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Cephalopods, such as Octopus and Squids

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Tonight, the Perpetual Notion Machine looks into the fascination with cephalopods with two of our intrepid reporters, Kase Wheatley and Leah Potter-Weight. Cephalopods are a large class of mollusks that include octopus, squids, and cuttlefish. Their guests include George Rothdrake from the Friends of the Geology Museum. Even though George has a background in geology, […]

Spotted Owls

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In tonight’s episode of the Perpetual Notion Machine, PNM’s resident wildlife guru, Lincoln Tice, explores the nature and ecology of the Spotted owl. His guest is Gavin Jones, a Ph.D. candidate in UW-Madison’s forest and wildlife ecology. He specifically studies the California Spotted owl in the Sierra Nevada range. Spotted owls reside in old-growth forests […]

A Look at Meditation

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For tonight’s episode, the Perpetual Notion Machine looks into the practice of meditation with Will Cushman. UW-Madison has been in the forefront of meditation research, primarily with the Dalai Lama, due to Richard Davidson and the Center for Healthy Minds. But tonight Will talks with Charles Raison, a meditation researcher and psychiatrist in several areas […]

Academic Failure: Falling off the Shoulders of Giants

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It is said that if every experiment worked the first time, a graduate student could earn a PhD in under a year. However, we make the best of our mistakes and saddle up for a rough ride! Perpetual Notion Machine host Kelly Schwartz discusses the role that academic catastrophe plays in the lives of scientists. […]

City of Fitchburg shows leadership on solar installations

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In 2017 Fitchburg installed 362 kw of solar power on City buildings including the library and fire station.  Experts Erica Kleutmeier and Tony Hartmann from the City of Fitchburg talk about their solar projects and what it takes to make it happen in local government. Check out the live data about their solar power generation […]

What Makes Soil Healthy

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Tonight’s episode of the Perpetual Notion Machine looks into the radical notion of soil health. To some, soil might be just a “dirty” word. But new and extraordinary research at UW-Madison studies the simple and complex chemical processes breaking down organic matter that can contribute to soil health. PNM’er Kase Wheatley talks with two grad […]