Category Archives: Science

We have EMP devices in the driveway.

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Sometimes technical glitches happen and technology fails on us. Many have often heard me discuss how wonderful technology is — when it works. Well, that's what happened to this month's episode of Conversations in Science: a technical glitch and it aired a day late. Hence, this blog post is a day late. It's ironic considering the topic for this month's show.

Jessie and I discussed what EMP devices really are and the impact they can have on technology. (Jessie, did you set off the EMP device in your driveway?)

What is an EMP device?
(First aired on KLRNRadio, Monday, January 9, 2017)

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New Episode: Earthquakes – The Earth’s Dance

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Seven years on, and I'm still haunted by the 7.1 earthquake that rudely awoke me from my sleep on September 4, 2010. Each of us find ways to heal in different ways. For me, it's to look at the science behind what happened, and trying to explain to the world at large exactly what it was like to go through those frightening events.

On this month's episode of Conversations in Science, Jessie and I spoke about earthquakes and what happens.

Earthquakes: The Earth's Dance
(First aired on KLRNRadio, Monday, September 4, 2017)

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Dave Brewer in MOPP gear.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

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As much as I hate to admit it, not all science is intended to make things better. Sometimes science is used for war.

In this month's episode of Conversations in Science, Jessie and I spoke with Dave Brewer, an active serviceman, about the training that the US military gives their soldiers, so they can better prepare themselves against some of the most frightening things that science has to offer: weapons of mass destruction.

Please be advised that this particular episode contains some material that might not be suitable for younger audiences. Parental guidance is advised.

Weapons of Mass Destruction
(First aired on KLRNRadio, Monday, July 3, 2017)

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The Pleiades Star Cluster

Teaching Astronomy to Children

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Within New Zealand, June provides the perfect opportunity for astronomers to get out into the community and spark the astronomy bug in children. Not only are we currently in winter, experiencing sunset really early — 6pm in some parts of the country and earlier in the far south — but it is also the Maori New Year, or Matariki as it is called, a time of the year that is marked by the dawn rising of the Pleiades Cluster.

Every year, I get asked by at least one of the local scout groups to introduce the kids to some of the concepts behind astronomy. This month's show of Conversations in Science was all about some of the tactics that I use to explain eclipses, seasons, and our place in the galaxy.

Teaching Astronomy to Kids
(First aired on KLRNRadio, Monday, June 5, 2017)

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