Below is a list of all guests that have been interviewed on the Mindcast, arranged by last name. Also included are their occupations and status at the time, what episode(s) they can be heard in, and what was discussed during those interviews.
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Dr. Rob Atwill, CE Specialist/Asst. Veterinarian |
| School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis |
| Faculty page |
Episode #60: What is going on with the E. coli in the Salinas Valley getting on our spinach? Rob Atwill is going to find out.
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Dr. Michael Behe, biochemist, cdesignproponentsist. |
| Lehigh University |
| Faculty page |
| Episode #N/UP (May 2005) |
| There’s nothing like getting a creationist laughing at their own argument, more or less. Okay, so it was a funny picture, but it deflated his argument, and he thought it was funny. |
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Ed Brayton, Freelance writer and speaker, co-founder of Michigan Citizens for Science. |
| Michigan |
| Dispatches from the Culture Wars blog |
Episode #64: Discussion with Philip Johnson
Episode #65: On opposition to evolution, the Dover case, and Michigan weather. |
| His first interview was cut short, so he returned for the following week for a longer spot. Ed Brayton knows alot about law, and frequently writes about how science, law, and culture intersect. There’s a lot more at his blog, so check him out! |
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Dr. Ignacio Chapela, Mycologist, Biotech critic. |
| UC Berkeley |
| Faculty page |
| Episode #N/UP. (July 2005) |
| His research on “GMO contamination” in mexican corn was the subject of much controversy mostly because his methodology was criticized, but also because it was being used for advocacy. Months after this interview, his research was falsified, and there has been no public comment (to my knowledge) from him addressing that. |
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Dr. Douglas Cook, Plant Pathologist, Professor |
| UC Davis |
| Lab website |
| Episode #45: Grapes, legume symbiosis, and wine and honey flavor! |
| I used to work in Doug Cook’s lab for a couple years as an undergrad. So when I asked him for an interview he was more than willing. In this show, he answered the question as to how a lab could go from legumes to grapes - two completely different kinds of plants! It all depends on what tools you can use to study them! |
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Dr. Jonathan Eisen, Researcher in Microbial and Comparative Genomics. Open-Access Advocate |
| UC Davis |
The Tree of Life blog
Eisen Lab on OpenWetWare |
| Episode #60: Microbial Genomics, Open-Access Science Journals |
| I could see my bee boxes in the EC Gardens from his office! He also had a really cool chess set made from lab microware, and has a lot of thoughts on genomics and other areas of science. Definitely check out his blog! |
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Kevin Eslinger,
Graduate Student, transportation studies. |
| UC Davis |
| Page |
| Episode #37: All about hydrogen fuel cells, and are we focusing too much on them? |
| What similarities are there between hydrogen fuel cells and the mitochondria of our own cells? Listen to the show! |
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Douglas Everett, Radio Personality. |
| Davis, CA |
| Radio Parallax |
| Episode #71: Pseudoscience, doing radio science, butterflies and bees, and Ediacarans |
| It was great to meet and chat with Doug before I took off to Madison. Ever wanted to know how to pronounce “Ediacaran?” Listen and find out! We might do some more cooperative stuff in the future - who knows! |
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Dr. Andrew Frank, Inventor, Professor |
| Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, UC Davis |
| Faculty page |
Episode #33: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars
Episode #N/UP. Followup. (Fall 2006)
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| This guy loves what he does, and is quick to laugh at the antics of American car makers and politicians. |
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Dr. Richard (Rick) Grosberg, Evolutionary Biologist, Professor. |
| Evolution & Ecology, UC Davis |
| Faculty page |
| Episode #9: Evolution, In-utero cannibalism in snails, and more! |
| I took Evolution and Ecology 100 with Rick, and it was a great class - also had one of the heaviest loads of homework, I might add. This photo is a cobble of two of his photos available - he’s sitting on the Burgess Shale in the bottom right! |
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Sean Hanser, Graduate Student, studying the language of whales. |
| Animal Behavior, UC Davis |
| No website, currently. |
| Episode #31: The vocalizations of Humpback Whales, Dolphins, and Elephant Seals. |
| An Amazing interview! In order to get as many sounds in the show as possible, he became the host and I became the engineer. Definitely a must-download! |
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Dr Philip Johnson, retired Law Professor,
cdesignproponentsist. |
| Berkeley, CA |
| ARN profile page |
| Episode #64: Intelligent Design, discussion with Ed Brayton. |
| I added a special commentary to the end of the episode, debunking some of the statements made. Some were over the top. Also, listen for some crazy disco music from the original Battlestar Galactica Soundtrack… timed perfectly! |
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Dr. Ellis Jones, Sociologist, Author. |
| UC Davis |
| The Better World Handbook |
| Episode #72: The Better World books, and the sociology of SciFi. |
| I call him “California” Jones because he likes being called “Dr Jones” and is never seen without his hat. That and it works with an Indiana Jones show theme! Listen in and find out how your dollars can help change the world. |
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Dr. Daniel Kammen, Professor |
| Energy and Resources Group, RAEL, UC Berkeley |
| Faculty Page, RAEL |
| Episode #34: Renewable Energy, and the energy gain of biofuels. |
| If you have ever heard that biofuels cost more energy to produce than you get out of them, listen to this interview! |
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Dr. Deborah Kimbrell, Entomologist |
| UC Davis |
| UC Davis listing |
| Episode #44: Here fruit fly research on board the Space Shuttle, Science funding. |
| She wished she could go on the space shuttle with her flies - and I wish I could use her NASA centrifuge to spin honeycomb. |
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Dr. John Z. Kiss, Plant Biologist |
| Miami University, Ohio |
| Faculty Page |
| Episode #44: His “TROPI” experiment sent up in the Space Shuttle, Science funding. |
| He’s wearing a Star Trek emblem and may not have noticed! |
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Deborah Koons Garcia, Filmmaker, biotech critic. |
| Marin, CA |
Lily Films
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| Episode #N/UP: conversation about The Future of Food. (April 2005) |
| A revealing interview, that necessitated a follow-up. Check back in a few months and it may be up! |
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Dr. Gregory Lanzaro, Director of the UC Mosquito Research Program |
| Vetrinary Medicine, UC Davis |
Faculty Page
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| Episode #N/UP: West Nile Virus, genetically engineered mosquitoes. (Fall 2006) |
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Dr. Belinda Martineau, Author. |
| Davis, CA. |
First Fruit (Amazon.com)
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| Episode #0: Discussion and Debate on GE foods with Rick Roush. |
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Nick Matzke, counter-creationism geek. |
| Oakland, CA. Now attending UC Berkeley. |
| Writes frequently at The Panda’s Thumb |
| Episode #66: The history of creationism, and how Nick was able to directly link Intelligent Design to it’s Creationist Past. |
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Dr. Ken Miller, Cell Biologist, textbook and nonfiction Author, Expert Witness. |
| Brown University, Providence RI. |
| Ken Miller’s Evolution Page |
Episode #63: Evolution and Religion
Episode #N/UP: Discussion with PZ Myers on Evolution, religion, and atheism. |
| Great to have met him and glad he could spend time discussing both the public issues and the personal. His talk in Davis had no mention of the controversial phrase about atheistic interpretations, and he was also well received. |
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Chris Mooney, Journalist, Author. |
| Washington, D.C. |
| The Intersection |
| Episode #67: The Republican War on Science, politicking science, and what’s coming up next at the Intersection of Science and Politics. |
| I met Chris in San Francisco on one of his book tours, and although we were unable to set up something for Sonoma County (my home county, too), it was still great to see him speak and get his autograph. |
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A Mosquito Menagerie: Vicki Kramer, Dr. Sharon Lawler, Jim Northup, and Dr. Rick Roush. |
| Only in Davis, CA! |
| Fight The Bite |
| Episode #47: A Mosquito Menagerie. |
| I “beamed up” four local experts to discuss the contentious issue of spraying the City of Davis with pyrethroid pesticides to kill mosquitos and stop the spread of West Nile Virus infections. The KDRT studio worked wonderfully with the most guests I’ve had at once! |
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Dr. Deborah Kimbrell, Entomologist |
| UC Davis |
| Directory Page |
| Episode #44: Why send fruits flies up in the space shuttle? Do you know what happens when you get sick in space? That’s why. |
| When in got in touch with Deborah on a busy day at NASA, I almost didn’t have an interview, but then I mentioned a jar of honey was involved… “Let me call you back.” |
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Sheril Kirshenbaum, Associate in Research in Ocean and Coastal Policy and science blogger. |
| Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University |
| Blogs: The Intersection, and Correlations |
| Episode #78: Science Debate 2008 |
| A fun person to talk to! We probably spent half of the time on the phone actually doing the interview, and the rest chatting about science journalism, science in politics, and the intimate details of sea cucumbers. Some of the sea cucumber details made it into the interview. |
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Dr. Eric Mussen, Extension Apiculturist. (Connects beekeepers to bee research) |
| Entomology, UC Davis |
Faculty Page
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| Episode #35: Honeybee contributions to society, bee diseases, native bees. |
| At first thought, it seemed that people wouldn’t be interested in honeybee diseases, but then CCD hit. |
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Dr. PZ Myers, Animal Developmental Biologist, Blogging Powerhouse, Creationism Debunker. |
| Morris, MN |
| Pharyngula |
Episode #63: Evolution and atheism, blogging about science, and creationists.
Episode #N/UP: Discussion with Ken Miller about evolution, religion, and atheism. |
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Philip Neustrom, Founder of the Davis Wiki, and now, Wikispot. |
| Davis, CA. Now living in San Francisco. |
| Davis Wiki page |
| Episode #46: A Wiki Odyssey - all about the power of the wiki as a tool for spreading information and building communities. |
| aka “Ace” Philip Pet Detective, for finding my cat Simba when she went missing in the summer of 2005, thanks to the page I put up on the Davis Wiki. He donated his reward to the wiki, too! |
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Dr. David Osleger, Geologist, Professor. |
| Geology, UC Davis. |
Faculty Page
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| Episode #36: Where oil comes from, and what peak oil means for the world. |
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Terry Riley, Composer |
| Richmond, CA |
Website
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| Episode #N/UP: All about his composition, Sun Rings, including exclusive clips! (July 2005) |
| It was a delight to have Mr. Riley on the show - and to get a signed CD of clips of his Sun Rings composition. You will not want to miss this one - Sun Rings has never been recorded for sale. |
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Kim Stanley Robinson |
| Davis, CA |
Davis Wiki page
Wikipedia Page |
| Episode #N/UP: Talked about his book, Fifty Degrees Below, the politics of climate change, ruminations on science fiction, and Michael Crichton. |
| How would you feel if there was a science fiction author living in your backyard and you didn’t know it? And in a tree no less? Oh wait, his latest book’s main character lived in a tree. Still, Stan Robinson is a local treasure, and it was great to meet him and get him on the show! |
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Dr. Rick Roush, |
| UC Davis until 2007. Now in Australia. |
Lily Films
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Episode #0: Discussion and Debate on GE foods with Belinda Martineau.
Episode #47: A Mosquito Menagerie |
| A revealing interview, that necessitated a follow-up. Check back in a few months and it may be up! |
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Dr. Pam Ronald, Plant Geneticist. |
| UC Davis |
| Ronald Lab website |
| Episode #N/UP: |
| Pam Ronald argues that genetic engineering and organic agriculture are not only compatible, but fit together logically. She and her husband, an organic farmer, will have a book coming out in 2008 about combining GE and organic. She’ll be back on the show soon! |
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“Adrian Saint” (Amir Ghasri), Mentalist, aka STAGE MAGICIAN. |
| Davis, CA, when interviewed. Now in Orange County, CA. |
| The Saint Twins |
| Episode #39: Super Bowl “prediction” revealed. |
| Claimed to have predicted the Super Bowl, then later, claimed that he didn’t and it was the Aggie’s fault. Six months down the road, a friend happens to call him up as part of a job, and finds out he’s still clinging to having “predicted the super bowl.” Now works as a DJ, but hey - he and his brother’s website keeps changing colors! |
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Dr. Richard Sayre, Botanist, Professor |
| The Ohio State University |
| Faculty Page |
| Episode #42: The importance of Cassava, and engineering giant Cassava plants |
| Biofortification is a very important concept on the horizon - fortifying our foods with nutrients engineered into them. Richard works on biofortification of Cassava - and hear about the giant cassava plants he wowed the world with! |
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Dr. Kirsten Sanford and Justin Jackson, Co-hosts of This Week in Science. |
| UC Davis, Davis CA. |
This Week in Science
The Bird’s Brain, Kirsten’s blog |
| Episode #73: Science on the Radio, controversies, and how cooler KDRT’s studio is. |
| Great to meet and talk to Kirsten and Justin (glad Justin could make it, too), and share interviews on each of our shows. This Week in Science is funny and informative, check them out, and perhaps more collaborations are foretold in the heavens. |
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Dr. Neil Shubin, Co-discoverer of Tiktaalik roseae, Paleontologist and Evolutionary Biologist, Author. |
| University of Chicago. |
Faculty Page
Tiktaalik Website
Your Inner Fish. (Amazon) |
| Episode #76: Your Inner Fish: what Tiktaalik and other fossil finds teach us about ourselves. |
| This guy found the Darwin Fish itself, and took the time to write a book to help people understand more about the significance of this finding! He continues to mount expeditions to the Canadian Arctic to search for more interesting finds like this one. |
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Dr. Chris Turney, Paleoclimatologist. |
| University of Woolongong, Australia |
Website
Bones, Rocks, and Stars. (Amazon.com)
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| Episode #40: Everything you wanted to know about dating rocks, fossils, and Hobbits. |
| First international interview! Chris’s SciFi analog has got to be Dr. Who. |
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Dr. Geerat (Gary) Vermeij, Geologist and Evolutionary Biologist. |
| UC Davis |
Faculty Page
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| Episode #27: Are some of the traits that evolve inevitable? How do similar traits evolve multiple times? Yes. Here’s How! |
| What would sound like a boring, obscure paper was in fact a treasure trove of new ideas about human evolution. A MacArthur Genius Award recipient, Gary also spoke at an AGASA event about evolution, spoke for HAGSA, and TWIS also picked him up. Getting popular, Gary! (SciFi analog, Geordi La Forge.) |
No Recording Available
Computer glitches, memory holes, and other malfunctions sometimes lose interviews. These are some people who have been interviewed on The Inoculated Mind where the only record is in the minds of the participants and the lucky listeners who were tuned in at the time.
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Dr. Andreas (Andy) Albrecht, Theoretical Physicist. |
| UC Davis |
| Faculty Page |
Episode Topic: Reason to Believe’s panel discussion aftermath, discussion with Fuz Rana.
(February 2005) |
| Dr. Andreas Albrecht also agreed to do an interview about theoretical physics in the future - but I had to leave Davis. He’s good on the radio, so he might still come back! |
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Steve Bash |
| Sacramento, CA. |
| The Information Exchange |
| Episode Topic: Biodiesel in the backyard, and on a larger scale. (April 2005) |
| Steve organizes a biodiesel cooperative in Sacramento, and has made several presentations on it in the last few years. Sorry, the picture is a newspaper scan. (not mine) |
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Dr. Dan Potter, Agricultural Ecologist, Evolutionary biologist. |
| Dept. of Pomology, UC Davis |
| Faculty Page |
Episode Topic: Reason to Believe’s panel discussion aftermath, discussion with Fuz Rana.
(February 2005) |
| Dan Potter studies the evolution of plants, the phylogenetic relationships between different groups of plants, and loves peaches. He and Andy Albrecht did a great job both as panelists, and on the show, too bad it didn’t get saved! |
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Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana, biochemist, Old-Earth Creationist. |
| “Southern California” |
| Reasons to Believe |
| Episode Topic: Reason to Believe’s panel discussion aftermath, discussion with UC Davis scientists. (February 2005) |
Something good about him: Honestly admits that it’s about creationism and the supernatural. (refreshing compared to Intelligent Design)
Something bad: Makes fallacious arguments, pseudoscientific, claims expertise where there is none. Yes that is his real nickname. |
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Dr. Bruce Winterhalder, Cultural Anthropologist. |
| UC Davis |
| Faculty Page |
| Episode Topic: The strange mating habits of… Homo sapiens! (January 2005) |
| Bruce was my first scientist interviewee, and it really showed. Half of my questions were “What do you find most fun about…” but we did a pre-interview and it all flowed smoothly. Three words you don’t often find together: Human Behavioral Ecology. |