The Ongoing Transformation podcast

36:54

Kelvin Droegemeier , a longtime leader in science policy, joins host Megan Nicholson for this installment of Science Policy IRL . Droegemeier began his career as a research meteorologist and went on to serve in many different leadership roles in state and federal government. He directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2019–2021, served on the National Science Board from 2004–2016, and served on the Oklahoma Governor’s Science and Technology Council from 2011–2019. He is currently a professor and Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Science and Policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. On this episode, Droegemeier shares what it’s like to work on science policy at the state and federal levels, discusses what he sees as the pressing science policy issues of our time, and reflects on his leadership roles in academia and government. Resources: Read Kelvin Droegemier’s book, Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment , to gain a better understanding of how the academic research enterprise works. Check out the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine project on Improving the Regulatory Efficiency and Reducing Administrative Workload to Strengthen Competitiveness and Productivity of US Research . Read Science, the Endless Frontier by Vannevar Bush and Issues ’s project marking the anniversary of that report, The Next 75 Years of Science Policy , to learn more about the structure of scientific research in the United States. The National Science Board’s Science and Engineering Indicators provide important metrics to understand the current state of science and engineering. What is the future of American science and technology? Check out Vision for American Science and Technolog y (VAST) for a potential roadmap.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Using Storytelling to Investigate Scientific Questions 25:25

26 днів тому25:25

25:25

Fiction can be an important tool to explore complex science and technology questions: Would our legal system be more equitable if an AI delivered verdicts rather than judges and juries? What will happen to future climate refugees ? Is human consciousness just another algorithm ? That’s why Issues has partnered with ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination to publish Future Tense Fiction, a speculative fiction series that uses imagination to explore science and technology questions like these ones. On this episode, host Mia Armstrong-López , an editor of Future Tense, talks to Arula Ratnakar , a computational neuroscience PhD student at Boston University and author of “ Coda ,” a recent Future Tense Fiction story about computing, consciousness, and cryptography. They discuss how Ratnakar’s work as a writer enhances her work as a scientist and vice versa, and how storytelling can help both experts and nonexperts think about complex technical issues and enhance the practice of science. Resources: Read Arula Ratnakar’s story, “ Coda ,” and Cristopher Moore’s response essay, “ Computing Consciousness .” Check out the paper that inspired “Coda”: “ An RNA-based theory of natural universal computation .” Find more of Ratnakar’s stories and research on her website . Check out Future Tense Fiction to find more stories!…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Taylor Spicer Empowers Scientists and Engineers to Engage Locally 38:10

6 weeks тому38:10

38:10

On Science Policy IRL , we talk to people in science policy about what they do and how they got there. We’ve shared stories of how people have found their way into science policy careers at places like the White House, Congress, and federal agencies. In this episode, we’re exploring a different way into science policy: getting involved with your local government. Taylor Spicer , the executive director of Engineers and Scientists Acting Locally (ESAL), shares how her organization helps scientists and engineers get involved in local policy. In a discussion with host Lisa Margonelli , Spicer talks about her path from international development to leading an organization dedicated to local civic engagement. She emphasizes that it’s important for people with STEM backgrounds to get involved with policy in their backyards, and describes how ESAL’s network can help you get started. Resources: Visit the Engineers and Scientists Acting Locally (ESAL) website to learn more about making a difference where you live, and subscribe to the newsletter to find opportunities in your area. Want to join ESAL’s online community-building platform? Sign up here to be the first to hear when it launches in July.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Music and Health: Your Brain on Music 41:47

8 weeks тому41:47

41:47

What happens in your brain when you hear your favorite song? In our Music and Health podcast miniseries, we’re exploring how music affects our minds, bodies, and communities. On this episode, host J. D. Talasek is joined by Sweta Adatia, a neurologist practicing in Dubai, and Fred Johnson, a community engagement specialist and artist in residence at both the National Academy of Sciences and the Straz Center for Performing Arts. They discuss their paths into combining music and science, how music impacts the brain, and how music can go beyond entertainment to create stronger, healthier communities. This series is produced in collaboration with Susan Magsamen and Leonardo journal . Resources: Listen to Fred Johnson’s version of “ Nature Boy ,” and check out his website and his Instagram to listen to more of his music and mantras, and to see Johnson in an upcoming show. Visit Sweta Adatia’s website to learn more about her work. Listen to previous miniseries episodes: The Creative Arts and Healing with Renée Fleming and Susan Magsamen. Dancing Together with David Leventhal and Constantina Theofanopoulou.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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The Rise of Deadly Fungal Pathogens 20:30

10 weeks тому20:30

20:30

Fungi are ubiquitous in nature—in fact, you’re likely breathing in fungal spores as you read this. Most fungi are harmless to healthy people. But changes in the global climate, in human settlement patterns, and even in our own body temperatures have made fungal pathogens an increasing health threat. On this episode, host Jason Lloyd interviews Angel Desai , an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at the University of California Davis Medical Center. Desai and George R. Thompson III cowrote “Foiling the Growing Threat of Fungal Pathogens” in the Winter 2025 Issues . Desai discusses what fungal pathogens are, why they are becoming more dangerous, and how the public health community can respond. Resources: Learn more about fungal pathogens by reading Angel Desai and George R. Thompson III’s Issues article, “ Foiling the Growing Threat of Fungal Pathogens .” Angel Desai and Maimuna S. Majumder’s October 2020 Issues article, “ How Contact Tracing Apps Could Help Prevent COVID-19 Super-Spreader Events ,” offers lessons about contact tracing and disease surveillance that can be applied to future outbreaks. How can wildfire smoke spread disease? Read Leda N. Kobziar and George R. Thompson III’s “ Wildfire Smoke, a Potential Infectious Agent ” in Science to learn more. Check out “ Infectious Diseases in a Changing Climate ” by Matthew C. Phillips, Regina C. LaRocque, and George R. Thompson III in JAMA to read more about the impact of climate change on infectious diseases.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Minimizing Cannabis' Harms to Public Health 37:22

12 weeks тому37:22

37:22

More than half of US states have legalized cannabis for recreational or medical use. Regulations on cultivation, production, and marketing vary from state to state, and most of these policies were developed without a robust public health strategy. Because it is not federally legal, Washington has provided only limited guidance to states on how to control the variety of cannabis products on the market. What’s more, the dazzling arrays of gummies, vapes, and chocolates are available with much higher concentrations of THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) than have been previously available. A recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity , examines the connections between public health and marijuana legalization. On this episode, host Sara Frueh talks to Yasmin Hurd , vice-chair of the report committee, Ward-Coleman Chair of Translational Neuroscience, and director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai. They discuss the research on the complex landscape of modern cannabis products, what’s known about their public health impacts, and strategies policymakers could use to minimize harms. Resources Read the National Academies’ report, Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity . Visit the Hurd Lab and Addiction Institute websites to learn more about Yasmin Hurd’s work on addiction.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Music and Health: Dancing Together 40:59

14 weeks тому40:59

40:59

“ People always say, ‘Well, if I could only do one art form, what would it be?’ And I always say dance. ” —Susan Magsamen In our podcast miniseries Music and Health , we’re exploring how music impacts our minds, bodies, and communities. In this installment, we’re learning about the power of dance. Host J. D. Talasek is joined by David Leventhal and Constantina Theofanopoulou . Both began their careers as dancers and use dance to inform their current work. Leventhal is a program director and one of the founding teachers of Dance for PD, a program that offers people with Parkinson’s disease research-backed dance classes. Theofanopoulou is a research assistant professor at Rockefeller University. Her research focuses on understanding the neuroscience of complex sensory motor behaviors. They discuss how dance is helping patients regain movement abilities, and what neuroscience research says about dance as a form of healing. This series is produced in collaboration with Susan Magsamen and Leonardo journal . Resources: Listen to the first episode of the mini-series, Music and Health: The Creative Arts and Healing , featuring Renée Fleming and Susan Magsamen. Visit the Dance for PD website to learn more about the program, and find classes in your area or virtually. Learn more about Constantina Theofanopoulou’s research by visiting her website .…

The Ongoing Transformation

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How Do You Solve a Problem Like Misinformation? 30:41

16 weeks тому30:41

30:41

Vaccines, oil spills, genetic engineering, and stem cells—anywhere there’s science, there’s also misinformation. It muddies our ability to make good decisions, ranging from far-reaching ones like creating policy to simple ones like what to buy at the grocery store. Misinformation also undermines trust in scientific institutions and across society. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine tasked an expert committee with addressing misinformation. Their report, Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science , is out now. On this episode, host Monya Baker is joined by Asheley Landrum , one of the authors of the report and an associate professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Landrum’s research focuses on science, communication, and media psychology. She discusses what exactly science misinformation is, how to tackle it, and the unexpected places it can arise. Resources: Learn more about science misinformation by reading the full National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science . Read Issues ’ collection of articles about “ Navigating a Polluted Information System .” Check out the Psychology of Misinformation special issue to learn more about misinformation in different domains, including Landrum’s research on “ Entertainment media as a source of relationship misinformation .” Visit Asheley Landrum’s website to learn more about her work.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Music and Health: The Creative Arts and Healing 36:27

18 weeks тому36:27

36:27

From lullabies to movie soundtracks to workout playlists, music has the capacity to change how we feel. But what is the evidence that music’s effects can transform physical health? On our new podcast miniseries, Music and Health, we’ll explore the power of music to heal our minds, bodies, and even communities. On the first episode of this series, host J. D. Talasek is joined by Renée Fleming and Susan Magsamen. Fleming is an opera soprano, actress, and long time advocate for the healing powers of the arts. She recently edited a book called Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness. Magsamen founded the International Arts + Mind Lab, and created the NeuroArts Blueprint. They discuss health and arts research, current initiatives to use the arts to heal, and how this vital approach to care can be expanded. This series is produced in collaboration with Susan Magsamen and Leonardo journal . Resources Read Renée Fleming’s book, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness , to learn more about how music and the creative arts are being used for health. The book was also recently reviewed in Issues by Susan Fitzpatrick, who called Fleming’s introduction “beautifully written, providing a lyrical and comprehensive summary of the main ideas in the book.” Learn more about Susan Magsamen’s work by visiting the International Arts + Mind Lab website, and check out Magsamen and Ivy Ross’s book, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us . Visit the NeuroArts Blueprint website to find information on how the creative arts impact the brain. You can also find more information about and apply for the Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Award . Visit the Sound Health Initiative website to learn more about the partnership between the National Institutes of Health and the Kennedy Center to research the potential of music to treat a wide range of conditions. Listen to the Real Young Prodigys ’ song “ Where My Bus At ” and learn more about how the song helped inspire change in Louisville . Thank you to the Real Young Prodigys for allowing use of their song in this episode!…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Reindeer! 42:38

24 weeks тому42:38

42:38

In Alaska, reindeer are much more real than the fantasy animals that pull Santa’s sleigh. Introduced to Alaska from Siberia by the US government in the 1890s, reindeer were part of a strategy to solve food shortages among the Native peoples after the gold rush. Today, reindeer provide food security and economic opportunities for the Alaskan Native community. Even more so than farming, reindeer herding requires a deep understanding of the needs of Indigenous communities and academic science—as well as how to navigate and influence local, state, and federal policies. On this episode, host Lisa Margonelli is joined by Jacqueline Hrabok and Bonnie Scheele of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s High Latitude Range Management program to learn more about the interplay of science, policy, and community in reindeer herding. This is our final episode of 2024. We’ll be back in late January for an interview with opera singer and actress Renee Fleming and neurology professor Susan Magsamen on the intersection of music, art, and health. And we would love to explore more local science policy issues in our upcoming episodes! Write to us at podcast@issues.org about any policy developments happening near you. Resources: Learn more about the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ High Latitude Range Management program . Visit Bonnie Scheele’s reindeer farm at the Midnite Sun Reindeer Ranch website and Facebook page .…

The Ongoing Transformation

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A Cutting-Edge Bureaucracy 37:27

26 weeks тому37:27

37:27

The word "bureaucracy" conjures up images of red tape and long lines at the DMV, not cutting-edge innovation. But some of the most significant scientific and health innovations of the past century have actually come from scientist-bureaucrats at government research institutes. On this episode, host Jason Lloyd is joined by Natalie Aviles , an assistant professor at the University of Virginia and author of An Ungovernable Foe: Science and Policy Innovation in the US National Cancer Institute . Aviles explains what the National Cancer Institute does and how the mission and culture of the agency have enabled its scientist-bureaucrats to conduct pioneering cancer research, such as the invention of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine. Resources: Check out Natalie Aviles’s book, An Ungovernable Foe: Science and Policy Innovation in the U.S. National Cancer Institute , to learn more about the NCI. Read “ How Federal Science Agencies Innovate in the Public Interest ” at Issues.org to learn more about the development of the HPV vaccine and the importance of agency discretion.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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The Hidden Engineering that Makes New York Tick 32:18

28 weeks тому32:18

32:18

New York City is the perfect place to understand the importance of modern engineering, but the most valuable lessons won’t be found at the Empire State Building or in Central Park. To truly discover what makes modern life tick, you have to look at the unloved, uncelebrated elements of New York: its sewers, bridges, and elevators. On this episode, host Lisa Margonelli talks to Guru Madhavan , the Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and senior director of programs at the National Academy of Engineering. Madhavan wrote about the history of this often-overlooked infrastructure in a trilogy of Issues essays about New York City’s history. He talks about how the invention of the elevator brake enabled the construction of skyscrapers and how the detailed “grind work” of maintenance keeps grand projects like the Bayonne Bridge functioning. He also highlights the public health and sanitation-centered vision of Egbert Viele—the nearly forgotten engineer who made New York City livable. Resources: Read Guru Madhavan’s New York Trilogy : “ The Greatest Show on Earth ” about the invention of the elevator brake. “ The Grind Challenges ” about the Bayonne Bridge and maintenance grind work. “ Living in Viele’s World ” about the contrast between Egbert Viele’s and Frederick Law Olmsted’s competing visions of New York City. Learn more about the invisible work that undergirds modern life by checking out Madhavan’s latest book, Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World . Read the 2019 article Madhavan cites about how engineering benefits society . Lisa mentioned riding on a tugboat pushing a barge full of petroleum, but she misremembered! The repairs were then occurring on the Goethals Bridge, not the Bayonne. Here’s the whole story of “A Dangerous Move” from the New York Times .…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Ending Inequities in Health Care 30:29

30 weeks тому30:29

30:29

The United States spends more on healthcare than any other high-income country, yet we have some of the worst population health outcomes. Our health care system is designed in such a way that racial and ethnic disparities are inevitable, and the differences are extreme: the life expectancy difference between white women and black men is over a decade. How can we fix the system to ensure health care equity for all? A new National Academies report called Ending Unequal Treatment: Strategies to Achieve Equitable Health Care and Optimal Health for All tackles this question. Building on a 2003 report on racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, the new report finds that little progress has been made in closing those equity gaps over the past two decades. On this episode, host Sara Frueh talks to Georges Benjamin , cochair of the report committee and executive director of the American Public Health Association. They discuss how the health care system creates disparities and how we can fix them. Resources: Read the National Academies reports on health care inequality: Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (2003), and Ending Unequal Treatment: Strategies to Achieve Equitable Health Care and Optimal Health for All (2024)…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Uncovering Hidden Bias in Clinical Research 34:08

32 weeks тому34:08

34:08

Check the end of any recent study, and there will be a list of study funders and disclosures about competing interests. It’s important to know about potential biases in research, but this kind of transparency was not always the norm. Understanding bias in research and helping policymakers use the most reliable evidence to guide their decisions is a science in itself. Lisa Bero , a professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, has been at the forefront of understanding how corporate funding biases research and how to assess what scientific evidence is reliable. She talks to host Monya Baker about her investigations into the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries, techniques industries use to shape evidence to favor their products, and the importance of independent research to inform policy. Resources: Read The Cigarette Papers to learn more about Lisa Bero and others’ investigations of the tobacco industry. See this analysis of industry documents about insider knowledge of health effects of PFAS and related chemicals. Visit the Cochrane Library to find more systematic reviews of clinical research. Learn more about Adrian Traeger’s investigation of spinal cord stimulation research by reading Corporate Influences on Science and Health—the Case of Spinal Cord Stimulation . Read Lisa Bero’s summary of how industry forces suppress unfavorable research . Lisa Bero and others are developing a tool to screen for signs of fraud in clinical research. Learn more about it in The Conversation .…

The Ongoing Transformation

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How the Octopus Got to the Senate 34:12

34 weeks тому34:12

34:12

Octopuses are famously smart: they can recognize individual humans, solve problems, and even keep gardens. They are also a popular food for humans: around 350,000 tons of octopus are caught worldwide each year, and demand is only growing. Some governments and start-ups have invested significant resources into domesticating octopus, and the world’s first octopus farm may soon open in Spain’s Canary Islands. But should octopus be farmed at all? That question is being debated in several pieces of legislation right now, including a bipartisan US Senate bill. For Jennifer Jacquet , professor of environmental science and policy at the University of Miami, the answer is a resounding no . For the last decade, she has worked to end octopus farming before it begins, as she wrote in Issues in 2019. On this episode, Jacquet discusses why octopuses are poor candidates for farming, the growing social movements around octopus protection, and why we need public conversations about new technologies before investments begin. Resources: Read “ The Case Against Octopus Farming ,” Jennifer Jacquet’s Issues piece, co-authored with Becca Franks, Peter Godfrey-Smith, and Walter Sánchez-Suárez. Learn more about US legislation to end octopus farming: Washington HB 1153 : the first state to pass an octopus farming ban. California A.B. 3162 : the second state to pass one. The OCTOPUS ACT of 2024 : a bipartisan US Senate bill currently up for debate. Check out the Science letter authored by 100 scientists and experts calling for congressional support of the OCTOPUS Act . Read this Guardian article to learn more about the potential octopus farm. Explore a recent survey of American attitudes towards animal issues , including octopus farming on page 18-19.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Building Community in the Bayou 28:25

1 year тому28:25

28:25

At the age of 19, Monique Verdin picked up a camera and began documenting the lives of her relatives in the Mississippi Delta. Little did she know that she would spend the next two decades investigating and capturing the profound ways that climate, the fossil fuel industry, and the shifting waters of the Gulf of Mexico would transform the landscape that was once a refuge for her Houma ancestors. Based in Louisiana, Verdin is an artist, storyteller, videographer, and photographer, as well as a community builder and activist. She is also the director of the Land Memory Bank and Seed Exchange, a project that seeks to create a community record of the coastal cultures and native ecology of southeast Louisiana. Her work, which was featured in the Winter print edition of Issues , seeks to understand home and belonging after displacement and migration. Her stories are laced with environmental concerns, the shifting roles of corporate entities, and natural and human-made disasters. Verdin’s art practice creates space and gives voice to Indigenous and marginalized communities in the South while building bridges with science communities. On this episode, Verdin joins host JD Talasek to talk about using art and science to understand a Gulf that is being reshaped by climate, industry, and more. Resources: Monique Verdin’s website Land Memory Bank and Seed Exchange United Houma Nation Issues: In the Heart of the Yakni Chitto…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Alta Charo Considers Ethics for Stem Cells and CRISPR 33:32

1 year тому33:32

33:32

A lawyer and bioethicist by training, Alta Charo has decades of experience in helping to formulate and inform science policy on new and emerging technologies, including stem cells, cloning, CRISPR, and chimeras. The Warren P. Knowles Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she served on President Clinton’s National Bioethics Advisory Commission, was a member of President Obama’s transition team, was an advisor for the Food and Drug Administration, and served on more than a dozen study committees for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. In the fourth episode of our Science Policy IRL series, Alta joins Issues contributing editor Molly Galvin to explore how science policy can and does impact people’s lives in real and profound ways. She also describes what it’s like to be one of the only non-scientists at the science policy table, how helping a close friend who died of ALS continues to inspire her work, and why science policy can help us become techno optimists. Is there something about science policy you’d like us to explore? Let us know by emailing us at podcast@issues.org, or by tagging us on social media with the hashtag #SciencePolicyIRL. Resources: National Academies Collection on Stem Cell Research Institute of Medicine. 2005. Review of the HIVNET 012 Perinatal HIV Prevention Study National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academy of Medicine. 2023. Toward Equitable Innovation in Health and Medicine: A Framework National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance The Issues Interview: Alta Charo Previous episodes of Science Policy IRL Zach Pirtle Explores Ethics for Mars Landings Apurva Dave Builds Connections Between National Security and Climate Quinn Spadola Develops Nanotechnology With Soft Power…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Zach Pirtle Explores Ethics for Mars Landings 28:27

1 year тому28:27

28:27

NASA’s Artemis project aims to establish a long-term human presence on the moon—and then put astronauts on Mars. So in addition to designing rockets and spacesuits, NASA is also exploring the ethical and societal implications of living in space. In the third episode of our Science Policy IRL series, Zach Pirtle , who got his undergraduate degrees in engineering and philosophy at Arizona State University, explains how he came to work in the agency’s Office of Technology Policy and Strategy, where he recently organized a seminar on space ethics. He also works as a program executive within the Science Mission Directorate working on commercial lunar payload services. Zach joins Issues editor-in-chief Lisa Margonelli to talk about how he almost accidentally found his way to a perfect career, and how agencies engage hands-on in science policy as they figure out how to implement legislation. Is there something about science policy you’d like us to explore? Let us know by emailing us at podcast@issues.org , or by tagging us on social media with the hashtag #SciencePolicyIRL. Resources: Presidential Management Fellows Program National Academies’ Mirzayan Fellowship AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships Daniel Sarewitz, emeritus co-director at ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes NASA Artemis Artemis, Ethics and Society: Synthesis from a Workshop NASA named best place to work in the federal government How Would You Defend the Planet From Asteroids? –an Issues article by Mahmud Farooque and Jason Kessler…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Turning a Policy Idea Into a Pilot Project 31:12

1 year тому31:12

31:12

By day, Erica Fuchs is a professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. However, for the past year she’s also been running a pilot project—the National Network for Critical Technology Assessment—to give the federal government the ability to anticipate problems in supply chains and respond to them. The trip from germ of a policy idea to pilot project in the National Science Foundation’s new Technology Implementation and Partnerships directorate has been a wild ride. And it all started when she developed her thoughts on the need for a national technology strategy into a 2021 Issues essay. Two years later, the network she called for, coordinating dozens of academics, industry, and government contributors to uniquely understand how different supply chains work, was a real, NSF-funded pilot project. In this episode of The Ongoing Transformation , Erica talks with Lisa Margonelli about how she took her idea from a white paper to the White House, and the bipartisan political support that was necessary to bring it to fruition. Resources Erica Fuchs for Issues in Science and Technology : What a National Technology Strategy Is—and Why the United States Needs One . National Network for Critical Technology Assessment: Securing America’s Future report on the pilot project. The National Science Foundation’s press release on the pilot project report. Erica Fuch’s white paper for the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution: Building the Analytic Capacity to Support Critical Technology Assessment .…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Science Policy IRL: Apurva Dave Builds Connections Between National Security and Climate 30:01

1 year тому30:01

30:01

Early in his career, Apurva Dave was an oceanographer; now he works at the cutting edge of climate policy at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. As the director of the Academies’ Climate Security Roundtable, he convenes cross-disciplinary dialogues on “emerging, abrupt, and understudied risks” at the nexus of climate change and national security. In this second episode in our Science Policy IRL series, Apurva joins senior editor Megan Nicholson to talk about his nonlinear path to this role, and how his hesitancy to specialize has helped him think about the complexities of interconnectedness in science and policy. Is there something about science policy you’d like us to explore? Let us know by emailing us at podcast@issues.org , or by tagging us on social media using the hashtag #SciencePolicyIRL. Resources: Climate Security Roundtable of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Global Trends 2040 (March 2021). Carol Dumaine’s essay “ Redefining Security ” in Issues in Science and Technology (Winter 2022). Peter Schiffer and Frederick R. Chang’s essay “ Academia’s Openness Could Strengthen its Partnerships With the Intelligence Community ” in Issues in Science and Technology (Summer 2023). AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships…

The Ongoing Transformation

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A Venture Capitalist for Better Science 31:13

2 years тому31:13

31:13

Stuart Buck has referred to himself as a venture capitalist for making science more efficient, reliable, and accountable. As vice president at the policy-focused philanthropy Arnold Ventures, he directed funds toward fledgling enterprises that are now major forces shaping scientific norms and infrastructure, including the Center for Open Science and Retraction Watch. He’s now executive director of the Good Science Project, a nonprofit organization working to figure out effective ways to improve science. Buck considers how to make sure that reforms are actually improvements, not performative busywork . He explores what sorts of entities are required to push for positive change in science and still respect the different cultures and practices in various countries and disciplines. It’s not enough to assess scientific practices, he argues; there needs to be a built-in way to assess scientific reforms, including the relative costs and benefits of increasingly popular policies like sharing data and promoting transparency. In this context, Buck joins host Monya Baker to discuss how metascience—the study of science—has fueled reform, and how to make sure reforms produce the desired effects. Resources: Stuart Buck’s recent essay on his work at Arnold Ventures: “ Metascience Since 2012: A Personal History ” Stuart Buck, “ Beware performative reproducibility ,” Nature (July 6, 2021)…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Science Policy IRL: Quinn Spadola Develops Nanotechnology With Soft Power 31:20

2 years тому31:20

31:20

Since 1984, Issues in Science and Technology has been a journal for science policy—a space to discuss how to best use science for the benefit of society. But what is science policy, exactly? Our new podcast series, Science Policy IRL , explores what science policy is and how it gets done. “Science” is often caricatured as a lone person in a lab, but the work of science is supported by a community of people who engineer its funding, goals, coordination, and dissemination. They include people in legislative offices, federal agencies, national labs, universities, the National Academies, industry, and think tanks—not to mention interest groups and lobbyists. In this series, we will explore the work of science policy by speaking to people who have built careers in it. For the first episode in this series, host Lisa Margonelli is joined by Quinn Spadola , the deputy director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, a unique office that coordinates the development of nanotechnology across the entire federal government. Spadola, who has a Ph.D. in physics from Arizona State University, now uses “soft power” to bring groups together to coordinate their efforts so that taxpayers get the most from their investments in science. In practice, she brings all of her life experiences to bear on the task of shaping technology so that it benefits society. Is there something about science policy you’d like us to explore? Let us know by emailing us at podcast@issues.org, or by tagging us on social media using the hashtag #SciencePolicyIRL. Resources On science policy: - Harvey Brooks, “ Knowledge and Action: The Dilemma of Science Policy in the ’70s ,” Daedalus 102, no. 2 (Spring 1973): 125–143. - Deborah D. Stine “ Science and Technology Policymaking: A Primer ,” Congressional Research Service, RL34454 (May 27, 2009). On nanotechnology: - The website of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office . - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, A Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative: Nanoscience, Applications, and Commercialization (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2020), https://doi.org/10.17226/25729 .…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Sustaining Science for the Future of Ukraine 27:06

2 years тому27:06

27:06

After Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of scientists fled the country and hundreds more remained behind. Those scientists who stayed are trying to continue their research and engage with the global scientific community under often difficult circumstances, with the ultimate goal of being able to help rebuild Ukraine when the war ends. Since the early days of the war, Vaughan Turekian , the director of the Policy and Global Affairs Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, has been leading efforts to support Ukrainian scientists and their research, enlisting the help of international science academies and philanthropic partners. Turekian has spent much of his career in science diplomacy. Before joining the Academies, he served as the fifth science and technology advisor to US Secretary of State John Kerry and was also the founding director of the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this episode, recorded on October 5, Turekian joins host Molly Galvin to discuss efforts to support Ukrainian scientists and why such efforts are important for the future of Ukraine. Resources National Academies, “ Supporting Ukraine’s Scientists, Engineers, and Health Care Workers .” Interview with the president of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jerzy Duszyński, “What I’m Mostly Afraid of Is That There Will Be Two Sciences—Democratic Science and Autocratic Science,” ( Issues , Summer 2022). Daniel Armanios, Jonas Skovrup Christensen, and Andriy Tymoshenko, “ What Ukraine can Teach the World About Resilience and Civil Engineering ” ( Issues , Fall 2023).…

The Ongoing Transformation

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The Complicated Legacy of the Green Revolution 30:55

2 years тому30:55

30:55

The Green Revolution was a program of agricultural technology transfer that helped poor countries around the world increase food production from the 1950s onward. An American agronomist named Norman Borlaug developed and popularized the central innovation of this revolution: the concept of “wide adaptation,” or the idea that plants could be bred to produce a high yield in a variety of environments, rather than in a particular region. Borlaug’s work won him the Nobel Prize in 1970, and his agricultural insights are often credited with saving millions of people from hunger. But the legacy of Borlaug and the Green Revolution is not as straightforward as these accolades suggest. In this episode, we caught up with interdisciplinary scientist and historian Marci Baranski to discuss her new book, The Globalization of Wheat: A Critical History of the Green Revolution . She talks with host Jason Lloyd about how a more nuanced understanding of the Green Revolution and Borlaug’s work can improve agricultural and economic development policies today. Resources: Marci Baranski’s book, The Globalization of Wheat: A Critical History of the Green Revolution Madhumita Saha’s book review, “ Left Behind by the Green Revolution ” ( Issues , Summer 2023) Marci Baranski and Mary Ollenberger’s essay, “ How to Improve the Social Benefits of Agricultural Research ” ( Issues , Spring 2020)…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Open Science: Moving from Possible to Expected to Required 31:22

2 years тому31:22

31:22

A decade ago, University of Virginia psychology professor Brian Nosek cofounded an unusual nonprofit, the Center for Open Science. It’s been a cheerleader, enabler, and nagger to convince scientists that making their methods, data, and papers available to others makes for better science. The Center for Open Science has built tools to register analysis plans and hypotheses before data are collected. It campaigns for authors and journals to state explicitly whether and where data and other research materials are available. Gradually, practices that were considered fringe are becoming mainstream. The White House declared 2023 the Year of Open Science. Nosek refers to the pyramid of culture change as his strategy to push for reforms: first make a better practice possible, then easy, expected, rewarding, and finally, required. It starts with building infrastructure, then experience, reward systems, and ultimately policy. In this podcast, Brian Nosek joins host Monya Baker to discuss the movement of scientific ideals toward reality. Resources: Center for Open Science Transparency and Openness Guidelines Reproducibility Project: Psychology Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology Pyramid of Social Change…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Blue Dreams: Connecting People With Ocean Research 39:36

2 years тому39:36

39:36

There is more life in the ocean than anywhere else on Earth. Accounting for over 70% of the planet’s surface, the ocean provides habitat to millions of species, supplies freshwater and oxygen, moderates the climate, and influences the weather. But despite its importance, the ocean is largely unexplored and often misunderstood. There is growing interest in how art can help people connect with ocean research. The National Academy of Sciences is hosting an immersive video installation called Blue Dreams by Rebecca Rutstein and the Ocean Memory Project. Inspired by the vast microbial networks in the deep sea, the installation is the product of a collaboration between an artist and four scientists. From abstract imagery to stunning undersea video footage and computer modeling, Blue Dreams offers a glimpse into the interconnections and resilience of microbes, our planet’s smallest yet most vital living systems. In this episode, host Alana Quinn is joined by artist Rebecca Rutstein and one of her collaborators, the oceanographer Mandy Joye , to discuss their work and the rich potential of partnerships between artists and scientists to create visceral connections to the deep sea. Resources Register for the DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, DC, on September 7, 2023, to meet Rebecca Rutstein, Mandy Joye, and their collaborators Jody Deming and Tom Skalak. Download the Blue Dreams catalog to learn more about the immersive video installation on view through September 15, 2023, at the NAS building, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Visit Rebecca Rutstein’s website to learn more about her artistic practice. Watch her Blue Dreams video here . Visit the Joye Research Group website to learn more about Mandy Joye’s research.…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Secretary Ernest Moniz on the Diplomatic Role of “Cumulative” Science 20:21

2 years тому20:21

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Over the last 40 years, US and Chinese scientists at all levels have been engaged in broad-based diplomacy, publishing hundreds of thousands of scientific papers together. Recently, amid tensions between the two countries and official and unofficial government actions to curtail collaboration, joint publications have fallen. Ernest Moniz , Secretary of Energy during the Obama administration, has been a practitioner of science diplomacy at the highest levels. Trained as a physicist, Moniz worked with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Salehi, on the Iran nuclear agreement in 2015. In this episode, Moniz talks about the ways that science can provide a common language and a sense of trust during diplomatic negotiations. And he emphasizes the importance of collaboration to scientific discovery. Science, he says, is cumulative, extending far beyond the experience of a single person. If collaborations are prevented, we will never know what knowledge we failed to create. Moniz is president and CEO of the Energy Futures Initiative and CEO and co-chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. He served as the thirteenth US Secretary of Energy from 2013 to January 2017. He is also the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Resources E. William Colglazier, “ The Precarious Balance Between Research Openness and Security ,” Issues in Science and Technology 39, no. 3 (Spring 2023): 87–91. Sylvia Schwaag Serger, Cong Cao, Caroline S. Wagner, Xabier Goenaga, and Koen Jonkers, “ What Do China’s Scientific Ambitions Mean for Science and the World? ” Issues in Science and Technology (April 5, 2021).…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Combating the “Multi-Dimensional Beast” of Chronic Pain 31:58

2 years тому31:58

31:58

Chronic pain, according to a 2023 study , affects more Americans than diabetes, depression, and hypertension. Yet the disease is poorly understood, often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and effective treatments are in short supply. A recent study in Nature Neuroscience provides new insights into how the disease affects the nervous system. For the first time, researchers recorded data from inside the brains of individuals who were suffering from chronic pain and found distinct biomarkers for the disease. These insights are an important first step toward better diagnosing and treating chronic pain. In this episode, the lead author of that study, Prasad Shirvalkar, a neurologist and interventional pain medicine specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, talks with managing editor Jason Lloyd about his research and how it could transform physicians’ understanding and treatment of what Shirvalkar calls a “multi-dimensional beast.” Resources · Read the article: Prasad Shirvalkar, Jordan Prosky, Gregory Chin, Parima Ahmadipour, Omid G. Sani, Maansi Desai, Ashlyn Schmitgen, Heather Dawes, Maryam M. Shanechi, Philip A. Starr, and Edward F. Chang, “ First-in-human prediction of chronic pain state using intracranial neural biomarkers ,” Nature Neuroscience 26 (2023): 1090–1099. · Prasad Shirvalkar leads the Shirvalkar Pain Neuromodulation Lab at the University of California San Francisco. · More about Shirvalkar’s research in the New York Times: “ Scientists Find Brain Signals of Chronic Pain .” Transcript Coming soon!…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Artificial Intelligence and the Moral Imagination 35:33

2 years тому35:33

35:33

Artificial intelligence’s remarkable advances, along with the risks and opportunities the technology presents, have recently become a topic of feverish discussion. Along with contemplating the dangers AI poses to employment and information ecosystems, there are those who claim it endangers humanity as a whole. These concerns are in line with a long tradition of cautionary tales about human creations escaping their bounds to wreak havoc. But several recent novels pose a more subtle, and in some ways more interesting, question: What does our interaction with artificial intelligence reveal about us and our society? In this episode, historian Deborah Poskanzer speaks with managing editor Jason Lloyd about three books that she recently reviewed for Issues: Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, and The Employees by Olga Ravn (translated by Martin Aitken). She talks about the themes that unite these novels, the connections they draw with real-world politics and history, and what they reveal about our moral imagination. Resources Read Deborah Poskanzer’s book reviews in Issues: · “ Not Your Father’s Turing Test ”: review of Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, and The Employees by Olga Ravn (translated by Martin Aitken). · “ Exploring the Depths of Scientific Patronage ”: review of Science on a Mission: How Military Spending Shaped What We Do and Don’t Know About the Ocean by Naomi Oreskes. · “ A Planet-Changing Idea ”: review of The Environment: A History of the Idea by Paul Warde, Libby Robin, and Sverker Sörlin. · “ Oh, the Humanities! ”: review of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life by William Deresiewicz and College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be by Andrew Delbanco. Transcript coming soon!…

The Ongoing Transformation

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Race, Genetics, and a “Most Dangerous Myth” 28:57

2 years тому28:57