Caption: Science's Alliances, Credit: Seth Shostak
Image by: Seth Shostak 
Science's Alliances 

Science's Alliances

Series: Big Picture Science
From: Big Picture Science
Length: 00:54:00

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A particle physicist-turned-U.S. Congressman, Muppets teach toddlers engineering, and other unique science pairings. Read the full description.

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Mom and apple pie. Computers and silicon. Martians and death rays. Some things just go together naturally. But how about science and politics? Science and religion? Science and fiction? These pairings are often unnatural and contentious … but they don’t have to be.
Discover how science can team up with other endeavors in productive, if surprising, symbiosis.
Meet a particle physicist, turned U.S. Congressman, who calls for more scientists on Capitol Hill. Also, a tour of the Golden Age of Islamic Science.
Plus, scientists named Elmo and Super Grover 2.0 teach small children to conduct experiments with the help of chickens and dancing penguins.
And, it’s not quite science but it’s not entirely ficition either: how sci-fi helps shape our cultural debates about the future.
Guests:
Bill Foster – Physicist and former U.S. representative from Illinois
Carol-Lynn Parente – Executive Producer, Sesame Street
Ranjana Mehra – Docent at The Tech Museum, San Jose, California
Brooks Peck – Curator, EMP Museum, Seattle, Washington

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Piece Description

Mom and apple pie. Computers and silicon. Martians and death rays. Some things just go together naturally. But how about science and politics? Science and religion? Science and fiction? These pairings are often unnatural and contentious … but they don’t have to be.
Discover how science can team up with other endeavors in productive, if surprising, symbiosis.
Meet a particle physicist, turned U.S. Congressman, who calls for more scientists on Capitol Hill. Also, a tour of the Golden Age of Islamic Science.
Plus, scientists named Elmo and Super Grover 2.0 teach small children to conduct experiments with the help of chickens and dancing penguins.
And, it’s not quite science but it’s not entirely ficition either: how sci-fi helps shape our cultural debates about the future.
Guests:
Bill Foster – Physicist and former U.S. representative from Illinois
Carol-Lynn Parente – Executive Producer, Sesame Street
Ranjana Mehra – Docent at The Tech Museum, San Jose, California
Brooks Peck – Curator, EMP Museum, Seattle, Washington

Broadcast History

new episode

Additional Files

Additional Credits

Seth Shostak - Host and Producer
Molly Bentley – Co-Host and Executive Producer
Gary Niederhoff – Producer
Barbara Vance – Production Assistant
Jay Weiler - Volunteer

Related Website

http://radio.seti.org