Bernarr Macfadden Videos

A new herbal supplements is on the shelf, and it claims to improve memory. Should you take it? It’s not easy to sort through the firehose of health and nutrition advice that comes at us daily. Find out how to get healthy about health advice, plus hear the story of Bernarr Macfadden, the eccentric who kicked off America’s fitness craze; he believed that eating less was good for you, but he didn’t believe germ theory. Plus, our Hollywood skeptic spills his guts and other entrails for a phony class for nurses and Phil Plait gives us the latest lapse in critically-thinking brains. It’s Skeptic Check… but don’t take our word for it. Guests: Phil Plait Author, badastronomy.com and Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . . Mark Adams writer and editor, and author of Mr. America: How Muscular Millionaire Bernarr Macfadden Transformed the Nation Through Sex, Salad, and the Ultimate Starvation Diet Jim Underdown Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, West Los Angeles Steven Novella Assistant professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine Descripción en español

ENCORE We see a man laughing and we smile in response. Our heart goes out to the sad-looking woman on the train. Humans are empathetic creatures we feel what others feel, even the emotions of strangers. And it may be due to brain cells that researchers have only recently discovered: mirror neurons. Find out how these mimicking cells help us survive cocktail parties, keep society humming, and even give rise to the concept of self. Also, are humans born with a moral code? And, if human behavior is hard-wired whatever becomes of free will? Guests: Marc Hauser Evolutionary psychologist and biologist at Harvard, author of Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong Take Marc s Moral Sense Test Marco Iacoboni Psychologist and neuroscientist at UCLA and the author of Mirroring People: The New Science of How We Connect with Others Allen Stairs Philosopher at the University of Maryland John-Dylan Haynes Neuroscientist, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin

With more water than land on this planet, Earth is more aptly-named “Ocean” or “Water.” The oceans have been here for billions of years, and make all life possible. Yet, it’s taken less than a century for humans to deal some serious blows to the watery cradle of our existence. Discover how our oceans are changing and the worrisome increase in their acidity from the maker of the documentary film, A Sea Change Also, hear how hope is bubbling up for ocean recovery from famed oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Learn about her record-breaking voyages underwater and how her reprimand to a Silicon Valley entrepreneur gave birth to Google Ocean. Plus, farming the seas for new antibiotics. Guests: Sylvia Earle Oceanographer, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, founder of DeepSearch Foundation, and author of Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas (National Geographic Atlas) Sven Huseby Co-producer of the documentary A Sea Change Peter Moeller Toxin and Natural Products Chemist at NOAA Pacific Ocean Largest oceanic division of the world, overlay of the Pacific Plate

ENCORE Remember Mr. Potato Head? You changed his look by snapping in plastic mustaches, googly eyes and feet. Now imagine doing the same with a living cell: inserting the genes you want to create the organism you want. Welcome to the world of synthetic biology. It has potential to create new bio-fuels and life-saving drugs. It also ushers in a host of ethical and safety concerns. We examine both when we discuss this emerging science of mix and match genes. Plus, does doing an end run around Mother Nature challenge the essence of life itself? Guests: Jay Keasling professor of chemical engineering and biological engineering at UC Berkeley and founder of Amyris Biotechnologies Jonathan Eisen biologist at UC Davis Jim Thomas researcher at ETC group in Ottawa, Canada Ed Regis science writer and author of What Is Life?: Investigating the Nature of Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology Michael Dosmann curator of Living Collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Descripción en español

It’s always a surprise to go digging in Seth’s garage – who knows what we’ll find! In this impressive heap of paraphernalia, tucked between boxes of old radio tubes and hydraulic jacks, we stumble upon the secrets to our galaxy’s central black hole… witness the dance of the PhD theses… uncover the genome of milk (while moo-ving boxes) and … hey? Who’s that crunching numbers in the corner? It’s astrophysicist Mario Livio addressing the mathematical mysteries of universe. Guests: Andrea Ghez Astronomer at University of California, Los Angeles Kathryn Denning Professor of Anthropology at York University Mario Livio Senior Astronomer at the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute and author of Is God a Mathematician? John Bohannon Gonzo Scientist and Contributing Correspondent for Science Katrien Kolenberg Astrophysicist, University of Vienna Danielle Lemay Nutrition Scientist at the University of California, Davis Descripción en español

ENCORE Forgot your own birthday? Misplaced your Shih Tzu? Did you put the milk in your backpack and the iPod in the fridge? Age may bring wisdom but alas not a boost in RAM. But there s hope scientists are discovering that the brain is more malleable than thought. We ll hear about the science of neuroplasticity and what you can do to slow that cerebellum slide. Ever been to a brain gym? p Plus, why the brains of London cabbies are bigger than those of your average commuter. Guests: Michael Merzenich Professor Emeritus Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco Gordy Slack Science journalist and author of The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a School Board in Dover, PA Sam Wang Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology at Princeton University and the author of Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget how to Drive and other Puzzles of Everyday Life Lisa Schoonerman Co-founder, VibrantBrains Jan Zivic Co-founder, VibrantBrains Descripción en español