This episode comes from a conversation with the Director of Life Sciences here at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His research focuses on hibernation! Why do animals do it? What's the difference between say... torpor and taking a nap? Could humans ever hibernate? Plus, we get to dive into some other fascinating research about fish species, specifically, the very cute pupfish, which somehow live in the desert! Learn more about Frank's work: https://www.unlv.edu/news/expert/frank-van-breukelen https://www.shanemauss.com/⁠ Thank you for watching and for being an inquisitive being ..read more

Today, I sit down with Andrew Kerr, head of the Dale Etheridge Planetarium in Las Vegas!  Andrew is an astronomer and physicist who received his PhD for his work on the Gravito-Electromagnetic Effect and the Cosmological Constant. In this episode, we talk about the state of planetariums, seek to understand the utility of constellations and star classifications, try to grasp the milestones and timescales that make up our universe, and project into the future of our solar system! Learn more: https://www.csn.edu/student-life/discover-csn/planetarium  https://www.shanemauss.com/ Tha ..read more

Nina Fefferman is back! Today, I'm at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. We talk about beauty and utility of math and how to get young learners excited about mathematic reasoning. We also discuss the incredible collaborative work being done at NIMBioS, which is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Synthesis Center supported through NSF's Biological Sciences Directorate via a Cooperative Agreement with the University of Tennessee. Learn more: http://www.nimbios.org/ Dr. Fefferman is a professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Tennessee. Her research ..read more

Today I'm speaking with evolutionary behavioural scientist, Tamas David Barrett. His work focuses on how the structure of social networks change during falling fertility, urbanisation, and migration; as well as, how social networks vary over the human life-course. Tamás’s current projects include the origins of inequality regulation; why the behavioural rules between women and men vary so much across cultures; and the evolutionary foundations of sharing behaviour.  Tamás teaches Trinity College, University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and is affiliated with the Population Studie ..read more

This week I went Arizona State University to talk with Athena Aktipis about the potential of apocalyptic events, both natural and human-caused, and how we can prepare, respond, and prevent the end of the world. Athena is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Cooperation Science Network and The Human Generosity Project. This episode is a part of a new series we're working on where we present ideas from scientists in a more structured format. We're still fine-tuning the way this will work, so make sure and join the brainstorm ov ..read more

Today I'm hanging out with Dr. Keith Markman! Keith was one of the scientists that gave a talk at this year's Mind Under Matter Campout Festival. Keith's research focuses on “counterfactual thinking”, or how people imagine alternative realities, develop conspiracy theories, and connect coincidental dots dreamt up by the hyper-active human brain. Learn more about Dr. Markman's work: https://www.ohio.edu/cas/markman ..read more

Today I'm speaking with Daniele Cybulskie, who is a historian, writer, and podcaster. Daniele has written several books about medieval history, which you can find here: http://www.danielecybulskie.com/books She is also the host of The Medieval Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-medieval-podcast/id1448142533 DISCLAIMER: We are not responsible for any potential trebuchet-related incidents this episode may inspire. ZAMM2022: http://www.zombiemed.org/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being ..read more

This week I'm talking with Athena Aktipis about the gradients of apocalyptic events and how humans cope with the end times. Athena is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Cooperation Science Network and The Human Generosity Project. This episode is a part of a new series we're working on where we present ideas from scientists in a more structured format. We're still fine-tuning the way this will work, so make sure and join the brainstorm over on my Discord.  Athena's Twitter: https://twitter.com/athenaaktipis Athena's p ..read more

Today we're talking phosphorus, from exploding stars to urine. Dr. Jim Elser is a limnologist, Director of Flathead Lake Biological Station at Yellow Bay, Bierman Professor of Ecology at the University of Montana, and the Director of Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance. Phosphorus is as essential as water, carbon, or oxygen for agriculture and all life on earth. It's also a non-renewable resource with a natural cycle, which is rapidly accelerating due to human activity. But there are promising innovations in the works that can help offset our influence and solve our phosphorus inefficiencies. Lear ..read more

This episode of the Here We Are podcast was recorded live at the Mind Under Matter Campout Festival in Raleigh, NC at the beautiful Lakeside Retreats. I decided to invite one of my favorite guests and good friend, Herman Pontzer, to talk about some of the evolutionary underpinnings of why we come together and celebrate at festivals. Herman is an Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University, and author of the book, "Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy", which you can check out here.  If you're ever in the Ra ..read more