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A Bird’s Eye View of Species Extinction

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Scientists currently estimate that more than 99 percent of species that have ever lived have already gone extinct. We are part of those rare few species that get to keep holding on to life for a bit longer, but that might not be the case much longer because some scientists think we may be heading […]

Ghost particle origins: the weird world of neutrinos

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Why would scientists plumb a mile beneath the South Pole in search of clues to a riddle of cosmic proportions? To find out, tune into Perpetual Notion Machine’s conversation with Dr. Justin Vandenbroucke of UW-Madison about the strange high-energy subatomic particles known as neutrinos. Vandenbroucke is part of a team that recently observed the first […]

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. […]