Just some thoughts this week on the current state of the world and the changes underway.

This week Dr. Folta returns to the show to talk plant genetics, fear mongering, and putting worry into proper context.

Also, the Clock of the Long Now is officially under construction

This week I have an interview with NASA engineer Holly Griffith. We talk about Engineer's Week (Feb 18-24), the importance of engineers in life all around us, women in science, and some other stuff.

Also, I am tired of saying "Never again."

This week I interview Dr. Emily Monosson about her book Natural Defense: Enlisting Bugs and Germs to Protect Our Food and Health, and we talk about academia, changes in our society currently underway, and motherhood in the scientific world. 

Also, Robocoffee, and searching for technosignatures around distant planets. Oh, and some guy launched a car into space. 

This week I offer an essay on my career choices, wonder why I didn't become a scientist, and offer advice on finding your ideal work. 

Also, Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra

This week I had a long chat with Ira Pastor, CEO of Bioquark. We talked about their research into new treatments for disease, the importance of a good scientific process, and the challenge of translation, getting from the petri dish to mice to people. Also, a lesson the importance of looking back to past research

This week I ruminate on some of my early inspirations for long term thinking from the world of science fiction.

Also, nano material from pitcher plants, and tiny nuclear reactors for your house on Mars. 

This week I talk to author A.C. Hachem again. We geek out about movies, wax philosophical on the importance of science, and get the scoop on A.C.'s next novel.

This week I have an interview with Austin Miller of Craft Crickets (crackcrickets.com). We discuss the many benefits of eating insects and some of the details of how one farms crickets.

Also, Asimov's 1953 vision of self-driving cars, and more news on Tabby's Star. 

This week an essay on long-term thinking and keeping things in perspective. 

Also, 7 banned words at the CDC, and Arthur C Clarke's 100th birthday.

This week I offer more insight into a career in the arts, and how my experience may apply to all jobs in the future.

Also, artificial life and martian worms. 

This week I offer an essay on my music career, and how that fits (or doesn't) with modern society in America. I also ruminate on the place of arts in civilization and whether other careers will go as arts have gone. 

Plus news in graphene spider webs, our interstellar visitor, and Voyager 1

I thought with the business of the holiday this week we could all use a break from my normal banter/blather. In the feed today is an acoustic EP, Evagation, from my band Strange Land 

Chloroform Dream

27 Miles Out

Corozal

The Girl With The Octarine Eyes

The Last Mountain

This week I have an interview with Steve McKeon from the U of O. We talk about blockchain and bitcoin, what it is, what people are doing with it, and why you should pay attention. Please see the show notes for a number of links to recent news. 

Also, genetic engineering a skin replacement to fight a deadly disease. 

This week I have a long interview I did a few weeks ago John Donovan. John is the Director of the MicroAnalytical Facility at the University of Oregon's CAMCOR, Center for Advanced Materials Characterization. I got a tour of the whole facility and we talked about all the different kinds of nanotechnology scanning and imaging done at the facility. 

Catching up on the latest and greatest including growing rice in saltwater, algorithms for acoustics, and the NASA twin study. 

This week I have a great chat with Abigail Harrison, aka Astronaut Abby. We talk about her ambitions for Mars, getting people excited about space, STEM, and the arts, and whether there will be cats on Mars. 

This week we catch up on the news. Mars, self-driving cars, trains and tractors, new telescopes, medical imaging, shills, dolphin culture. 

This week features an interview with Aerospace Engineer Mike Paul Hughes. We chat about upcoming missions, speculate on life, and Mike reminds us why it's important to study history. 

Also, a bad case of bad science headlines.