Science Friday

Dr. Erica Walker, an epidemiologist who leads Brown’s Community Noise Lab, shifted from noise pollution studies to community-driven public health. She recounts how personal experiences and failed projects pushed her to involve residents directly. Topics include neighborhood noise origins, 'ride sharing' research that includes everyone, suggestion-box science driven by local priorities, and how academic incentives can erode trust.

Nick Chater, professor of behavioural science and coauthor of It's On You, explores how behavioral science and corporations shifted blame for big social problems onto individuals. He discusses the rise of nudges and the Nudge Unit, the limits of individual-focused fixes for climate change, the PR origins of the carbon footprint idea, and the case for system-level solutions.

Dr. Derek Ward-Thompson, an astrophysicist who studies star and planet formation, and Dr. Brian May, astronomer and Queen guitarist, discuss turning flat galaxy photos into stereoscopic 3D spacescapes. They talk about the techniques behind 3D rendering, how depth reshapes our perception of colliding galaxies, and the blending of art, music, and science to make cosmic imagery vivid and accessible.

Alexandra Witze, a Nature correspondent based in Boulder, Colorado, explains a Nature report on federal research funding slowdowns. She walks through where approved money is being held and how new OMB rules are restricting disbursements. Short scenes cover which agencies and projects are affected and the possible long term consequences for researchers.

Dr. Frances Arnold, Nobel-winning enzyme engineer and Caltech professor who invented directed evolution, talks about harnessing evolution to retool enzymes. She explains how screening and libraries reveal unexpected functions. She imagines AI plus evolution encoding bespoke chemistry and discusses real-world work on TB drugs and PFAS cleanup.

Dr. Marilyn Albert, Johns Hopkins neurologist who studies cognitive aging, and Jake Brasch, playwright and performer behind the semi-autobiographical play The Reservoir. They explore cognitive reserve, mixing science with theater, a 20-year study showing training can cut dementia risk, the mechanics of speed-of-processing exercises, and how art frames heavy topics with humor.

Hanna Lewis, author and urban rewilding advocate who champions the Miyawaki mini-forest method. Dr. Jared Westbrook, chestnut restoration scientist using breeding and genomic tools to rebuild American chestnuts. They discuss rapid miniforest planting for tiny urban sites. They explore decades-long chestnut breeding, genomic selection to speed resistance, and how small dense forests establish quickly.

Dr. Andy Miller, a former EPA scientist with 30+ years on air pollution and climate change and an original author of the 2009 endangerment finding. He explains why that finding mattered legally for regulating greenhouse gases. He recounts its creation, reactions to its rescission, the legal rationale used, and how science and law intersect in this fight.

Dylan Williams, a molecular and genetic epidemiologist at UCL who studies APOE and Alzheimer’s risk. He outlines APOE’s role in lipid transport and its three variants. He explains how much APOE contributes to cases, its population impact, links to plaques and symptoms, and prospects for APOE-targeted therapies and screening guidance.

Joe Hong, an investigative data reporter who tested NYC snowbanks for contaminants, and Dr. Cinnamon Bidwell, a cannabis clinical psychologist at CU, discuss hemp-derived THC legal gray areas. They unpack how the 2018 Farm Bill created loopholes and the difference between hemp and marijuana. They also cover emerging cannabinoids, testing gaps between gas stations and dispensaries, and what snow reveals about urban pollution.