PGA Podcasts

The Dirt on Soil (Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:11:22 -0400)
Soil has a bad reputation as just dirt, but in actuality it is a veritable wild kingdom where you can find more life concentrated in the three inches below the surface than anywhere in the world above the soil. In week's podcast, we explore the importance of soil.

Lost Fruits of Africa: Volume III Fruits (Fri, 6 Jun 2008 11:18:58 -0400)
This podcast is based on the third book in a series evaluating underexploited African plant resources that could help broaden and secure Africa's food supply. Read this report online free.

Innovation in Global Industry (Fri, 23 May 2008 14:16:48 -0400)
The debate over offshoring of production, transfer of technological capabilities, and potential loss of U.S. competitiveness is a long-running one. Prevailing thinking is that the world is flat that is, innovative capacity is spreading uniformly; as new centers of manufacturing emerge, research and development and new product development follow. Innovation in Global Industries challenges this thinking. This podcast is centered around an interview with Jeffrey T. Macher, one of the editors of this book. Read the report online free.

The African Science Academy Development Initiative (Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:50:26 -0400)
The African Science Academy Development Initiative of the U.S. National Academies directly engages African academies of science in building their capacity to provide independent, evidence-based advice to their governments and countries on health-related matters. Visit the ASADI web page.
 

Scientists Without Borders: The International Visitors Office (Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:59:45 -0400)
In this podcast we are introduced to the International Visitors Office of the National Academies - a special office designed to help foreign Scientists and Students navigate the sometimes difficult visa process to come to the United States.

On Being a Scientist (Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:23:46 -0500)
On Being a Scientist is one of the most popular reports published by the National Academies. No in it's second edition and written for beginning researchers, it's subtitled "Responsible Conduct in Research" and seeks to describe the ethical foundations of the scientific practices. As the final podcast of 2007, this topic seemed to touch everyone involved in or concerned with the scientific enterprise.  Read the report online free.

Science and Security in a Post 9-11 World (Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:56:55 -0500)
The tragedy of September 11, 2001, the subsequent anthrax attacks, and ongoing terror threats internationally have markedly changed national and international security and information sharing. While, the success of U.S. science and engineering has been built on a system of information sharing and open communication, not only among U.S. institutions, but also with the international science and technology communities. This podcast explores how these two important endeavors must be balanced for the future of our country.  Read the report online free.

Lost Crops of Africa Volume II: Vegetables (Fri, 1 Jun 2007 13:54:57 -0400)
This report is the second in a series of three evaluating underexploited African plant resources that could help broaden and secure Africa's food supply. The podcast describes the characteristics of several little-known indigenous African vegetables (including tubers and legumes) that have potential as food- and cash-crops but are typically overlooked by scientists and policymakers and in the world at large. Read the report online free.

Beyond Bias and Barriers (Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:36:08 -0400)
Beyond Bias and Barriers explains that eliminating gender bias in academia requires immediate overarching reform, including decisive action by university administrators, professional societies, federal funding agencies and foundations, government agencies, and Congress. If implemented and coordinated across public, private, and government sectors, the recommended actions will help to improve workplace environments for all employees while strengthening the foundations of America's competitiveness.  Read the report online free.

You can view additional National Academies podcasts at http://media.nap.edu/podcasts/.