In The NOCO

KUNC

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

  1. 17H AGO

    How a Fort Collins writer found hope and healing on the Colorado Trail

    Just a note - today's episode touches on themes of depression and suicide.  Ten years ago, Colorado writer Becky Jensen’s life seemed great. She was raising two sons and engaged to be married. Yet, she was struggling quietly with depression and thoughts of suicide – although she didn't know why.   Hoping to find clarity, Becky decided to take a bold step: She shouldered a backpack and set out to hike all 500 miles of the Colorado Trail on her own. Along the way, she confronted dangers in the wilderness – and her own feelings of low self-worth and repressed trauma.   What began for her as an escape turned into a journey toward healing and, ultimately, a newly published memoir called No Man’s Land: Unpacking One Woman’s Worth on the Colorado Trail.   Becky joined Erin O'Toole to talk about her experience, and what led to her taking this unusual step toward self-discovery.  Becky will present a book talk and slide show at Wolverine Farm Publick House in Fort Collins on Thursday, April 9. And she’ll join Colorado Trail legend David Fanning at Old Firehouse Books (Fort Collins) for conversation on May 14. Find more upcoming author events at her website.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    9 min
  2. 1D AGO

    Steam power isn’t as clean as it could be. This CSU professor developed new technology to change that

    Steam powers much of the modern world. It drove the Industrial Revolution, and is still widely used to generate electricity, to sterilize equipment used in food production and medicine, and to heat and cool large buildings.     However, the traditional method of making steam hasn’t changed in more than 150 years. It involves burning fossil fuels like coal or natural gas to heat water in a boiler – a process which creates harmful emissions.    Which is why Todd Bandhauer felt that the old way was long overdue for an upgrade. He's a professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University, and co-founder and chief technical officer of a CSU spinoff company called AtmosZero.   He recently helped develop a method that uses heat from the air, rather than from burning gas or fossil fuels, to make steam generation cleaner. And Bandhauer thinks it could be transformative for manufacturing cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, heating college campuses, and brewing beer.    Bandhauer was recently named to the Time 100 Climate list, which recognizes innovations in clean energy.  He joined Erin O’Toole last November to talk about why making cleaner steam could be transformative for manufacturing around the world – and how it’s already being used at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins. We’re listening back to that conversation today.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    9 min
  3. 3D AGO

    Could baseballs with thicker seams help the Colorado Rockies find success this season?

    The Colorado Rockies play their first home game of the season on Friday. It’s a fresh start for the team after last season, which was the worst in franchise history.   Today, we’re talking about a rather bold  idea that might hold potential to change the team’s fortunes moving forward.  A routine part of the Rockies’ misfortunes is the fact that Coors Field sits a mile above sea level. Baseballs fly further here, which means more home runs. It also means pitches like curveballs have less curve to them, which makes life harder for the pitchers.  Colorado Sun reporter John Ingold looked into one possible solution: using baseballs with raised seams to increase the air resistance on fly balls – and make playing at Coors Field similar to what players experience at other ballparks.   John joined In The NoCo’s Brad Turner last September to talk about how it might work – and the science of playing baseball at this altitude. We’re listening back to that conversation today.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    9 min
  4. MAR 27

    Fewer new moms are dying in Colorado from accidental overdoses. This doctor thinks she knows why

    It’s a positive development in a grim trend we rarely talk about.    Across Colorado, fewer pregnant women and new moms are dying from accidental overdoses. The number of maternal overdose deaths dropped from 20 in the year 2020 to 8 deaths just three years later. That's a 60% reduction in the most recent years for which data is available.   Why that's happening isn’t totally clear. But a doctor who specializes in addiction treatment during pregnancy has a theory that involves Naloxone. That’s an over-the-counter medication that can stop or reverse the symptoms of an overdose by people who use opioids, including heroin or some painkillers.   Naloxone has become more widely distributed in recent years, but it's not without controversy. Proponents say it saves lives, while some feel it enables or perpetuates drug abuse.    Dr. Kaylin Klie, an associate professor of family medicine at CU Anschutz Medical Campus, thinks Naloxone may be behind the decline in maternal overdoses. She wrote about that in a recent piece for The Conversation.  She spoke with Erin O’Toole about her hypothesis – and what it says about how we address addiction.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    9 min
  5. MAR 25

    This doctor spent decades tracking what kills or poisons Coloradans. Here’s what he learned

    A poison control center is the place to call if your child accidentally swallows something dangerous, like paint or a detergent pod.    But the Rocky Mountain Poison Center based in Denver also tracks the things that poison Coloradans. It monitors prescription drug misuse, tracks new substances Coloradans might ingest, and helps hospitals treat venomous snake bites.  Dr. Richard Dart has led the center, which serves Colorado and three other western states, since 1992. In that time, he's seen a lot of changes, from how the center handles phone calls to how it trains the next generation of toxicologists.  Dart recently announced he’s retiring. Ahead of that, he joined Erin O’Toole to share more about how the things that sicken or kill Coloradans have changed in recent decades – and what drew him to this unusual line of work.  If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our recent interview with Stephen Mackessy, a researcher at the University of Northern Colorado who’s part of an international team developing more effective, less costly antivenom to treat venomous snake bites.   * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    9 min
  6. MAR 24

    These tiny, fossilized teeth found near Colorado Springs may rewrite our understanding of early mammal life

    A recent discovery by paleontologists working in Colorado is giving scientists a slightly revised history of primates. That’s the group of mammals that includes apes – and humans.   Scientists working at Corral Bluffs near Colorado Springs recently discovered tiny teeth and bone fragments belonging to a species called Purgatorius.   Purgatorius was an early and distant cousin of humans. It thrived 65 million years ago  – not long after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.  Purgatorius fossils had never been found as far south as Colorado before this recent dig. And scientists say the discovery suggests that, once dinosaurs were out of the picture, mammals may have thrived more quickly – and over a wider swath of the planet – than previously understood.  Jordan Crowell is a postdoctoral fellow with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, who worked with dozens of volunteers and other scientists on the dig near Colorado Springs. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about what they found, and why scientists are excited by the discovery.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    9 min
4.7
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

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