Point of Discovery
Behind every scientific discovery is a scientist (or 12) and a story. “Point of Discovery” takes you on a journey beyond WHAT we know to HOW we know it. Listeners will meet the sometimes quirky, always passionate people whose curiosity unlocks hidden worlds.
FEATURED ★ Podcast
Is Cosmology in Crisis?
A panel of physicists and astronomers grapple with possible cracks in our modern creation myth, the standard model of cosmology.
JWST’s image of spiral galaxy NGC 628, which is 32 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), and the PHANGS team.
Jekyll and Hyde Bacteria
What do you do when the bacteria you study that's deadly in the real world acts all mild and gentle in the lab?
Saving the Bees, Two Perspectives
How do you move 100,000 honeybees—a living laboratory for research on the gut microbiome—half way across the country?
Pyramid Probe
How particle physics can help explore the insides of ancient Mayan pyramids without digging
The Race for Dark Energy
Karl Gebhardt explains the two leading ideas for what dark energy might be.
The Case of the Missing Folate
Richard Finnell studies the genetic underpinnings of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Cocktail Party Effect
Your brain has to do all sorts of tricks to focus on just one voice floating in a sea of noise, including localization
Fun With Chemistry
Kate Biberdorf combines the energy of a kickboxer with a passion for chemistry and a love of sharing science with the public
Beauty and the Yeast
The lowly yeast turns out to be a powerful model organism for understanding human biology and disease
About the Podcast
Behind every scientific discovery is a scientist (or 12) and a story. “Point of Discovery” takes you on a journey beyond WHAT we know to HOW we know it. Listeners will meet the sometimes quirky, always passionate people whose curiosity unlocks hidden worlds.
Hosted by Marc Airhart
Marc Airhart is the Communications Coordinator for the College of Natural Sciences. A long time member of the National Association of Science Writers, he has written for national publications including Scientific American, Mercury, The Earth Scientist, Environmental Engineer & Scientist, and StarDate Magazine.
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Disclaimer
Point of Discovery is part of the Texas Podcast Network, brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.