Sunday, March 11, 2007
Snacks 54 -- Pat Levitt!
Episode 54 of S4theB! features a fascinating chat with Dr. Pat Levitt (photo courtesy of www.vanderbilt.edu), Director of the Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Dr. Levitt is also a member of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute Neuroscience Council and is extraordinarily active in a plethora of professional organizations, including the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, and the National Advisory Mental Health Council for the National Institute of Mental Health. He is the author of over 170 scientific papers and serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals that include Biological Psychiatry, Cerebral Cortex, and Neuron.
Pat Levitt, as you can see, is a very busy guy.
That's why I was so pleased to be able to meet with him in his offices on the 4th floor of the John F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. My portable recorder was sadly out of juice so I rigged up my laptop with a headset mic (the explanation for my own comments during the interview sounding like I'm speaking with a tin bucket over my head :), but I have to say the 30 or so minutes we chatted were among the most enjoyable and enlightening I've spent in these nearly two years of interviewing some of the most interesting people in science.
Enough chatchat: Download S4theB! Episode 54 here or click the Podcast Pickle player at the top of the page to hear it right in your browser.
This episode's music hearkens back to the Podsafe Music Network for its listening-on-the-theme-of-the-brain content. 3 Feet Up's "Teflon Brain" and audio project The Fabrications' "Brain Cells" color up the show, and there's even a TechTipTidbit for you! I lead out by fudging a little with BRAIN BUCKIT's (well, there's "brain" in the band's name!) bluesy "Rocket Science." All in all, I think it's a a satisfying Snacks! and I hope you'll agree!
Links:
Dr Pat Levitt's Vanderbilt University Medical Center page
BrainsRule.com -- a great site for learning about the human brain!
Spoon-fed Snacks! -- Click here for Google results search returns for "Pat Levitt environment genetics blog"
Labels: brain, Merrick, research, science, Snacks4theBrain, Vanderbilt
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Snacks 53--AIDS Outreach at Vanderbilt
Hey,ya'll,
This S4theB! is dedicated to the determined group of Graduate Students known as Vanderbilt AIDS Outreach, or "AIDSO." Led by the capable Brenna Simons, these students work to help make Middle School and High School students aware of the dangers of AIDS and of their options in situations where contracting the disease might be a consequence of their actions.
I talked with Brenna at the Panera Bread Company and it was crowded inside so we parked ourselves at a little wrought-iron table and chatted away over green tea (Brenna) and coffee (me--their espresso maker was out of order :( ). Jenna's group is putting the finishing touches on a 30 minute video highlighting the personal experiences of folks infected with HIV and others affected by relationships with AIDS sufferers. Once it's ready it'll be available online both here and at the AIDSO website.
This group is doing some amazing work, as you'll hear amidst the traffic sounds and occasional "order is ready" announcements. Think of S4theB! 53 as a soundseeing tour of sorts!!! In the show, we talk briefly about the interactive videoconferencing programs that AIDSO is planning via the CSO VSIVC program. Those dates are 04/16/07
1:00 pm and 04/23/07 1:00 pm. Teachers, if you want to sign up visit the CSO website and do so!!!
Music for this show is from Magnatune.com, and features the fantastic fretwork of acoustic guitarist Jeff Wahl. Nice listening, and if you like what you hear you'll love the rest of his album, available for purchase at the Magnatune website.
You'll also get an informative TechTipTidbit this show, all about how to erase your harddrive, courtesy of Dr. T. at completelyfreesoftware.com via worldstart.com's computer tips, used with permissions. About to recycle or donate or sell a computer? Better listen up to this one!!!
Download S4theB!53 right here or click the Podcast Pickle Player at the top of the blog for (near) instant listening!
Cheers, allLabels: AIDS, AIDSO, CSO, Merrick, Outreach, Snacks4theBrain, Vanderbilt
Monday, January 29, 2007
Snacks 52 -- The CSO Website!
Hey, ya'll, I've been soooooooo busy, setting up the Spring 2007 Vanderbilt Virtual Scientist in the Classroom interactive videoconferencing programming (still under construction!), teaching my li'l folks at USN, and moving my family into a new home. So I'm a bit late but hoping that with Snacks4theBrain! episode 52 we can get back on the bi-weekly schedule. In this episode it's all moi, all Scott, all about the CSO website!
Our guy Jeff Hazelton has been completely revamping our website and this little audio tour is something you might think about following along with your computer mouse as we explore the site. While completely perverting the podcasting concept of "soundseeing," I think you might agree it functions as such, even if the place you're going is virtual instead of, for example, out on the English countryside...
As far as the music goes, it's all mandolin! Two great tunes by blues giant Johnny Nicholas, live cuts from the Podsafe Music Network at music.podshow.com and a third just me and my mando. I can't measure up to the Nicholas, but I do have fun with it and I hope you will too. We hear Johnny's "Mandolin Boogie" and his "Mandolin Moan," two cuts from his "Thrill on the Hill" CD, available at CDBaby.com, the same site I host my "Songs for Alaska" CD. You can't get my song, "Emma and Miranda are in China," anywhere but here...yet! It's part of a compilation of guitar and mandolin instrumentals I hope to release by the end of the year on CDBaby, a record called "Still Waiting." Watch for that!
Download S4theB! 52 here, or click the Podcast Pickle player at the top of the page for quick and easy playing rightcheer in your browser! Cheerio, and look for an veryyyyyyy interesting interview in the next show!!!!!!!!!!!!
Links:
RIP Research Internship Program podcast
Joe Lopez BEST Camp interviewLabels: CSO, Merrick, Outreach, Podcast, Snacks4theBrain, Vanderbilt
