'Podcast episodes' Category
Episode 16 — Electric Lighting
Between discussions of global climate change, and the ever-rising cost of energy, people are starting to take a long, hard look at the costs of lighting — both financial, and ecological. Listen in to this episode, and I’ll attempt to (ahem…) enlighten you on the history and potential future of this technology…
Episode 15 — The Solar Cycle
No, it’s not a sporty new solar-powered form of transportation — it’s a basic part of how the Sun behaves!
There’s been a recent surge of news about solar activity and the solar cycle — and of course, variations in solar activity always seem to get brought into discussions of climate change. Listen in this week, and I’ll give you some quick background on solar physics, the solar cycle, and how it all impacts us in the end…
Episode 14 — Hybrid Cars
If you’re like many people, you’d like to help do something about climate change through the choices you make and the way you live. Celebrities and the mass media (among others) are presenting hybrid vehicles as a big step forward in this regard.
But left out of this rush to technology is any discussion of the fact that not all hybrids are equal. Some are little different from conventional cars, and consume fuel with equal gusto. Others offer dramatic improvements in fuel economy, but may not appear at your local automotive dealer’s showroom floor for years.
What’s a well-intentioned, but budget-minded potential car buyer to do?
Listen in to this episode, and I’ll give you a quick education in hybrid vehicle technologies. You’ll be able to tell series from parallel, and electric from hydraulic with aplomb — and more importantly, understand some of the challenges that lie ahead for this technology, and how to tell when a hybrid vehicle’s price premium makes it a worthwhile investment.
This episode is the first in a series on ways you and I can help fight climate change.
So Aussie bees are off the hook, then?
You might recall that back in September, I published a podcast episode on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) — a malady that has been wreaking some serious havoc on honeybee colonies in the U.S. and Europe. Well, there’s some new news on this front, and it just means that things are getting more interesting…
Episode 13 — A Pigment of his Imagination: James Watson, Race, and Intelligence
If you’ve been following the news at all lately, you’ve probably heard an earful about James Watson — the Nobel laureate stirred up a bit of controversy lately by essentially stating that people of African descent aren’t as intelligent as people of European descent. Predictably, most media outlets focused on the dramatic and controversial aspects of the whole affair, without explaining that Watson’s comments have precisely zero basis in science. Listen to this episode, and I’ll lead you through the messy and emotionally charged terrain of race, intelligence, and genetics….
