Episodes

29. Weed Science
with Ethan Ley

In this episode, Julija talks with Ethan Ley, a Master's student studying Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota, about his weed science research (not THAT kind of weed). They chat about the importance of managing weeds in agricultural systems, what happens to herbicides over time, and some of the innovations that have come about because of weeds!

28. Octopus Behavior
with Meghan Holst

In this episode, Julija chats with Meghan Holst, a PhD student studying sharks and octopuses. They settle the debate over whether its octopuses or octopi, chat about what octopuses do with all those arms, and the some of the challenges of studying animals.

Check out Meghan on Twitter or Instagram

Listen to Sharkpedia on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Read the episode transcript here (coming soon!)

27. Biomedical Engineering
with Emily Schafer

In this episode, Julija chats with Emily Schafer, a PhD student studying biomedical engineering at Northwestern University. Learn about how polymers are everywhere, what it's like having bottles of neurotransmitters laying around, and the challenges of communicating science through podcasting!

Check out Julija's episode of In the Spotlight on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

Follow Emily on Twitter

Check out In the Spotlight on Twitter

Learn more about Northwestern's Science Policy Outreach Taskforce on their website

Read the episode transcript here

Bonus: Cryoseismology
with Celeste Labedz

In this episode, Julija revisits her conversation with Celeste Labedz, a PhD candidate studying geophysics at the California Institute of Technology. Julija and Celeste chat about cryoseismology, how you can learn more about glaciers from seismic data, and how that data can be used to further knowledge of other glaciers!

Follow Celeste on Twitter or Instagram

Check out Celeste's first Hooked on Science episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or where you get your podcasts!

Listen to Julija's Planthropology episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or where you get your podcasts!

Follow the show on Twitter

Read the episode transcript here (coming soon!!)

26. Water Conservation
with Dr. Vikram Baliga

In this episode, Julija chats with Dr. Vikram Baliga, who you may know from Planthrolopology, about his PhD research on urban landscape water conservation and a whole bunch about water in general. They talk about why there should be a scale for when there's too much water, how crops can spontaneously combust, and whether clickbait is the best way to communicate scientific information... we could probably just call this one story time with Vikram.

Read the episode transcript here

Follow Planthropology on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or find Vikram on TikTok!

Check out the Texas Tech Greenhouse social media on Facebook and Instagram

Listen to Planthropology on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Buzzsprout

Read more about the research featured in this episode:

25. The Sociology of Tinder
with Maria Stoicescu

In this episode, we learn all about modern dating culture. Julija chats with Maria Stoicescu, a PhD student studying sociology at the University of Bucharest, about her research on Tinder. They chat about how dating apps have shifted the culture around dating and relationships and how factors like gender and use of a bio contribute to continued Tinder use and frustration. Trigger warning for sexual violence between 21:25 and 22:48.

Read the episode transcript here

Read more about the research featured in this episode:

24. Seismology
with Celeste Labedz

Welcome back, to kick off season two we're all about good vibrations! In this episode, Julija chats with Celeste Labedz, a PhD candidate studying geophysics at the California Institute of Technology, about her seismology research. They chat a little about seismology in natural environments, a whole lot about the noise that humans make, and how that has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the episode transcript here

Follow Celeste on Twitter or Instagram

Read more about the research featured in this episode:

Bonus: Open Science
with Dustin Haraden

It's a bonus episode! In this mini episode, Julija talks with Dustin Haraden again, but this time they focus on the conversation surrounding Open science and some of the issues of reproducing scientific research. Listen as they talk about paranormal research, printers uprising, and all the opinions that Dustin's dog has about Open science.

Listen to Julija's episode of Dustin's podcast (now renamed Revise and Resubmit) on science communication here.

If you want to learn more about what Dustin's doing, check out his full Hooked on Science episode or visit his Twitter or Website!

Do you have questions after listening to this episode? Have a suggestion for a future guest or topic? Submit them here!

23. Lucid Dreaming
with Karen Konkoly

Have you ever been awake in a dream? No, this episode isn't about Inception, it's about lucid dreaming! Julija talks with Karen Konkoly, a graduate student at Northwestern University, about her research on communicating with people while they're dreaming. They cover who is pre-disposed to lucid dreaming, what to do when people are bad at math, and how to conduct a fun science experiment at home!

If you're interested in developing your own lucid dreaming skills and have an Android phone, check out the app developed by Karen's lab here!

Read more about the research featured in this episode:

22. Tiny Houses
with Alice Wilson

You've probably heard of tiny houses or seen one on Instagram, but have you ever really thought about the reasons why someone might want to live in one? In this episode, Julija talks with Alice Wilson, a PhD student in Urban Sociology at the University of York, about her tiny house research. Listen along as they chat about benefits, challenges, and demand for tiny houses in the U.K. and beyond!

Follow along with Alice on Twitter, read more about her research on her blog, or watch her TedxTalk

Follow OpHouse on Twitter

21. Chronotype and Depression
with Dustin Haraden

In this episode, Julija talks with Dustin Haraden about his research on teenagers, chronotype, and depression. Learn about how we were (probably) all teenagers at some point, the connection between potatoes and social media, revenge bedtime procrastination, and other random things that Julija learned about on the internet.

Follow Dustin on Twitter

Check out Revise and Resubmit (Previously You Can Grad School), the podcast that Dustin co-hosts to helps students at all stages of the grad school process!

20. Tornadoes
with Alyssa Reynolds

In this episode, Julija talks with Alyssa Reynolds about her research on tornadoes. They touch on personal experiences with tornadoes and when using the internet on your phone was forbidden... and in some cases doing it anyway!

Follow Alyssa on Twitter or Instagram

Follow Alyssa's weather forecasting page on Facebook

Check out the research featured in this episode:

19. Multiscreening
with Dr. Claire Segijn

Ever wonder how all those screens affect the way you process information? In this episode, Julija talks with Dr. Claire Segijn about her research on multitasking, multiscreening, and advertising. Learn how to optimize your information processing or how companies are using our automatic responses to make sure we're seeing their products!

Follow Claire on Twitter

18. Epigenetics and Aging
with John Gonzalez

Since age is just a number, have you ever thought about how old your body actually might be? In this week's episode, Julija chats with John Gonzalez, a PhD student in the Yale School of Medicine about using epigenetics to identify biological age and how that relates to your risk of developing chronic disease. They also talk about some of the challenges of graduate school, fainting, and a little about Goop.

17. Salamander Habitat
with Meghan Ward


16. Deep Winter Greenhouses

Ever wonder how people can grow food when the temps are frigid? In this episode, Julija talks with Daniel Handeen, Greg Schweser, and Carol Ford about their work on deep winter greenhouses. Learn about the challenges of building a passive solar design and all about the possibilities of growing crops year round!

15. Alzheimer's Disease
with Mica Colmenarez

Health technology is rapidly evolving and becoming more personalized every year, and diseases of the brain are no exception to this. In this episode, Julija talks with Mica Colmenarez to learn more about her research on identifying genes that increase risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites.

Learn more about Mica’s research, visit her website.

14. Anticoagulant Rodenticides
with Dr. Carolyn Hutchinson

Anticoagulant rodenticides- they're not just for rats! In this episode, Julija talks with Dr. Carolyn Hutchinson to learn more about their research on anticoagulant rodenticides and how they can impact water and animals throughout the environment. You can learn more about Carolyn's research by visiting cphutchinson.com.

13. Pennycress and Soybean Cyst Nematode
with Cody Hoerning

Happy 6th month podcast-iversary! To celebrate this amazing milestone, let's revisit pennycress, camelina, and soybean and meet a new friend... (or arch enemy?) along the way. Tune into this week's episode with Cody Hoerning while Julija finds out how that sentence really ends.

12. Integrated Pest Management
with Dr. Anna Wallingford

In this episode, Julija talks with Dr. Anna Wallingford, an Extension and Integrated Pest Management Specialist at the University of New Hampshire, about how she researchers new ways to manage those pesky creatures we call insects.

11. Bacteria
with Dr. Jeremy Chacon

Bacteria often gets a bad rap because we associate them with illness, but did you know they can actually be helpful? From plants to space to the human gut, the benefits of bacteria are bacteria are endless. On this week's episode, Julija talks with Dr. Jeremy Chacon about his research on genetic data to predict how scientists can use bacterial colonies to their advantage to fortify potatoes in agricultural fields.

10. Winter Oilseed Breeding
with Dr. Katherine Frels

Do you remember glucosinolates from Episode 2? And the plant breeding pipeline from Episode 4? Well get ready to put those concepts together, and add a few new ones, as Julija talks with Dr. Katherine Frels about her winter oilseed breeding program. They talk about what makes Katherine's crops so stinky (Hint: it's the glucosinolates) and the coordination it takes to successfully transition a crop from weed to seed.

9. Roadside Pollinator Habitat
with Lauren Agnew

Today we get down to buzzness talking about pollinators (get it?). In this episode Julija talks with Lauren Agnew, a PhD student in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota, about her research assessing roadsides as potential sites for pollinator-friendly wildflower plantings.

8. Theology
with Dr. Jason Smith

It's time to learn again! In this episode, Julija chats with Dr. Jason Smith, who recently graduated with his doctor of theology from the Committee on Religious Studies at Harvard University, about a poem from the 5th century... talk about staying power. Tune in to learn about how this text has transcended language, region, and religion.

7. Video Games and National Identity
with Cullan Bendig

We’re going on a field trip! Kidding… but we are going to learn a little about cultural identity in Eastern European countries and its connection with video game production. In this episode, Julija talks with Cullan Bendig, a Master’s student in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas-Austin, about his research on the interactions between game developers, players, and historical accuracy.

6. Soybeans and Variable Rate Seeding
with Leanna Leverich

Soybeans need some space! Just kidding, but they are affected by the spaces that they're grown in. In this episode Julija talks with Leanna Leverich, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota, about her research on variable rate seeding, machine learning, and soybeans.

5. Grapes and Powdery Mildew
with Anna Underhill

Have you ever wondered what it takes for grapes to go from vine to table? In this episode Julija talks with Anna Underhill, a member of the grape genetics research unit at the USDA in Geneva, NY, about her research on automation in detecting powdery mildew on grape leaves. Tune in and you'll learn a lot about grapes and a little about robots.

4. Soybeans, Drones, and Iron Deficiency
with Austin Dobbels

Do you hear that buzzing sound? Have we been droning on too long? In this episode, Julija talks with Austin Dobbels, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, about how he uses drones and imaging technology to select soybean lines that are tolerant to iron deficiency and what soybeans are even used for.

3. Kiwiberries
with Seth Wannemuehler

You may have heard of a kiwi fruit, but have you heard of a kiwiberry? In this episode, Julija talks with Seth Wannemuehler, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota, about his research on kiwiberries, why we would even want to grow them in Minnesota (hint: they taste like a tropical vacation), and all the information he needs to collect before we can even think about growing them.

2. Cabbage and Glucobrassicin
with Ilse Renner

You should probably eat more cabbage (and kale and brussels sprouts and broccoli), but why? In this episode Julija talks with Ilse Renner, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, about her research on glucobrassicin in cabbage and how it's affected by sunlight quality. Tune in and you'll learn what glucobrassicin is, why it's good for you, and how farmers might be able to make their plants produce more of it.

1. Wild Blueberries
with Dr. Lily Calderwood

Welcome to premier episode of Hooked on Science! The paparazzi are here and we're rolling out the red carpet for wild blueberries. But what's a wild blueberry? Consider this episode your one-stop shop to learn about how wild blueberries are different from the blueberries you buy in the produce section at the grocery store, why they're almost exclusively produced in Maine, and the types of research conducted on them.

Read the transcript here