Pesticides can be found in so many of our waterways thanks to industrial farming. Monitoring the levels of pesticides in our water is important to ensure the health of our water supplies and everything that lives in them. MSc student Moira Ijzerman studies new ways to detect and measure their presence using a new type of material, biofilms. Vinny and Katie share facts about Mars and millipedes.

When you think of an earthquake, you think of a sudden destructive event that lasts minutes or even seconds. Our guest this week is Meghomita Das who studies “slow earthquakes”. Slow earthquakes release the same amount of energy but over a timescale of weeks or even months. We talk about what slow earthquakes can tell us about the Earth’s history and earthquake predictions. Katie and Vinny talk about the whales and the bees.

Fainting is an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous experience. We talk to Erin Williams about the cardiovascular system and research into new and simple tools, like swaying, to prevent fainting (aka: syncope). Vinny and Katie talk about wild animals getting drunk and nuclear missiles.

The world of sub-atomic physics is always fascinating and most people know that the CERN lab is where lots of the latest experiments run. Our guest this week is Ben Davis-Purcell who did his research as part of the ATLAS experiment running at CERN, examining the fundamental particles that make up our universe. Katie and Vinny talk about plant tubes and robots that fight fires.

Sea Cucumbers are amazing animals. They hang out all over the ocean and have a surprising defense mechanism. Em Lim studies their pee and how the nitrogen in their pee is perfect for growing seaweed. Vinny and Katie talk about embryos and sharks.

We don’t really think too much about how we read or speak but our brains are doing a lot of work to make that happen. Alex Cross studies how our minds learn and develop our language skills, specifically how school age kids learn to read, including those who struggle with reading. Vinny and Katie talk about the center of the galaxy and blood sugar.

Given the modern reality of industrial farming, Animal Scientists are always looking for ways to raise animals with as little suffering as possible. Chickens often peck each other and pluck out each other’s feathers when placed under stress. Claire Mindus joins us to discuss how to reduce chicken stress with probiotics. Vinny and Katie talk about elephants and mitochondria.

People around the world drink a LOT of coffee and all those grounds go somewhere, often into our garbage dumps. What if we could use it for something other than compost? Our guest Alivia Mukherjee is studying a way to sequester carbon dioxide using coffee grounds to help mitigate climate change. Vinny and Katie talk about Spirit Bears and drilling holes on Mars.

Bioengineering is the field of using and modifying natural processes to produce new materials. This week’s guest, Lizzie Baker, bioengineered a new kind of spider silk to promote the growth of nerves and treat spinal cord injuries. Vinny and Katie share facts about space clocks and hybrid animals.

Tracking toxins in our environment is an important part of our food and health safety. Our guest Isabel Hilgendag talks about tracking the presence and effects of mercury in Arctic food webs. Vinny and Katie talk about fighting infections and bird navigation.

Cierra Stiegelmar joins Vinny and Katie to share her work with robotic prosthetics. Vinny also talks about the smell of petrichor after the rain and Katie dishes the hot goss about protists.

Our guest this week is Saiful Hoque who researches textile science. His specialty is making protective gear for firefighters. Katie and Vinny share facts about coral bleaching and mind-machine interfaces.

This week we meet researcher Amanda Kotila, who is studying glacier retreat, which is the process of how glaciers melt and get smaller. Katie and Vinny talk about fires in winter and decapitated worms.

This week we meet Sujani Gomes who is solving “The Mysterious Case of Bacteria and Nitrogen”. Vinny and Katie talk about wolves saving lives and wiggling tubes.

Meet Tessa Krause who is investigating using lasers to control laser welding and preventing lithium fires. Katie and Vinny talk about protecting the bees from mites and getting rechargeable batteries from the ocean.

Meet Kevin Guo who is exploring new treatments of diabetes using everyone’s favourite organic molecule, Vitamin K. Katie and Vinny talk about bats wearing party hats and a mysterious object that could replace Pluto as the Sun’s ninth planet.

Our first episode! Meet grad student Ida Derish who is working to use blood cells to repair broken hearts. Katie and Vinny also talk cicadas and planets.

The hosts of Learn Real Good, Vinny Francois and Katie Pagnucco, introduce the podcast, and share their own unique backgrounds in science and comedy. Come learn about the hosts, but don’t expect any conclusions.