2020 - Season 2

Michael Glore is a Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) Forest Ranger and Lathrop Leonard is a Forest Ecologist.

Edward Miao, M.D., Ph. D., is a Professor of Immunology and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University.

Rachel Kruger is an M.S. candidate in Biological Sciences at The State University of New York at Binghamton. This is her fifth appearance!

Many scientists have adapted Hollywood’s traditional “elevator pitch”: a brief, persuasive spiel that you use to spark interest in you, your organization, or your product. Today, we’ll take that elevator pitch to its roots to compete for who can propose a ‘better’ science television show for a non-scientist audience.

Adele Musicant is a Ph. D. candidate in Genetics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is her fourth appearance on Curioscity!

A common misconception is that electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom, like a planet around the sun. Why is this wrong? What are atomic orbitals?

Stanley Maloy is the Associate Vice President for Research & Innovation and Professor of Biology at The San Diego State University.

Scientific progress is fueled by scientific publication. What is a scientific journal? Why do scientists rely on them? Who is responsible for vetting that work?

Pam Hemminger is a small business owner and the mayor of Chapel Hill.

The show has previously spoken with elected officials, but never during a time of a public health crisis. Today, we discuss Chapel Hill’s response to COVID19.

Brian Redder, M.S., is a Ph. D. candidate in Biogeochemistry and Soil Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park. He’s also a Hartwick alumni! This is his second appearance.

Scientific progress costs cold, hard cash. For US governmental agencies, many of which not-for-profit, this money comes from the taxpayer. How does this process work? Is one party more likely to support scientific progress?

Kyla Garten is a Herpetologist and Wildlife Biologist. This is her third appearance!

You don’t have to be the big cat to be the top dog. Today, we’ll discuss how our feline friends impact the world and natural world around us.  

Nate Diehl is an M. D. / Ph. D. candidate in Medicine and Molecular Biology and Genetics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

We’ve discussed the concept of the genome and the individual genes that make it up, but this show hasn’t yet delved into how that blueprint expresses you. Today, we discuss exceptions to what Gregor Mendel discovered.

Spencer Nystrom is a Ph. D. candidate in Molecular Biology and Genetics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

We’ve discussed the concept of the genome and the individual genes that make it up, but this show hasn’t yet delved into how that blueprint expresses you. Today, we discuss genetics and the early scientist Gregor Mendel.

Allison Williams and TJ Russell are Ph. D. candidates in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park. This is their fourth appearance!

It is common to be exposed to topics involving science in school, but this rarely is made as exciting as watching a sci-fi film. What creative liberties do filmmakers take to make their masterpiece, and what do they get right?

Helen Lazear, Ph. D., is an Assistant Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Molly Rathbun, M.P.S., is a Ph. D. candidate in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology at The Pennsylvania State University. This was her 2nd appearance!

Yet another long promised episode! Curioscity’s inaugural book club starts with an important piece of literature: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. Who was Henrietta Lacks, and how does she outweigh hundreds of millions of people today in mass? How did she contribute to the discussion of body autonomy and medical rights?

Archer Harmony is an IT application analyst at the County of Humboldt, California. Calvin and Archer became best friends in 3rd grade, 2002. This is his fourth appearance!

Just what the heck makes my computer do computey stuff? Is there anything inside of the box responsible for loading my Friendster and Myspace pages? Does this episode justify having a laptop on the season 2 artwork?

Zachary Billman is an M. D. / Ph. D. student in Microbiology and Immunology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is his second appearance!

The kidneys: indispensable for life as animals know it. What are organs? Why do we need them? What are kidneys? How are they different than kidney beans?

Kshitij Sharma is a Ph. D. candidate in Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Today is a discussion of biological history and a famous, controversial naturalist. Just what is biogenetic law? Does ontogeny recapitulate phylogeny?

Rachel Kruger is an M.S. candidate in Biological Sciences at The State University of New York at Binghamton. This is her fourth appearance (and first time hosting)!

This podcast has been running for nearly two years, and over its tenure we’ve acquired some questions about the program and the participants. Today, we take some time to discuss frequently asked questions about Curioscity.

Adele Musicant is a Ph. D. candidate in Genetics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is her third appearance on Curioscity!

You may have been walking upon a beach and noticed a horseshoe crab. Their appearance can be severe, but they provide important contributions to their ecosystems. Today, we will discuss these arthropods and some of their unique characteristics. 

Carolyn Turcotte is a Graduate student in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A long promised episode! Somehow, cells must become more cells. What are the processes required for reproduction? How are mitosis and meiosis different? 

Roger Sit, Ph. D., is the Director of Radiation Safety at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Radiation brings along images of post-apocalyptic landscapes and mutant ghouls, but there are also aspects of radioactivity that directly contribute to scientific research. Today, we’ll discuss radioactivity.

Noah Jager is True Commerce Integration Specialist in App Development.

How diverse are degrees from University? What are some of the most striking parts of those fields of study? Today, we discuss a biological science degree and how broad (or useless) it can be.  

Kyla Garten is a Herpetologist and Wildlife Biologist. This is her second appearance!

How diverse are degrees from University? What are some of the most striking parts of those fields of study? Today, we discuss a biological science degree and how broad (or specific) it can be.  

Pat Faughnan, M.S., is a Ph. D. candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at The University of Virginia.

In 2020, approximately 1.8 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States alone. The disease is so infamous that some scientists say that merely uttering its name leads to a better chance of grant funding, and so challenging to treat that it has become commonplace to embolden new generations of scientists by saying they will “cure cancer”.

Archer Harmony is an IT application analyst at the County of Humboldt, California. Calvin and Archer became best friends in 3rd grade, 2002. This is his third appearance on Curioscity! Whoopie!

How diverse are degrees from University? What are some of the most striking parts of those fields of study? Today, we discuss a computer science degree and how broad (or specific) it can be.

Gavin Hennessy is a recent Material Science and Engineering graduate from The Pennsylvania State University. This is his second appearance on Curioscity!

How diverse are degrees from University? What are some of the most striking parts of those fields of study? Today, we discuss a material science degree and how broad (or specific) it can be.

th7024 on why saying “All Lives Matter” is offensive: “The best analogy I've heard is to think about going to a restaurant with a few friends. The food comes and your friend Bob doesn't get his food. Bob is starving, so he is a bit upset. All the rest of your group starts eating and Bob flags the waiter to come over. He says he would like the food he ordered. All your friends agree that Bob should be able to eat. Now you pipe up and tell the waiter "We all deserve to eat," while continuing to shovel food into your mouth. It's not untrue, you do all deserve to eat. The difference is that you have been eating consistently and healthy for years. Poor Bob has been malnourished for decades. He can afford the food. He deserves the food. But he has no food.”

I hope everyone stays safe, uses their time to educate others or themselves, and can overcome apathy. This is a point in time that will soon be referred as “history”. I urge everyone to be on the right side of it.

Fabiola Rodriguez is a Ph. D. candidate in Evolution and Ecology at Tulane University.

This show has talked about biodiversity, but we haven’t been the best at pointing the magnifying glass at ourselves. How do growth of non-essential crops like coffee impact biodiversity across the globe?

Mike Itgen is a Ph. D. candidate in Evolution at The Colorado State University. This is his second appearance on Curioscity!

Everyone listening has a unique combination of nucleic acids that make up their genome: a blueprint of you. We humans have over 3 billion nucleotides of DNA, but how does this vary for other organisms? Are there benefits or consequences to these differences?

Aaron Griffing, M.S., is a Ph. D. candidate in Biology at Marquette University. This is his second appearance!

Let’s sink our teeth into some pepper lore. It’s gonna be a spicy episode, we’re gonna warm up and listen to Under the Bridge (despite being a little chili), we’re gonna talk about whether or not we believe in ghost peppers, we’re gonna feel hot hot hot. Capsaicin.

Rachel Kruger is an M.S. candidate in Biological Sciences at The State University of New York at Binghamton. This is her third appearance!

Just what is this seventh element on the periodic table? Why is nitrogen so important to life? Why do plants require a long-term relationship with microorganisms to enjoy nitrogen?

Josh Yoder, Ph. D., is a Medical Science Liaison at uniQure. This is his second appearance on Curioscity!

There are many different ways to treat disease, but this show has not yet discussed gene therapy. What is a gene? What is gene therapy? What kind of diseases could be impacted by gene therapy?

Adele Musicant is a Ph. D. candidate in Genetics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is her second appearance on Curioscity!

Fundamental physical properties govern our lives and how our world operates. Today, we will discuss simple machines and how they have contributed to human advancement.

Jessica Warren is a Ph. D. candidate in Biology at The Colorado State University.

There’s one place you can find DNA within your own cells that isn’t the nucleus. What are mitochondria? Why do they have DNA and why don’t all mitochondria throughout the world have the same genes?

Shannon Speer is a Ph. D. student in the Chemistry at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

After an episode about lipids and nucleic acids, it’s time to forget about sugars and talk about my favorite biomolecules: proteins. What are amino acids? What are some protein functions? Why do proteins’ structure often inform their function? \

Allison Williams is a Ph. D. candidate at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park. This is her second appearance on Curioscity!

It’s time to go deeper than the anthropological record. Long before ferns, salamanders, and Sam Raimi, there were precursor molecules that would eventually lead to life. What is the RNA earth hypothesis? How could the complexities of life have started?

Josh Yoder, Ph. D., is a Medical Science Liaison at uniQure.

This podcast has discussed science and impacts of scientific discovery for one year now. We haven’t yet discussed how a laboratory, university, government, or company is capable of bringing a helpful small molecule to market. How does one bring a drug to market? Is it a simple process?

Crystal Mendoza is a Ph. D. candidate in Virology and Gene Therapy at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

While today’s research often has a bias of being primarily for the benefit of humankind, there are many pathogens that negatively affect other organisms on Earth. Today, we’ll discuss zoonosis and how transfer of a pathogen from one organism to another can shape global health.

Emily Madden is a Ph. D. candidate in Microbiology and Immunology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a name like Nucleic Acids I, you’ve have expected more discussion about RNA in episode 8: unfortunately, that episode was chock full of DNA. Today, we’ll discuss the real GOAT nucleic acid: RNA.

Archer Harmony is an IT application analyst at the County of Humboldt, California. Calvin and Archer became best friends in 3rd grade, 2002. This is his second appearance on Curioscity!

This is Curioscity, the show about viruses – the kind that make your computer sick. What is a computer virus? How is a computer virus different than malware? Does this episode justify having a laptop on the season 2 artwork?

Alana Lesnansky is a graduate student in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology program at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park.

Many scientists have adapted Hollywood’s traditional “elevator pitch”: a brief, persuasive spiel that you use to spark interest in you, your organization, or your product. Today, we’ll take that elevator pitch to its roots to compete for who can propose a ‘better’ science television show for a non-scientist audience.

Craig E. Cameron, Ph. D., is the Jeffrey Houpt Distinguished Investigator, Professor and Chair of the Microbiology and Immunology department at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He’s also Calvin’s boss.

How does science pay for its advances? What are some common line items a biological lab might be responsible for? Is science a business?

Mike Pablo is a Ph. D. candidate in Chemistry at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Today, we’ll discuss the fungal kingdom and what yeast actually is.

Rachel Kruger is an M.S. candidate in Biological Sciences at Binghamton University. She’s also a close friend, and the first repeat guest on Curioscity!

How simple is classification of orgasms? Is there any debate to how its done? What are some of the different schools of thought?

Jesse Noar, Ph. D., is a Industrial Process Specialist at Medicago.

Mike Itgen is a Ph. D. candidate in Evolution at The Colorado State University.

Some of my earliest memories of science were simply hunting for the elusive Pacific giant salamander in the coastal northwest. Today, we’ll talk about these slimy amphibians and how they contribute to scientific research.

Brianne Barker, Ph. D., is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Drew University.

Today we’ll discuss HIV and the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.