The Helyx Show
The Helyx Show
The Helyx Initiative
Explore different areas of science through guest interviews, blog posts, and join host Chris Jung in full-episode productions. All posts and production are student-run under the nonprofit The Helyx Initiative.
Saha and Bose in The Golden Age of Indian Science
In 1905, India’s air was filled with the throbbing pulse of rebellion, the cobblestone streets of Bengal dreaming of freedom and enlightenment. Science was no longer reserved for those brilliant white men in stiff wigs and a few titles in front of their name - through science it was possible to do things and improve them. At the forefront of this flame were two men, one of them an only son of a middle-class Bengali Kayastha family, and the other the fifth child of a poor shopkeeper. Their names were Satyendra Nath Bose and Meghnad Saha, who would pass on their legacy to the namesake bosons that structure our universe, theoretical Bose-Einstein condensate and statistics, and the Saha equation used by astrophysicists around the world. Today on the Helyx Show, Chris examines how the paths of Meghnad Saha and Satyendra Nath Bose crossed and how both men revitalized India's scientific revolution and cemented their names in the history of science for the years to come. If you are enjoying this podcast, please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Youtube for future episodes and please leave a rating or review. And please send me an email at [email protected] for any comments questions, or concerns. Sound Credits: "Amar Sonar Bangla" sung by Sraboni Sen from the film Nirbashito Zapsplat for royalty-free sound effects. Script, recording, and production by Chris Jung. 
Dec 30, 2021
36 min
Newton's Year of Wonders: Pandemics and Productivity
In 1665, The Great Plague of London ravaged England, killing around 100,000 people - a quarter of London's population - in eighteen months. It spread through rat-infested alleys in the bites of fleas with the Yersinia pestis bacterium all the way to the walls of the great burgeoning city. When the bubonic plague spread throughout the city, one soon-to-be-world-famous college student, Isaac Newton, was finishing his bachelor's at Cambridge. In response to the plague, he withdrew to his childhood home, Woolsthorpe Manor and began what is known as his "Year of Wonders". Today on The Helyx Show, join Chris for a dive into the life of a genius and what aspects apply to us today. Music: "It's Only a Lifetime" by FINNEAS
Nov 29, 2021
27 min
Tygers and Lambs - What can Evolution tell us?
In 1794, William Blake asked one of the most famous questions in all of poetry - "Did he who make the lamb make thee?". In this episode, Chris dives into the question of what makes ferocious tigers and innocent lambs so different from each other from an evolutionary view, and what that means for humans today with one of the species verging on extinction. Please send all questions, comments, and inquiries to [email protected], and leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts if you are enjoying this podcast!
Oct 31, 2021
27 min
Colleen Golja: Can we engineer our way out of climate change?
In the 2013 film Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon Ho, humanity has been reduced to a segmented caste system on a single train that travels through the unhabitable, icy world. In order to combat global warming, scientists in the movie launched a compound called CW7 into the atmosphere. The intention of CW7 was to reflect the sun's heat and reverse global warming, but instead, the CW7 sent the planet into an ice age. Could this plot happen in real life? On today's episode, Colleen Golja, a PhD student at the Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering, talks about her work on the controversial ScopEx project and the radiative forcing of aerosols for use in geoengineering. Colleen also talks about her inspiring journey with science and her personal concerns and outlook on solar geoengineering research. Find more about ScopEx here: https://www.keutschgroup.com/scopex Colleen's Twitter: @colgol9 Thank you so much for listening to The Helyx Show. If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, or shoot me an email at [email protected], to let me know any questions, comments, or future episode or music ideas! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Oct 7, 2021
52 min
Trivia, Teaching, and Talent with (Jeopardy) Jason Zuffranieri + September Giveaway
Math teacher Jason Zuffranieri broke headlines when he won $532,496 in a 19-Game Winning Streak on Jeopardy! in 2019. He joins host Chris Jung to tell his story competing in the show and his thoughts as a Quizbowl, Science Bowl, and Math Team coach, as well as being a math teacher and a competitive puzzle solver. Youtube Link: (Needed to enter the giveaway): https://youtu.be/xYgv0ZZbyUI
Sep 6, 2021
51 min
Analyzing Pseudoscience with Dr. James and Alison Kaufman
Who can we trust when it comes to scientific integrity in a headline-chasing, "fake news" world?  Dr. James and Alison Kaufman, esteemed psychology professors at the University of Connecticut and authors of Pseudoscience: The Conspiracy Against Science, join host Chris Jung for a conversation about pseudoscience in the history of science, social media, and even established journals. Buy  Pseudoscience: The Conspiracy Against Science - https://www.amazon.com/Pseudoscience-...  Dr. James C. Kaufman's website: jamesckaufman.com  Dr. James Kaufman's twitter: @JamesKaufman   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LW2HJY... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Aug 28, 2021
59 min
Science Goes to the Movies with Dr. David A. Kirby
Science media expert Professor David A. Kirby discusses the history of science in films, the changing representation of scientists in media, and how science and entertainment industries both can both help and harm each other through science consulting and public attention with host Chris Jung on The Helyx Show. Professor Kirby's Cal Poly site: https://isla.calpoly.edu/faculty/kirby The Science and Entertainment Lab: http://thescienceandentertainmentlab.com/   Lab Coats in Hollywood: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/lab-coats-hollywood Listen on...  Anchor - https://anchor.fm/helyx Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6LW2HJYIelFzhMZ0emifzG Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-helyx-show/id1551561694 Youtube Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAT9_Vn21rJM3fP_bsDtImFhzK61G17QH
Aug 7, 2021
1 hr 3 min
Haley Wahl: Pulsars, Physics, and Pressures in Academia
Haley Wahl, a PhD student studying pulsars and astrophysics at West Virginia University, joins us today on The Helyx Show. Haley's main topic of research is pulsar polarization and emission, and she is an active advocate for mental health and science communication. She talks with Chris about her path in astrophysics, unhealthy pressures in academia, her work to make science accessible, and her undeniable knack for baking.   Haley's website: haleymwahl.wixsite.com/hwahl    Find Haley's work on astrobites: https://astrobites.org/author/hwahl/  Find Haley on Twitter: @hwahl16 and @PulsarBakes   The Pulsars and Profiteroles Project: https://astrobites.org/author/hwahl/  Shoot me an email at [email protected] for comments and suggestions, and please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! See you next time on The Helyx Show!
Jul 31, 2021
51 min
Gary Siuzdak: Mass Spectrometry, Metabolomics, and Memories
Dr. Gary Siuzdak is a Professor of Chemistry, Molecular and Computational Biology and Director of the Center for Metabolomics at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, where he and his team are leading researchers in developing mass spectrometry-based technologies for understanding metabolism. In this interview, Dr. Siuzdak talks about new techniques in mass spectrometry, the applications of metabolomics, and the importance of balance as he looks back at his "regrets" and recollections. Check out our episode on our YouTube Channel for visuals and timestamps! https://youtu.be/obZ6T8nO6wk
Jul 22, 2021
1 hr 8 min
Episode 4: Offshore Wind Farms - Our Best Bet
In 1991, eleven fully constructed turbines were lifted into the waters between 1.5 and 3km from the southeast shores of Denmark. Compared to today’s standards, these turbines were elementary structures mounted on concrete, and yet DONG Energy’s construction of the very first offshore wind farm, called Vindeby, revolutionized renewable energy for the coming years. What impact do offshore wind farms have on our growing search for renewable energy sources? What is the science driving the rapid interest and funding in this technology?  Script Credits: Rushank Goyal and Chris Jung Song Credits: Beethoven String Quartet in C# minor, Op 131, performed live in Alice Tully Hall by the Danish String Quartet "In My Place", Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
Jun 30, 2021
23 min
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