Florida’s Killer Red Tide Explained, Man's Best Friend, Carbonated Cartons of Ice Cream

Guest: Richard Bartleson, PhD, Research Scientist, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Laboratory  A harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Mexico is killing marine life, driving away tourists and making it hard for local residents to breathe. Florida has been especially hard hit by this “red tide,” which is one of the most serious and long-lasting scientists have ever recorded for the area. Last week, Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency in seven Gulf Coast counties so extra resources can be sent to deal with the consequences of the algal bloom.

Guest: John Bailey, PhD, Professor of Silviculture and Fire Management, Oregon State University 2018 has been one of the hottest years on record. It’s also been one of the worst wildfire seasons in the West: the largest recorded fire in California history is still burning after nearly three weeks – that’s the Mendocino Complex fire, you’ve probably heard about it. How much of the wildfire problem is a result of climate change?

Guest: Mark Petersen, Founder, Event Organizer, Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship Come Labor Day weekend, forty dogs from as far away as South Africa and Scotland will converge on the little town of Midway, Utah to compete in one of the world’s most lucrative and respected sheep dog competitions. It’s called the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship. But why is it in Utah instead of the UK?

Guest: Emily Sanford, PhD student in Psychology and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University  People often feel a strong emotional connection to their dog. But does the dog feel the same way? Can a dog sense when its owner is in distress  - and will it actually come to the rescue, like Lassie in the old TV show?

Guest: Matthew Wittbrodt, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory University School of Medicine If you’re feeling brain-dead after a long day of work, you may reach for a sweet snack. But what you might really need is a glass of water. Emory University postdoctoral researcher Matthew Wittbrodt compared the results from dozens of scientific studies on dehydration and found that even being mildly dehydrated can have an affect on your brain power.

Guests: Michael Dunn, PhD, Professor of Food Science, BYU; Mike Alder, Director of BYU Technology Transfer Office Ice cream is good and soda is good. Why not combine the two into carbonated ice cream? Not an ice cream float in a glass of soda, but a carton of ice cream you eat with a spoon that tastes like cherry cola or orange cream and gives you that carbonated tingle on your tongue. BYU food science professor Michael Dunn has developed spoonable carbonated ice cream and he’s in studio to explain how it works.