Cool Science Radio

NHMU executive director and entomologist Jason Cryan highlights Bug World, a new blockbuster exhibition opening at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Built by the special effects studio behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” the exhibition brings the hidden genius of insects to life at a jaw dropping scale.

University of Chicago professor Eric Oliver explores what it actually means to know yourself, and why so many people feel quietly dissatisfied even when life seems fine.

Author and science historian Oren Harman explores why metamorphosis is one of biology’s greatest mysteries, and what radical transformation can teach us about identity, survival and change.

Author and professor emeritus Christopher Cokinos explores the moon’s enduring pull on human imagination, science and culture. Drawing from his book "Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon, from Antiquity to Tomorrow," he reflects on how our closest celestial neighbor has shaped belief systems, space exploration and questions about responsibility as humanity prepares to return.

Dr. Vanessa Chang explores how human bodies and technologies have always shaped one another, and why intelligence must be understood as embodied, relational, and deeply human.

Neurobiologist Dr. John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist, and bestselling author of Brain Rules, where he translates cutting-edge neuroscience into practical insights about learning, memory, focus, and everyday life.

Nematodes make up the vast majority of animal life on Earth, yet most people have never heard of them. A new study explores how these tiny organisms thrive inside the Great Salt Lake’s microbialites, shedding light on extreme ecosystems, ancient life and the collaborative nature of modern science.

Spinosaurus is one of the most famous and least understood dinosaurs of all time. New research and reconstructions reveal how fragmentary fossils, lost specimens and evolving science have shaped what we think we know about these strange, sail-backed predators.

Author and technology executive Fred Voccola explains why AI First organizations are already seeing dramatic productivity gains and why companies that fail to adapt may not survive the next decade.

Battery innovation is moving beyond chemistry alone. Thomas Bishop, founder and CEO of Park City-based Paleblue Batteries, explains how advances across battery systems, from cells to management electronics to device design, are shaping the future of portable power.

Dr. Catriona Wallace discusses the ideas in her new book, “Rapid Transformation,” which outlines a science based framework for accelerating leadership development. Wallace explains how ritual, awakened thinking and emerging technology can help leaders adapt more quickly to social and technological change.

Author Matthew Cobb discusses his forthcoming book, “Crick: A Mind in Motion,” which explores the life, collaborations and the scientific breakthroughs of Nobel laureate Francis Crick.

Christopher Gregg explores the surprising genetic links between humans and hibernating animals, what these discoveries reveal about resilience and how this emerging science could transform medicine.

Geologist Jeff Moore explains how vibration analysis, usually used on natural arches and rock formations, is revealing the hidden biomechanics of the saguaro cactus.

Powder Watts founders Thomas Clardy and Kai Kuck discuss how rooftop heat cables became one of the largest hidden sources of winter energy waste and why computer vision and automated control can turn a long-ignored system into a valuable tool for grid stability.

Author Alex Pentland discusses how modern technology often overlooks community, why shared stories drive human behavior and how AI can be redesigned to strengthen collective understanding instead of eroding it.

Acclaimed author Simon Winchester discusses “The Breath of the Gods,” his sweeping new book on the power, mystery and history of wind, and how it continues to shape civilization, climate and conflict.

Monterey Technologies’ Todd Cloutier and Tom Sharkey explain how human-centered design and human engineering shape everything from submarines to software, ensuring complex systems help people make better, safer decisions rather than overwhelm them.

Science journalist Asher Elbein explores a radical new theory that life’s complexity may have emerged more than once on Earth. New evidence from billion-year-old Gabonese fossils could rewrite evolutionary history. Then, long-time tech industry insider and Park City resident Don Stanger discusses the growing reliance on microchips throughout just about every major industry in the U.S. He tackles the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the U.S. and how it is interconnected with the microchip industry.

Geoscientist Gabriel Bowen discusses new research revealing that human activity has pushed Utah’s Great Salt Lake into a state unseen for at least 2,000 years. Then, astrobiologist Caleb Scharf discusses his new book, "The Giant Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life," exploring how humanity’s expansion into space represents a profound new phase in the story of evolution itself.