http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-979643.mp3
Albany, NY – OPENING BILLBOARD & EDUCATION HEADLINES - Glenn Busby (1:30)
ASTROBIOLOGY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SERIES
NEW TELESCOPES ARE HELPING SCIENTISTS DISCOVER MORE ABOUT HOW STARS AND PLANETS FORM
"THE BEST IS YET TO COME: NEW CHEMICAL MODELS OF STELLAR AND PLANETARY FORMATION"
Part One: Recycling Molecules and Dust Particles Into Future People, Plants, and Stars -
Sometimes, to find out more about our own planet and where we come from, we need to get off the planet and look elsewhere in the universe.
That's what our next guest does on a regular basis. Dr. Eric Herbst is an Astrochemist and Distinguished University Professor. Dr. Herbst is a Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Physics at Ohio State University.
Professor Herbst's major research field lies in the interdisciplinary area of molecular astronomy - the study of molecules throughout the universe, especially in regions in between stars, known as interstellar clouds. He's published well over 300 papers and given hundreds of invited talks at universities and conferences.
Today, in this first part of our two part conversation, among other things, we talk about how molecules and dust particles in space can be recycled into future stars, planets, and even people.
Glenn Busby reports. (13:30)
The preceding was made possible by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, through support of the New York Center for Astrobiology, located at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - in partnership with the University at Albany, the University of Arizona, and Syracuse University.
**(Attention listeners! For additional information about this story, or any of the other nearly 200 stories featured in this radio exclusive current Astrobiology series, and our past Origins of Life series, or if you would like to hear them again via your computer, the website given at the conclusion of the above segment is: www.origins.rpi.edu .)**
THE ACADEMIC MINUTE
"LEGOS AND CHEMISTRY " -
Another note from our TBOOK science folder. This week's Academic Minute professor explains the similarity between molecules and Lego bricks, and reveals how chemists use them to build new and useful compounds.
Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater is an Associate Professor of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Connecticut.
The Academic Minute is hosted by Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, a celebrated philosopher and medical ethicist, and President of Mount Holyoke College.
Segment Run Time: (2:30)
*(Attention Listeners! For more Academic Minutes, we invite you to visit our archives at: http://www.wamc.org/academic-minute.html .)*
STEM EDUCATION AND WOMEN IN THE SCIENCES -
Coinciding with our science education theme today, there's a growing national interest to steer more students and more women into STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
TBOOK speaks with Dr. Yvonne Spicer, Vice President of Advocacy and Educational Partnerships at the National Center for Technological Literacy, at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Glenn Busby reports. (3:38)
SHOW CLOSE - Glenn Busby. (1:30)