STEM Learning with the World's Simplest Camera

Oscar Castaño Linares is a professor at the University of Barcelona and a researcher at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in the department of Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies. Through his research, Oscar has been working with 3D printers to print scaffolds that enhance the growth of blood vessels. These are like homes for cells to inhabit, so they have to be porous, biodegradable, and non-toxic. Like a craftsman learning a trade, Oscar's research has taken him all over the world to learn new techniques, but with the goal of transferring that knowledge to his students and to other scientists. Oscar joins us to share how he can print these biomaterials while describing his path in science that led him to this research. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2026/02/episode-285-biomaterials/

As professor of Environmental Studies and Geosciences at Lawrence University, Marcia Bjornerud knows a lot about rocks. In her new book, Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks, Marcia emphasizes the connection between human experiences and the physical earth, encouraging everyone to learn from the dynamic landscape around us. Marcia joins us to tell us about Turning to Stone and how the book is mapped to her own life, provides suggestions for how schools can improve teaching geosciences, and explains why we are living in a golden age of geoscience. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2025/04/episode-284-turning-to-stone/

Ever feel lost in the world of wellness advice online? Our guest, Dr. Jonathan Stea, has a new book called "Mind the Science" that helps cut through the noise of the wellness industry, exposing pseudoscience and mental health misinformation. As a promoter of science communication, Dr. Stea seeks to empower people to make informed decisions about mental well-being. His new book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the real science behind mental health and protect themselves from misinformation lurking in healthcare, pop culture, and social media. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2024/11/episode-283-mind-the-science/

Science comedy writer Sarah Rose Siskind has some ideas. We met Sarah at SXSWedu in the spring of 2024 where she delivered a keynote titled Science Comedy: Why it's a Thing and How to Do It. Of course we had to have her on the show. To open our 18th season, Sarah joins Lab Out Loud to share insights from her work with Hello SciCom, emphasize the link between humor and empathy, and give some tips for using comedy to communicate science in your classroom. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2024/09/episode-282-teach-science-with-humor/

It's spring, and it's a great time to get students outside to do some science. Need some ideas? Science teacher Brian Kaestner (St. Mary's Hall in San Antonio) and Vernier Educational Technology Specialist Colleen McDaniel join us to discuss how they use Vernier sensors so students can locally measure the effects of climate change. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2024/05/episode-281-vernier-climate-change/

Video version at: https://youtu.be/7zvYh4XvFVk In 2017, Sam Cornwell launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to make a pinhole camera called the Solarcan. Now a successful company with the same name, the Solarcan is a simple camera that takes extremely long time exposures capable of capturing the path of the sun. Sam joins us for this special video episode of Lab Out Loud to tell us how the Solarcan combines art and astronomy for the citizen scientist in all of us. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2024/03/episode-280-solarcam

Ella Marushchenko joins Lab Out Loud to discuss her job and her journey from a traditional art background to creating scientific illustrations. Stressing the need for artistic freedom in scientific visualization, Ella describes how she balances the collaborative process between artists and scientists as she translates complex concepts into visually appealing art. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2024/01/episode-279-scientific-illustrator/ 

In a recent survey, Nature asked scientists about their use of Twitter, and discovered that many decreased their use of the platform, and some have decided to leave it completely. To help understand this trend, we welcome bilingual science journalist Myriam Vidal Valero to the show. Myriam reminds us how many scientists need social media to connect, share their work, and build connections to help advance their careers. With the recent changes at Twitter, Myriam helps us navigate through the fragmentation of what's left in the landscape of social media for scientists that still want and need to collaborate online. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2023/10/episode-278-scientists-leaving-twitter/ 

To talk to us about the life cycle of our technology, we welcome Lucas Gutterman to the show. As the director of the Design to Last campaign with PIRG, the Public Interest Research Group, Lucas provides us with some insight and strategies on how we can advocate to make our devices last longer, and in turn save money and previous raw materials. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2023/08/episode-277-chromebook-churn/ 

Artist Dan Nott joins Lab Out Loud to tell us about his new graphic nonfiction book called Hidden Systems. With the help of visual metaphors, Dan illustrates systems that we often take for granted, such as the internet, the electrical grid, and providing water. Hidden Systems reveals these difficult to understand and often hidden systems that we tend to care about most when they aren't working. Through his research and art, Dan also reveals their history, with sometimes uncomfortable truths about our past that are literally hardwired into our present. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2023/05/episode-276-hidden-systems