains the potential opportunities and challenges for plant-based meat alternatives to help mitigate the environmental impact of meat. •[03:18] Marco Springmann compares plant-based meat and milk alternatives with both animal-sourced foods and unprocessed plant-based foods across multiple metrics. •[05:16] Bill Aimutis highlights the potential environmental impact of producing plant-based proteins. •[07:04] Ute Weisz finds significant variability in the amino acid scores and functional properties of commercially available plant protein ingredients. •[08:51] Zachary Neuhofer analyzes trends in plant-based meat alternative consumption, based on two years of grocery store scanning data. •[10:16] Evelyne Selberherr analyzes the microbial communities found in plant-based meat alternative products. •[11:56] Matin Qaim analyzes the impact of animal-sourced foods on child nutrition in five Sub-Saharan African countries. •[13:59] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests: Rodolphe Barrangou Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor North Carolina State University
Marco Springmann Senior Researcher | Professorial Research Fellow University of Oxford | University College London
Bill Aimutis Executive Director North Carolina Food Innovation Lab
Ute Weisz Professor Technical University of Munich
Zachary Neuhofer PhD Candidate Purdue University
Evelyne Selberherr Assistant Professor University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Matin Qaim Schlegel Professor of Agricultural Economics University of Bonn
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2400495121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319010121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319003121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319019121 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16996-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-024-00269-8 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319009121
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How Snowball Earth melted
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Shuhai Xiao explores how the Earth emerged from a planetwide glaciation called Snowball Earth.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:48] Geobiologist Shuhai Xiao introduces us to Snowball Earth. •[01:58] Xiao introduces the “plumeworld” hypothesis that describes the end of Snowball Earth. •[03:41] He explains how lithium isotopes in rocks can confirm the plumeworld hypothesis. •[05:54] Xiao explains why dolostone deposits in China were suitable for studying this hypothesis. •[06:53] He talks about the results of the study. •[07:39] He talks about the implications of the study results. •[08:26] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:06] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Shuhai Xiao Professor Virginia Tech
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2407419121
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Reverse development in a comb jelly
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Joan Soto and Patel Burkhardt introduce us to a comb jelly with the ability to reverse its development to an earlier stage of life.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:54] Marine biologist Joan-Josep Soto recounts the history of research into reverse development. •[02:27] Soto and evolutionary biologist Burkhardt introduce the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi and its life stages. •[04:04] Burkhardt explains why the researchers became interested in Mnemiopsis. •[04:48] Soto describes how the researchers induced reverse development in Mnemiopsis. •[06:13] Burkhardt explores hypotheses regarding why reverse development occurs. •[07:13] Soto talks about the lessons yet to be learned from Mnemiopsis. •[09:35] Burkhardt summarizes the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:12] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Joan-Josep Soto-Angel Postdoctoral Scholar University Museum of Bergen
Pawel Burkhadt Group Leader Michael Sars Center, University of Bergen
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411499121
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Air pollution and upward mobility
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Luca Merlo and Francesca Dominici explore whether childhood exposure to air pollution can impact economic upward mobility as an adult.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Statistician Luca Merlo talks about the background of the study. •[02:15] Merlo describes measurement of upward mobility in the study. •[03:36] Statistician Francesca Dominici explains the results. •[04:15] Dominici explores the variation in results across US counties. •[07:08] Merlo talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:14] Dominici lists the implications for policymakers. •[10:20] Conclusion.
About Our Guests: Luca Merlo Researcher European University of Rome
Francesca Dominici Professor Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2401882121
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Nationwide effects of smoke-related air pollution
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Kai Chen explains the nationwide health effects of smoke-related fine particulate matter air pollution.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:07] Environmental epidemiologist Kai Chen introduces the health risks of fine particulate matter. •[02:20] Chen talks about trends in air pollution in the United States. •[03:56] He explains the study findings. •[05:51] Chen explores conditions that exacerbate smoke-related health effects. •[06:55] Chen talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:36] He lists the implications for policymakers and for the public. •[10:16] Conclusion.
About Our Guest: Kai Chen Associate Professor Yale School of Public Health
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2403960121
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Indigenous hunting and beluga populations
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Max Friesen, Eline Lorenzen, and Mikkel Skovrind explore beluga population dynamics in relation to subsistence hunting by Indigenous communities in northern Canada.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Archaeologist Max Friesen talks about the role of belugas in Inuvialuit culture. •[01:45] Evolutionary biologist Eline Lorenzen talks about the background of the study. •[02:26] Naturalist Mikkel Skovrind explains the methods of the study, including the sources of beluga samples and the methods of analysis. •[03:58] Skovrind introduces the results of the study, including the changing ratio of males to females harvested. •[06:07] Lorenzen describes the finding that genetic diversity of belugas had not declined over time. •[06:59] Friesen and Lorenzen talk about what the study reveals, and suggests, about past hunting methods. •[08:09] The authors explain the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:05] Skovrind and Friesen explore the implications of the study for traditional subsistence hunting practices. •[10:19] Conclusion
About Our Guests:
Max Friesen Professor University of Toronto
Eline Lorenzen Professor University of Copenhagen
Mikkel Skovrind Postdoctoral researcher Lund University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2405993121
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The neuroscience of music perception
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Petri Toiviainen, Ibi Burunat, and Daniel Levitin describe the neuroscience of how musicians and non-musicians perceive boundaries within pieces of music.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Music neuroscientist Petri Toiviainen, music neuroscientist Ibi Burunat, and cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Levitin introduce the concept of musical boundaries. •[02:29] Toiviainen and Burunat tell about the musical pieces used in the experiment, as well as the experimental setup. •[04:05] Levitin explains why musicians and non-musicians were included in the study. •[04:27] Burunat and Levitin talk about the findings generally. •[05:50] Toiviainen and Levitin explain how musicians and non-musicians’ responses to the music differed. •[07:13] Toiviainen and Burunat talk about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:59] Levitin and Burunat explore the implications of the work for music neuroscience. •[09:46] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Petri Toiviainen Professor University of Jyväskylä
Ibi Burunat Postdoctoral researcher University of Jyväskylä
Daniel Levitin Professor emeritus McGill University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2319459121
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How python hearts grow and shrink
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Leslie Leinwand, of the University of Colorado in Boulder, and Claudia Crocini, of Charité – Berlin University of Medicine in Germany, describe how the hearts of constricting pythons change size after meals.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:19] What is the natural context for cardiac hypertrophy in constricting pythons? •[02:48] What were the mechanisms involved in this process that you identified? •[05:27] What did you discover about the mechanisms of heart size regression in these snakes? •[07:24] What are the next steps in this line of research? •[08:21] Conclusion.
About Our Guest: Leslie Leinwand Professor University of Colorado
Claudia Crocini Junior Research Group Leader Charité – Berlin University Medicine
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2322726121
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How people travel to racially different neighborhoods
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Mario Small talks about patterns of people's travel to neighborhoods racially different than their home neighborhood.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:59] Sociologist Mario Small describes how everyday travel can temper residential segregation. •[01:57] Small talks about how their study tracked peoples’ movements and defined travel beyond a person’s racial comfort zone. •[03:48] Small explains the study’s results. •[06:08] He explores why some destinations take people to racially similar neighborhoods and some take people to racially different neighborhoods. •[07:15] Small shows how “15-minute cities” might inadvertently reinforce residential segregation. •[08:21] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:34] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Mario Small Quetelet Professor of Social Science Columbia University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401661121
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How pathogen stowaways traversed the oceans
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Jamie Lloyd-Smith and Elizabeth Blackmore describe how they modeled the epidemiology of pathogens on ocean voyages.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Integrative scientist Jamie Lloyd-Smith and disease ecologist Elizabeth Blackmore describe how they came to study the epidemiology of ocean travel. •[03:21] Blackmore and Lloyd-Smith explain why they focused on three pathogens: influenza, measles, and smallpox. •[04:13] Lloyd-Smith explains the results of the disease model, with pathogen biology, passenger number, and journey length factoring into the duration of shipboard outbreaks. •[05:05] Blackmore details the additional insights provided by newspaper records of ship arrivals in 1850s San Francisco. •[06:57] Lloyd-Smith and Blackmore talk about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:02] Blackmore and Lloyd-Smith explore potential next steps. •[09:47] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Jamie Lloyd-Smith Professor University of California, Los Angeles
Elizabeth Blackmore Doctoral student Yale University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400425121
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Why “Tornado Alley” is unique to North America
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Funing Li and Dan Chavas explain why North America produces many tornadoes each year and South America does not.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Weather and climate scientist Funing Li talks about the frequency of tornadoes within and outside of the United States. •[01:25] Li explains the geography of severe thunderstorm hotspots in North and South America. •[02:46] Weather and climate scientist Dan Chavas and Li describe how they became interested in the effect of surface geography on tornadoes. •[05:13] Li and Chavas explain their modeling approach. •[07:23] Li and Chavas talk about why surface roughness is important for tornado formation. •[08:14] Chavas and Li describe the implications of the study, including effects of climate change and insights into paleoclimate. •[09:43] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:26] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Funing Li Postdoctoral associate Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dan Chavas Associate professor Purdue University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2315425121
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Creating culturally inclusive school environments
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Stephanie Fryberg, Hazel Markus, and Laura Brady explore how to create culturally inclusive environments in schools.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:00] Social cultural psychologist Stephanie Fryberg introduces the value of culturally inclusive learning environments. •[01:43] Social cultural psychologist Hazel Markus talks about how disparities can arise from a lack of cultural belonging. •[02:25] Markus introduces the predominant cultural model that creates challenges for some students. •[03:18] Social cultural psychologist Laura Brady explains an alternate interdependence model. •[4:01] Brady talks about the school leaders involved in the study. •[4:34] Fryberg outlines the professional development intervention. •[5:44] Fryberg and Markus share examples of teacher responses. •[6:26] Brady talks about how teacher practices and student attitudes changed. •[7:44] Brady lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[8:31]Markus and Fryberg share takeaways from the study. •[9:43] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Stephanie Fryberg Professor of social and cultural psychology, Director of Research for the Indigenous Social Action and Equity Center Northwestern University
Hazel Markus Professor of social and cultural psychology, co-director of Stanford Spark Stanford University
Laura Brady Senior researcher American Institutes for Research
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2322872121
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How redlining affects biodiversity
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Cesar Estien explores the legacy of mid-20th century redlining through the biodiversity of disadvantaged neighborhoods.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[1:04] Cesar Estien, an urban ecologist at the University of Washington, describes the practice of redlining. •[2:50] He tells how a study of redlining and environmental quality led to a study of animal diversity. •[3:33] Estien describes why the study cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego were chosen for the study. •[4:25] He explains the difference between species richness and community composition. •[5:31] He reports the study findings regarding species richness and community composition in redlined and greenlined neighborhoods. •[6:55] Estien talks about the lasting legacy of racial injustice on the ecology of cities. •[7:52] He explains why equitable access to biodiversity matters. •[9:04] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:09] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Cesar Estien Ph.D. Candidate University of California, Berkeley
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2321441121
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Animal’s eye view of the ocean
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers use animal-borne video cameras to explore foraging behaviors of animals in the open ocean.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:46] Taiki Adachi, an ecologist at the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan, observed how elephant seals use their whiskers to locate prey in the dark depths of the ocean •[02:13] Carey Kuhn, an ecologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington, explored how the size of prey affected the foraging behavior of northern fur seals. •[03:43] Ryan Logan, an ecologist at California State University Long Beach, recorded a solitary sailfish hunting in the open ocean and estimated its energy expenditures. •[05:05] Simone Videsen, an ecologist at Aarhus University in Denmark, performed a similar analysis of the energetic efficiency of humpback whales. •[06:12] Takuya Maekawa, an engineer at Osaka University in Japan, designed a device to detect and automatically record rare behaviors performed by streaked shearwaters. •[07:56] Final thoughts and conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Taiki Adachi Assistant Professor National Institute of Polar Research
Carey Kuhn Researcher Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Ryan Logan Postdoctoral Research Fellow California State University Long Beach
Simone Videsen Postdoctoral Researcher Aarhus University
Takuya Maekawa Associate Professor Osaka University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2119502119 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1015594/full https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28748-0 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade3889 https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/1/pgad447/7517476
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Inequitable wildfire smoke exposure in California
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Joan Casey shows that some California communities are disproportionately exposed to wildfire air pollution.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Washington, describes recent decades of wildfire in California. •[01:34] Casey describes the environmental equity issues of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution. •[02:26] Casey describes why she chose to study the equity of wildfire smoke pollution exposure. •[03:01] She explains the results of the study, showing that by one definition of disadvantaged communities, smoke exposure appeared equitable. Another measure, including racial and ethnic identity data, showed inequitable exposure. •[05:26] Casey explores possible reasons for this inequitable exposure. •[06:21] The benefits of improved air monitoring among marginalized communities. •[07:34] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:35] Next steps in this line of research. •[09:27] Hopes for policy impacts. •[10:22] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Joan Casey Assistant Professor University of Washington School of Public Health
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2306729121
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Biodiversity and gentrification
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Mason Fidino explores how gentrification changes biodiversity in urban areas.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Mason Fidino, a quantitative ecologist at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, defines gentrification and its social impacts. •[01:53] Fidino explains how gentrification changes neighborhoods. •[03:09] Fidino explains why the research focused on medium to large mammals. •[03:40] A description of camera traps and how they collect data. •[05:09] The results, including links between gentrification and biodiversity. •[06:59] The implications of the study for urban planners and urban residents. •[08:23] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:50] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Mason Fidino Quantitative Ecologist Lincoln Park Zoo
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2318596121
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School enrollment during COVID-19
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Micah Baum describes how public school enrollments in the US changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:54] Micah Baum, an economist at the University of Michigan, introduces school districts’ three modes of learning in fall 2020: virtual, in-person, and hybrid. • [01:31] Baum explains the reasons for studying public school enrollment changes between the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year. • [02:51] Description of the data sources used in the study. • [03:50] Explanation of the changes in enrollment numbers between the two school years. • [06:00] Explanation of racial differences in enrollment changes. • [06:46] Exploration of what these results suggest about parent choices. • [08:24] Implications for school funding in future years. • [09:18] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:51] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Micah Baum PhD Student University of Michigan
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2307308120
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Emotional power of live music
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Sascha Frühholz describes the emotional power of live music compared to recorded music.
In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:59] Sascha Frühholz, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Oslo, reviews the neuroscience of emotional responses to music. • [02:02] Description of the study hypothesis regarding the difference of responses to recorded and live music. • [02:34] Description of the experimental setup. • [03:15] Description of the music played during the experiment, with examples. • [04:30] Recounting of the results of the study. • [05:05] The differences between responses to recorded and live music. • [05:45] What the listeners knew during and after the experiment. • [06:09] Inclusion of unpleasant music in the experiment, with examples. • [06:49] Description of the listeners’ feelings during the experiment. • [07:14] The musicians’ feelings about the experiment. • [07:42] Exploration of generalizing the results to other settings. • [08:19] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:11] Conclusion.
About Our Guest:
Sascha Frühholz Professor University of Oslo
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2316306121
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Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
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Adapting to poor air quality
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Rebecca Saari explores potential adaptations needed for worsening air quality due to climate change.
In this episode, we cover: • [00:03] Introduction • [00:57] Rebecca Saari, an air quality engineer at the University of Waterloo, describes an air quality alert. • [01:23] Explanation of the hazard of fine particulate matter air pollution. • [02:18] Description of the study’s modeling approach. • [03:14] Description of modeling methods. • [04:05] Explanation of study results and where air quality alerts may rise due to climate change. • [04:34] Exploration of the social impacts of inequitable distribution of worsening air quality. • [05:24] Description of strategies for mitigating the health risk of poor air quality. • [06:27] Discussion of the costs and benefits of increased time spent indoors to mitigate health risk. • [07:22] Discussion of the role of policy in protecting from air quality hazards. • [08:13] Explanation of the study’s caveats and limitations. • [09:30] Potential impacts of the study. • [10:11] Conclusion
About Our Guest:
Rebecca Saari Associate Professor University of Waterloo
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2215685121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up the PNAS Highlights newsletter
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Christine Pu describes how commonly used measures of poverty don't agree, and why definitions of poverty matter.
In this episode, we cover:
· [00:00] Introduction
· [00:59] Christine Pu, an interdisciplinary scientist from Stanford University, introduces the importance of definitions of poverty.
· [01:40] List of the four commonly used definitions of poverty.
· [02:29] The motivation behind the study.
· [03:21] Study design and methods.
· [04:20] Results of the study and discussion of why poverty measures may not agree.
· [05:50] Discussion of how poverty definitions impact efforts to alleviate poverty.
· [06:57] How policymakers can approach definition of poverty.
· [07:46] Implications and potential impacts of the study.
· [08:25] Study caveats and limitations.
· [08:54] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Christine Pu
PhD Candidate
Stanford University
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2316730121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
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How a small fish makes big sounds
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Verity Cook from Charité – Berlin University of Medicine explains how a fish 12 millimeters in length produces sounds exceeding 140 decibels.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:37] Can you tell us more about the fish you studied? •[02:26] What are some of the methods you used to characterize the fish’s sound production mechanism? •[03:49] Can you walk us through the process of how these fish produce sound? •[05:02] What are the broader implications of your findings? •[05:53] Conclusion.
About Our Guest: Verity Cook PhD Student Charité – Berlin University of Medicine
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2314017121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
Follow PNAS: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights
Dinosaur feathers hint at flight history
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, Jingmai O’Connor and Yosef Kiat share insights gleaned from modern birds’ feathers that help understand the evolutionary history of flight in dinosaurs.
In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Jingmai O’Connor, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, describes the characteristics of feathers associated with flight. •[02:11] O’Connor gives context and background for previous knowledge of the evolution of flight feathers in dinosaurs. •[03:25] O’Connor describes the sources of fossil specimens for analysis of feather evolution. •[04:29] Yosef Kiat, an ornithologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, tells what he learned about the consistent number of primary feathers in modern birds. He also tells how that number applies to dinosaurs. •[05:54] O’Connor explains what the symmetry of feathers reveals about a species’ flight ability and history. •[06:29] Kiat applies feather symmetry to explain the flight evolutionary history of Caudipteryx. •[07:05] Kiat summarizes the findings of the study, using feather number and shape to assess the flight abilities of four genera of dinosaurs. •[07:47] Kiat and O’Connor describe the type of potential fossil evidence that could fill in holes in the history of flight evolution in dinosaurs. •[08:42] Kiat and O’Connor explain the study’s caveats and limitations. •[09:44] Conclusion.
About Our Guests:
Jingmai O’Connor Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
Yosef Kiat Postdoctoral Research Fellow Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2306639121
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
Follow PNAS: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights
Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
In this episode, researchers describe the potential impact of anthropogenic disturbances on bee communication.
In this episode, we cover:
About Our Guests:
Maggie CouvillonAssistant ProfessorVirginia Tech
Christoph GrüterSenior LecturerUniversity of Bristol
Michael HrncirProfessorUniversity of Sao Paulo
Elli LeadbeaterProfessorRoyal Holloway University of London
Kris BramanDepartment Head and ProfessorUniversity of Georgia
Denise AlvesPost-doctoral ResearcherUniversity of Sao Paulo
Adam DolezalAssistant ProfessorUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
View related content here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0155 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2219031120 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191020300512 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14011 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-022-00402-6 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653521026199 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2002268117
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!
Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast
Follow PNAS:
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights
Alex Cristia and Elika Bergelson explain the factors influencing speech in children.
Chris Thorogood and Derek Moulton explain how mathematical modeling of carnivorous pitcher plants can lend insights into their evolution.
Allegra Midgette and Nadia Chernyak describe when young children begin to perceive and accept unequal and gendered division of household labor.
Karen Steel explains a proof of concept for restoring hearing loss in mice.
Stanley Cohen reflects on the 50-year legacy of a classic PNAS paper on recombinant DNA.
Longqi Yang and Fengqi You discuss the potential reductions in carbon emissions of switching from in person to remote work.
Jeremy Siow, Taylor Damann, and Margit Tavits discuss both historical and modern gender inequality in Europe.
Emmanuel Mignot explains how a variant of an immune system gene might protect some people against neurodegenerative disease.
Cecilia Machado and Douglas Almond discuss the impact of a first child on the career trajectory of mothers.
Laela Sayigh asks whether dolphins use "motherese" when communicating with their calves.
Pascal Polonik and Kate Ricke explain why reducing greenhouse gas emissions does not always improve environmental equity.
Ian Phillips, Rui Zhe Goh, and Chaz Firestone use auditory illusions to explore how people perceive silence.
Cameron Hecht discusses an intervention targeting high school teachers to improve student retention and diversity in STEM fields.
Vanessa Duthé explains how dehorning affects the behavior of black rhinoceroses.
Eric Martínez explains why legal documents are written in hard-to-read language.
Researchers explore trends in the gender gap among internationally mobile scholars.
Mattia Tagliavento talks about the evolutionary transition from dinosaurs to birds using isotopes in Troodon eggshells.
Pengfei Liu shares findings on racial disparities in exposure to the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide.
Chinmay Kalluraya and Matthew Daugherty explain how vertebrates acquired a gene critical for vision from bacteria.
Blair P. Bentley, Lisa Komoroske, and Camila Mazzoni discuss the role genomic elements play in the evolution of sea turtles.
A special edition of Science Sessions delves into the capabilities of robots inspired by plants and animals.
Stanislas Dehaene and Marie Amalric investigate whether short online videos are sufficient to teach mathematics concepts.
Anna Lea Albright and Peter Huybers describe how optical effects consistent with air pollution appear in the paintings of Claude Monet and J.M.W. Turner.
Kristin Winchell explains the genetic basis of anole adaptation to urban environments.
Researchers document animal extinctions in the Ediacaran Period that may have preceded the earliest known mass extinction.
Bo Wang and Chunpeng Xu describe how fossilized katydids provide insight into the role of insect sounds in the Mesozoic.
Tom McGrath describes how the neural network AlphaZero taught itself how to play chess without observing a human game.
Orit Peleg, Golnar Fard and Francisco López Jiménez explain how honeybees overcome geometric constraints to construct honeycombs.
Taylor Hersh explores how patterns of clicks produced by sperm whales suggest the exchange of cultural information between the whales.
Researchers discuss what animal soundscapes can tell us about the health of ecosystems.
Daniel Cusworth discusses combining aircraft-based and satellite-based measurement to identify methane emission point sources.
Syee Weldeab describes what researchers can learn from ancient global warming about the risks posed by ocean floor methane hydrates.
Ling Zhu and David B. Grusky explore intergenerational factors influencing occupational gender segregation in the United States.
Izzy Gainsburg and Veronica Derricks discuss how patient activation can disrupt implicit bias in physician-patient interactions.
Matilda Gibbons, Lars Chittka and Jonathan Birch discuss the possibility that bumblebees may feel pain.
Researchers explore how misinformation spreads and what can be done to stop it.
Lauren Howe and Alia Crum explore the interactions of societal biases with the placebo effect.
Steve Horvath and Elaine Ostrander explain the usefulness of epigenetic clocks in humans and dogs.
Researchers explore how and when humans first arrived in the Americas.
L. Mahadevan, Petur Bryde, and Suraj Shankar explain the otherworldly sounds of the musical saw.
Guido Friebel discusses the lack of gender parity in academic positions in economics.
A feature episode explores recent developments and future research directions in treating cystic fibrosis.
Brenhin Keller and Kalin McDannell explore the origins of a worldwide gap in the geologic record spanning hundreds of millions to billions of years.
Ray Block Jr. and John Holbein report that Americans are more likely to respond to an emailed survey request from a sender with a putatively White name than a sender with a putatively Black name. Image credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio.
A collection of research articles explores how tropical ecosystems have borne the brunt of the human impact on the environment. Image credit: Pixabay/Pexels.
A collection of research articles explores how tropical ecosystems have borne the brunt of the human impact on the environment. Image credit: Pixabay/Pexels.
A special episode explores the state of CRISPR use in agriculture. Image credit: Can Stock Photo/molekuul.
A special episode explores the state of CRISPR use in agriculture. Image credit: Can Stock Photo/molekuul.
Rodrigo Cámara-Leret explains the impact of indigenous language extinction on medicinal plant knowledge. Image credit: Pixabay/DEZALB.
Nicolas Taberlet and Nicolas Plihon explore the physical explanation for a fascinating natural phenomenon: the formation of Zen stones on frozen lakes. Image credit: N. Taberlet, N. Plihon. Lab Physique ENS de Lyon and CNRS.
Hessam Azarijafari, Randy Kirchain, and Jeremy Gregory explore how innovations in the concrete industry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Image credit: Pexels/Life Of Pix.
Sarah Chambliss discusses racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to air pollutants. Image credit: Pixabay/sueegeneris.
Maggie Wagner and Manuel Kleiner report that the interaction between maize and soil microbes influences hybrid vigor. Image credit: Kayla M. Clouse.
Gaige Kerr discusses racial disparities in atmospheric levels of nitrogen dioxide in the United States.
Stephanie Marciniak, Logan Kistler, and Ed Louis describe an extinct giant lemur.
Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, John T. Abatzoglou, and Mojtaba Sadegh report that forest fires have been advancing upslope across the western United States in recent decades.
Eran Amichai investigates how bats know the speed of sound.
Mike Gil discusses how changes in animal behavior can affect ecosystems.
Brad Greenwood explains how patient–physician racial concordance decreases Black infant mortality.
Vinay Pathak describes when and where HIV sheds its capsid coating while infecting human cells.
Jeannie Lee describes the discovery of self-cleaving ribozymes.
Josh Bongard describes AI-designed, reconfigurable biological organisms made from frog cells.
Jonathon Yuly, David Beratan, and Peng Zhang investigate how electron bifurcation reactions work.
Adam Mastroianni and Daniel Gilbert explore why conversations almost never end when people want them to.
Joe Levy shows how glaciers on Mars can reveal its climate history.
Marianne Alleyne, Aimy Wissa, and Ophelia Bolmin explain how the click beetle amplifies power to pull off its signature jump.
Mara Reed and Michael Manga explore why Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser resumed erupting in 2018.
Martin Bizzarro tells what zircon crystals reveal about the geological history of Mars.
Aleix Martinez explains why facial expressions often are not accurate indicators of emotion.
Amanda Rodewald, Ivan Rudik, and Catherine Kling talk about the hazards of ozone pollution to birds.
Se-Jin Lee and Emily Germain-Lee explain a way to preserve bone and muscle mass during spaceflight.
David Crowder and Gengping Zhu explain how to predict the spread of the Asian giant hornet.
Brian Fields explores a hypothesis that a supernova may be responsible for a mass extinction.
Eric Horvitz discusses AI’s promises and perils.
Juliana Vianna and Rauri Bowie explain the origin and diversification of penguins.
William Nordhaus explains the economic consequences of Greenland ice sheet melt.
NAS member Dalton Conley explains how the Vietnam War draft lotteries are a natural experiment for studying how military service affects life outcomes.
Clark Larsen describes the costs of urban life a Neolithic city.
Mette Svenning and Alexander Tveit describe a bacterium that can live on gases in the air.
Derek Moulton explains the mathematics behind bivalve shell design.
Eelco Tromer and Jolien van Hooff explain the origins of the kinetochore in eukaryotic cells.
Fabiola Gianotti, Marcia McNutt, and Donna Shalala discuss the past, present, and future of women in STEM.
Francesco Paesani, Thomas Zeuch, and Valeria Molinero discuss the size limits of ice crystals.
Julia Schwab and Steve Brusatte describe how marine reptiles made the evolutionary move from land to sea.
Ellen Welti explains how grasshoppers in a Kansas prairie could be in decline even with abundant grass.
NAS member David Baker describes how to design proteins from scratch and the products of his lab's own protein design efforts
Elli Theobald and Scott Freeman describe the benefits of active learning for underrepresented minority students.
Adam Millard-Ball and Chris Barrington-Leigh explain trends in urban street network design.
NAS member and Nobel laureate David Baltimore describes efforts to enhance T cells' ability to fight cancer and HIV.
Christine Dunham discusses RNA frameshifting and its potential applications in biotechnology.
Henri Weimerskirch describes how albatrosses can help detect illegal fishing boats.
Philipp Heck tells the story of interstellar stardust grains that predate the Solar System.
Baruch Fischhoff, a decision scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the ingredients necessary for effective science communication.
Kerry Sieh recounts the hunt for a meteorite impact crater in Southeast Asia.
Dana Lepofsky describes ancient sustainable clam gardening practices.
Theoretical physicists Hans Briegel and Hendrik Poulsen Nautrup describe an artificial intelligence that can design quantum experiments.
Simon DeDeo and Alexander Barron discuss the rhetoric that shaped the French Revolution.
Cam Braun explains how ocean eddies allow sharks to dive and forage in deep water.
Shara Bailey explains the significance of a three-rooted lower molar in an archaic jaw.
Noel Clark and Tommaso Bellini describe how nucleic acids form double-helical liquid crystals, with implications for the origins of life.
Benjamin de Haas explains individual differences in eye movement patterns.
Eric Boilard explains the role of serotonin and platelets in immune responses.
A collection of research articles explores developments in interfacial transport and mixing, with wide-ranging practical applications.
Jennifer Mandel outlines the evolutionary history of the sunflower family.
Jonathan Lefcheck and Robert Orth discuss nutrient pollution and recovery in the Chesapeake Bay.
Daniel Hodgson explains the physics of chocolate-making.
Chris Field discusses misconceptions about climate change and how humans can adapt to a warming planet.
Mike Hout explores the persistence of occupational and socioeconomic standing from parent to child in America.
Robert Reed explains genetic controls on butterfly wing colors.
Pelham Keahey describes how differential structured illumination microendoscopy can improve cancer diagnosis.
Entomologist May Berenbaum discusses the effects of agricultural fungicides on honey bee health.
Erin Hanlon and Jeanne Duffy introduce their research on sleep, in a recording of the PNAS "Science of Sleep" event held in Washington, DC on March 14, 2012.
Developmental biologist Cliff Tabin explains how genes shape the formation of organs.
Can stem cells help cure Type 1 diabetes? Douglas Melton hopes to find out.
Nancy Adler discusses the need for sex-specific scientific reporting and the role it has played in women's health over the last 20 years.
Psychology experts Daniel Pine and Mark Wiederhold answer fear-related questions from the audience, in second of two recordings from PNAS's "The Science of Fear!" event held in Washington, DC on October 12, 2011.
Psychology experts Daniel Pine and Mark Wiederhold introduce their research on fear, in the first of two recordings from PNAS' "The Science of Fear!" event held in Washington, DC on October 12, 2011.
Daniel Nocera discusses how efficient catalysts can help us store solar energy in the same way plants do.
Molecular biologist Stephen Liberles discusses how prey learn to recognize the scent of a predator.
Donald Ingber discusses the "microfabrication" of human biological systems as a means to replace animal testing during drug development.
Emily Carter's work merges quantum mechanics, applied mathematics, and solid state physics to create simulations of various molecules and materials. Listen as Dr. Carter discusses her research and her 2008 election to the National Academy of Sciences.
Richard Klein served as editor for the PNAS Special Feature titled "Out of Africa". This collection of articles explores the historical expansion of Homo sapiens from Africa to Eurasia. The Special Feature, along with an editorial by Dr. Klein, will publish in the September 22 issue of PNAS.
Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz's laboratory at the National Institutes of Health works to characterize the fundamental principles governing protein geography and movement within cells. Dr. Lippincott-Schwartz talks about her work and her recent election to the National Academy of Sciences.
"Decreases in dengue transmission may act to increase the incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever"
"Cross-modal individual recognition in domestic horses (Equus caballus)."
"Neurons derived from reprogrammed fibroblasts functionally integrate into the fetal brain and improve symptoms of rats with Parkinson's disease"
"The implications of human metabolic network topology for disease comorbidity"
"Fluid helium at conditions of giant planetary interiors"
Randy Schekman, the PNAS Editor-in-Chief, discusses the selection process and history of the Cozzarelli Prize. The Cozzarelli Prize is given annually to six outstanding PNAS articles, each representing one of the major disciplines of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fred Gage is a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. In this podcast, Dr. Gage talks about the subtleties involved as researchers explore how to use stem cells to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Thomas Wellems is the head of the Malaria and Vector Research Unit at the National Institutes of Health. In this episode, he discusses the advances made in the fight against malaria and the problems that still remain.
Bruce Alberts is the former President of the National Academy of Sciences and the current editor-in-chief of Science. In this podcast, Dr. Alberts talks about how he generates ideas for editorials, how Science approaches issues of scientific misconduct, and his opinion on the proliferation of journals worldwide.
PNAS is one of the world's most-cited multidisciplinary scientific journals and has been published by the National Academies since 1915. This podcast, part of the Sounds of Science produced by the National Academies, looks at the history and future of this publication with Ken Fulton, publisher of PNAS.
Pamela J. Fraker was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. She is known for her investigations of the impact of nutritional deficiencies, particularly of zinc, on immune defense. Her work provided evidence that deficiency in protein--calories causes a decline in antibody and cell mediated responses, which leads to higher rates of infection, poor wound healing, and other adverse impacts in the malnourished and those with chronic disease.
Ran Nathan organized the Movement Ecology Special Feature for PNAS. He is an associate professor and the chair of the department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Jerusalem, Israel.
Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1990 for her work in the field of Plant Biology, Nina Fedoroff is a pioneer in the molecular aspects of plant transposable elements. Building upon the work of Barbara McClintock, she elucidated the sequence of some of these elements, demonstrated their utility for gene cloning and was instrumental in converting the study of plant transposable elements into one accessible by molecular techniques.
Richard T. Durrett was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in applied mathematical sciences. Durrett's research in probability theory concerns problems that arise from ecology and genetics. He has developed mathematical models to study the evolution of microsatellites, impacts of selective sweeps on genetic variation, genome rearrangement, gene duplication, and gene regulation.
C. Owen Lovejoy was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in the field of anthropology. Lovejoy overturned traditional models of human origins by integrating biomechanics into biological anthropology, demonstrating that the earliest hominids walked on two legs. He developed novel methods for quantifying sexual dimorphism and revealing the demographics of prehistoric humans.
Albert Libchaber was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for his work in physics. Libchaber has made lasting and fundamental contributions to experimental chaos dynamics and its application to biological physics, from elucidating the forces at work when a fish swims through water to defining the minimal conditions necessary for artificial life.
John G. Hildebrand was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. His work on the functional organization, physiology, and development of the central olfactory system of insects has made him a pioneer in analyzing neural mechanisms underlying chemosensory control of mating behavior and insect--plant interactions. This work has application in disruption of insect mating behavior and herbivory, with practical benefit to human health and welfare.
Understanding the nanoparticle-protein corona using methods to quantify exchange rates and affinities of proteins for nanoparticles.
Targeted delivery of proteins across the blood--brain barrier.
Müller cells are living optical fibers in the vertebrate retina.
Savanna chimpanzees use tools to harvest the underground storage organs of plants.
Faceting ionic shells into icosahedra via electrostatics.
Incorporating plant functional diversity effects in ecosystem service assessments
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.