Super Awesome Science Show (SASS)

Mother’s Day is approaching and today, we’re going to look at some of the science that makes mothers who they are and how we can support them every day of the year.

We start off the show with one of Canada’s best-known personalities, Sangita Patel. She’s a Senior Entertainment Reporter for Entertainment Tonight Canada and the newest Canadian spokesperson for Cover Girl. She’s also a mother to two amazing daughters. We discuss the challenges of having a successful career in television and her life as a mom and how mothers everywhere can learn to find a balance.

We then talk with Liisa Galea of the University of British Columbia. She studies the neuroscience of motherhood and reveals to us that the concept of baby brain is real. But don’t let that fool you into thinking you can get away with antics. As Liisa explains, as the kids grow up, the maternal brain get sharper and even better at memory.

Our next guest explores the psychology of motherhood and the need for support throughout her life. She is Suniya Luthar and she explains that being a mother is a significant challenge, even if you are not trying to balance work and home life. Having the right support can make the difference between a mother who is happy and one who is subject to depression.

In our SASS class, we’re going to explore a tactic almost every mother uses on her kids: the guilt trip. We talk with Wendy Rote at the University of South Florida and learn that using guilt may indeed be a great way to raise fantastic kids.

If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: [email protected]
Guests:

Sangita Patel
http://thisissangitapatel.com/
Twitter: @sangita_patel

Liisa Galea
Professor, Department of Psychology, UBC
https://galealab.psych.ubc.ca/liisa-galea/
Twitter: @liisagalea

Suniya Luthar
Foundation Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University
http://www.suniyaluthar.org/

Wendy Rote
Assistant Professor, University of South Florida St. Petersburg
https://www.usfsp.edu/psychology/portfolio-item/rote-wendy/

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There’s something about the term quantum physics that brings both intrigue and intimidation. We see quantum as the way of the future but also know it’s one of the most complex branches of science. On this week’s show, we’re going to dive into this mysterious world to demystify it and reveal how it’s part of our everyday lives.

Our first guest is Tracey Forrest. She is the Program Director for Transformative Quantum Technologies at the University of Waterloo. We explore what makes quantum so fascinating and why it has such immense power over our imaginations. She also explains how the quantum world is already playing a role in many of the technologies we use today.

One of the most talked about aspects of quantum physics is quantum computing and we discuss the future with Alexandre Blais, a professor and the scientific director for the quantum institute at the University of Sherbrooke. We move away from the current computing mentality made up of bits and bytes and head into an area of research dominated by qubits.

In our SASS class, we’re going to find out how quantum physics will improve our ability to develop sustainable energy. Our guest teacher is Pavle Radovanovic at the University of Waterloo. His work focuses on nanocrystals. Unlike Swarovski crystals, which have the power of bling, he ones he’s working with may give us the ability to move away from non-reusable energy to improve our environment.

If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we’ve been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award as Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!

Twitter: @JATetro

Email: [email protected]
Guests:

Tracey Forrest
Program Director, Transformative Quantum Technologies, University of Waterloo
Web: https://uwaterloo.ca/transformative-quantum-technologies/

Alexandre Blais
Scientific Director, Quantum Institute, University of Sherbrooke
Web: https://www.usherbrooke.ca/iq/en/personne/alexandre-blais/
Twitter: @circuitqed

Pavle Radovanovic
Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo
Web: https://uwaterloo.ca/chemistry/people-profiles/pavle-radovanovic

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It’s something that we all encounter. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to think straight. Our thoughts get jumbled and before we know it, we’re lost. We tend to call it being scatterbrained and for the most part, that’s considered a bad thing. On this week’s show, we’re going to look at the science behind this apparent flaw in our mental machinery and why it may be good for us when it comes to learning and understanding. Our guest for the entire show is Henning Beck, a neuroscientist, science slammer, consultant, and the author of the new book, Scatterbrain.

We first explore why this problem occurs in the first place. It turns out that our brains can only do so much especially when it is learning and committing thoughts to memory. It’s impossible to collect a large number of individual pieces and so our brains tend to forget almost as fast as we learn. But as Beck explains, there is a better approach in the form of understanding. Putting items into context can help us develop links and that improves both memory and our actions in the future.

We next discuss the issue of distractions. In our modern world, we are surrounded by them and this can quickly take us off any mental path. Beck reveals the reasons behind our inability to stay focused due to boredom, fear, and the ever present reality of fake news. We also find out whether isolation is the best option to ensure mental success.

In our SASS Class, Beck offers us ideas on how we can improve our brain function through a variety of different tactics he discusses in his book. We learn about curiosity, creativity, framing, and focusing mechanisms such as meditation and mindfulness. Some work, others don’t but in the end, Beck reveals that information for the brain is like food for our stomach. As long as we take the time to learn and digest the information, we can achieve great things.
If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together! We have just completed our first year and we look forward to bringing you even more awesome science in the year ahead.

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: [email protected]
Guests:

Henning Beck
Web: https://www.henning-beck.com/english/
Twitter: @HenningBeck1

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We tend to go overboard on spending. If we are not careful, our celebrations of December can become a January curse that may last for the rest of the year.

This week, we’re going to explore our tendency to spend money and how we can keep ourselves from falling into debt. Our guest for the entire show is Gail Vaz Oxlade, who is one of Canada’s best financial experts. She’s been an author, radio host, and the star of internationally acclaimed television programs such as Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess. If anyone can help us to understand how to ensure our bank accounts are as happy as we are during the Holidays, it’s her.

We first start off by learning about her background and how she became Canada’s super nanny for money. We then learn about the science behind the tendency to go into debt. It’s a combination of psychological as well as societal factors. She also reveals some of the warning signs that can signal trouble is on the way including the one item most of us have in our wallets or purses that can make shopping easier and far more dangerous: the credit card.

With the science set, we venture into the problems associated with shopping during the Holidays. Since we are hardwired to believe we can spend throughout the season, we need to be aware of the dangers that could lead us into debt. Gail shares with us her tips on how to enjoy yourself while making sure you don’t go overboard with the purchases. More importantly, she makes it clear that we need to focus not just on the joy of making a purchase, but also the pain of losing our money in the process.

In our SASS Class, we discuss Gail’s newest venture in helping us to be financially smart. It’s a new master class she is providing on Twitter. Her hope is to convey the necessary steps and then let us optimize it to find a personal fit that will last. Because as she makes clear, it’s not hard to be economically secure, but you need to be committed to it.

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: [email protected]
Guests:

Gail Vaz Oxlade
Twitter: @GailVazOxlade

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On this week’s show, we’re going to explore the science behind making the perfect drink and whether this is another task that may be taken over by robots. We’ll also learn of one combination that really should never be done.

We first talk with a mixologist who is working to change the entire realm of the science. He’s Jim Meehan and he owns Mixography, Inc. He has been involved in the mixology world for years and has developed into a powerhouse in the industry. He takes us through the history of mixology and why the practice is now moving from the traditional mixture in a glass to an overall environmental experience.

Our next guests are Jim Whitehead and Johnathan Pagnutti. They developed an artificial intelligence cocktail generator in the hopes of developing an entirely automated mixologist. They take us through the experience of trying to develop this project and how mixology became far more than just a collection of ingredients. We’ll also find out how the experiments ended up tasting.

In our SASS Class, we’re going to hear about a combination that should never go together. Alcohol and energy drinks. While they continue to be popular, our next guest has been trying to find ways to moderate consumption to prevent health complications. He’s Timothy Stockwell and he is a Psychology at the University of Victoria and the Director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).

If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: [email protected]

Guests:

Jim Meehan
Web: https://www.mixographyinc.com/about.html
Twitter: @mixography
Jim Whitehead
Web: https://www.soe.ucsc.edu/people/ejw
Twitter: @TheJimWhitehead / @jag_pag (Pagnutti)
Timothy Stockwell
Web: https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/psychology/people/faculty-directory/stockwelltimothy.php

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