Tag

Science

Environment, Journalism, Non Fiction, Social Issues

Mar 26: Why America’s Anti-Science Movement was No Accident

March 27, 2025

David Lipsky, The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial

The Parrot and the Igloo with author David Lipsky

“Lipsky spins top-flight climate literature into cliffhanger entertainment.” ~ The New York Times

David Lipsky is a writer’s writer as well as a reader’s writer. He’s known for finding the stories behind ‘the story’ and in The Parrot And The Igloo: Climate And The Science Of Denial, Lipsky explores how the virulent “anti-science” movement in America was set up completely by design. In other words, it was planned, programmed, and paid for.

Today, we learn when, how, and why planned “denial” movements began (think Christmas 1953 and cigarette companies). And who won the casting call to become the first Celebrity Doubter and “paid voice” behind the massive Climate Denial Campaign.

David Lipsky also shares why he describes his book as a story about ingenuity and folly. We look at some of the inventors who created our world. Scientists who sounded warning bells. And how we went from being a country that supported science, to a population divided into science supporters versus science deniers, hucksters, and propagandists.

Meet Bestselling Author David Lipsky

David Lipsky is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Absolutely American and Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, the basis for the movie The End of the Tour. He’s written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Harper’s Magazine, and is a recipient of the National Magazine Award and the GLAAD Media Award. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Magazine Writing anthologies. Lipsky teaches writing and literature at NYU and lives in New York City. The Parrot And The Igloo is a NYT Editors’ Choice, a New Yorker and Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023, and a USA Today Must Read.

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Conservation, Memoir, Nature, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Feb 26: Bad Naturalist – Paula Whyman

February 26, 2025

One Woman’s Attempt to Restore 200 Acres of Farmland in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Bad Naturalist with author Paula Whyman

With humor, humility, and awe, writer Paula Whyman faces her limitations, while getting to know a breathtaking corner of the natural world.

When she first climbed a peak in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains looking for a home in the country, she had no idea how little she knew about hands-on conservation, or how quickly her tidy backyard ecology project would grow into a massive endeavor.

From Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop we explore some of Paula’s many challenges, failures, and successes as she learns hour by hour how to work with nature and its seasons, with indigenous versus invasive growth, and nature … the ultimate boss.

Meet Paula Whyman

Paula Whyman’s new book, Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop, is a blend of memoir, natural history, and conservation science. Her short story collection You May See a Stranger, earned praise from The New Yorker, a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and won the Towson Prize for Literature. Paula Whyman’s stories have appeared in journals including McSweeney’s Quarterly and Virginia Quarterly Review, and her fiction was selected for the anthology Writes of Passage: Coming-of-Age Stories and Memoirs from The Hudson Review. Whyman’s nonfiction has been featured on NPR, and in the Washington Post, The American Scholar, and The Rumpus. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the literary journal Scoundrel Time.

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Creativity, Health & Wellness, Nature, Non Fiction

Feb 05: Creativity Expert Michael Gelb on the Health, Productivity, & Creative Benefits of Walking Well

February 5, 2025

A new approach for comfort, vitality, and inspiration in every step.

Walking Well with coauthor Michael Gelb

Today’s guest, creativity expert Michael Gelb, coauthored WALKING WELL: A New Approach for Comfort, Vitality, and Inspiration in Every Step with movement artist Bruce Fertman.

Michael Gelb shares the science behind the transformational benefits of walking, including how the immune system, the brain’s neuroplasticity, the gut, our kidneys, longevity, weight, anxiety, mood, and more can improve with regular movement. We also discuss what he calls The Four Dignities. And how walking in nature – as many of our creative guests have attested to – helps spark creativity and combat stress.

Meet Coauthors Michael J. Gelb and Bruce Fertman

Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, executive coaching, and innovative leadership. He’s a fifth-degree black belt in aikido and teaches tai chi and the Alexander Technique. The author of 17 books – including the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci – Michael Gelb is also a professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones.

Bruce Fertman brings 60 years of study as a movement artist and educMator to his work. His training includes gymnastics, modern dance, ballet, contact improvisation, the Alexander Technique, tai chi chuan, aikido, chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), Argentine tango, and kyudo (Zen archery). For the past 30 years Fertman’s taught in Europe, Asia, and the Americas helping people experience the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual life.

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Non Fiction, Science

Nov 06: The Possibility of Life in the Heavens with Jaime Green

November 6, 2024

Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos

The Possibility of Life with author Jaime Green

It’s human nature to gaze up at the starry skies on a clear night and reflect on the frequently asked but as of yet unanswered question … Are we alone?

Author Jaime Green contends that rather than trying to find a definitive answer to “Is there life out there?”, the question we should be focusing on is “What if there is?”

Jaime explores how our history and culture has been influenced by science, both real and in the fictional worlds of science fiction — think Star Trek and Avatar. And in turn, how our values, fears, anxieties and enduring sense of hope are reflected in our interpretations of scientific evidence. Jaime also reveals if she’s answered the big question for herself … what does it mean to be human?

Meet Jaime Green: Award-winning Science Author

Jaime Green is a freelance writer, editor, and writing teacher. The Possibility of Life was an NPR Science Friday Book Club Pick, a Wired Book to Read for Spring, and a TODAY Show Summer Pick. The series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, Jaime Green is a lecturer at Smith College and at the Johns Hopkins Science Writing Master’s Program.

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Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Science, Self-help

Sep 04: Brain Doctor’s 8-Week Plan to Focus Your Mind, Reduce Stress, Avoid Burnout

September 4, 2024

Dr Romie Mushtaq shares The Busy Brain Cure

The Busy Brain Cure with author Dr. Romie Mushtaq

At the peak of success as a neurologist, Dr. Romie Mushtaq suffered major burnout. “As a brain doctor,” she says “I should have known better.”

As if burnout wasn’t enough, Dr. Romie also needed life-saving surgery, and that gave her the wake up call she needed. Her quest to make significant and lasting change sent her on a global journey, searching for solutions to heal the many negative impacts of stress on our brains, bodies, spirits, and teams.

As we discuss The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety, & Sleep Again, discover why she says you should ditch diets, forget cleanses – and occasionally, why it’s okay to embrace comfort food to calm stress. We share how to reduce dependencies on caffeine by day, and sleep aids at night. Dr. Romie also shares how to remedy the root cause of ADHD, anxiety, and insomnia without addictive medications.

About Dr. Romie Mushtaq, Neurologist & Author

A board-certified physician, award-winning wellness speaker, and the founder of brainSHIFT, Dr. Romie Mushtaq combines more than 20 years of authority in neurology, integrative medicine, and mindfulness to deliver programs and create cultural change. Dr. Romie currently speaks and consults for Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, & global associations. She is also the Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) for Great Wolf Lodge. And was formerly the CWO for Evolution Hospitality, where she scaled a mindfulness & wellness program for over 7,000 employees. Her expertise is featured in the national media, such as NPR, NBC, TED talks, and Forbes.

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Non Fiction, Science

Jul 17: Jaime Green Explores The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth

July 18, 2024

Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos

The Possibility of Life with author Jaime Green

One of the most frequently asked – yet unanswered – questions we humans ask about the cosmos, is: Are we alone?

Author Jaime Green says, while the science behind this is fascinating, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s a reflection of our values and aspirations, our fears and anxieties. And most importantly, our enduring sense of hope.

Jaime shares why the question we should really ask is, not “Is there life out there?“, but “What if … ?” We explore how science has influenced our history and culture, and the role that science fiction plays – think Star Trek and Avatar. Jaime also reveals if she’s answered the big question for herself … the question of what it means to human.  

Meet Jaime Green: Award-winning Science Author

Jaime Green is a freelance writer, editor, and writing teacher. The Possibility of Life was an NPR Science Friday Book Club Pick, a Wired Book to Read for Spring, and a TODAY Show Summer Pick. The series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, Jaime Green is a lecturer at Smith College and at the Johns Hopkins Science Writing Master’s Program.

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Environment, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science, Social Issues

Jun 26: The Parrot & The Igloo with NYT Bestselling Author David Lipsky

June 26, 2024

Climate and the Science of Denial

The Parrot and the Igloo with author David Lipsky

“Lipsky spins top-flight climate literature into cliffhanger entertainment.” ~ The New York Times

He’s known as a writer who finds the stories behind the stories. In The Parrot And The Igloo: Climate And The Science Of Denial, David Lipsky explores how the virulent “anti-science” movement in America was no accident. It was planned, programmed, and paid for.

Today, David Lipsky shares why he describes his book as a story about ingenuity and folly. We look at some of the inventors who created our world. Scientists who sounded warning bells. Why Mark Mills is one of David’s favorite people in this story. How we went from being a country that supported science, to a population divided into science supporters versus science deniers, hucksters, and propagandists.

We learn when, how, and why planned “denial” movements began (think Christmas 1953 and cigarette companies). And who won the casting call to become the first Celebrity Doubter and “paid voice” behind the massive Climate Denial Campaign.

Meet Bestselling Author David Lipsky

David Lipsky is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Absolutely American and Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, the basis for the movie The End of the Tour. He’s written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Harper’s Magazine, and is a recipient of the National Magazine Award and the GLAAD Media Award. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Magazine Writing anthologies. Lipsky teaches writing and literature at NYU and lives in New York City. The Parrot And The Igloo is a NYT Editors’ Choice, a New Yorker and Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023, and a USA Today Must Read.

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Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Personal Development

Jan 03: Make 2024 A Change Your Life Year … in Just 3 Minutes a Day

January 3, 2024

Dr. Richard Dixey’s Rx for gaining clarity, expanding creativity, reducing stress

Three Minutes a Day with author Richard Dixey

Yes, it’s really possible, says scientist Richard Dixey to transform your life by incorporating his short, valuable practice into everyday life.

Dr. Richard Dixey explains how just three minutes of your time can turn your life around. He shares a direct path to gain clarity of mind, relieve stress, calm anxiety, sharpen thinking, improve concentration, and enhance creativity.

And his practice can be followed from anywhere, anytime, no matter how busy you are.

About Dr. Richard Dixey

Richard Dixey, PhD, is a scientist and lifelong student of Asian philosophy. He runs the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation in India with his wife Wangmo, the eldest daughter of Tibetan lama Tarthang Tulku. He is a senior faculty member at Dharma College in Berkeley, and divides his time between California and India. His new book, Three Minutes a Day: A 14 Week Course to Learn Meditation and Transform Your Life.

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Creativity, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science

AUG 10: Matt Richtel’s Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul

August 10, 2022

Harness Your Creativity Through Inspiration

Few things in a creator’s life cause more frustration than staring at an empty page or blank canvas in search of that spark of inspiration.  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Matt Richtel weaves scientific evidence with insight from great creators and his own personal experiences to help you discover how to optimize your creative potential.

“Creative people actually physically see more of the world,” says Richtel.  We talk about The Muse and Hope.  How impact and openness are vital components of creativity.  Why intelligence doesn’t always factor into creativity.  How anyone can become more creative. And more delicious insight from  Inspired: Understanding Creativity, A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

About Matt Richtel

Narrative storyteller and New York Times Science reporter Matt Richtel was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series on distracted driving. He’s authored three narrative nonfiction books, several novels, and a daily comic strip. His latest book is Inspired: Understanding Creativity, A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

Catch our previous podcast with Matt Richtel right here A Deadly Wandering.

 

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Health & Wellness, Journalism, Non Fiction, Psychology, Science, Self-help

JUL 06: Caroline Williams with MOVE

July 6, 2022

How the Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free

If you hate working out, loathe gong to the gym, listen up!  New science shows how even simple movement can boost your mental health.

Journalist Caroline Williams interviews Nobel prize winning scientists, yoginis, athletes, and health experts and learned that while going to the gym is great, it may not be the best solution for you.

We share how stretching lifts the draining effects of an overactive immune system. What dance can do for your emotional literacy. How core strength can help control stress and anxiety. And why emotional resilience is strengthened by physical strength.

About Caroline Williams

Veteran science journalist Caroline Williams says “I like talking almost as much as I like writing”. She has produced radio programs and reports for the BBC, across Science, Natural History, and Children’s Radio. Caroline writes regularly for New Scientist magazine, and her work’s been featured in the Boston Globe, BBC Earth, and the Guardian. She was co-presenter of the New Scientist podcast. Move! How the Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free is Caroline’s second book.

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