PODCAST

Science History Podcast

Frank A. von Hippel

Monthly interviews on important moments in the history of science.

science chemistry

All Episodes

56:36

Episode 10. Winston Churchill’s Science, Part 1:...

Science History Podcast ·

2018/09/11

The 20th century was a time of unparalleled advancement in science and technology, along with the associated destruction caused by two world wars. I think the most important person to positively influence the 20th century was Winston Churchill. His importance was especially pronounced during World War II, in which his leadership may well have saved the world from long-term Nazi tyranny. But Churchill played key roles in many realms of life, and especially in literature. Indeed, Churchill was

55:40

Episode 9. British Explorers, Part 2: Andrea Hart and...

Science History Podcast ·

2018/08/11

The Natural History Museum in London houses the greatest collection of natural history specimens in the world, collected for centuries by British explorers and scientists. In Part 2 of this episode on British explorers, my guests Andrea Hart and Max Barclay explain the role that these specimens and associated artwork played in the development of major scientific advances. Foremost among these specimens are the beetles, which held an outsized role in the history of evolutionary biology as well as

01:02:16

Episode 8. British Explorers, Part 1: Ian Owens

Science History Podcast ·

2018/07/11

The Natural History Museum in London houses the greatest collection of natural history specimens in the world, collected for centuries by British explorers and scientists. From Captain Cook’s discovery of Australia and Charles Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle to the doomed Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica led by Robert Scott, a steady stream of invaluable specimens has traversed the globe in order to be archived and studied. Taking us through this history is my guest, Ian Owens, the Director of

38:42

Episode 7. Animal Intelligence: Irene Pepperberg

Science History Podcast ·

2018/06/11

For over half a century, innovative scientists have tested the abilities of animals to learn to communicate using human systems, such as American Sign Language with chimps and gorillas. One could go back even farther in time, to the start of the 20th century, when the German mathematics teacher Wilhelm von Osten trained his Russian trotting horse Hans to answer questions, do simple math, and discriminate consonant vs. dissonant musical chords, all by nodding his head, tapping a hoof, pointing his

30:04

Episode 6. Chemical Causes of Obesity: Bruce Blumberg

Science History Podcast ·

2018/05/11

The obesity epidemic has spread throughout much of the world and is one of the leading drivers of impaired health and skyrocketing healthcare costs. In today’s episode, we are focusing on a neglected aspect of the obesity epidemic – the role played by exposure to toxic chemicals in our food, water, and the environment. Walking us through the history of this new field of research – investigations on obesogenic chemicals – is one of the leading researchers of the field, Bruce Blumberg. Bruce is a

33:54

Episode 5. Explorers and Extinction in Hawaii: Dan Lewis

Science History Podcast ·

2018/04/11

Today we are exploring natural history investigations in the Hawaiian archipelago. My guest, Dan Lewis, is a research professor of history at Claremont Graduate University and the Dibner Senior Curator of the History of Science and Technology at the Huntington Library. Today’s podcast is coincident with the publication of Dan’s new book, entitled: Belonging on an Island. Birds, Extinction, and Evolution in Hawaii, published by Yale University Press.

52:18

Episode 4. Finding Pluto: Kevin Schindler and Will...

Science History Podcast ·

2018/03/11

The discovery and subsequent study of Pluto has captivated the public for nearly a century. Even the question of whether Pluto should be categorized as a planet or a dwarf planet has stirred passionate debate, but the implications of discoveries related to Pluto go far beyond the identification of an icy world at the outer edge of the solar system. My guests today are Kevin Schindler and Will Grundy, both of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Pluto was discovered. Kevin is a

01:07:58

Episode 3. U.S. Congressional Attacks on Science:...

Science History Podcast ·

2018/02/11

Attacks on science and scientists have been a hallmark of the Trump administration, but such attacks emanating from the U.S. federal government are not new, nor are they restricted to one political party or one branch of government. The best known of such attacks came from Bill Proxmire, who served in the Senate as a Democrat representing the state of Wisconsin from 1957-1989. Proxmire achieved national recognition with his monthly Golden Fleece Awards, in which he mocked what he considered to be

51:03

Episode 2. Nuclear Weapons and the Cold War: Jose...

Science History Podcast ·

2018/01/11

The possibility that world annihilation rests with the twitching fingertips of a dictator in North Korea and a narcissist in Washington motivated me to focus the second science history podcast on nuclear disarmament. As a bonus, we also discuss renewable energy, another fitting topic at a time when the United States stands alone as the only country in the world that is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. My first guest is Jose Goldemberg, a physicist who has played a central

45:46

Episode 1. Endocrine Disruption: Pete Myers

Science History Podcast ·

2017/12/11

My guest Pete Myers has spent the past 30 years calling media attention to findings about toxic chemicals, while the industry producing those chemicals has worked to discredit the science and scientists involved. In the 1990s, Pete helped to establish the field within toxicology known as endocrine disruption. Since then, he has relentlessly brought the findings of this field into public view. It turns out that many chemicals are toxic because they disrupt the body’s normal hormonal processes,

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