Hooked on Science

In this episode, Julija talks with Ethan Ley, a Master's student studying Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota, about his weed science research (not THAT kind of weed). They chat about the importance of managing weeds in agricultural systems, what happens to herbicides over time, and some of the innovations that have come about because of weeds!

In this episode, Julija chats with Meghan Holst, a PhD student studying sharks and octopuses. They settles the debate over whether its octopuses or octopi, chat about what octopuses do with all those arms, and the some of the challenges of studying animals.

In this episode, Julija chats with Emily Schafer, a PhD student studying biomedical engineering at Northwestern University. Learn about how polymers are everywhere, what it's like having bottles of neurotransmitters laying around, and the challenges of communicating science through podcasting!

In this episode, Julija revisits her conversation with Celeste Labedz, a PhD candidate studying geophysics at the California Institute of Technology. Julija and Celeste chat about cryoseismology, how you can learn more about glaciers from seismic data, and how that data can be used to further knowledge of other glaciers!

In this episode, Julija chats with Dr. Vikram Baliga, who you may know from Planthrolopology, about his PhD research on urban landscape water conservation and a whole bunch about water in general. They talk about why there should be a scale for when there's too much water, how crops can spontaneously combust, and whether clickbait is the best way to communicate scientific information... we could probably just call this one story time with Vikram.

In this episode, we learn all about modern dating culture. Julija chats with Maria Stoicescu, a PhD student studying sociology at the University of Bucharest, about her research on Tinder. They chat about how dating apps have shifted the culture around dating and relationships and how factors like gender and use of a bio contribute to continued Tinder use and frustration. Trigger warning for sexual violence between 21:25 and 22:48.

Welcome back, to kick off season two we're all about good vibrations! In this episode, Julija chats with Celeste Labedz, a PhD candidate studying geophysics at the California Institute of Technology, about her seismology research. They chat a little about seismology in natural environments, a whole lot about the noise that humans make, and how that has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's a bonus episode! In this mini episode, Julija talks with Dustin Haraden again, but this time they focus on the conversation surrounding Open science and some of the issues of reproducing scientific research. Listen as they talk about paranormal research, printers uprising, and all the opinions that Dustin's dog has about Open science.

Have you ever been awake in a dream? No, this episode isn't about Inception, it's about lucid dreaming! Julija talks with Karen Konkoly, a graduate student at Northwestern University, about her research on communicating with people while they're dreaming. They cover who is pre-disposed to lucid dreaming, what to do when people are bad at math, and how to conduct a fun science experiment at home!

You've probably heard of tiny houses or seen one on Instagram, but have you ever really thought about the reasons why someone might want to live in one? In this episode, Julija talks with Alice Wilson, a PhD student in Urban Sociology at the University of York, about her tiny house research. Listen along as they chat about benefits, challenges, and demand for tiny houses in the U.K. and beyond!

We’re going on a field trip! Kidding… but we are going to learn a little about cultural identity in Eastern European countries and its connection with video game production. In this episode, we revisit episode 7, where Julija talks with Cullan Bendig, a Master’s student in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas-Austin, about his research on the interactions between game developers, players, and historical accuracy. 

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In this episode, Julija talks with Dustin Haraden about his research on teenagers, chronotype, and depression. Learn about how we were (probably) all teenagers at some point, the connection between potatoes and social media, revenge bedtime procrastination, and other random things that Julija learned about on the internet.

You can learn more about Dustin’s research on his website dustin-haraden.netlify.app or check out his podcast, You Can Grad School!

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In this episode, Julija talks with Alyssa Reynolds about her research on tornadoes. They touch on personal experiences with tornadoes and when using the internet on your phone was forbidden... and in some cases doing it anyway!

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Ever wonder how all those screens affect the way you process information? In this episode, Julija talks with Dr. Claire Segijn about her research on multitasking, multiscreening, and advertising. Learn how to optimize your information processing or how companies are using our automatic responses to make sure we're seeing their products! 

Since age is just a number, have you ever thought about how old your body actually might be? In this week's episode, Julija chats with John Gonzalez, a PhD student in the Yale School of Medicine about using epigenetics to identify biological age and how that relates to your risk of developing chronic disease. They also talk about some of the challenges of graduate school, fainting, and a little about Goop. 

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In this episode, Julija talks with Meghan Ward, a master's student at Laurentian University. They talk about how to identify a salamander, what it's like being known as the salamander people, and how you can create a new salamander habitat!

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Ever wonder how people can grow food when the temps are frigid? In this episode, Julija talks with Daniel Handeen, Greg Schweser, and Carol Ford about their work on deep winter greenhouses. Learn about the challenges of building a passive solar design and all about the possibilities of growing crops year round!

You may have heard of a kiwi fruit, but have you heard of a kiwiberry? In this episode, Julija talks with Seth Wannemuehler, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota, about his research on kiwiberries, why we would even want to grow them in Minnesota (hint: they taste like a tropical vacation), and all the information he needs to collect before we can even think about growing them.

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You should probably eat more cabbage (and kale and brussels sprouts and broccoli), but why? In this episode Julija talks with Dr. Ilse Renner about her PhD research on glucobrassicin in cabbage and how it's affected by sunlight quality. Tune in and you'll learn what glucobrassicin is, why it's good for you, and how farmers might be able to make their plants produce more of it.

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Happy 6th month podcast-iversary! To celebrate this amazing milestone, let's revisit pennycress, camelina, and soybean and meet a new friend... (or arch enemy?) along the way. Tune into this week's episode with Cody Hoerning while Julija finds out how that sentence really ends.

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In this episode, Julija talks with Dr. Anna Wallingford, an Extension and Integrated Pest Management Specialist at the University of New Hampshire, about how she researchers new ways to manage those pesky creatures we call insects.

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Bacteria often gets a bad rap because we associate them with illness, but did you know they can actually be helpful? From plants to space to the human gut, the benefits of bacteria are bacteria are endless. On this week's episode, Julija talks with Dr. Jeremy Chacon about his research on genetic data to predict how scientists can use bacterial colonies to their advantage to fortify potatoes in agricultural fields.

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Do you remember glucosinolates from Episode 2? And the plant breeding pipeline from Episode 4? Well get ready to put those concepts together, and add a few new ones, as Julija talks with Dr. Katherine Frels about her winter oilseed breeding program. They talk about what makes Katherine's crops so stinky (Hint: it's the glucosinolates) and the coordination it takes to successfully transition a crop from weed to seed.

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Today we get down to buzzness talking about pollinators (get it?). In this episode Julija talks with Lauren Agnew, a PhD student in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota, about her research assessing roadsides as potential sites for pollinator-friendly wildflower plantings.

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It's time to learn again! In this episode, Julija chats with Dr. Jason Smith, who recently graduated with his doctor of theology from the Committee on Religious Studies at Harvard University, about a poem from the 5th century... talk about staying power. Tune in to learn about how this text has transcended language, region, and religion.

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We’re going on a field trip! Kidding… but we are going to learn a little about cultural identity in Eastern European countries and its connection with video game production. In this episode, Julija talks with Cullan Bendig, a Master’s student in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas-Austin, about his research on the interactions between game developers, players, and historical accuracy.

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Soybeans need some space! Just kidding, but they are affected by the spaces that they're grown in. In this episode Julija talks with Leanna Leverich, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota, about her research on variable rate seeding, machine learning, and soybeans.

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Have you ever wondered what it takes for grapes to go from vine to table? In this episode Julija talks with Anna Underhill, a member of the grape genetics research unit at the USDA in Geneva, NY, about her research on automation in detecting powdery mildew on grape leaves. Tune in and you'll learn a lot about grapes and a little about robots.

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Do you hear that buzzing sound? Have we been droning on too long? In this episode, Julija talks with Austin Dobbels, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, about how he uses drones and imaging technology to select soybean lines that are tolerant to iron deficiency and what soybeans are even used for.

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You may have heard of a kiwi fruit, but have you heard of a kiwiberry? In this episode, Julija talks with Seth Wannemuehler, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota, about his research on kiwiberries, why we would even want to grow them in Minnesota (hint: they taste like a tropical vacation), and all the information he needs to collect before we can even think about growing them.

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You should probably eat more cabbage (and kale and brussels sprouts and broccoli), but why? In this episode Julija talks with Ilse Renner, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, about her research on glucobrassicin in cabbage and how it's affected by sunlight quality. Tune in and you'll learn what glucobrassicin is, why it's good for you, and how farmers might be able to make their plants produce more of it.

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Welcome to premier episode of Hooked on Science! The paparazzi are here and we're rolling out the red carpet for wild blueberries. But what's a wild blueberry? Consider this episode your one-stop shop to learn about how wild blueberries are different from the blueberries you buy in the produce section at the grocery store, why they're almost exclusively produced in Maine, and the types of research conducted on them. 

In the age of information, it's hard to keep up with research going on in the world. Is it legit? Or is it just click bait? Every Wednesday, join Julija Cubins, a doctoral student and life-long lover of science, as she interviews expert guests who are conducting interesting and impactful research. Whether you're already hooked on science or you just want something to talk about at lunch tomorrow, this is the podcast for you. 

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