Science by the Slice

With great power comes great responsibility, and in the world of technology, that means being prepared for cybersecurity threats.

In this episode, Dr. Lauri Baker, co-founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement, highlights the importance of having a robust cybersecurity plan, educating yourself and your employees, and investing in the right tools to protect your electronic data at home or work. Discover best prac...

A single tree in your yard can remove up to 26 pounds of CO2 from the air. This is the equivalent of removing emissions from a vehicle that travels 11,000 miles per year. In this episode, we explore the value of residential landscapes and the numerous benefits they provide. Hear from two guests in this episode as they share their expertise and knowledge related to planting the right plant in the right place, tips for irrigation, an...

Pythons are an invasive species in Florida and present a threat to native mammal species. With an average of 22 to 84 eggs per clutch, the python population is thriving, but what can be done?
 
In this episode of Science by the Slice, you will hear from, Paul Evans, a science writer and Outreach Coordinator for the University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. He is also a researcher with the Univer...

You may have heard these words from the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi before, “leaders aren't born, they are made.” But have you ever wondered; how does one make a leader? In this series, you will hear from two guest speakers that represent two different leadership institutes that do just that— help to make leaders. The speakers from this series share their expertise and knowledge related to leadership in th...

You may have heard these words from the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi before, “leaders aren't born, they are made.” But have you ever wondered; how does one make a leader? In this series, you will hear from two guest speakers that represent two different leadership institutes that do just that— help to make leaders. The speakers from this series share their expertise and knowledge related to leadership in th...

You may have heard these words from the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi before, “leaders aren't born, they are made.” But have you ever wondered; how does one make a leader? In this series, you will hear from two guest speakers that represent two different leadership institutes that do just that— help to make leaders. Our guest speakers share their expertise and knowledge related to leadership in the field of ...

We’ve all been there- you’re in need of a particular product or food item and it’s not on your store shelves. While this scenario has always played out for consumers, it’s likely that this happens to you more now than it did before COVID. But alas, we now can reason the cause to be from “supply chain disruptions,” a term more widely used by the public than possibly ever before. Throughout the pandemic, supply chain disruptions beca...

Here we go with season 3 of Science by the Slice! In the first episode of the year, we like to look back on the previous season to revisit some segments from our guests while focusing on one theme. This episode is all about the concept of change and people’s willingness to change. Looking forward, you’ll hear about some of the upcoming topics we have planned for 2023.

Transcripts available here: https://piecenter.com/media...

Promoting health and safety in agriculture is a long-term mission, and you can find amazing stories and impacts from the people working toward this goal, all you have to do is ask. My How, My Why, My Work is a subseries within The Essential Worker series from Science by the Slice. This episode features Amanda Wickman, program director for the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education (SW Ag Center). ...

Agricultural workers provide the food we eat but often face a unique combination of occupational health concerns including increasing incidence of unexplained chronic kidney disease, or chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu).

With evidence from a recent Ag Health Study (AHS) in the U.S. directly linking kidney disease to pesticide exposure along with further concern that heat stress may exacerbate the effects of...

Promoting health and safety in agriculture is a long-term mission, and you can find amazing stories and impacts from the people working toward this goal, all you have to do is ask. My How, My Why, My Work is a subseries within The Essential Worker series from Science by the Slice. This episode features Whitney Pennington, outreach coordinator for the High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (HICAHS). Whit...

Approximately 150,000 to 200,000 migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families travel and work in Florida annually, many of which deal with issues such as vulnerable immigration status, housing insecurity, and lack of access to health care. The Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF) works in communities composed of low-income, Latinx and other ethnic-minority, migrant and seasonal farmworkers to help them realize and build...

Promoting health and safety in agriculture is a long-term mission, and you can find amazing stories and impacts from the people working toward this goal, all you have to do is ask. My How, My Why, My Work is a subseries within The Essential Worker series from Science by the Slice. This episode features Sarah Fish, graphic designer for the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health (PNASH) Center. Much of her work focuses on t...

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. Nationally, the fatality rate for farmers and ranchers is nearly seven times the average rate of all workers. In this series of Science by the Slice, titled The Essential Worker, we’re exploring agricultural health and safety. Episode one features Dr. Ashley McLeod-Morin, Associate Director of Strategic Communication with the Southeastern Coastal Center for A...

With Hurricane Ian making its way north in the Caribbean, we’re airing a segment from a 2021 episode titled Hurricane Preparedness Part 1: No Time to Wait. In this episode, Craig Fugate, former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), discusses disaster management, the famous Waffle House Index, and hurricane preparedness and recovery. We also hear from Angie Lindsey, point of contact for the Extension Disas...

Episode two of this series on nutrition features Melissa Joy Dobbins, a licensed and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, also known as the Guilt-Free RD. Dobbins is the CEO and host of the Sound Bites Podcast, which provides a wealth of knowledge focused on sound science, smart nutrition, and good food. Learn about Dobbins’ unique approach to communicating with her audiences the science and psychology behind food, agriculture, and n...

In episode one of this series focused on nutrition, hear from Karla Shelnutt, associate professor in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences at the University of Florida and Extension Nutrition Specialist. Shelnutt shares how she uses her role at the University of Florida and the land-grant model to research, educate, and communicate with communities to help reduce food insecurity and maximize overall nutrition. 

On any given day, you may see plastic pollution in a number of places, such as on the side of the road, or in a body of water. But, have you considered all of the plastic waste that you cannot see? Microplastics – a term that includes plastic particles that are 5 millimeters or smaller – are ubiquitous in the natural environment from our soils to the air we breathe. This episode features Lara Milligan, the Natural Resources Agent f...

It’s been long known that human activities can have lasting impacts on the natural environment, ranging from soil and water quality to ecosystem functioning. In this series of Science by the Slice, we’re exploring environmental contaminants and the threats they pose to life on Earth. Episode 1 features two University of Florida researchers: Dr. Lindsey Reisinger, a freshwater community ecologist, and Dr. A.J. Reisinger, an urban ec...