Steve Mirsky was the winner of a Twist contest in 1962, for which he received three crayons and three pieces of construction paper. It remains his most prestigious award.
How You Gonna Keep Flu Down on the Farm?: Pig Farms and Public Health
Journalist Helen Branswell discusses her January Scientific American article, "Flu Factories," about the attempts to monitor new strains of flu that can originate on pig farms and the difficulties of balancing economic and public health constituencies
Flu Factories: Podcast with the Author
Helen Branswell talks about pandemic flu with Steve Mirsky
Anna Deavere Smith: Let Me Down Easy
Actor, playwright and journalist Anna Deavere Smith talks about the health care crisis and her play about people dealing with illness, health and the health care system, Let Me Down Easy
The Spewings of Titan (and More from the AGU Meeting)
Scientific American editor Davide Castelvecchi joins us from San Francisco to talk about some of the highlights of the meeting of the American Geophysical Union, including volcanoes on Titan, x-rays from lightning, the biota of the Sulawesi Sea, and the connection between light pollution and air pollution. Plus, we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news
Health "Halos" Con Calorie Counters
When it comes to counting calories, a mind is a terrible thing to your waist
Let's Talk Stuffing--Your Face
Cornell University's Brian Wansink talks about eating behavior and how mindless eating has us consuming way more calories than we suspect
Let's Talk Turkey!
Turkey scientist Rich Buchholz talks about the turkey on your plate and his own turkey research
Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?
Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina and podcast host Steve Mirsky talk about longevity differences in the sexes, the importance of music education, the pros and cons of the Kindle, and other content from the November issue. Plus, we test your knowledge about some recent science in the news
Physics Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg
Nobel physicist Steven Weinberg spoke to an audience of science journalists, and then to podcast host Steve Mirsky
Photograph 51: Rosalind Franklin and the Race For The Double Helix of DNA (Part 2 of 2)
Photograph 51 is a new play about Rosalind Franklin, Watson and Crick, and the race to determine the structure of DNA, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City, running through November 21st. A panel discussion about the play on November 2nd featured crystallography expert Helen Berman, biologist and Franklin scholar Lynne Osman Elkin, science journalist Nicholas Wade, playwright Anna Ziegler and moderator Stuart Firestein
Photograph 51: Rosalind Franklin and the Race for the Double Helix of DNA, Part 1 of 2
Photograph 51 is a new play about Rosalind Franklin, Watson and Crick, and the race to determine the structure of DNA, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City, running through November 21st. This November 2nd, a panel discussion about the play and the issues it raises featured crystallography expert Helen Berman; biologist and Franklin scholar Lynne Osman Elkin; science journalist Nicholas Wade; playwright Anna Ziegler; and moderator Stuart Firestein
Oh, We Have Liftoff All Right
NASA and astronauts face the dirty reality of slipping the surly bonds of Earth
The Quest for the Giant Pumpkin
Susan Warren, author of the book Backyard Giants, talks about "the passionate, heartbreaking and glorious quest to grow the biggest pumpkin ever." Plus, we'll test your knowledge about some recent science in the news
Not Your Grandfather's Scientific American
Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina talks about the new look and new outlook of Scientific American magazine and of ScientificAmerican.com Plus, we discuss the results of a poll of the readers of Scientific American and Nature
The Harlem Science Renaissance
Molecular geneticist Sat Bhattacharya talks about his creation, the Harlem Children Society, which gets underprivileged kids involved in scientific research. And 13-year-olds Mitchell Haverty and Angus Fung talk about their research on algae as alternative fuel. Plus, we test your knowledge about some recent science in the news
Totally Bogus: The Science Talk Quiz
In this special stand-alone edition, see if you know which of four science news stories is Totally Bogus.
Real Skyscrapers: How Cities Affect the Path of Hurricanes
Cities' coarse coasts cause cyclonic course corrections
Exactly When Is a Person Dead?
Award-winning science journalist Robin Marantz Henig and podcast host Steve Mirsky discuss Robin's article in the September issue about organ donation and definitions of death. Plus, we test your knowledge about some recent science in the news. Web sites related to this episode include http://bit.ly/ctIDsx; http://bit.ly/9Us1lE
Could Time End?
Scientific American staff editor George Musser joins podcast host Steve Mirsky to discuss his article in the September issue about the possibility of time itself coming to an end
The End: Death, Endings and Things That Should End
Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina and issue editor Michael Moyer talk with podcast host Steve Mirsky about the September single-topic issue of Scientific American--endings in science. Plus, we test your knowledge of some recent science in the news
Cooking for Geeks: Jeff Potter on Experimenting in the Kitchen
Jeff Potter, author of Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks and Good Food, talks with daily podcast correspondent Cynthia Graber, and podcast host Steve Mirsky tests your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Web sites related to content of this podcast include www.cookingforgeeks.com
Shaky Ground: Can Seismologists Be Charged with a Crime for Not Predicting Deadly Quakes?
The fault lies not in ourselves but in the faults
Mary Roach Is Packing for Mars, Part 2
Podcast host Steve Mirsky talks with author Mary Roach about her new book "Packing For Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void." Part 2 of 2. (Part 1 is at http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=mary-roach-is-packing-for-mars-10-08-20). Web sites related to content of this podcast include www.maryroach.net.
Mary Roach Is Packing for Mars, Part 1
Podcast host Steve Mirsky recently attended a talk by author Mary Roach about her new book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. In part 1 of this two-part episode, we'll hear that talk. Web sites related to content of this podcast include www.maryroach.net