KGNU - How On Earth

A heart attack forced Boulder community leader and journalist Sam Fuqua to need emergency care.  While being wheeled into the operating room, Sam hoped to soothe his anxiety by hearing some favorite music.  His hope had scientific merit.  Studies like this indicate that surgery patients who get to choose what music plays during surgery, … Continue reading "Operation Music – Why or Why Not?"

Colorado River Water (starts 1:00)   Steep cuts are ahead in the use of Colorado River water by Arizona and California.  But what about Colorado?  For answers, we talk with CU-Boulder’s Doug Kenney, water law expert and  chair of the Colorado River Project. Ghostbots (starts )  AI apps offer to help people  “talk” with the dead.  … Continue reading "Colorado River // Ghostbots"

What is a wilderness, really? Here in the US we think of it as undeveloped land, put aside to appreciate its beauty and remoteness. In other lands and cultures, wilderness is a powerful, ancient concept, at the intersection of landscape, philosophy, and ecology. For thousands of years, people have sought out uncontrolled, unknown, or uncharted … Continue reading "Just What is Wilderness?"

Gardens are popping up everywhere, from community plots to elementary school yards to vertical plantings. A unique approach proposed by award winning British landscaper, Harry Holding, is integrating the edible aspect of vegetable gardens with the esthetic side of flower, bush and tree landscapes. Harry is a renowned garden designer known for his award-winning creations … Continue reading "Eat Your Garden!"

Microplastics: Health Concerns, Solutions (start time: 6:02)  The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a new rule related to monitoring 30 unregulated chemicals in drinking water that could pose human health risks. While the list includes pesticides and so-called “forever” substances, it omits microplastics, as well as pharmaceuticals. That’s despite pressure from Democratic politicians, as well … Continue reading "Plastics: Health Risks & Solutions"

Poking the Squid –  Good Reads calls author and illustrator Perrin Roosevelt Ireland’s new book a brilliantly funny, beautifully illustrated graphic nonfiction book that shatters our puritanical and binary notions of nature.. Hosts/Producers/Engineers: Shelley Schlender, Joel Parker Executive Producer: Beth Bennett

Parenting Across the Animal Kingdom (start time: 5:02) As humans, we tend to think that we raise our children with more care than any other animal on the planet. After all, human kids depend on their parents on average for much longer than do those of any other species. But are we really so unique … Continue reading "Childrearing Tips (and Cautionary Tales) From the Animal Kingdom"

Global conflicts are revealing vulnerabilities in the global reliance on imported fossil fuels and centralized power.  Energy Analyst Kyle Datta says energy security needs may speed the adoption of renewables and “as a side effect,” reduce the rise of global warming. For Datta’s full speech, which he presented with videos at the 2026 Gold Lab … Continue reading "Kyle Datta – Energy Security, War & Renewable Energy"

Complex Animal Networks (start time: 7:17) As humans, we’re all familiar with, as we live in and are members of, nations. But most of us don’t think of non-human species, be they tiny ants or beavers or bears,  in this context. But Ryan Huling does, and he hopes you will, too. In this week’s How … Continue reading "Hidden Nations of Animals"

Climate Change & Action: From the Arctic to Colorado (start time: 2:33) Twenty years ago the Academy-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth was released in theaters nationwide. It sparked millions of people to ask themselves, How can I wake up and do something to help solve, not just contribute to,  the climate crisis?  The film helped … Continue reading "Climate Change: Perils and Progress"

Protest It, Respect It, Defend  It, Use It (starts 1:00) Friday at Denver Patagonia and Saturday at Boulder Patagonia environmental activists Annie Leonard and André Carothers discuss their new book Silent Sky (starts 2:00) Viva Theater celebrates the unsung heroism of female astronomer Henrietta Leavitt.  Silent Sky runs April 22 – June 7th at Boulder’s … Continue reading "Silent Sky // Gold Lab Symposium"

On this week’s How on Earth, Beth speaks with author, psychologist, and aging explorer Alan Carpenter to discuss the paradigm shift on aging he espouses. Following a life changing accident, he turned his life around by diving into the science of healthy aging. In his book, Choose Better, Live Better, he outlines 9 avenues one … Continue reading "A Longer Healthier Life"

The Loneliness Epidemic – Social media fuels extra risk.  Especially vulnerable are people undergoing transitions . . . such as college students, who today share what can lead loneliness and how to heal from it.  CU-Boulder senior Lorraine Healey also talks with Colorado State University “Friendship Researcher” Natalie Pennington about why times of transition can … Continue reading "The Loneliness Epidemic – CSU Researcher Natalie Pennington"

On this week’s How on Earth, Beth speaks with Suzanne Simard, professor and researcher at the University of British Columbia, about her book, WHEN THE FOREST BREATHES, both a call to action, and a journey into the heart of British Columbia’s old growth forests and the indigenous communities that live there, and her efforts to … Continue reading "Forest as Superorganism: What it means to Clearcut."

Buy Now Pay Later – is this lending service simply enticing, or is it addictive?  For the GenZ 20 somethings that are its biggest users, is Buy Now Pay Later a danger or a deal?  CU Boulder student and Howonearth volunteer Juliana Krigsman  speaks with students about this, plus Adam Brown – director of New … Continue reading "Buy Now Pay Later – Enticement or Addiction?"

The Brain on Menopause (start time: 01:24) In this week’s show, we offer the finale of our three-part series on menopause and women’s health. We focus on a most precious organ: the brain. And we discuss how  hormones such as estrogen and cortisol affect brain health; on how experiencing stress during childhood can intensify perimenopause … Continue reading "Women’s Health Pt. III: Menopause & the Brain"

On this week’s How on Earth, Beth talks with neuroscientist and chronic pain researcher Jayson Ball. He recently completed a study of a novel brain circuit involved in generating chronic pain. Since finishing his graduate studies at CU Boulder, he has moved to Neuralink, a biotech start up focused on implantable brain devices with the … Continue reading "A Brain Circuit That Switches Acute to Chronic Pain"

Preserving prairie dog+raptor ecosystem (start time: 5:03)  Spring has just begun, even if winter hardly visited Colorado. On the plains, prairie dog colonies seem to be in full swing.  However, populations of these keystone species have plummeted, as the grasslands they and raptor predators rely on are being fragmented by urban development, as well as … Continue reading "Conserving Imperiled Prairie Dogs, Raptors & Their Grasslands"

The Power of Precarity of Pollinators (start time: 8:01) This extremely warm winter in Colorado has delivered early spring blooms, and thus early appearances of some pollinators. In this week’s show we explore the world of pollinators, such as such as butterflies, bees, moths, hummingbirds and certain flies. Pollinators are responsible for roughly one third … Continue reading "Pollinator Power & Precarity"

How big is the universe – not just in the scale of  distance but also the scale of time?  What do those…astronomical…scales mean about us humans on Earth and how can we understand and measure such vast expanses? In this episode, our guest, astronomer and author Dr. Jeff Bennett, helps us wrap our minds around … Continue reading "The Scale of the Universe"

On this week’s How on Earth, we hear from a climate scientist about the implications of our changing weather patterns for winter recreation. It’s a warm, dry winter, throughout the Rocky Mountain West and elsewhere in the country, the weather has been a mixed bag. Dr. Elizabeth Burakowski, a Research Faculty member in the Institute … Continue reading "Winter Recreation in a Warmer World"

We hear an interview aired by our sister community radio station’s, Science MOAB. Ecologist Brooke Osborne talks about how dryland ecosystems – such as the grasslands east of Boulder – influence the whole planet. Dryands cover 40% of the earth; they support a third of the planet’s humans, and while their roots store lots of … Continue reading "What do Grasslands Have to do with Climate Change?"

Truths & Tips About Women’s Heart Health (start time: 7:33)  February is American Hearth Month, a nationwide observation  spotlighting cardiovascular disease, and a call for all of us to take care of our hearts.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the country, for both men and women, and for most racial and … Continue reading "Women’s Health Pt. II: Heart Health"

New Rules of Women’s Health (start time: 6:26) If you’re female, you may have come of age reading the landmark feminist health book Our Bodies, Ourselves. Originally published in the 1970s, it yielded several revised editions up to 2011. Well, get ready for an even more comprehensive tome. It’s called The New Rules of Women’s … Continue reading "Women’s Health Pt. I: Menopause, etc."

On today’s science show we hear from vaccine researchers Rochelle Walensky and Angela Ulrich, and physician/scientist Peyton Thompson, about the safety and efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine. This is one of 6 that have been removed from the list of recommended childhood vaccines by the CDC. You’ll hear about the history of the vaccine … Continue reading "Hepatitis B Vaccination: Just the Facts"

Water your trees!  This warm, dry winter means urban trees need extra water to stay healthy.  City of Boulder foresters Patrick LaPhilliph and Andrew Holt, and City of Longmont forester Brett Stadsvold share how and why the cities waters trees once a month during dry winter months, how citizens can properly water winter trees, and resources … Continue reading "Water Your Winter Trees"

We speak with experts about how artificial intelligence combined with Police Body Camera footage improved professionalism in the Aurora Colorado Police Department.  Guests include Anthony Tassone, CEO of Truleo and Ian Adams, Criminologist at the University of South Carolina and co-author of a new study about this tech in the journal Criminology We also discuss … Continue reading "Improving Law Enforcement Behavior through Artificial Intelligence"

Protecting Wolves, ferrets, prairie dogs, vultures, etc. (start time: 3:39) How effective are Colorado’s efforts to preserve vulnerable species – wolves, black-footed ferrets, bears, prairie dogs and others? And what ingredients make it possible, including throughout the U.S. and the world, for wild animals and humans to get along when their homes overlap? Today How … Continue reading "Colorado’s Wildlife Action Plan, etc.: Pt. II"

Wolves, bears, prairie dogs and more (start time: 7:12) A couple of months ago, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency released a plan to support biodiversity and guide how the state conserves some of the state’s most vulnerable species and habitats. Everything from iconic bears, wolves and prairie dogs, to tiny humble invertebrates and even … Continue reading "Colorado’s Wildlife Action plan: Pt. I"

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"

The Force of Wind (start time: 7:10)  For those living here on Colorado’s Front Range, you’ve likely had close encounters with wind — whether you’ve witnessed in fear branches snapping off trees in a windstorm, or simply looked up to marvel at the UFO-like lenticular cloud formations created by fast westerly winds. Love it or … Continue reading "Wind: It’s Past & Future"

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?"

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

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"

Dustbowl Days Today (starts 5:00)  Colorado State University grasslands scientist Melinda Smith explains the study she conducted with the grassroots help of nearly 200 scientists around the world. Their research indicates grasslands are vulnerable to Megadroughts, which climate change is making more common.  Just 4 years of drought in a row may trigger Dust Bowls … Continue reading "Megadroughts Could Cause World Wide Dustbowls — CSU Melinda Smith Explains"

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"

Five years ago, Beth spoke with Dr Marc Bubbs about his best-selling hardcover book, PEAK: THE NEW SCIENCE OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. Since then, Bubbs has been on the leading edge of new developments in the physiology and psychology of athletic performance. Bubbs helps athletes and other clients in Canada and England cope with metabolic diseases, … Continue reading "Peak Performance: Revisiting a Classic"

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)"

Into The Unknown (starts at 7:57) 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 1)"

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"

Helping Wild Animals Roam (start time: 3:29) Wild animals, whether  buffalos or bats,  need space to move around–not just to survive, but to forage,  reproduce, migrate, and generally thrive as a species.  But it’s getting increasingly difficult for so many species to do this, thanks to humans breaking up their habitats to build roads, fences, … Continue reading "From Habitat Loss to Repairing Connectivity"

This episode features Miles O’Brien, a science journalist who has been a correspondent for PBS News and CNN. He talks about his experience breaking in to science journalism, past and current science reporting, public and political views of science, the value of scientific research, and some particular stories including beavers, prostheses, and climate change research in … Continue reading "Science Journalism with Miles O’Brien // Acetaminophen and Autism"

On this week’s How On Earth, Beth spoke with two cosmetic chemists, hosts of the podcast The Beauty Brains. We touched on some basic questions I have regarding some of the universe of products, such as shampoos, body lotions and sun screens. Beauty Brains Perry Romanowski and Valerie George, are both veteran cosmetic product developers … Continue reading "What About All Those Body Products We Buy?"

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"

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"

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"

US Critical Earth Metals “Hiding in Plain Sight”  (starts 1:00)  Colorado School of Mines has just published a new study that indicates the US has enough critical earth metals to stop importing them from other countries . . . if we develop the capacity. Bill McKibben – Here Comes the Sun:  A Last Chance for … Continue reading "Bill McKibben – Here Comes the Sun"

On this week’s show we replay an interview from two years ago with author John Valliant on his then-newly released book, Fire Weather, the story – and much more- of the groundbreaking wildfire that devastated the oil sands capital city of Fort McMurray in Alberta. Given the current outbreaks of Colorado wildfires, getting bigger and … Continue reading "Wildfires in a Changing Climate"

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"

The history of astronomy has many stories of trying to understand our universe, and those stories are connected by a common thread: looking at the sky, whether with our eyes or with increasingly powerful telescopes.  The newest entry in this telescopic journey is the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Located in Chile, this observatory has … Continue reading "The Vera Rubin Observatory"