Miscellaneous
Vampires! Werewolves! Zombies! Calculus exams! What makes something "monstrous"? Why do monsters inspire such fear and fascination? And what “monsters” has science inadvertently created throughout history? In this Halloween-themed episode, Bradley and Jocelyn explore the monsters of nature and the nature of monsters. From Frankenstein to Dracula, they discuss how monster lore often represents perceived "violations" of the natural order, and how newly discovered phenomena and technologies continually challenge our assumptions about that order. They also consider "Jekyll and Hyde" moments in the history of modern science, discussing topics from mustard gas to DDT, nuclear energy, and gene editing technologies. They also share their thoughts on the ultimate monster of nature. So what is it? Tune in to find out! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!Further reading:Wonders and the Order of Nature: https://www.amazon.com/Wonders-Nature-1150-1750-Lorraine-Daston/dp/0942299914The Science of Monsters: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Monsters-Origins-Creatures-Love/dp/145166799XMaster Mind: The Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Mind-Laureate-Launched-Chemical/dp/0060562722 Great Radiolab episode about his story: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/bad-show DDT:https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0174.html Lead piping: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2509614/ https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water History of the Atomic Bomb: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to-world-power/us-wwii/a/the-manhattan-project-and-the-atomic-bomb Chernobyl:https://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/chernobyl/WHO%20Report%20on%20Chernobyl%20Health%20Effects%20July%2006.pdf HBO show here: https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx CRISPR & Designer babies: https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/11/25/138962/exclusive-chinese-scientists-are-creating-crispr-babies/ https://www.nature.com/news/crispr-fixes-disease-gene-in-viable-human-embryos-1.22382 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365917308453 http://www.ask-force.org/web/Genomics/Jasanoff-CRISPR-Democracy-Gene-Editing-2015.pdf Cheryl Wheeler, "Just Like God": http://cherylwheeler.com/songs/jlgn.html