Episodes

Tom Zoellner, award-winning writer and Chapman University professor, joins AMSEcast to discuss his book Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World. He and Alan discuss the discovery of uranium, its radioactive nature, and its historical...

Alan takes a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to speak with Nicole Webster, the Manager of School and Teacher Programs, and Jennifer Collins, Learning Experience Manager for Exhibits and Initiatives. Broadcasting from the...

Materials scientist and BBC presenter Dr. Mark Miodownik joins AMSEcast to discuss his latest book, It’s a Gas. He explores the hidden world of gases, from steam’s role in electricity production to methane’s surprising history. The conversation...

Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator author Keith Houston joins us

Author Saul David talks about this book, Crucible of Hell: The Heroism and Tragedy of Okinawa, 1945

Dr. Ashley Stowe is the director of the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) at Y-12 National Security Complex, and he joins AMSEcast to discuss his career and the mission of Y-12. With a PhD in chemistry and an MBA, Dr. Stowe...

The DNA that makes you who you are

Ants and their giant world

Keith Houston is the author of Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator. He joins Alan on this episode of AMSEcast to discuss the history of calculating. From the ancient Lebombo bone to mechanical calculators, Keith covers the...

Alan Lowe, Executive Director of the American Museum of Science and Energy, launches AMSEcast Conversations with a compelling discussion on Jay Hakes’ book, The Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science from Eisenhower to Bush. The panel,...

Dr. Michael Muthukrishna, Associate Professor at LSE, joins Alan to explore his book, A Theory of Everyone. It reveals how cultural evolution—our “software” of beliefs, language, and logic—shaped humanity's unique trajectory. He explains the...

Santa's madcap meteoric flight

Alan, an ant enthusiast since childhood, is joined by Susanne Foitzik, author of Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors. She explains that while queens start colonies and lay eggs, they don’t control...

Tech gap of 25 years

Author Eric Jay Dolin discusses topics from his book, A Furious Sky: The 500 Year History of America’s Hurricanes

Dr. Rita Colwell is a pioneering scientist and professor at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins who has made groundbreaking contributions to microbiology and public health. She joins AMSEcast to discuss her experiences being the first woman...

Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails by author Camper English

Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb?

Renowned author and science historian, Joel Levy, shares his expertise on consciousness, intelligence, and the delicate dance between nature and nurture. Through his latest work, "Psychology for Busy People," the discussion traverses psychology's...

The Search for What It Means to Be Alive with author Carl Zimmer

Dr. Michele Gelfand is a cultural psychologist and author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers. She joins us to discusses how “tight” and “loose” cultures shape societies. Tight cultures, like Japan’s, respond to threats with strict rules and...

In this episode, Alan talks with Windell Oskay, co-founder of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. Windell discusses updating Make: The Annotated Build-it-Yourself Science Laboratory, a childhood favorite of his, to inspire today’s young scientists....

A truly incredible, candid, eye-opening conversation with Luis Elizondo

Dava Sobel is an American writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. Her books include , about English clockmaker ; , about 's daughter ; and The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the...