SCIENCE AND SOCIETY has just been honored by Online Degrees as one of the Top 20 podcasts for science lovers.

We are delighted to be recognized by this important organization.

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Dr. Dennis Hong is an Assistant Professor and the Director of RoMeLa(Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory) of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. His research expertise lies in the areas of

• Novel robot locomotion mechanisms
• Design and analysis of mechanical systems
• Kinematics and robot mechanism design
• Humanoid robots
• Autonomous systems

He was the inventor of the three-legged walking robot ‘STriDER’ and the ‘whole skin locomotion’ inspired by amoeboid motility mechanisms.

Dr. Hong is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program Award. The five-year CAREER grant, worth more than $400,000, is the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award for creative junior faculty who are considered likely to become academic leaders of the future.

Dr. Hong is also very passionate about advising student design competition and robot competition teams. TEAM DARwIn for RoboCup 2007 (an international autonomous robot soccer competition) where he served as the advisor, was the first and only team from the United States ever to qualify for the RoboCup humanoid division. TEAM Victor Tango for the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge (an autonomous vehicle race in the urban environment) where he served as the co-team leader, won third place with a cash award of $500,000.

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Professor John Zarnecki is a team leader for ExoMars and has been a Principal Investigator on the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan since 1990. Professor Zarnecki is Principal Investigator, Huygens Science Surface Package, and Professor of Space Science, Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute (PSSRI) at The Open University (Milton Keynes, UK).

In our 7-27-05 conversation, Professor Zarnecki discusses

• The Cassini–Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan
• The Science Surface Package
• What Titan tells us about origins of life on Earth
• Where we go next
• The value and benefits of international collaboration in space

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Dr. John Bahcall (1934-2005) had a long and prolific career in astronomy and astrophysics, spanning five decades and the publication of more than 500 technical papers, books, and popular articles.

Dr. Bahcall’s original calculations of the expected neutrino output from the sun led to a long, experimental, and intellectual adventure that continues today. The “solar neutrino problem” has yielded new insights in astrophysics and into the most basic forces of nature. Dr. Bahcall led a major effort to exploit the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope in elucidating the properties of quasars, and is recognized for his theoretical work in many different areas of astrophysics, including models of the Galaxy and studies of dark matter.

Dr. Bahcall was Richard Black Professor Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study. He joined the Institute in 1968. He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and Member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and NASA Advisory Council.

Dr. Bahcall was the recipient of the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal (1992), National Medal of Science (1998), Hans Bethe Prize (1998), Dan David Prize (2003), Royal Astronomical Society Gold Medal (2003), Benjamin Franklin Medal (2003), Enrico Fermi Award (2003), and the Comstock Prize in Physics (2004).

In our 2-23-05 interview, Dr. Bahcall discusses

• Present and future contributions of Hubble Space Telescope
• The use of solar neutrinos to do astronomy
• Dark matter
• Dark energy
• Manned space flight
• The possibility of other intelligent life in the universe

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Dr. Edwin C. Krupp is an astronomer and Director of Griffith Observatory, a position he has held since his appointment in 1974. He first joined the Griffith Observatory in 1970, working as a part-time Planetarium Lecturer, and upon completion of his graduate degree, was appointed Curator in 1972. He is now recognized internationally as an expert on ancient, prehistoric, and traditional astronomy, and has visited nearly 1800 ancient and prehistoric sites throughout the world, regularly leading field study tours to exotic locations that have astronomical and archaeological interest.

Dr. Krupp is the author and editor of several books on the celestial component of human belief systems, including In Search of Ancient Astronomies, Archaeoastronomy and the Roots of Science, and Echoes of the Ancient Skies. His fourth book for adults, Beyond the Blue Horizon – Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets, is a worldwide comparative study of celestial mythology. His most recent book for adults, Skywatchers, Shamans, & Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power, was published in 1997. He also writes astronomy books for children illustrated by Robin Rector Krupp, including The Comet and You, The Big Dipper and You, The Moon and You, and The Rainbow and You. Dr. Krupp has received four national prizes for his writing. He is a contributing editor for Sky & Telescope and writes a monthly column that emphasizes the cultural component of astronomy for this nationally distributed magazine.

Opened in 1935, Griffith Observatory is one of the best-known and most visited public observatories in the world. Operated by the City of Los Angeles’s Department of Recreation and Parks, the Observatory welcomed nearly 70 million visitors into the building prior to closing for renovation in January 2002. Construction on the renovation and expansion project began in October 2002. Griffith Observatory officially reopened to the public Friday, November 3, 2006, after finishing a $93-million facelift to renovate and expand the historic landmark.

Griffith Observatory’s unique architecture and setting, compelling programmatic offerings, and cinematic exposure have made it one of the most famous and visited landmarks in southern California. Tens of millions have come to walk the inside of the building, view the live planetarium shows, or simply gaze out toward the coast and the heavens. This cultural and scientific icon owes its existence to the dream of one man, Griffith Jenkins Griffith, and to the dedicated scientists and public servants who worked to fulfill his vision of making astronomy and observation accessible to all.

In our 3-1-07 interview, Dr. Krupp discusses enhancements to the Observatory attained by the $93 million and 4 1/2 year renovation and expansion project (completed in November 2007). Dr. Krupp also discusses the role of Griffith Observatory in enhancing science education.

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Dr. Barbara Tobias, Dr. Nancy Elder, and Amber Lucero-Criswell discuss The Art of Observation, their innovative course at The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. In addition, these educators discuss the impact the course has had on medical students’ subsequent clinical experiences during their 3rd and 4th years.

Barbara Bowman Tobias, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, where she is a family physician, clinician, and award-winning teacher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Tobias teaches in all four years of medical education and directed the medical interview course for over 10 years. Teaching interests in addition to Family Medicine include ethics, death and dying, physical diagnosis, human sexuality and domestic violence. Her work in medical education has been presented regionally and nationally at the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine and American Association of Medical Colleges.

Dr. Tobias is the recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award, sponsored by the Arthur Gold Foundation, and the Silver Apple Award, given by graduating medical students to the faculty member that most positively impacted their medical education. Dr. Tobias is the creator and director of an innovative elective course entitled the Art of Observation, which uses a partnership with the Cincinnati Art Museum to teach observation, description, and interpretation skills to medical students.

Nancy C. Elder, MD, MSPH is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, where she is a primary care researcher, clinician, and teacher. Dr. Elder has been at UC since 2001, where she has focused her research on patient safety and medical errors in the outpatient primary care setting. She has received both federal and foundation funding for her work, which focuses on two related areas: the experience of patients with medical errors and improving the systems of care in physicians’ offices to improve patient safety.

Dr. Elder has presented at many national meetings, and has published her work in respected medical journals, including JAMA, the Annals of Family Medicine, and the Journal of Patient Safety. She maintains a clinical practice, providing care to the homeless population of Cincinnati through the Healthcare for Homeless Program. She teaches medical students about patient safety, and co-directs an innovative elective course entitled The Art of Observation, which uses a partnership with the Cincinnati Art Museum to teach observation, description, and interpretation skills to medical students.

Amber Lucero-Criswell is the Associate Curator of Education for Interpretation and Adult Programs at the Cincinnati Art Museum. With a background in the fine arts and art history, Amber curates the educational programs for adult audiences and works to effectively interpret works of art for the public. Since 2001, Amber has collaborated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine to teach “The Art of Observation” and leads students in the Art Museum-based sessions, teaching the skills of observation, description, interpretation, and emotional response through the careful study of works of art.

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Joy Hakim is a former journalist and the author of The Story of Science: Einstein Adds a New DimensionThe Story of Science: Einstein Adds a New Dimension. Einstein Adds a New Dimension is the recipient of the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Award in the category of Education/Teaching/Academic. It has also received the 2008 National Science Teachers Association Selector’s Choice – Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

The Story of Science series also includes Aristotle Leads the Way and Newton at the Center, and has been praised widely from The New York Times to Timemagazine. Joy Hakim is also the author of A History of Us, a ten-volume history of America for young readers. The series won the first James Michener Prize in Writing.

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