PODCAST · science
Spark Science
by Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff - Western Washington University
Our tagline is sharing stories of human curiosity. We want to make science more accessible and less intimidating. This is done by sharing narratives that include scientists’ backgrounds, humor, work, and struggles. We strive to humanize the “scientist” so that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) may become relatable and welcoming.
Episodes
-
Speculative Fiction
Do you like Sci-Fi and Fantasy? Then you like Speculative Fiction and so do we. Dr. Lysa Rivera joins us again, after being one of Spark Science’s first guests, to talk about the history of Black and Brown voices in this genre and to also share some great recommendations, beyond Octavia Butler....
-
Misinformation
Why do people believe false stories on social media? Who is most susceptible to misinformation or to the more malicious version, disinformation? In this episode, we speak with Ph.D. candidate in Cognitive Psychology at Northwestern Nikita Salovich. Her research on how “fake news” grows and how we...
-
mRNA Vaccines
“Which one did you get, Pfizer or Moderna?” This was the big question at the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout but how do these vaccines work? Why do they have to be kept at ultracold temperatures? What is mRNA? These questions are answers in this episode featuring WWU Biology professor and…
more -
COVID-19 Follow-up with Dr. Vijai Bhola
It has been a year since we have talked with Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Vijai Bhola. He is now our go-to regular medical doctor to answer our questions about the pandemic one year in. We discuss the various vaccines, the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic on different populations, and...
-
Perseverance and the Martian Clock
What is “Mars Time”? Are you excited about machines flying on another planet? Or Martian rock coming back to Earth? If you are curious about spacecraft on the Red Planet then check out our Season 7 Premiere featuring one of the best communicators in town, NASA Scientist and Western Washington...
-
Conservation in Zambia
For our Season 6 Finale, we speak with conservationist, storyteller, filmmaker and fellow pop culture enthusiast, Luwi Nguluka. She shares her path from medicine to wildlife activism. Luwi is the co-founder of "Women For Conservation", Zambia's first network for women working on wildlife...
-
Nature Photography & The Philippines
The old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words" explains how photography can create conservation stories accessible across cultures. Our guest for this episode uses beautiful images to help save wetlands around the world. Gab Mejia is a National Geographic Explorer, Nikon Ambassador for Asia,...
-
Student’s Stories S6- Part 3
Backyard Botany & Birdsongs - In the first segment WWU student Liz Cunningham interviews a local expert about how a love for gardening can help science spread. The second segment shares how bird and whale song expert Dr. John Bower became an ornithologist at Fairhaven College.
-
Sharing Science Part 2: Trust w/ Dr. Maktoufi
What makes people accept scientific information? This episode is part 2 of our short Sharing Science series where we talk to researchers who study how science is communicated. Our guest is Dr. Reyhaneh Maktoufi a Civic Science Fellow at NOVA and a producer for Story Collider. She is also an…
more -
Sharing Science Part 1: Humor w/ Dr. Yeo
How do we humans interact with scientific information? This episode is part 1 of our short Sharing Science series where we talk to researchers who study how science is communicated. In this episode, our guest is Dr. Sara K. Yeo from the University of Utah. She specializes in Science and Risk...
-
The Past & the Periodic Table
The year 2019 was hailed the International Year of the Periodic Table. Western Washington University professors staged a reenactment at the Spark Museum featuring the scientists credited with the creation of the Table of Elements in 1869. Spark Science was lucky enough to get a few of them into…
more -
Coastal Communities & Clam Gardens with Dr. Marco Hatch
What are clam gardens? Join us on Spark Science’s first research field trip up the coast of Vancouver Island, BC. Dr. Marco Hatch answers this question by showing us a day in the life of a marine ecologist. We learn about clam habitat and how people have been managing these beaches for thousands…
more -
The Road to the Red Planet
For our 100th episode, our first and most frequent guest is back, Dr. Melissa Rice. Days before quarantine, we entertained a live audience at WWU with stories of missions past and details about the future Mars Rover launching this July. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Rice’s work you…
more -
Student’s Stories S6- Part 2
Who shapes the lives of science students? Here at WWU, two students edited and produced podcasts for their final project in a spring science communication course. They decided to feature the people they admire. This episode features physics major Chase Boggio interviewing WWU physics professor…
more -
Beyond the Blues with Dr. Sis
When you think of winter in the Pacific Northwest, what comes to mind? Snow, rain, darkness? Many people think of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is why we held and recorded a LIVE show at the start of 2020 to share tips on how to deal with SAD, depression, grief and anxiety. Our guest…
more -
Imagery and Imagination - Geek Girl Con
We return to GeekGirlCon, an annual fall convention in Seattle that celebrates the various identities of geekdom, to showcase how curiosity combines with costuming, chemistry, ceramics, and computer-generated reality. This is our second episode covering 2019 GeekGirlCon. To find out more about…
more -
Bugs, Bytes and Books - Geek Girl Con
What do all of these things have in common? GeekGirlCon. This annual fall convention in Seattle celebrates the various identities of geekdom and in this episode, we showcase how bugs can help kids through adolescents, how easy it is for children to connect science to the everyday world and the…
more -
Viruses & Vaccines with Dr. Vijai Bhola
During this global pandemic, do you want to hear directly from a medical doctor who specializes in infectious diseases? We did. While stuck at home inundated with COVID-19 news, we thought it would be nice to learn from and get to know one of the people on the front lines. Join us for an…
more -
Lazers and Laughs with the Exploratorium's Dr. Desiré Whitmore
What do the Atomic Bomb and one of the first hands-on science museums have in common? The answer and a whole lot of geeky fun can be found in our interview with Dr. Whitmore. We discuss the language of science, the movie Real Genius, and our favorite Star Trek episode. To find out more about the...
-
Student’s Stories S6- Part 1
How different are people's paths into science and what are students going through right now? Each spring Spark Science host, Dr. Barber DeGraaff, teaches a science communication course where students can create podcasts for a final project. This episode features WWU student Khleo Isaguirre...
-
Teamwork & Teeth: A Science Story about Giant Pouched Rats with Dr. Danielle Lee
What is it like to study and handle the African giant pouched rat? How do these rodents interact with humans? Dr. Danielle Lee returns to Spark Science to answer these questions by sharing an experience that you won’t forget. Dr. Lee was a keynote speaker at the National SACNAS Convention in...
-
Community & Combinatorics with Dr. Pamela E. Harris
What can we do to build confidence and community in Science and Math? What is the mathematical field, combinatorics? Dr. Pamela E. Harris, assistant professor of mathematics at Williams College, answers these questions in our season premiere of Season 6. Dr. Harris was a keynote speaker at the...
-
An Interview with Mars Rover Team Member, Dr. Melissa Rice
Robots on Mars! This isn’t science fiction or the future; this is now. We are lucky enough to have NASA scientist, Mars rover team member, and extremely talented science communicator Dr. Melissa Rice share her knowledge for our Season 5 finale. We talk about studying the scientists that operate…
more -
A Sense of Belonging with STEM Educator Dr. Bryan Dewsbury
What does it mean to educate? This is the question Dr. Bryan Dewsbury asks everyday. Check out our conversation with this amazing Biologist, Science Communicator, and STEM education scholar as we discuss belonging, sharing science and TV. To find out more about the film - “Can We Talk? Difficult...
-
Animating Molecules with Dr. Janet Iwasa
What if diagrams in biology textbooks were animated and could be viewed from any angle? Dr. Janet Iwasa, Molecular Animator, TED fellow and Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Utah, explains how she began creating 3D animations and the impact within current medical research.…
more -
The Neuroscience of Cannabis
How does pot affect the brain? We love showcasing interesting research happening at Western Washington University and we get an answer to this question from a WWU neuroscientist who researches how cannabis affects the brain Dr. Josh Kaplan. For more information on Dr. Kaplan’s work go to...
-
The Difficulties and Triumphs of Space Travel with Casey Dreier
Are you fascinated by space travel? We are, and so is our guest, Planetary Society’s Chief Advocate, one of the featured experts on Nat Geo’s show MARS and podcast host on Planetary radio, Casey Dreier. This conversation covers the struggles involved in journeys past our atmosphere but also the...
-
Science, Music & Studies with Dr. SAMMUS
Music is a science! Many of us see this connection. SAMMUS does. She is a rap artist, producer and at the time of this recording finishing her PhD in Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University. Together we dissect academia (those ivory towers), her path and the music industry. She is…
more -
The Beauty of Gravitational Waves with Corey Gray
Gravitational Waves are ripples in space, distortions in reality as we know it. Learn more about this ground-breaking physics from Corey Gray, Lead Operator at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in Hanford, Washington in this episode. Corey has been featured by NPR --...
-
A Golden Age of Discovery with Dr. Lauren Esposito
Who wants to pet a scorpion? Our guest does. Dr. Lauren Esposito was a keynote speaker at the national SACNAS convention and spoke with us about how she is only one of a dozen scientists who study scorpions, what are some misconceptions about these creatures and also how she is a founding member…
more -
The Father-Daughter Dance - Daughters take the lead
How do you explain science to your family? How has science helped your health or relationships? We talk about this and gut microbes with the amazing Dr. Kat Milligan-Myhre at the SACNAS National Convention in San Antonio. We also had the pleasure of speaking with Minerva Contreras who was...
-
Talking Games & Chaos Theory at Geek Girl Con
Science, games, comics, any part of geekdom - Are they strong parts of your identity? If so, you will love this show about the annual Seattle convention, Geek Girl Con. We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. J. C. Lau about the mission of Geek Girl Con and video game development. We also met…
more -
Giant Pouched Rats & Decolonizing STEM with Dr. Danielle N. Lee
Did you know rats in Tanzania are saving lives by detecting landmines and tuberculosis? Our guest Dr. Danielle N. Lee shares with us her work with giant pouched rats and her work on decolonizing STEM. This is our first interview at the 2018 GeekGirlCon. Check out the rest of Dr. Lee’s TED talk...
-
Seismology & Volcanology with Dr. Caplan-Auerbach
What is the most common or dangerous geologic hazard in your region? Can you name the nearest Volcano to Bellingham, WA? We enlist the help of WWU’s own Dr. Jackie Caplan-Auerbach and students on campus to answers these questions. We also talk about Dr. Caplan-Auerbach’s research on underwater...
-
An interview with Engineer & WWU President, Sabah Randhawa
What is it like to be entrusted with running a university while being originally trained as an engineer? Check out our 4th Season Finale where we interview WWU President Sabah Randhawa. We discuss science's origins related to the leisure class, parking optimization and how training in science,...
-
Path to Med School
Is there one clear path to take to med school? WWU biology major, Nicole DeRaimo interviewed two other WWU students about their path and plan to go to medical school. Nicole created this podcast in Science Communication 497 taught by Spark Science Host Dr. Barber DeGraaff. Each student has…
more -
Neuroscience & Sci Comm: Mirror Neurons & WWU Research
How can we watch an action and instantly know how to do it? What about 'Empathy' in humans? What kind of research is happening on the Western Washington University campus? Listen to this episode to find out. Outstanding Behavioral Neuroscience (BNS) graduate, Anna Marie Yanny, interviews BNS…
more -
Interview with Nobel Laureate, Bruce Beutler
Immunology, Tay Sachs, vaccines and the feeling of intimidation when interviewing a person who has won a Nobel prize are the topics of this episode. Dr. Beutler, who was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with another researcher, came to Bellingham, WA in 2018 and I have a few...
-
Geohazards in Washington State
Student correspondent, Andra Nordin, attended the 2018 Geohazards Symposium and spent many hours putting this show together. She spoke to scientists about a range of natural disasters and how to prepare for these events. Please enjoy.
-
Solar Thermal Fuels
In this episode, we share the work being done by Dr. Tim Kowalczyk at Western Washington University (WWU) in relation to Solar Thermal Fuels. We break down what this term actually means. We also go back in time and discuss Dr. Kowalcyzk's unconventional path to physical chemistry. Here is a short...
-
Being a Women in Physics at WWU
This episode turns the table on the Spark Science interview process. WWU Women in Physics students Grace Eliason and Megan McAndie interview their WWU Physics professors, Dr. Kristen Larson & host Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff. We talked about family life, paths to physics, being yourself in physics...
-
Planetary Geochemistry & Nuclear Physics - LPSC Interview #2
In the second episode featuring LPSC, Natalie talks to Chris Klein a planetary geochemist about Titan and Thomas Humphry Prettyman about using nuclear physics to understand the asteroid Ceres. We also revisit the question "what are biosignatures?" Spark Science Student Correspondent & Chief Audio...
-
Life on Other Worlds - LPSC Interview #1
Spark Science Student Correspondent & Chief Audio Engineer, Natalie Moore, traveled to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) this Spring to present research. In the first episode featuring LPSC, Natalie talks to Geologist & Astrobiologist Martin Van Kranendonk about hot springs on…
more -
Algae Biofuels
This episode features Chemist Dr. Greg O'Neil from Western Washington University. We also have our co-host Jordan Baker back in the KMRE studios. Dr. O'Neil talks about his lab where he creates biodiesel and jet fuel from algae. We discuss scientific conventions dedicated to fuel and the...
-
Materials Science & Mars - Interview with Dr. Sierra Sastre
This episode features another keynote speaker at the 2017 SACNAS National Convention, Dr. Yajaira Sierra Sastre. Dr. Sierra Sastre is a material scientist currently working at the US National Treasury and was selected for the first Mars analog mission funded by NASA. We have a great conversation...
-
Hollywood & Molecular Biology - Dr. Janet Iwasa
This episode features an interview with Dr. Iwasa from University of Utah School of Medicine. She specializes in data visualization using Hollywood and video game techniques to create animations of systems of molecules. We recorded on location in a restaurant in Salt Lake City. We apologize for…
more -
Ethnobotanist - Dr. Rosalyn LaPier
This episode features the first of our interviews from our annual SACNAS National Convention show. This conference is the largest gathering of scientists of color in the nation and we had the honor of interviewing keynote speakers. Today's speaker is Dr. Rosalyn LaPier who is an award-winning...
-
Sustainable Tiny Houses
This episode features work at WWU to create homes sustainably on a smaller scale. We talk with Dr. Imran Sheikh and Kellen Lynch from Project ZeNETH (Zero Net Energy Tiny House) about environmental science, who is really a "scientist" and the need/audience for tiny homes. This episode was...
-
Cassini Mission: Celebration of Life
Friday, September 15th, 2017, Spark Science and the Planetary Society held a public wake at the Shakedown in Bellingham, WA, to celebrate the life of the Cassini Mission -- a 19-year space mission to study Saturn and its many moons. This episode features the eulogies read by Planetary Society’s...
-
Ken Liu: Talking Science & Fantasy
In this episode, we talk with award-winning author Ken Liu. His short story, "The Paper Menagerie", recently read by Levar Burton, is the only story to win the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. We talk about how this moving tale has touched so many people and also learned more about how…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Our tagline is sharing stories of human curiosity. We want to make science more accessible and less intimidating. This is done by sharing narratives that include scientists’ backgrounds, humor, work, and struggles. We strive to humanize the “scientist” so that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) may become relatable and welcoming.
HOSTED BY
Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff - Western Washington University
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Spark Science have?
Spark Science currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Spark Science about?
Our tagline is sharing stories of human curiosity. We want to make science more accessible and less intimidating. This is done by sharing narratives that include scientists’ backgrounds, humor, work, and struggles. We strive to humanize the “scientist” so that STEM (science, technology,...
How often does Spark Science release new episodes?
Spark Science has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Spark Science?
You can listen to Spark Science on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Spark Science?
Spark Science is created and hosted by Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff - Western Washington University.
URL copied to clipboard!