Shows
Designing Science ConversationsEpisode 8: Constraints with Dr. Nicolas BonneThe value of constraints is often overlooked and, today, we delve into the pros and cons with someone who followed his passion for astronomy despite the constraints of his visual impairment. Dr. Nicolas Bonne is an astronomer leading the Tactile Universe Public Engagement Project and is the Public Engagement and Outreach Fellow at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. In this episode, we learn how Dr. Bonne’s route to acquiring his Ph.D. inspired his focus on developing tactile astronomy-related resources to help blind and vision-impaired people engage with current topics. We discuss the translation aspect of co...
2022-11-0737 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 7: Create with Bill DiamondArguably humanity’s greatest question in the realms of science, philosophy, and religion, is, “Are we alone in the universe?” Our guest today has committed his life to the investigation of the possibility of life and intelligence beyond Earth. Bill Diamond is the President and CEO of the SETI Institute and, in this episode, he takes us behind the scenes of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. We learn about technological signatures and the definitive sign of life that the discovery of a techno signature would imply. Bill explains the Drake Equation and the way it informs the research conducted by the...
2022-10-3149 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 6: Change with Dr. Grant WarnerThere is nothing as equally unsettling and necessary as change, particularly in the world we live in today. Joining us to discuss the welcome changes in the fields of science and innovation, is the Director of Innovation at Howard University and member of the National Faculty of the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps program, Dr. Grant Warner. Dr. Warner opens up the conversation about failure as a signifier of change and shares his view on the mindset shift required in the academic world regarding failure. He provides insight into the military’s approach to innovation, explaining why it’s impo...
2022-10-2534 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 5: Context with Dr. Kim ArcandThe lens through which we view the objects of our curiosity informs the context, as do the spaces in which we choose to converse. In this episode, we look at the topic of context from various angles, with astronomical insight from the one and only Dr. Kim Arcand, Visualization Scientist and Emerging Tech Lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. We discuss the mnemonic quality of space and the role of context in communication before Kim shares similarities between the micro and the macro, and the comfort she found in shifting from microscope to telescope. Kim’s role as a da...
2022-10-1045 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 4: Script Spotting with Dr. Evren TokEffective communication is challenging within a culture, but what about between cultures? Can we use traditional methods of communication to have the vital conversations needed to drive innovation? These are some of the questions we delve into in today’s conversation with Dr. Evren Tok, as we unpack the concept of script spotting. Dr. Tok is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Innovation and Community Engagement at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and is also the Lead Project Investigator for Qatar National Research Priorities Program on localizing entrepreneurship education. Dr. Tok has a passion for understanding and designing ways fo...
2022-10-0340 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 3: Clarity with Madeline AshbyIn this episode of Designing Science Conversations, we are very lucky to welcome science fiction writer, consulting futurist and speaker Madeline Ashby to talk to us about the theme of clarity. Madeline is the co-author the recent How to Future: Leading and Sense-Making in an Age of Hyperchange, and we delve into some of these themes in a fascinating discussion covering ideas about gender, utopia, truth, and vulnerability. Madeline makes some very interesting points about the need for an unflinching view of future possibilities, and how this sort of clarity can allow us to really get to grips with...
2022-09-2650 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 2: Creative Listening with Julianne Holt-LunstadWhat is the level of connection between our health and the way we relate to a community or the individuals around us? This area of inquiry is gaining more momentum, and here on the show today we have the wonderful Julianne Holt-Lunstad, whose primary area of research is concerned with these links. We have a conversation under the broader banner of the power of creative listening as a means for unpacking and dealing with modern traumas, and Julianne expertly shares some of her ideas on loneliness, isolation, and depression, especially in light of the era of the pandemic. We...
2022-09-1939 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 1: CommitmentWelcome to the first of our podcast series on human-centered science communication. Joining us today to broadly cover the topic of commitment, is Cornell University Design and Environmental Analysis student, Brandon Hoak. In this episode, we discuss the role of commitment in conversation and the conversations required for the ecological restoration that Brandon is so committed to. Brandon provides some practical examples of ecological restoration and the benefits thereof, outlining the factors that drive people’s complacency towards a shift to natural landscapes. We discuss the historical tendency for humans to re-engineer the earth for our purposes, and the de...
2022-09-1235 minDesigning Science ConversationsEpisode 0: A Conversation StarterThis podcast mini-series began as a design research project to explore an approach to science communication for a more human-centered ‘science conversation.’ We partnered with author and designer Fred Dust to record conversations with scientists and the listening audience about their questions, challenges, and achievements. After recording 8 episodes, we took a moment to reflect on the experience we shared and more perspective on what we learned. And this is the introduction to Designing Science Conversations.
2022-09-0212 min
When Science SpeaksScience as a Startup with Nic DiPalma This week's episode features Nic DiPalma, founder and CEO of SpacetimeLabs, a creative agency for science. SpacetimeLabs develops advanced communications for science and research to connect with the public through art, design, and creativity. Nic also is Principal and Executive Creative Director at Nic DiPalma Creative, which is a design consulting group focused on accelerating client creativity and building a culture for developing innovative ideas through web design, motion graphics, design systems, and training. On today's episode, we discuss: SpacetimeLabs' focus, which is particularly important these days, as communicating w...
2020-11-2034 min