Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Science Distilled is a podcast based on the lecture series of the same name, where we break down concepts from cutting edge science and research and learn how they apply to the world around us. The podcast is hosted by KUNR's Paul Boger and Michelle Matus. This show is for science nerds and novices alike. We'll geek out on robots, dive into astrobiology, and take a deeper look at the world around us. With every topic we cover, you'll hear conversations from scientists doing the research and learn how that research impacts you and the world around us. This podcast is a production of KUNR Public Radio, in partnership with the Desert Research Institute and the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum in Reno, Nevada.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ cutting-edge science explained • diversity and inclusion research, healthcare impacts • groundwater use, drought, pollution • robotics and automation • perception and vision science • astrobiology, search for extraterrestrial life • decision-making under uncertainty in firefighting • climate-change impacts and resilienceThis podcast translates current research and scientific thinking into conversations that connect big ideas to everyday life. Hosted by public radio journalists, it draws on interviews with working scientists and other experts to explain how evidence is gathered, what it suggests, and why it matters for communities.
Across its episodes, the show spans both natural and social science. Several topics focus on how diversity functions in systems—from ecosystems to workplaces—and how representation and inclusion can shape outcomes in high-impact settings like healthcare. Other discussions explore environmental science and risk, including groundwater use and contamination, the pressures that drought and climate change place on water supplies, and what “resilience” can mean as societies face stronger storms and rising seas.
The podcast also examines human perception and decision-making under uncertainty. It looks at the limits of what we think we see and know, and it considers how professionals in dangerous, fast-changing situations—such as firefighters—make choices that balance human safety, property, and environmental resources.
In addition, the show engages with forward-looking science and technology, including robotics and questions at the edge of astronomy and astrobiology about the prevalence of potentially habitable worlds and the search for life beyond Earth. Overall, the series mixes explanatory science with real-world implications, emphasizing how research intersects with policy, health, technology, and the environment.
| Episodes: |
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Diversity: Are We Thinking About It All Wrong? 2020-Feb-05 17 minutes |
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Diversity In Healthcare Can Save Lives 2019-Dec-18 13 minutes |
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What's In The Water? 2019-Nov-14 24 minutes |
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Is The Robotic Revolution Upon Us? 2019-Aug-14 21 minutes |
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Is Seeing Really Believing? 2019-Jul-17 25 minutes |
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Searching For Life 'Out There' 2019-Jun-12 23 minutes |
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What Firefighters' Stories Can Teach Us 2019-May-15 17 minutes |
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Resiliency In The Face Of Climate Change 2019-Apr-17 21 minutes |
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Introducing Science Distilled, A New KUNR Podcast 2019-Apr-10 1 minute |