For the Love of Science

The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute

5.0 (3)
EARTH SCIENCES

Welcome to For the Love of Science, a podcast from The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. In this show, we hear directly from the institute's scientists, engineers, and mission specialists about the groundbreaking research they’re doing right now in earth, environmental, and space sciences, and learn about what their work can teach us about our Earth and our universe.

08/02/2023

How to Build a Research Institute, in 30 Short Years

In this special episode, hear the story of BAERI’s founding from the founders themselves: husband and wife team Robert Bergstrom and Sharon Sittloh.

17 min
04/20/2023

Planet Twins and Martian Winds

In this episode we hear from planetary scientist Victoria Hartwick who works with the Mars Climate Modeling Center at NASA Ames. The conversation includes a discussion about Dr. Hartwick’s paper that explores whether wind turbines on Mars could be a viable source of energy for future humans on that planet, then ranges to how clouds form in the highest reaches of the atmosphere, how climate models work, and how planetary climates, including our own here on Earth, are affected by the space environment around them. Quick Glossary Exoplanet - Any planet outside of our solar system (i.e., a planet revolving around a star that is not our Sun) Climate model - Computer programs that simulate weather patterns over time Kelvin - The temperature scale used in exoplanetary science Ablation - The breaking up of a meteor when it travels through Earth’s atmosphere Noctilucent clouds - Pearlescent extremely high-altitude clouds visible at dawn and dusk. They are formed on meteoric smoke.

24 min
10/03/2022

Kristina Pistone on what it's like to work as a climate scientist

What’s it like to work as a climate scientist today? In this episode I speak with climate scientist Kristina Pistone about her research, her role on the sustainability commission for the city of Sunnyvale in California, and how our current system of science funding impacts her ability to do her work. More about Kristina: https://baeri.org/people/kristina-pistone How to save a planet podcast: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/llh8gxg/is-your-carbon-footprint-bs

27 min
07/05/2022

The researchers ready for the James Webb Space Telescope - Part II: Jesse Bregman

In this two-part series we meet two researchers who will soon be working with data from the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope. In Part II, I speak with Jesse Bregman, an astrophysicist who has spent his 50 year career at NASA Ames, and been part of some pretty amazing leaps in infrared astronomy. The conversation ranges from the backyard telescope he and his brother built, to how astrochemistry research could lead us to an understanding of the origins of life on Earth. You can learn more about Jesse's work by going to researchgate.net/profile/bregman-jesse.

27 min
07/05/2022

The researchers ready for the James Webb Space Telescope - Part I: Taylor Bell

In this two-part series we meet two researchers who will soon be working with data from the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope. In this episode, Part I, I speak with early career astronomer Taylor Bell about his work categorizing exoplanets and the path that led him to where he is today. You can learn more about Taylor and his work by visiting taylorbell.ca

18 min
02/02/2022 · BONUS

What does science mean to you?

Fourteen current and alumni researchers at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute answer the question: What does science mean to you? We hear from: Geert Barentsen Ann Marie Cody Christina Hedges Susan Hoban Darlene Lim Amber McCullum Zara Mirmalek Sommer Nicholas Juan Torres Perez Emily Schaller Cindy Schmidt Alex Sehlke Katie Stern Nikki Tulley This episode was edited and scored by Danny Clay.

4 min
10/12/2021

Exoplanets! — Part 2

This two-part series is all about exoplanets, planets outside of our solar system, and how they and the stars they orbit are a key part of the search for extraterrestrial life. In this episode, Part 2, we talk with two more BAERI folks, astronomer Geert Barentsen and science communicator Kassie Perlongo, about their citizen science accelerator, Planet Hunters Coffee Chat, where they teach you how to dig into space telescope data to look for planets, and other potentially weird things, yourself.

19 min
10/12/2021

Exoplanets! — Part 1

This two-part series is all about exoplanets, planets outside of our solar system, and how they and the stars they orbit are a key part of the search for extraterrestrial life. In this episode, Part 1, we talk with two BAERI researchers, Christina Hedges and Ann Marie Cody, also a PI at the SETI Institute. We’ll hear about their work on exoplanets, weirdly behaving stars, and how it connects to the search for alien superstructures.

24 min
07/13/2021

The people helping make Earth Science research possible

In this episode we speak with two team members of NASA’s Earth Science Project Office (ESPO), and learn about the essential, behind the scenes work they’re doing to help scientists get out into the field and collect the data they need to better understand our planet. Guests: Sommer Nicholas, Deputy Project Manager, ESPO Katie Stern, Deputy Project Manager, ESPO Learn more at espo.nasa.gov For the Love of Science is produced by the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. Learn more at: baeri.org Music by Danny Clay.

24 min
05/14/2021

NASA's student airborne research program: A unique NASA internship

Dr. Emily Schaller talks about running SARP, a unique NASA internship that gives undergraduate students hands-on experience in atmospheric science research. Learn more at baeri.org/sarp Listen to SARP alumna Katie Dong's interview with Oregon State University.

16 min
02/26/2021

Connecting Tribal Lands with NASA Remote Sensing Tools

Remote sensing is a powerful tool - it can be used to map the topography of the ocean floor, track the ash plume of an erupting volcano, or understand drought patterns on tribal lands. As the technology becomes easier for tribal land managers to use, the biggest challenge isn’t navigating the data - it’s navigating the human relationships and conversations about how to make that data more useful. For the Love of Science is produced by the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. Learn more at: baeri.org Music by Danny Clay. Guests James Rattling Leaf Carlee McClellan Amber McCullum Cindy Schmidt Nikki Tulley Learn more Nasa Earth Observations Training Course: An introduction to remote sensing for tribal lands GEO Indigenous Summit 2020 DSET Fact sheet More about the DSET project Blending science and tradition

36 min
11/10/2020

How to discover a new planet

In this episode we hear from two researchers who helped make the data from NASA’s Kepler mission accessible to the public, so that anyone in the world, including you, could sit down at your computer and discover a new planet. Guests: Geert Barensten, Senior Research Scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute at NASA Ames Christina Hedges, Support Scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute at NASA Ames Learn more, and discover your own planet at: https://keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov/ https://docs.lightkurve.org/ For the Love of Science is produced by the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. Learn more at: baeri.org Music by Danny Clay.

21 min

12 Episodes

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Welcome to For the Love of Science, a podcast from The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. In this show, we hear directly from the institute's scientists, engineers, and mission specialists about the groundbreaking research they’re doing right now in earth, environmental, and space sciences, and learn about what their work can teach us about our Earth and our universe.

Creator

The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute
Years Active

2020 - 2023
Episodes

12
Rating

Clean
Show Website

For the Love of Science