Groks Science Radio Show and Podcast

While the holiday season offers many temptations for ruining an otherwise healthy diet, chocolate may be a gulity pleasure with unexpected health benefits. Also on this program, we discussed the secret to beating the casino at Blackjack.

Lasers have multiple applications, from simple pointing devices to guiding missiles. On this program, Nobel Laureate Prof. Charles Townes discussed the development of the laser.

Campus life is full of stress, which is a normal part of academic life. Coping with these challenges can often lead to depression. On this program, we explored dealing with depression on campus.

The theory of plate tectonics describes many geological phenomenon. However, to accurately predict the interactions at plate boundaries which could result in earthquakes requires a more refined model, which was discussed on this program with Prof. Jean-Phillipe Avouac.

The proliferation of spam e-mail peddling everything from home mortgages to male enhancement may cause one to wonder, Who writes this stuff? On this program, Brian McWilliams profiles some of these spam peddlers as portrayed in his book, Spam Kings.

Stem cell research promises to develop cures for a variety of ailments, but the current government restrictions on this research has forced investigators to improvise their methods. As a result, California voters have proposed a bond measure to fund this research.

With the growing scarcity of fossil fuels, alternative energy sources are actively being investigated. Currently, hydrogen based fuel systems have been heralded in the press as being the solution. But beyond the hype, the hydrogen economy faces critical challenges.

Each year over 100 million flu shots are administered, but the recent announcement that this year the supply will be cut in half will complicate matters. On this program, we examined the upcoming flu vaccine shortage.

Special coverage of the 2004 Nobel Prize Awards in Medicine or Physiology, Physics, and Chemistry.

Astronomers are interested in the fate of stars, but what happens to stars of the Holywood variety? On this program, Wil Wheaton talks about blogging, life after Star Trek, and his book, Just a Geek.

The neural mechanisms responsible for generating conscious states are slowly being revealed through scientific inquiry. On this program, Prof. Gerald Edelman joined us to discuss the scientific exploration of consciousness.

Although visible telescope have shed new light on celestial objects, radio astronomy has pushed the boundaries even farther. On this program, Prof. Jack Welch discussed radio astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

With currently diminishing energy resources, the search for alternative energy sources is of prime importance. But, often lost in the debate is the role of efficient energy use. Steve Nadel talks about energy efficiency in America.

The asymmetric structure of biologically active molecules has confounded those interested in replicating their structures. However, novel chemical methods are being developed to attack this synthetic problem, as revealed on this episode.

The hype surrounding the Google IPO may have overshadowed the vast number of competing search engines. On this program, we talked with Kathy Rittweger, cofounder of one such search engine called Bguidx.

Traveling in the age of the internet can be perilous, but also profitable if you know your way around. On this program, we uncovered the best internet travel options for the frugal traveler.

Gamma ray bursts occur following massive stellar events, but their presence still remains enigmatic. On this program, we examined the astrophysics behind these intriguing signals.

Predicting earthquakes is of prime importance to urban regions situated near fault zones. The science behind these methods was explored with the recent recipient of the prestigious Japan Academy Prize, Prof. Hiroo Kanamori.

While electronic mail has revolutionized global communication, its ubiquity is not without a cost. Spam. How does one deal with the ever growing amounts of electronic junk mail. On this program, we featured one innovative approach.

Science fiction films provide a unique forum for showcasing our hopes, fears, and dreams. But, to what degree does science matter in science fiction? We probed this issue on this weeks episode with Gregg Rickmann, editor of the Science Fiction Film Reader.

Legendary journalist, Bill Moyers, joined us to discuss some current issues of big media and journalism.

Technological gadgets promise to ease the burden of every day living, but often prove more trouble than they are worth. On this week's program, we explored making technology more fun and user-friendly with Prof. Donald Norman from Northwestern University.

Egypt continues to intrigue archaeologists with its seemingly endless supply of artifacts. Many recent findings are shedding new light on this ancient society. We discussed this issue with Mark Rose, editor of Archaeology magazine.

The effort to legalize marijuana remains a major issue in society. The relative merits and disadvantages of such a policy were discussed on this program.

Robert Oppenheimer is perhaps best known as the lead scientist on the Manhattan Project to develop the atom bomb. But, the personal aspects of this important individual have remained untold. We explored these stories with Prof. Jeremy Bernstein, author of Oppenheimer: Portrait of an enigma.

The Riemann Hypothesis has been proclaimed as the greatest unsolved problem in mathematics, having remained unsolved for over a century. The person who solves it can claim a million dollar prize from the American Institute of Mathematics. We discussed this hypothesis with John Derbyshire, author of Prime Obsession.

Communicating ideas to a mass audience is quickly becoming democratized by the internet. However, transmitting these ideas effectively may determine the voices that are heard and those that are ignored. On this show, we discussed the creative commons with Prof. Lawrence Lessig of Stanford University.

During the quantum revolution, the views of the physical universe at the atomic scale were changing rapidly. During this tumultuous time, two physicists, Neils Bohr and Albert Einstein, struggled over this rapidly changing landscape. On this show Edmond Blair Bolles discussed his book, Einstein Defiant: Genius vs. genius in the quantum revolution.

Electronic commerce is rapidly replacing traditional avenues for retail sales. However, the full potential of this technology has yet to be fully realized. On this program, we discussed the organizational aspects of e-commerce with Dr. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour.

The growing limitation on energy resources does not necessitate an increase in energy production. An increase in efficiency may resolve many of these difficulties. On this program, the former director of the EPA, Dr. John Hoffman, discussed efficient energy use.

While most would readily accept that the brain controls behavior, few would acknowledge the role that genes play in shaping our actions. On this program, we investigated the guid between genes and behavior with Prof. Gary Marcus from NYU.

Although beauty may appear to be an abstract concept, our sense of beauty may have firm biological underpinnings in the normal operations of our visual system. We discussed this issue with Prof. Shinsuke Shimojo from Caltech.

The field of sociobiology attempts to attribute many behaviors to evolutionary causes. But, the justification for these attempts is often tenuous at best. On this program, we discussed sociobiology and models of human behavior with Dr. Richard C. Francis, author of Why Men Won't Ask for Directions: The Seductions of Sociobiology.

HIV is a pernicious blight on modern society, but one that may have an interesting evolutionary history. On this program, we discussed mathematical models of HIV infection with Prof. Montgomery Slatkin of U.C. Berkeley.

Social networks have been popularized by the play, Six Degrees of Separation. But, predicting the behavior of these networks in reality proves to be quite challenging. We explored this issue with Prof. Duncan Watts from Columbia University.

Everyday events are readily explained within a scientific framework, yet science literacy is still quite low. On this program, Curt Suplee discussed everyday science education.

Consciousness remains one of the frontiers of modern science; however, innovative methodologies may soon reveal an understanding of how the brain gives rise to conscious experience. We discussed this issue with Prof. Christof Koch from Caltech.

The Hubbert peak defines the point of no return as far as fossil fuels are concerned. Have we reached this point? And, how do we create a sustainable energy future. We explored this issue with Prof. David Goodstein, Vice Provost of Caltech.

The Macintosh computer recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary, but the history of this computer goes back a little further. On the program, Jef Raskin, creator of the Apple Macinotsh, discussed the human-machine interface.

Studying atoms can be quite challenging, due in large part to their rapid velocities. However, novel methods for cooling atoms using lasers have revolutionized the field of condensed matter physics. We discussed this issue with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Stephen Chu

Electronic storage devices have become ubiquitous in daily life and hold most of our essential information. But, few people backup their data until it is too late. On this show, we explored novel methods of data backup.

The problems facing the earth's environment will rely on scientific solutions from numerous disciplines. Integrating these solutions with political resources remains a major challenge for the future, and was the focus of this discussion with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Y.T. Lee.

Each year, popular science magazine unveils the top 100 technological innovations for the previous year. What items made this list for 2003? A few surprises to be sure as revealed on this week's episode.

The role of the brain in controlling behavior is almost taken for granted, but the development of this idea may owe its existence to one seventeenth-century scientist, Dr. Thomas Willis.

Technological innovations continue to puzzle and confound even the most savvy technophiles. But, figuring out how to use these modern marvels can often be half the fun, as we discussed with our guest, Gregg Steben.

The recent landing of the Mars Explorer rover has renewed interest in the red planet. On this program, we talked with Andrew Mishkin, a senior systems at NASA, about the status of past, present, and future missions to Mars.

Preserving the environment requires an interdisciplinary approach, especially in terms of maintaining biological diversity. On this program, we explored issues in bioecology with our guest, Prof. Shepley Chen.

Robotics is a field that continues to inspire both professional and amateur scientists. Fortunately, robotics competitions provide the perfect venue for exploring these interests. Contestants from such a competition held at Fort Mason Center chatted with us about their inventions.

As oil resources begin to dwindle, the search for alternative energy sources is already yielding promising results. However, the application of these various alternatives will rely strongly on the regions where they are implemented. These economic and environmental factors were discussed on this episode with Prof. Toshihiko Nakata.

The health of our bodies is often determined by our mental state. The physical relation between these two is now being investigated with modern methods. On this program, we explored the mind/body relationship with Dr. Gabor Mate.