This is a Science Show

This is a Science Show

Author: Dustin Driver Language: English Episodes: 33
Dustin Driver hosts This is a Science Show, a space where curiosity meets conversation. It’s built on the idea that genuine discovery begins with admitting what we don’t understand. Each episode brings together leading researchers, thinkers, and storytellers to explore questions that sit at the intersection of hard science and human experience. You’ll hear discussions that range from the practical challenges of climate adaptation to the speculative futures of interstellar settlement and the long-term evolution of our species. This isn't just a lecture series; it’s a collaborative investigation into how scientific inquiry shapes our culture, our stories, and our society. The dialogue is grounded yet imaginative, always returning to that foundational moment of wonder. Tune in for a thoughtful and accessible journey through complex ideas, where every conversation is an invitation to think more deeply about our world and what lies beyond. This podcast thrives in the territory between known facts and the vast unknown, making the profound both engaging and relatable for anyone who’s ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.
Episodes
How do hydrogen cars work? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
The 2002 General Motors Hy-Wire was a hydrogen fuel cell car built to represent the future of GM—and automobiles in general. I got to drive the thing way back in 2002 during a press event. The Hy-Wire represented decades…
Can we burn metal as fuel? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:16
Even if we stick solar panels on every roof in the world, we’d still need a way to store energy to use when it gets dark. And a way to use that energy later to do more than just power a lightbulb—to do things like power…
What‘s a pandora moth? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:19
I caught the tail end of the Pandora moth outbreak on a recent visit to Bend, Oregon. I lived in Bend for almost five years without seeing a single Pandora moth. This summer I saw thousands littering the streets and park…
Can we go completely solar? With John McCone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:44
In this podcast I talk to scientist and philosopher John McCone about his excellent article “Blueprint for a Solar Economy.” John outlines a way to transition from fossil fuels to solar power using some of our existing f…
Will climate change destroy humanity? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:33
For the first time in human history, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is 415 ppm. But what does that mean? Are we doomed to suffocate under a blanket of carbon, slowly cooking to death as the planet melts away…
Superhero Science: Monica Rambeau aka Spectrum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:49
Carol Danvers isn't the most powerful Captain Marvel. That honor may just go to Monica Rambeau, the second Captain Marvel. She can transform into and manipulate any form of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
What‘s an analog computer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:14
Digital is the past—the future is analog. Crackling, hissing, buzzing, messy, full-spectrum analog. The arcane electronic contraptions put people on the moon and they could be the key to true AI, perfect biological simul…
Superhero Science: Captain Marvel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:07
She can punch through interstellar dreadnaughts like they were tissue paper, fire photon blasts that vaporize steel, and propel herself across the galaxy. She’s the most powerful superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Univers…
What is reality? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:54
Dreamworlds are notoriously fickle. They exist solely in our minds, and thus aren’t grounded in any objective reality. In a very real sense, the act of observing something in a dream DOES change it because the dream and…
Why is fusion power taking so long? With John McCone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
Holding a miniature sun in a magnetic bottle isn't easy. But that's how you make a fusion reactor. In this episode I chat with plasma physicist John McCone about the challenges of building a functional fusion reactor. We…