Emerging Science Episodes

Season 1:

• Episode 1 - Nanotechnology
  Nanotechnology is our ability to engineer specific attributes of materials and machines by controlling their features at an amazingly small scale -- one billionth of a meter. At UVM, a scientist gives a glimpse of how nanotechnology may increase the efficacy of cancer drugs.
• Episode 2 - Weather
  Weather and Climate Change Scientists from UVM, Lyndon State College, and the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury explain how the earth’s climate system works and explore the impact of global warming.
• Episode 3 - Water
  This episode explores a complex system --- the Lake Champlain watershed. UVM faculty collaborate, using their expertise in geology, hydrology, ecology, computer science and other disciplines to develop complex modeling. Their work will help to quantify human impacts on Vermont’s water systems.
• Episode 4 - Wireless
  Looks at how remote wireless sensing is being applied to enhance health and quality of life. One example is monitoring the strength of structures like bridges. In other applications, computer scientists are developing ways to monitor environmental conditions and natural resources.

Season 2:

• Episode 1 - Energy
  Host Amy Seidl visits with Vermont scientists to explore the history of energy in human society, examining how we use energy and the challenges and opportunities associated with adapting to new, renewable sources. Included: how Vermont scientists are contributing to the growth potential of wind energy and helping redefine the electric grid to accommodate alternative energy sources.
• Episode 2 - Food Webs
  This episode explores two Vermont “food webs”: the aquatic food web of Lake Champlain and the terrestrial food web in the time since wolves disappeared from the Vermont landscape. While food webs can be relatively simple to understand, Vermont scientists are delving into their complexities by modeling one of the smallest self-contained food webs known: the aquatic habitat in the pitcher plant.
• Episode 3 - Technology of Scoial Sciences
  What are the technological tools used by today’s social scientists to understand the behavior of large populations? This episode explains how Vermont scientists are studying child behavior and "teaching" robots how to learn. Also, a look at how the Internet is affecting our behavior and how data mining enables scientists to understand the collective behavior and emotions of hundreds of thousands of people.
• Episode 4 - Transportation
  This episode starts with a lesson in how the combustion engine works, then investigates the challenges of continued dependence on gasoline vehicles in the face of climate change and declining oil reserves. Also, a look at emerging transportation alternatives including electric vehicles and a renewable system called "vehicle-to-grid".
• Episode 5 - Fresh Water
  This look at one of Vermont's most plentiful resources also includes a broader discussion of the status of fresh water across the U.S., and highlights case studies and research programs - from coastal Maine to the Mississippi bayou to the dry landscapes of the West. What are scientists doing to ensure clean water for our future?

Season 3:

• Episode 1 - Disease Origins and Transmission
  Infectious diseases such as SARS and the H1N1 virus seem to be on the rise across the globe. This episode explores the science of disease origins and transmission with much of the current research occurring in Africa.
• Episode 2 - Food Pathogens
  From tainted spinach to recalled hamburgers to peanut butter, there seems to be a growing incidence of health scares involving salmonella,e-coli and other food borne illnesses. This episode explores the science of identifying and tracking food pathogens in the U.S.
• Episode 3 - Ecological Economics
  Bob Costanza and Jon Erickson from the University of Vermont's Gund Institute explain the concepts of ecological economics - a different framework to answer the age-old economic question: how do we allocate scarce resources to create alternative desirable ends? As a case study, the program explores a new interdisciplinary UVM study in the emerging science of biofuels.
• Episode 4 - Astronomy
  This episode explores the wonders of the cosmos with two of Vermont's leading astronomical physicists. John O'Meara of St. Michael's College is using infrared technology to view galaxy formations 12 billion light years away. Joanna Rankin of the University of Vermont is using radio astronomy to explore one type of celestial body - the pulsar. Also, visits with astronauts Alan Bean and Jerry Carr.

Emerging Science Podcasts

Season 1:

• Accurately Predicting Weather with Mark Breen, Sr. Meteroligist, Fairbanks Museum
• Complex Systems - Water with Mary Watzin, Dir. Rubenstein Eco Science Lab, UVM
• Land Development and Water Quality with Beverly Wemple, Geography, UVM
• Nano Technology - Fighting Cancer with Chris Landry, Professor of Chemistry, UVM
• Nano Technology - Hydrogen Production with Walter Varhue, Engineering UVM
• Sensor Technology - Snow & Water with Christian Skalka, Computer Science UVM
• UV Radiation & Greenhouse Gases with Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, VT Climatologist
• Wireless Sensor Devices with Steve Arms, President Microstrain, Inc.

Season 2:

• Aquatic Food Web with Ellen Marsden, Wildlife & Fisheries Program, University of VT
• Electric Vehicles with Stephen Miracle, Founder Miracle Energy Systems, LLC
• Electric Vehicles with Steve Letendre, Professor, Green Mountain College
• Energy, Smart Grids with Paul Hines, School of Engineering University of VT
• Food Webs, Carnivorous Plant with Nick Gotelli Professor of Biology, University of VT
• Robots with Josh Bongard, Department. of Computer Science, University of VT
• Sociology.com with Peter Dodds, Dept. of Mathmatics & Statistics, University of VT
• Wind Capture Invisibility with John LaRue, President Natural Horizons

Season 3:

• Astronomy and James Hartness with Alex Leonenko, Owner of Hartness House
• Cosmology with John O'Meara, Assistant Professor Physics St. Michael's College, VT
• Disease Tranmission with Michel Masozera, Natural Resources, University of VT
• Ecological Economics with Heather Darby, Agronomist, University of VT Extention
• Ecological Economics with Jon Erickson, Managing Director of the Gund Inst. at UVM
• Food Pathogens with Jane Hill, Assistant Professor of Engineering, University of VT
• Food Pathogens with Ken Puzey, Founder, QuantaSpec, Inc.
• Pandemic Respsonse Plan with Al Turgen, Emergency Planning Working Group, UVM
• Predicting Maralia Outbreaks in Africa with Arne Bomblies, CEMS, UVM
• Pulsars with Joanna Rankin, Professor of Physics & Astronomy, UVM

Vermont EPSCoR

• WCAX news clip of VT EPSCoR 2007 Grant. - 9/28/2007

• WPTZ news clip of VT EPSCoR 2007 Grant. - 9/28/2007

Streams

• Vermont EPSCoR's Streams Project- VPT

• Macroinvertebrates as Bio-indicator of Pollution - Natalia Santiago-Merced

• Phosphorous Ban on Lake Champlain (WCAX) with Mary Watzin - 6/20/2010

• Streams Interns at Johnson State College (WCAX) - 11/18/2009

Complex Systems Modeling for Environmental Problem Solving

• Vermont EPSCoR's Complex Systems - VPT

Integrated Research on Water in the Environment

• WPTZ Trout Eggs in Lake Champlain with Ellen Marsden

• WPTZ Lake Trout in Lake Champlain with Ellen Marsden

• WPTZ Tench Found in Lake Champlain with Ellen Marsden

• Mt. Lake Journal - Invasive Species with Ellen Marsden

• WPTZ Flood Study - with Paul Bierman 10/24/2002

• WPTZ Water Runoff - with Paul Bierman 6/20/2002

North East Cyberinfrastructure Consortium

• NECC Press Conference - October 28 2010