TWIS.org March 3, 2009

Justin: Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer!

While the following hour of our programming is not intended to be offensive, if you feel yourself in any way provoked, you should be provoked into thinking not to anger.

The content is for mature audiences. Though, by mature audiences, we mean to include five-year olds with the love and interest in science. The show itself well about science and employing scientific means to get science-y news to your ears, does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of California at Davis, KDVS or its sponsors.

And though the world is strange enough as it is, each week here we seem to discover that it can stranger still. “What can be stranger than ants raised by butterflies or see-through frogs?” One might ask. The answers await us in This Week in Science, coming up next.

Good morning, Kirsten!

Kirsten: Oh, great morning.

Justin: Yeah.

Kirsten: Do you know what today is?

Justin: Tuesday, right?

Kirsten: Besides that, what’s the date today?

Justin: No idea.

Kirsten: Today is the third month – the third day of the third month of the ninth year of 2000, whatever.

Justin: What? You’re – now what?

Kirsten: And I’m rambling. No I’m not. Today is Square Root Day.

Justin: Oh yeah, 03-03-09, yeah.

Continue reading “TWIS.org March 3, 2009”

Transcript: TWIS.org Aug 08, 2008

Justin: Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer! There is information all around us – from the spinning spools of the newspaper press to the planet that is spinning. And the solar system is spinning. Spinning in our atoms too. Electrons spinning since before the day began, spinning now and into the future and beyond that too.

And while the dizzying spin of information – much like the following hour of programming, does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of California Davis, KDVS or its sponsors, the potential loss of these spinning bits of information once threatened the very foundations of modern physics.

As massive black holes loomed in even the tiniest waves of anthropic space, even though ships ahead had singled back their eventful fates, one man fearlessly refused to abandon ship and set course for the heart of the swirling gravity well with a singular determination.

“Oh captain, my captain, will we ever see the shores of home?” “Both yes and no,” Captain Susskind assures us and raises sails made of the finest threads to catch a cosmic wind. So, batten your mental hatches, me miniony mates and get ready to cast off with us on This Week in Science, coming up next.
[music] Continue reading “Transcript: TWIS.org Aug 08, 2008”

Transcript:TWIS.org Oct 30, 2007

Justin: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Online searching for a story of sciencey news lore.
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my farmhouse door.
‘Tis just Kirsten”, I muttered, “tapping at my farmhouse door –
Only this and nothing more.

Open here I flung the portal, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my farmhouse door –
Perched upon a bust of Plato just above my farmhouse door –
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my late night study into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of its countenance it wore,
‘Though scientific names escape me, I bet Kirsten, she could name me.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore –
Tell me what is new in science on this night before the show.
Quote the raven…

Kirsten: “Nevermore”.
Continue reading “Transcript:TWIS.org Oct 30, 2007”

Transcript:TWIS.org Oct 16, 2007

Justin: Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer! The following hour of programming is intentionally grounded in reality. If you are tuning in hopes of escaping reality, you have tuned in to the wrong frequency, downloaded the wrong podcast, or worse, you are actually a host of this show.

While many fear to seek truth, let alone face it, the next hour of time spent here is dedicated to exploring and dissecting that, which is truth from that, which is not, peeling away layers of presumption, intuition and supernatural inklings until the onion of the unknown is no more.

If you feel yourself tearing up now, it is an intellectual anticipation of This Week in Science, coming up next.
Continue reading “Transcript:TWIS.org Oct 16, 2007”

Transcript:TWIS.org Nov 27, 2007

Justin: Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer!

From the first oceanic microbial stirrings to the latest in anti-microbial soaps, from the first flint (mustk) fre to the current climate crisis, life on earth is always been a struggle for sustenance versus sustainability, survival versus survivability.

One thing that has made to human life form successful in determining its fate has been our unparalleled ability to out-think our circumstance to find ways to adapt and overcome obstacles. Nowhere is this ability better exhibited then on our scientific accomplishments.

The next hour of programming, well, not representative of the University of California at Davis, the campus radio station or its sponsors – is representative of our current efforts to elude the uncertainty of chance and ignorance and forge a future based on a brilliance of our mental evolution.

Just by listening, you are increasing your chances of survival on the planet by continuing your own brilliant mental evolution with This Week In Science, coming up next. Continue reading “Transcript:TWIS.org Nov 27, 2007”

Transcript:TWIS.org July 22, 2008

Justin: Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer!

Justin: Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer!

The following hour of programming may contain language that is too formidable for some of its hosts to pronounce correctly. The contents may also delve into the subjects that listeners find objectionable over, at least, sciencey or unnervingly odd.

Such oddities may have a tendency to do loopy loops in the mind causing unmitigated loss of concentration and could lead to non-secretive learning of nagging trivia that offers little opportunity to be used in the context of light conversation.

And while nagging oddities like the following hour of programming do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of California, Davis, KDVS or its sponsors, listeners should listen assured that no matter how firmly the odd bit of sciencey trivia gets stuck in your head, the architects of the show have found a unique method for removing them by dislodging them with an even odder bit of knowledge in the following week.

Thus, the habit forming formula for the show’s success is assured with it’s only antidote being more This Week In Science, coming up next. Continue reading “Transcript:TWIS.org July 22, 2008”

Transcipt: TWIS.org Mar 25, 2008 Part 2

Kirsten: And we’re back.

Justin: With more This Week in Science.

Kirsten: With more This Week in Science. And on the line we have Dr. Michael Stebbins, and I’m having issues with the CD player so unfortunately I can’t get the CD –

Justin: Again no theme music!

Kirsten: Yes. The CD player says TOC error. TOC error. I don’t know what that means. So, no themes music today, so we’re just going to play what’s there and see what’s happens.

Justin: Yes.

(Music Playing)
Continue reading “Transcipt: TWIS.org Mar 25, 2008 Part 2”

Transcipt: TWIS.org Mar 25, 2008 Part 1

Justin: Disclaimer. Disclaimer. Disclaimer.

There is no such thing as logic. There is no history to the world. There is no technology, no written word, and no art. There’s no intellectual progress of any kind, without science.

And without science, there is no reason for the University of California – Davis, KDVS as its sponsors, to point out that the views and opinions of the following hour of programming are not their own, because without science, there would be no sponsors, no radio!

Let alone a radio station, there would be no university, no Davis, no California. Luckily for all of us, science exists, science is real, and as proof, we offer you, This Week in Science, coming up next.

(Music playing)
Continue reading “Transcipt: TWIS.org Mar 25, 2008 Part 1”