Dr. Ginger Campbell's Blog and Podcasts » Books and Ideas Podcast

Scott Sigler on Incorporating Science into Horror Writing

docartemis — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:10:30 +0000

Episode 35 of the Books and Ideas podcast is an interview with best-selling horror writer, Scott Sigler. Scott is widely admired for pioneering the use of podcasting to promote his fiction writing, but so far hasn’t gotten the recognition I think he deserves for incorporating hard science into his unique blend of horror and science fiction.

This interview gave me the opportunity to talk with Scott about how he meets the challenge of incorporating accurate science without sacrificing storytelling. I think this is an excellent follow-up to the interview I did with Sheril Kirshenbaum (co-author of Unscientific America) back in Episode 32.

Listen to Episode 35 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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Recommended Reading:

The Rookie by Scott Sigler (Listen to this podcast to get a coupon code!)
Contagious by Scott Sigler
Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum
Early chapters of The Crypt are now available at Podiobooks.com.

Useful Links:

Scott Sigler’s website
Podiobooks.com: where you can sample all of Scott’s work in free audiobook format.
Scott Sigler’s iPhone application

Announcements:

Don’t forget to check out the Books and Ideas application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Books and Ideas will be on hiatus for the next few months while I work on producing and promoting the new premium versions of the Brain Science Podcast.
You can get updates by joining our Facebook Fan page or my subscribing to my newsletter.

Books and Ideas #34: Bruce Hood, author of SuperSense

docartemis — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:00:28 +0000

Episode 34 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Bruce M Hood, author of SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable.Dr. Hood is a developmental psychologist with a long-standing interest in why people believe weird things. In SuperSense he argues that innate cognitive structures (how we think without being taught) give people a natural tendency toward belief in the supernatural. Our intuitive sense of how the world works is often at odds with the findings of modern science.

In this interview we discuss the evidence for these conclusions and their implications.

Listen to Episode 34 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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References and Links:

Bruce Hood’s website
SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable by Bruce M. Hood
Hood, BM, “Gravity Rules for Two- to Four-Year-Olds?” Cognitive Development 10 (1995): 577-98.
Lindeman & Aarnio (2007), “Superstitious, magical, and paranormal beliefs: An integrative model.” Journal of Research in Personality 41, 731–744
Lindeman, M. & Saher, M. (2007). “Vitalism, Purpose and Superstition.” British Journal of Psychology, 98(1), 33-44.
Lindeman, M. & Aarnio, K. (2006). “Paranormal beliefs: Their dimensionality and correlates.” European Journal of Personality, 20: 585-602.

Announcements:

Get episode transcripts on your iPhone or iPod Touch with the Books and Ideas application.
Join the Books and Ideas FaceBook Fan Page.
Books and Ideas and the Brain Science Podcast are supported by listener donations.
Coming Soon! Premium versions of both podcasts.

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Please send your comments and feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot com.

Books and Ideas #33: Kyla Duffy from Happy Tails Books

docartemis — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:00:48 +0000

Episode 33 of Books and Ideas an interview with Kyla Duffy, the founder of Happy Tails Books where she publishes stories about dog rescue. Her goal is to raise awareness of the plight of puppy mill dogs and to raise funds for a wide variety of canine rescue organizations. I discovered her work through my contact with German Shepherd Rescue of Central Alabama.

This episode is more personal than most because I share some of the story of my rescued German Shepherd Jake, and of course, Kyla talks about rescuing a Boston Terrier named Bill (pictured above) led her to start a publishing company.

Listen to Episode 33 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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Links of Interest:

Happy Tails Books: (note: international listeners can order books via Amazon.com)
Petfinder.com: a reputable source for rescued pets
German Shepherd Rescue of Central Alabama (They also have a Facebook Group)
Manners in Motion in Pelham, AL: dog obedience, agility, fly-ball, and day-care (Join their FB Fan Page)
Willie Morris: Jake’s favorite teacher

photo courtesy of Courtney Po

Don’t forget to visit http://happytailsbooks.com!

Rush Delivery is Available.

Books and Ideas Podcast #32: “Unscientific America”

docartemis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:00:35 +0000

Episode 32 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Sheril Kirshenbaum, co-author (with Chris Mooney) of Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future. The focus of our interview was on why it is increasingly important that scientists become skilled at communicating what we do to political leaders and to our fellow citizens. Our future depend on solving complex problems (such as global warning and energy issues), which will require accurate scientific knowledge. Unscientific America provides a fresh look at the on-going problem of scientific illiteracy while offering practical suggestions about how we can re-incorporate science into mainstream culture. It calls on scientists of all ages to embrace the role of citizen-scientist.

Listen to Episode 32 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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References and Links:

Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum
Chris Mooney’s interview on the Point of Inquiry Podcast: November 2009.
Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style by Randy Olson PhD
The Intersection: Mooney and Kirshenbaum’s science blog at Discover.com
http://sherilkirshenbaum.com/
“Who are America’s science role models? (It’s ugly, folks.) “ by Eric Burger (March 21, 2008): Most Americans can’t even name a living scientist!
CP Snow and his famous Two Cultures essay (wikipedia)
The Science & Entertainment Exchange: a program of the National Academy of Sciences that provides entertainment industry professionals with access to top scientists and engineers to help bring the reality of cutting-edge science to creative and engaging storylines.
Policy Fellowships for Scientists and Engineers: opportunities for scientists and engineers of all ages.

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Send feedback to gincampbell at mac dot com or leave voicemail at 206-984-0358.

Books and Ideas iPhone application is now available

docartemis — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:43:02 +0000

Last week I announced the new iPhone (and iPod Touch) application for the Brain Science Podcast. This week we are launching a similar application for the Books and Ideas podcast. It features access to all episodes the episodes going back to December 2006, episode transcripts, and direct links to this website, my email and our new voice mail line at (206) 984-0358.

Go to the iTunes Store

Books and Ideas Podcast #31: NASA’s Les Johnson

docartemis — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:46:31 +0000

Episode 31 of Books and Ideas is an interview with NASA physicist Les Johnson, PhD. We talked about his new book Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth. Although Dr. Johnson is a lifelong fan of science fiction he challenges the common assumption that eventually we will pollute or damage the earth so badly that humans will be forced to move to outer space. Instead, Dr. Johnson argues that we should develop the technology to get resources from outer space so that we can preserve the Earth for Life.

Listen to Episode 31 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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Additional Links and References:

Les Johnson’s website: where you can find information about his books and future appearances.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.
Dr. Johnson is the Deputy Manager of the Advanced Concepts Office at Marshall.
ProSEDS and the Tethered Satellite System: Dr. Johnson has worked on the development of advanced propulsion systems.
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency

Books mentioned in this episode:

Living Off the Land in Space: Green Roads to the Cosmos by Gregory L. Matloff, Les Johnson, C Bangs
The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer’s Guide to Interstellar Travel by Eugene F. Mallove and Gregory L. Matloff
Solar Sails: A Novel Approach to Interplanetary Travel by Giovanni Vulpetti, Les Johnson, Gregory L. Matloff
Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth by Les Johnson, Gregory L. Matloff, C Bangs
Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon, by Craig Nelson (Available from our sponsor Audible.com)

Announcements:

Don’t forget to join the Books and Ideas Fan Page on Facebook.
Books and Ideas is supported by Listener Donations.
Share your feedback in the Discussion Forum or on the Fan Page or send email to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot com.

Books and Ideas Podcast #30: Tom Clark on Naturalism

docartemis — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:48:48 +0000

Episode 30 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Tom Clark, the head of the Center for Naturalism and author of Encountering Naturalism: A Worldview and Its Uses. I first became aware of Clark’s work when I reviewed Chris Evatt’s book The Myth of Free Will back in Episode 12.

In this interview we talk about naturalism as a world view and examine its implications for important questions like free will and morality. Naturalism is a world view that is based on using the scientific method to discover the truth about the world. It rejects supernatural explanations. Clark explains that this means that naturalism rejects the idea of contra-causal free will but that it embraces a more compassionate approach to personal responsibility.

We also talked about Clark’s review of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown. I discussed this book in Episode 53 of the Brain Science Podcast and its co-author Warren Brown will be my guest on next month’s Brain Science Podcast (Episode 62).

Listen to Episode 30 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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LINKS:

REFERENCES:

Encountering Naturalism: A Worldview and Its Uses by Thomas W. Clark
The Myth of Free Will, edited by Chris Evatt
Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy, Warren S. Brown
The Sacred Depths of Nature by Ursula Goodenough
“For the law, neuroscience changes nothing and everything” by Joshua Greene and Jonathan Cohen; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (2004)359,1775–1785. Part of the Theme Issue “Law and the Brain. (Download PDF).
“Beyond Retribution?: Effects of Encouraging a Deterministic Worldview on Punishment,” by Azim F. Shariff, University of British Columbia, Joshua D. Greene, Harvard University, and Jonathan W. Schooler, University of California at Santa Barbara (submitted).

RELATED PODCAST EPISODES:

Episode 12 (Books and Ideas): Discussion of The Myth of Free Will, edited by Chris Evatt.
Episode 53 (Brain Science Podcast): Discussion of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown
Episode 62 (Brain Science Podcast): Interview with Warren Brown.

Listen to Episode 30 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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Send Dr. Campbell feedback at gincampbell at mac.com and don’t forget to join our new Facebook Fan Page.

New Facebook Fan Page for Books and Ideas Podcast

docartemis — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I just started a new Facebook Fan Page for the Books and Ideas podcast. If you listen to the podcast I hope you will join. I hope to use the page as a launching pad for promoting the podcast to a larger audience.

Books and Ideas Podcast
The next episode of Books and Ideas will be out on 9/25/09.

Schedule Announcement for Books and Ideas Podcast

docartemis — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:49:24 +0000

I have just posted a brief announcement in the feed for my Books and Ideas podcast. I have decided to take a break for the rest of the summer.

This will allow me to catch up on some professional activities (re-certifying my ACLS and ATLS) and perhaps get some other new projects off the ground. I have several great guests lined up and intend to post the next new episode at the end of September, 2009.

Books and Ideas Podcast #29: Dr. Robert Martensen Returns

docartemis — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:00:15 +0000

In Episode 29 of Books and Ideas Robert Martensen, MD returns to talk about his book A Life Worth Living: A Doctor’s Reflections on Illness in a High-Tech Era. Last month we talked about Dr. Martensen’s career as both an emergency physician and as an historian. This month we concentrate on the issues facing patients with life threatening illnesses, including making decisions about end of life care. Dr. Martensen and I agree that the American emphasis on high tech care tends to ignore the needs of people in these situations. We discuss the importance of better communication between physicians and patients as well as the need for fundamental changes in our system.

Listen to Episode 29 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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This episode includes a short promo for Nina Kimberly the Merciless by Christiana Ellis. You can learn more about Christiana’s work at http://ninakimberly.com.

Send feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot com or join the Discussion Forum at http://brainscienceforum.com