In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, Frances Mae Tenorio talks about domestic cat predation, the problem of invasive species, responsible pet ownership, and more. Learn about her study on domestic cat predation here: https://www.flipscience.ph/plants-and-animals/domestic-cats-mt-makiling-forest-reserve/ This episode was made possible by the British Council Philippines, the United Kingdom’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Now on its...

Inside a small, stuffy cave in Batangas, researchers found a species of spider that has never been recorded in the Philippines before—a discovery with potential impacts on environmental policy and local tourism. This episode is an audio adaptation of the following article: https://www.flipscience.ph/plants-and-animals/recluse-spiders-taxonomy/ Episode 157 of the Ask Theory podcast was made possible by the British Council Philippines, the United Kingdom’s international organization for...

In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, Dr. Chenery Ann Lim of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders talks about what pertussis or "whooping cough" is, why pertussis is dangerous, who is most at risk of contracting pertussis, how to mitigate the spread of pertussis, attitudes toward infectious disease prevention, and more. To learn more or to contact the MSF team, visit: https://doctorswithoutborders-apac.org/en/about-us/contact-us This episode was made possible by the British...

In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, Dr. Chenery Ann Lim of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders talks about the basics of methanol poisoning, the origin of the term "gin bulag," how Philippine media practitioners talk about methanol poisoning, the difference between methanol poisoning and excessive alcohol consumption, what to do if you suspect you have methanol poisoning, and more. To learn more or to contact the MSF team, visit:...

In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, science communicator Jo Brianne Briones talks about why we are so fascinated with space, how it feels to work at the Philippine Space Agency, the many ways space science benefits the public, how science cultivates geeky interests (and vice versa), and more. This episode was made possible by the British Council Philippines, the United Kingdom’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Now on its fourth year,...

In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, Genea Nichole Cortez of Mangrove Matters PH talks about mangrove conservation, the problem of "wrong" mangrove planting, Earth Hour and other similar awareness campaigns, using art to spread environmental awareness, and more. Links: Neymatophores on INPRNT: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/neymatophores/ Neymatophores on Facebook: fb.com/neymatophores The National Mangrove Map of 2023: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Du4yZ6xRckSL12PW/?⁠ This...

In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, Dr. Trisha Angelie Thadhani of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders talks about tuberculosis in the Philippines, why TB is still a taboo topic for some, the issue of bedaquiline and how it affects TB treatment in the Philippines, current strategies for TB awareness and treatment, why World TB Day matters, and more. To learn more, visit: https://doctorswithoutborders-apac.org/en/our-work-on-tuberculosis This episode was made possible by...

In this episode of the Ask Theory podcast, licensed nutritionist-dietitian and space enthusiast Kristine Jane Atienza talks about the field of space nutrition, becoming the first Filipina analog astronaut, the importance of analog space missions, what can the government and the public can do to better support women in STEM, and more. This episode was made possible by the British Council Philippines, the United Kingdom’s international organization for cultural relations and educational...

Jackielyn Abela is a full-time faculty member of the Social Science Department of Palawan State University. She is a graduate of BA Social Science major in Social Anthropology from the University of the Philippines Baguio. Currently, she is the assistant director of the Palawan Studies Center and the head of secretariat for the PSU Research Ethics Review Committee. This episode of Ask Theory was made in partnership with Next Generation One Health Philippines. For more information, visit:...

Dr. Emmanuelle Angeles finished his Doctor of Medicine degree at the West Visayas State University, Iloilo City and finished his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Atty. Jay Mark Balbosa earned his Juris Doctor degree from Andres Bonifacio College, Dipolog City and his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the Mindanao State University-Buug Campus, Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay. Dr. Carah Lyn Lo obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from De La Salle...

Von Carlo Dela Torre finished his BS and MS Biology at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology. His research interests include Wildlife Biodiversity and Ecology, Molecular Biology, Infectious Diseases, and One Health. We talked about the relationship between human health and biodiversity and ecology, mitigating the emergence of pathogens in Davao, the Next Generation One Health fellowship, and more. How to contact Von: Email: [email protected];...

Carlo Lumangaya attained a degree in Public Health at the University of the Philippines Manila. He has had a diverse work experience with grassroots work at local levels, technical roles at the subnational and national levels, and development work at the international level. He has also been involved in the management and implementation of projects on infectious diseases of poverty across different disciplines. We talked about public health at the grassroots level, infectious diseases of...

Dr. Reginald Bernardo is a gravitational physicist and cosmologist. He studied at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines where he received his BS and MS degrees. A member of the NIP Gravity Group, he was awarded his doctoral degree in 2020. He worked as an Instructor and Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines, and is currently a postdoc at the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica. We talked about gravitational physics, cosmology, his work as a...

Ryan John Pascual completed his master's degree in Aquaculture at Ghent University. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree on Sustainable Leadership and Governance at De La Salle University Dasmariñas while working as a Project Technical Specialist on Special Concerns at the National Academy of Science and Technology. We talked about sustainable leadership, agritourism, working with NAST, his recent projects, the Next Generation One Health fellowship, and more. How to contact...

Keisha Mayuga is a sustainable mobility professional with 6 years of experience in the field, tackling different topics such as cycling, building community spaces, and mobility justice. She is the founder of Life Cycles PH, an initiative in the pandemic that helped 1500 essential workers get home on bicycles, and is a member of mobility groups such as AltMobility PH and Move As One Coalition.  We talked about sustainable mobility, why Filipinos are so dependent on cars, creating a more...

Dr. Leodevico Ilag obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. He then pursued his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in the United States of America. Thereafter, he served as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Purdue University in the USA working on the structural biology of viruses and viral proteins. He has over 25 years of early-stage biotech company experience across a broad...

In terms of innovativeness, ingenuity, and sheer resourcefulness, Filipinos can easily give everyone else in the world a run for their money. But in our rush to proclaim our #PinoyPride to the rest of the world, do we end up claiming credit for things that Filipinos didn't actually invent?

Dr. Neil Andrew Bascos is a Protein Structural Biologist from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. He also serves as Program Director for the Protein, Proteomics and Metabolomic Facility of the Philippine Genome Center. His research involves investigations of the effect of structural forms on the functions of medically relevant proteins. We talked about omics, the science behind proteins, studying proteins at the molecular level, unexpected paths in science inquiry,...

The entire Rafflesia genus is an enormous enigma, in more ways than one. Information about it is oddly scarce, which is unfortunate considering its threatened status. But what would really happen if we were to lose this one-of-a-kind flower -- and what are Filipino scientists doing to save it? FULL TRANSCRIPT: https://www.flipscience.ph/podcast/ask-theory-podcast-140-can-the-worlds-biggest-and-weirdest-flower-be-saved/

This episode of Ask Theory was made possible through a collaboration with Reporting Asean as part of its Sustainability Series. In this special episode, FlipScience EIC and Ask Theory host Mikael Angelo Francisco spoke to Dr. Gerry Bagtasa, a professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and Dr. Bernard Alan "BA" Racoma, an instructor at IESM. They talked about the behavior of tropical cyclones over the past 25...

This episode of Ask Theory was made in partnership with Next Generation One Health Philippines (NGOHP). For more information, visit: https://nextgenonehealthph.com/about Dr. Gail Co is a licensed physician with a Masters in Business Administration, with an interest in sustainability and global health. She is currently involved in projects intersecting human health and planetary health, both locally and globally.   Ella Asuncion is a licensed medical technologist and a part-time faculty at...

Jose Emmanuel De Luna is a licensed agriculturist and has a master’s degree in Entomology (Insecticide Toxicology) from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. He is an Assistant Professor 3 at the university’s Institute of Weed Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology under the College of Agriculture and Food Science. As an entomologist, he is involved in various projects related to the bio-ecology of insect pests, biological control agents, and their management of different crops. We...

Jayvee Moltio is a nurse who currently works as a public health practitioner specializing in health promotion and communication in a government hospital. He is pursuing a PhD in Indigenous Studies, focusing on Medical Anthropology, at the University of the Philippines Baguio. He has received prestigious awards, including the Presidential Lingkod Bayan from the Civil Service Commission. He has been recognized as an Outstanding Citizen in the Province of Benguet and an Outstanding Alumni for...

Trigger warning: This audio essay contains mentions of suicide and mental health issues. Do you consider yourself a workaholic? You might want to take a moment to rethink that. There is a difference between working hard and being addicted to work — and confusing the latter for the former can have lethal results. FULL TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13OZNzC3CY7FfCy9VzVVkQ3uaroMlbjbVV7oqGVjOvSA/edit?usp=sharing