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KGNU - How On Earth

The KGNU Science Show

science natural sciences

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27:11

Coral: Past, Present, Future

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/12/22

In this week’s show Beth speaks with science writer, educator, and scientist Dr. Lisa Gardiner about her recent book Reefs of Time: What Fossils Reveal about Coral Survival. Lisa studied the fossil remains of ancient coral reefs, which also suffered from environmental challenges. In our conversation, you’ll hear about how the past shapes the present, … Continue reading "Coral: Past, Present, Future"

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26:58

World Domination…by Slime Molds?

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/12/09

On today’s show, Beth speaks with award-winning science writer Jennifer Frazer about her upcoming book: The Slime Mold’s Guide to World Domination: A Natural Mystery. The book is a funny natural history of slime molds that’s also a mystery that asks: how can a giant crawling cell possibly be intelligent?” Jennifer has degrees in biology … Continue reading "World Domination…by Slime Molds?"

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26:58

Critical Earth Minerals Hiding in Plain Sight –...

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/12/02

Critical Earth Minerals Hiding in Plain Site – Colorado School of Mines professor Elizabeth Holley shares how the US could break its dependency on critical earth mineral imports, and lead the world in environmentally safe ways to do it. Show Producer/Host/Engineer: Shelley Schlender Executive Producer: Beth Bennett

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26:46

Better Steam//CU-Boulder at World Climate Conference

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/11/25

Great Steam . . . from a Heat Pump (starts 1:00) Time Magazine named CSU Engineer Todd Bandhauer one of 2025’s top climate innovators. His heat pump makes steam better than fossil fuel steam boilers. Interview thanks to Rocky Mountain Community Radio and Aspen Public Radio. CU-Boulder at COP30 Climate Conference (Starts 7:05) CU Boulder’s … Continue reading "Better Steam//CU-Boulder at World Climate Conference"

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25:55

Winter is Coming: Why Leaves Fall

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/11/11

The physiology of deciduous trees (start time: 11:09) For many people living in places with four distinct seasons, such as here in Colorado, a favorite pastime at this midpoint in autumn is watching the faded leaves fall from their branches, and listening to the crackling sound while raking up the dried leaves. In this week’s … Continue reading "Winter is Coming: Why Leaves Fall"

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26:45

Into The Unknown (Part 2)

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/10/28

Into The Unknown (starts at 9:05) What do we know about the universe, and how do we know we know it? Conversely, what do we know we don’t know, what don’t we know that we don’t know, and why not? To help us unravel these age-old philosophical questions in the context of current science, our … Continue reading "Into The Unknown (Part 2)"

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26:52

Autumn Insects and their Songs

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/10/14

Science & Songs of Katydids, Cicadas, etc. (start time: 3:08) It’s the time of year to savor listening each night to the pulsating and clicking sounds of katydids, cicadas, crickets and other straight-winged insects, all crying out for a mate. Soon, with the first big frost, the songs, along with the arthropods themselves, will disappear. … Continue reading "Autumn Insects and their Songs"

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27:30

Menopause, Hormone Therapy, Science

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/09/16

Menopause & HT (start time: 0:58) It happens to every woman with a uterus who reaches midlife. Menopause is a major hormonal transition that, although very challenging for some women, is natural, and (get this!) even advantageous to civilization. Think grandmothers! Yet menopause has been largely dismissed by the medical community. As a result, too … Continue reading "Menopause, Hormone Therapy, Science"

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27:23

The (ever-changing) Scoop on Vaccines

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/09/08

On this week’s How on Earth, Beth describes recent developments in defunding NIH research and CDC limits on vaccine availability; then digs into vaccine safety and development with global vaccine expert, Dr Dr Kawsar Talaat. Dr Talaat is a physician who is board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and whose research focuses … Continue reading "The (ever-changing) Scoop on Vaccines"

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26:09

Climate Change, Astronomy, Canine Astronauts

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/09/02

Climate change. Astronomy. A canine astronaut. They intersect in our guest, astronomer and author Dr. Jeff Bennett. Among other things, we focus on climate change and policy – present and future. Dr. Bennett got his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado, and he served two years as a Visiting Senior Scientist at NASA … Continue reading "Climate Change, Astronomy, Canine Astronauts"

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26:37

Climate Science, Human Lives at Risk

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/08/12

Standing Up for Science (start time: 6:39) Since President Trump began his second term in January, his administration has been on a rapid-fire campaign to slash federal funding for scientific research, particularly in the fields of climate and earth systems science. Colorado is feeling the pain. President Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes … Continue reading "Climate Science, Human Lives at Risk"

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26:58

50 Years of Open Space! // Heart Attack and Stroke...

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/07/28

A Common Sugar Substitute Increases Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke. (starts 11:00) CU-Boulder Integrative Physiologist Chris DeSouza explains his recent study that shows why the commonly used artificial sweetener, Erythritol, may be increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. 50 Years of Open Space! (Starts 1:00) Boulder County Parks and Open Space staff members … Continue reading "50 Years of Open Space! // Heart Attack and Stroke Risk from Common Sugar Substittue"

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27:00

How We Grow Up: Understanding Adolescence by Matt...

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/07/09

Teens are in Crisis – Some people warn that Cell Phones are to blame. But Colorado Native and Pulitzer prize winner Matt Richtel says our tech can be a useful tool, IF we better understand the purpose of adolescence, That’s the focus of Richtel’s brand new book – How We Grow Up: Understanding Adolescence … Continue reading "How We Grow Up: Understanding Adolescence by Matt Richtel"

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26:58

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies – Eric DeFonso

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/07/01

Merlin Bird ID App (starts 1:00) Boulder Naturalists Steve Jones and Ruth Carol Cushman explore the benefits of the Merlin smartphone app, along with its sometimes hilarious mistakes. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (Start 5:48) Crew Leader Eric DeFonso explains how the Conservancy’s Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions Program provides detailed data about birds … Continue reading "Bird Conservancy of the Rockies – Eric DeFonso"

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27:33

Birds at Risk

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/05/20

Birds: Risk and Resilience (start time: 5:55) What speaks of Spring more than the songs of American robins, yellow warblers, spotted towhees and other birds in the early morning? As we relish in these avians choruses, it’s also an important time to examine why bird populations in North America have, by and large, been plummeting … Continue reading "Birds at Risk"

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28:49

2025 Graduation Special (part 1)

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/05/06

With graduation season upon us, today’s edition of How on Earth is Part 1 of our annual “Graduation Special”. Our guests in the studio today are scientists and engineers who have or will soon receive their Masters or Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in a STEM-related field. They talk about their thesis research, their … Continue reading "2025 Graduation Special (part 1)"

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27:04

Mutualism in Nature

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/04/29

Sweet in Tooth and Claw (start time: 0:59) Since the 1800s, science has been obsessed with the notion, stemming from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection, that only the “fittest” can survive and pass on their strong genes. As in, it’s a ruthless, violent world. And today, we humans find ourselves mired in a … Continue reading "Mutualism in Nature"

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26:57

De-funding NIST’s Atomic Spectroscopy Group

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/04/22

Federal cutbacks have led the National Institute of Standards and Technology to shut down a long-running, highly prized information center used by scientists around the world, for projects ranging from searching for exoplanets, to making better microchips, to detecting atomic missiles. Atomic Spectroscopy Database Manager Alexander Kramida explains the purpose of the Atomic Spectroscopy … Continue reading "De-funding NIST’s Atomic Spectroscopy Group"

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26:58

Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals...

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/04/08

Poisoning the Well (starts 2:00) Boulder science writer Sharon Udasin discusses her new book, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America. The book chronicles how these chemicals have ended up in our soil , drinking water, our bloodstreams . . . including in Colorado. She also explains what we can do about these sometimes … Continue reading "Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America. "

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27:00

April Foolish Science

KGNU - How On Earth ·

2025/04/01

Today is April Fools’ day, when jokes and pranks are played, sometimes among friends and family, sometimes on a more public scale. But why is there such a day for culturally-accepted foolishness? To delve into the origins and history of April Fools’ Day, we talk with Dr. Angus Kress Gillespie, folklorist and professor of American … Continue reading "April Foolish Science"

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