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Locally Sourced Science

LSS 71: To the moon and beyond

October 21, 2019
LSS 71: To the moon and beyond

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  • Beth Ellen Clark Joseph
  • Zoe Learner Ponterio
  • Lisa Kaltenegger

This week we go to the moon and beyond, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. 

Astronaut Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin beside the U.S. flag during an Apollo 11 mission

Meaghan McElroy talks with Beth Ellen Clark Joseph , a physics professor at Ithaca College and a mission asteroid scientist for NASA. They discuss the OSIRIS-Rex mission to land on the asteroid Bennu and what that mission might tell us about the universe.

Also, Esther Racoosin talks with Zoe Learner Ponterio, manager of the Spacecraft Planetary Imaging Facility at Cornell. She curated a collection entitled “Postcards from Beyond: A Timeline of Exploration,” a selection of scientifically valuable and incredibly beautiful images captured in space. 

Finally, Faez Bakalian talked with Lisa Kaltenegger, an Exoplanet Expert and director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, about the ingredients necessary for life on Earth and other planets.

The show was produced by Patricia Waldron.

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LSS 70: Climate Change research and a new book

October 8, 2019
LSS 70: Climate Change research and a new bookBuz Barstow, © CALS Communications and Web Team

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Mark Sarvary interviewed Buz Barstow about his research on genetically  enhancing photosynthesis to mitigate  climate change.

Mark also shares a short interview with Anne Armstrong, from Cornell’s Dept. of Natural Resources, co-author of, Communicating Climate Change: A guide for educators (available for download).

News items prepared by Luisa Torres, science events by Patricia Waldron, and the show was produced by Esther Racoosin.

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LSS 69: Carbon makes dirt rich

September 23, 2019
LSS 69: Carbon makes dirt richSoil at Cornell’s Musgrave Research Farm in Aurora, New York. by Kitty Gifford

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In our first segment, you’ll hear Locally-Sourced Science contributor Mark Sarvary.  He went to view the documentary “Dirt Rich”.  In his feature, Mark plays a little of the film and speaks with the organizers and invited panelists (New York Soil Health Co-PI David Wolfe, Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming executive director Elizabeth Gabriel, and Remembrance Farm co-owner Nathaniel Thompson) who are teaching that the soil ecosystem is the largest carbon sink that we can increase quickly.

Chris Sinton photo provided by Ithaca College
Chris Sinton, Ithaca College

Later on in the show, you’ll hear Meaghan McElroy’s interview of Chris Sinton, Associate Professor and Chair, Environmental Studies and Science at Ithaca College. He talks about why it is important for communities to retain forests as a way to help mitigate climate change.

Producer:  Esther Racoosin

Producer “Dirt Rich” Segment:  Mark Sarvary

Producer of Chris Sinton interview:  Meaghan McElroy

Science News:  Patricia Waldron

Science Events Calendar:  Luisa Torres

Photo of hand holding soil:  Kitty Gifford

Photo of Chris Sinton:  Ithaca College

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LSS 68: What I did last summer!

September 3, 2019
LSS 68: What I did last summer!Luisa Torres

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In this episode of Locally-Sourced Science, we feature a guest podcast from four college undergraduates who took part in a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates at Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research.  Marty Alani, Erica Sawyer, Stefanos Stravoravdis, and Chris Morales Farfan, guest producers for Locally-Sourced Science, talk about their summer research, their thoughts about plant science and what kinds of science experiences they will seek out in the future.

Later on in the episode, we interview Dr. Luisa Torres, about her summer experience participating in the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship.  During her fellowship, Luisa was an intern at National Public Radio, or NPR, and wrote for the NPR blogs NPR’s blogs ‘Shots’, ‘goats and soda’ and ‘The Salt’.

Finally, Patricia Waldron reports on local science events.

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