Professor Dave Debates

Electric cars are the future, this much is clear. All manufacturers are switching focus and discontinuing production on many gas-run models. This bodes well for a future completely independent of gasoline and other fossil fuels. So how does a car battery work? What innovations can we expect from this technology in the future? Let's talk to Jill Pestana, a materials physicist that develops lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles!

This episode features none other than my father, Vittorio Farina! He is an accomplished chemist that has been a global leader in the field of process development. Essentially, he really knows how to make drugs. In this episode we dive into his history as an Italian immigrant, his education, early employment, accomplishments and goals, and thoughts on the current status of the pharmaceutical industry. Whether you are interested in hearing about what chemists do, or just getting a little perspective on my family history, you'll want to listen to this one!

Human nature hasn't changed much in thousands of years, but society has changed dramatically, especially over the past few centuries. Has society advanced in such a way that it enhances our happiness, or does it detract? Does it bring us together, or does it isolate us? Does it enable us to actualize our potential or does it hinder and stifle our personal and spiritual growth? Of course the answer is somewhere in between, layered with nuance, but let's dive into the philosophy of it all. Here to help us out is Arash Kolahi, who is an economist and social theorist. His research focuses on economic theory, behavioral economics, human nature, psychology, and sociology, so he has a unique perspective from which to assess this very question. This one gets pretty heady, so strap in!

In the past 100 years, our understanding of the molecular world has grown immeasurably. So much so that we can synthesize essentially any compound we desire. We take advantage of this fact to synthesize drugs for the treatment of various diseases. How does this work? How do we know what molecule to make? What do these do in the body? How exactly do we make them, especially on an industrial scale? Let's chat with chemist turned businesswoman Carolina Amador about this whole show!

Eating is a major focal point of human existence. We all do it every day, and most of our social interactions are based around it. But many of us have an unhealthy relationship with food, which can sometimes qualify as an eating disorder. What are the different types of eating disorders? How does someone know if they have one, and what should be done about it? How do we treat eating disorders? Helping us with this is licensed therapist Kati Morton, who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, so let's get to the bottom of this!

In the vaccines episode we touched on the alleged link between vaccines and autism, so now let's look at it from the other perspective. What is autism? What is its cause? What does diagnosis and treatment look like? To help us understand this is Erin Nosco, a research coordinator at UCLA that is involved with autism research. After we get through the basics, we will revisit the alleged link with vaccines and examine a different angle. Have a listen!

Of all the places that are candidates for extraterrestrial life that we are aware of, Europa is the best. This moon of Jupiter harbors a subsurface ocean that is likely full of minerals, and thus may contain life, perhaps even complex multicellular life! Plans are under way to send probes Europa Clipper and Europa Lander to go gather data and get a closer look, so we may have more information very soon! On the show to tell us all about these missions and what we might hope to learn from them is Kevin DeBruin, a former NASA rocket scientist who worked as systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and that personally worked on these missions. What will we find on Europa? Let's talk about it!

There are a lot of things in this universe that we understand very well. But the thing that is understood the least might be human consciousness. Despite our intimate knowledge of brain structure and function, we still don't quite understand how the brain produces the subjective reality that we label consciousness. Well neuroscientist Joel Frohlich specifically studies consciousness, and he is here to tell us all about exactly what we know, how we know it, and what we have left to learn! Also check out the website Knowing Neurons for lots more information on the brain.

Anti-science mentality rears its head in many sectors of daily life, but none more so than in medicine. One ramification of this is the anti-vaccine movement. Thousands of people insist that vaccines are harmful, that they are linked to autism, and are clearly to be avoided. Is there any validity to this? Where did this sentiment originate? To help us talk through this is Kimberly Harrison. With multiple degrees in biology and research experience in the field, she can definitely help clear up this mess. She also operates the YouTube channel "Socratica" which is filled with a variety of educational tutorials, so if you're a fan of mine, check that one out too!

A lot of educators and YouTubers try to make science-themed music. Whether for entertainment or educational purposes, is this effective? Is it good practice in some other context? Ray Hedgpeth of the nerd-rock band The Amoeba People is an expert in this subject, and I'm no slouch either, being a lifelong musician. Fair warning, there is a lot of nerdy music talk in this one, but also a lot about our personal musical histories and so forth. It's a fun one!

There has been a pretty huge public backlash against genetic modification. Not just of crops, but of anything. But what is genetic modification? Is it dangerous? Is it important? What organisms have been modified so far? Let's get into this with Ian Street, a PhD biologist with a background in plant development. He knows his stuff, and after this episode you will too!

Are there any life forms out there, in our galaxy, or beyond? If so, are any of them intelligent and capable of communicating with us? If so, what are they like? And why haven't we heard from them? All of this is encapsulated by the field of astrobiology, and to help us navigate this speculative terrain is postdoctoral researcher and NASA program manager in the department of physics and astronomy at UC Riverside. We will talk about the requirements for abiogenesis, for subsequent evolution, the Drake equation, the Fermi paradox, you name it! This is my absolute favorite thing to talk about, so I hope you'll have as much fun as I did.

We've gotta find some new energy sources. Fossil fuels are in short supply, and they are causing devastating climate change. Renewables like wind and solar are on the rise, but what about nuclear fusion? I dunno, isn't that dangerous? What about all the disasters in the past? Well those were fission plants. What's the difference? What is fusion? How does it work? Are we close to mastering it? All these questions will be answered and more in today's episode! To help us with this is Peter Heuer, a PhD student in the UCLA High Energy Density Plasma group. Let's hear what he has to say!

The history of quantum physics is absolutely fascinating. In the early 20th century, brilliant minds did incredible work to bring about the greatest paradigm shift in the history of science, but they didn't always see eye to eye. Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr were colossal figures in this movement, and they had a number of amicable disagreements about quantum mechanics and what it said about reality. What were these debates all about and who was right? Our guest, Dr. Adam Becker, just published a book about precisely this subject, so let's hear what he has to say. And pick up a copy of "What is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics" wherever books are sold!

There are a lot of ways to teach science, but where does art fit into the mix? Can art be effective in not just inspiring people to learn science, but also in conveying scientific information? The short answer is yes, it definitely can, because that's precisely what Rachel Ignotofsky has done. Rachel is a New York Times best selling author and illustrator, and her books "Women in Science" and "The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth" show precisely how effective art can be in organizing and displaying scientific information in a palatable yet efficient way. Rachel stopped by for a chat regarding her process, as well as the challenges we face as science communicators. Take a listen!

There are various schools of thought when it comes to the treatment of animals. Some believe we shouldn't eat or kill them under any circumstance. Some believe we can eat animals, but should not mistreat them or hunt for sport. Some say screw it all, let's do what we want. How do ethics come into play? Is there any moral high ground when it comes to hunting? Let's hear what wildlife reporter and hunter Jason Goldman has to say about it!

These are tumultuous times! The country is divided, and no one has any idea what's going to happen next. It's not just about the presidency, there's too much money in politics, and a new crisis every week, it seems. In this episode we will ask one simple question: are things getting better, or are they getting worse? Listen in on my discussion with Jack Michelle and Brandon Burkhart so we can get to the bottom of this!

Humans know way too much science! At least in the sense that the public has great difficulty keeping up, and no one in the world can ever hope to know it all. But it's important to have a populace with modest science literacy, so how can we get them this information? What should scientists be doing to communicate their science, so that it's not all left to the Professor Daves of the world? Find out here, with our expert guest, Sarah Mojarad, who works at USC teaching graduate students how to communicate their science!

Whether you live in Southern California like me, or somewhere else, you may be aware of all the fires we keep getting down here. What's the deal with those, and what can we do to prevent them? Are prescribed burns a good idea? In other words, should we deliberately start fires? Let's talk about this with wildfire expert Chris Giesige! There's a lot to learn regarding the history of wildfires, and steps we need to take in the present to work and live with fire. Moderator Alan Peterson joins us, and there is much fun to be had.

Much misunderstanding surrounds mental illness in our society! What does it mean to be mentally ill? Are we all on some kind of spectrum? How do we diagnose and treat mental illness? There is so much to talk about, and talk we shall. Cara Santa Maria is a tremendously experienced science communicator, but she also has a masters degree in neuroscience, and is working on a PhD in psychology, so she has a lot to say on this subject, both from an academic and personal perspective. Moderator Jon Gabrus has some opinions as well, and there are a lot of fun tangents in this episode. But we do manage to make some very important conclusions regarding mental illness that everyone should be aware of!

You've seen it in your Facebook feed. People all around the globe believe there is no globe, but rather that our world is flat like a pancake! NASA is lying, the government is lying, airline pilots and stewardesses, they're all in it, and we're the chumps. To be fair, can you prove that the Earth is round? If you can't, you'd better listen to this episode and make sure! We hit all the major talking points for you. Billy Hubbard is a physicist, so he should know. Unless he's part of the conspiracy. Moderator David Huntsberger also has some ideas. But comedians might be in on it too. Who can you trust? Make up your own mind!

A large sector of society is absolutely convinced that the pharmaceutical industry, and by extension all of Western medicine, is evil, bogus, and out to get us. Is this completely true? Is this completely false? Is the truth somewhere in between? Let's get into this topic with David Leibly, a scientist working for a pharma startup. That may sound like an oxymoron, but not every pharmaceutical company is huge, some are teeny-tiny! Let's learn about how pharma works, so we can make more educated decisions about health and medicine!

The topic of male predatory behavior has been in the news for many months now, with more and more cases of women speaking out against their aggressors. Many of these cases are pretty cut and dry, but some of them have a bit more nuance to them, which bring up an important dialogue regarding what behavior is acceptable and what behavior is not acceptable. This problem is best framed around a discussion of consent. What constitutes consent? How does one give consent, and when is one able to give consent? How should one interpret consent from another? There is a lot more grey area than one might think, so let's go through some of the details together, with help from Wry, an expert on all things relationship paradigm, sex, sexuality, gender, kink/fetish, and otherwise! Note: This episode was taped prior to all the major stories coming out recently, so we didn't have an opportunity to comment on them unfortunately!

The scientific community is pretty unanimous in its agreement that climate change is happening, and that it is caused by human activity. But how do they know? What is the science exactly? What kind of data tells us what we know? If you had to follow something blindly, science would be it, but why stay blind? Let's learn the gritty details. Luckily we have biologist Brandon MacDonald here to tell us all about it!

Quantum mechanics is quite odd, and difficult to interpret! So difficult in fact, that physicists do not agree about what this area implies about the nature of reality. There are a number of camps: Copenhagen Interpretation, Many-Worlds Interpretation, Objective Reduction, and many more! Listen to Dave and his guests hash it out.

We all know that artificial intelligence is on the rise, but will this be the ultimate demise of mankind? Will AI liberate us from drudgery and help us manifest utopia, or will they try to destroy us Terminator/Matrix style? Let's get to the bottom of this!