BioTA Podcast J. Phil Gibson

What can an ancient bison skull tell us about human history? In this episode we talk with Dr. Leland Bement, an archaeologist from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey who helped in discovering the oldest intentionally painted artefact ever found in the US. Using techniques that included standard archaeological practices as well as interdisciplinary collaborations, Bement’s team was not only able to figure out the story of the Cooper Bison Skull, but they also got a window into the past to learn more about the Folsom people who painted it. 

What does brushing your teeth have to do with the search for extraterrestrial life? To answer that question, you have to shrink down and explore the microscopic world of bacterial biofilms. In this episode three microbiologists will guide us through the world of these fascinating microbial communities by looking at what they are, how they impact our health, and how they may be similar to the life we are looking for in outer space.  

What does it mean to be a scientist? How do you think about yourself as a scientist? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Bryan Dewsbury to explore what scientific identity is and what he has learned about its development through his Science Education and Society research program at Florida International University. Dive into how they are working to improve STEM education for everyone and support a diverse, inclusive space for the next generation of scientists.  

What are amphibians, why are they important, and how could a fungus be threatening their existence? Is there anything we can do to help them? We asked Dr. Cameron Siler and Jessa Watters from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History to answer these questions and more to help us learn if there is an amphibian extinction apocalypse , its causes, and potential solutions. 

Bees are important pollinators, and people often talk about saving them. But what does that mean? Which bees do we need to save? And how can we do that ? We explore these questions and more with Dr. James Hung a pollination biologist and bee expert from the Oklahoma Biological Survey.

Conservation often brings to mind protecting particular species, but we also need to protect the species they depend on to survive. In this episode, we talk with two biologists who are working to protect bears, martens, other mammals, and their habitats by studying the microbes that live in their gut.