WesternU Science
We live science every single day but we take for granted that the world around us and how we think about it is constantly changing. Join Western Science Speaks with host Henry Standage, as he talks with geneticists, astronomers, software developers, evolutionary mathematicians, synthetic chemists, geologists, and a variety of other experts working together to answer humanity's most interesting and important questions, because, behind all the formulas and graphs, sciences is our past, our present, and our future.
Miss an episode? Catch up today on our wide range of topics in science, relevant to a broad spectrum of listeners.
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 21 minutes
- Episodes
- 45
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2021
WSS S5E11: How Insects Listen to the World Differently
Did you know that some humans can sing two different pitches at once? Or that tree crickets invented speakers long before we did? What about how some species have ears in their mouths and on their fe…
WSS S5E10: Holiday Wrap Up - The Best of Health Research
The end of the year is a time to reflect, and Western Science Speaks is looking back at some of the incredible science research we’ve had the privilege of bringing you. Focusing on health research, o…
WSS S5E9: Classifying New Viruses Within Minutes!
What happens when you combine computer scientists, evolutionary biologists, and a global pandemic? A game-changing classification tool. A collaborative team, co-led by Dr. Kathleen Hill and have dete…
WSS S5E8: Start Your Engines: The F1 of Bird Migration
Dr. Chris Guglielmo studies the process of migration in birds. However, while most researchers heavily focus on the flight, Chris focuses on the pit stops. Those pivotal breaks between long flights w…
WSS S5E7: Sharks Get Lonely Too
Paul Mensink, a marine ecologist from Western's Department of Biology, tracks sharks that have strayed far away from their natural habitats in order to cope with unsustainable conditions – usually br…
WSS S5E6 Halloween Special: Fright Night Explained
Our Halloween Special of Western Science Speaks includes Western University researchers Dr. Liana Zanette, Dr. Yolanda Hedberg, and Dr. Lyle Muller. Our guests join the show to talk about how fear ev…
WSS S5E5: Under the Radar: Living, Breathing Detection Signals
Radars keep us informed - whether it be day-to-day, allowing us to predict the weather, or warning us of potentially catastrophic large-scale threats looming out in space. Western University Physics …
WSS S5E4: Microplastics Are Everywhere (Including Your Food!)
When Western Earth Sciences professor Patricia Corcoran takes time off from discovering new plastic forms on the shorelines of our beaches and lakes, she chooses to educate and explain why the plasti…
WSS S5E3: Can Metals Help Heal our World?
Precious metals don’t just exist in Lord of the Rings. Western University researcher Martin J. Stillman joins the show to detail how antibiotics are able to morph themselves into the perfect puzzle p…
WSS S5E2: Mining Our Own Stories
Dr. Bob Linnen, an economic geologist from the Department of Earth Sciences, joins the show to discuss the state of mining in Canada, the tech-building materials that are prompting a modern gold rush…
WSS S5E1: Lessons from the World's Smallest Monarchy
Dr. Graham Thompson from the Department of Biology joins Western Science Speaks to compare and contrast the social hierarchies of humans and bees. Dr. Thompson also describes the evolution necessary …
WSS S4E12: The Next Hubble: The James Webb Space Telescope
One year in advance of the James Webb Space Telescope's official launch, Western Science Speaks is thrilled to be joined by Prof. Els Peeters, for an all-you-need-to-know audio exhibit of the revolut…
WSS S4E11: Can I join? The Social Behaviour of Animals
Dr. Anne Simon joins Western Science Speaks to talk about the processes within group behaviour in a variety of animals. Later, Dr. Simon talks about her own research with fruit flies and the impact o…
WSS S4E10: Will you be my Valentine?
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amanda Moehring and Geoff Wild join Western Science Speaks to discuss mating, courtship, and everything you need to know about love.
WSS S4E9: Ground Up Perspectives: Projecting the Future of Plants
Professor Dani Way from the Department of Biology joins the show to discuss her work predicting future climate realities on Earth - and what that means for our plants and trees.
WSS S4E8: Don’t Blink: How Living Species Deal with the Rapid Evolution of Parasites
With a population in the millions of trillions, parasites are able to evolve at a faster pace than just about anything on Earth. Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, joins the Western Science Speaks Podcast t…
WSS S4E7: Are we alone? Examining the recipe for intelligent life in the universe
Dr. Jan Cami joins the podcast to discuss the origins of life on Earth, the process of finding other Earth-like planets, and the likelihood that we will ever find company out in the Universe.
WSS S4E6: Earth, Wind, and Fire: New Perspectives on Mining
Dr. Nigel Blamey joins the podcast to discuss the challenges facing the mining industry, what a mass extinction caused by gas would look like, and how oxygen has evolved.
WSS S4E5: Meteorites Tell the Story of the Solar System
Dr. Desmond Moser joins the podcast to explain how his latest paper, detailing the analysis of meteorites, can explain the history of Earth, and all our neighbours in the solar system.
WSS S4E4: The Rise of Fish Farming in Canada
Dr. Bryan Neff from the Department of Biology joins the podcast to discuss the rise of sustainable fish farming in Canada, why we’re hesitant to eat genetically modified food, and his research in res…