Vagabond Science

Matthew Lanagan

We dive as deep as we can into the science of everyday things.

  1. 09/22/2025

    Bioactive food: what’s beyond the basic nutrients? Rosa Pérez - University of Vigo

    What makes food, besides the calories, vitamins, and minerals? Is there more to it? Simply, yes. I discuss with my guest, Rosa Pérez-Gregorio (Senior researcher at University of Vigo and LAQV-REQUIMTE-University of Porto) the complex chemistry of digesting bioactive compounds in our food.

    41 min

  2. 11/01/2024

    Biology and evolution of vision, featuring BUTTERFLIES - Adriana Briscoe (UC Irvine)

    Vision is an incredible complicated biological process nearly ubiquitous in nature. How were they created, and how is it utilized in different animals in nature. I discuss with my guest Adriana Brisco (Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine) the micro and macro biological processes involved in creating vision.

    48 min

  3. 10/17/2024

    America’s political and media landscape – Deana Rohlinger (Florida State University)

    What motivates how people engage politically? What are the ideas behind the labels we see constantly thrown around. I discuss with my guest (Deana Rohlinger, Professor of Sociology at Florida State University) some environmental conditions that influence people, especially role of the media in shaping discourse and how that manifests into political action.

    49 min

  4. 10/14/2024

    The inherent messiness of democratic systems - Carl Knutsen (University of Oslo)

    How do democracies function best? We have to find ways to represent the will of the people. And then we have to keep it from sliding toward authoritarianism. I discuss with my guest (Carl Knutsen - Professor of Political Science at the University of Oslo) the underlying mechanisms forming democracies.

    1h 20m

  5. 10/02/2024

    Path to peace, understanding international conflict resolution - Molly Melin (Loyola University Chicago)

    Negotiating conflicts on the international scale is incredibly complicated. When do countries chose to get involved, and what are the best strategies for negotiating peaceful conflict resolution. I discuss with my guess Molly Melin (Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago) the challenges for all involved parties to overcome.

    1h 2m

  6. 10/01/2024

    State of the Art: Wireless Communication Networks - Walid Saad (Virginia Tech)

    What is state of the art when it comes to wireless communication and networks and what kind of transformations will we see due to AI and Machine Learning? I discuss with my guest Walid Saad (Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech) the applications and limitations of future wireless technology.

    43 min

  7. 08/29/2024

    All about flowers - with Pamela Soltis (University of Florida)

    What is the purpose of flowers on plants? Do all plants have them? And why do they come in all different colors and shapes? I discuss with my guest Pamela Soltis (University of Florida) the evolution of these odd and powerful tools used by flowers in their reproduction.

    1h 20m

  8. 06/20/2024

    Issues with work culture and fitting jobs to workers - Talya Bauer (Portland State University)

    Job happiness polling very poorly lately. There's high levels of disengagement, turnover, stress, and loneliness. I discuss with my guest Talya Bauer (Professor of Management at Portland State University) what are some of the likely causes, and what might be done to improve things for both employers and employees.

    1h 2m
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About

We dive as deep as we can into the science of everyday things.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Lanagan
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Matthew Lanagan
  • Show Website
    Vagabond Science