Earlier this year, Congress pushed back on the Trump administration’s attempts to slash funding for many science research programs, and restored that money to the budget. But despite the funds existing in the budget, they have not yet been released to some researchers.

Science journalist Alexandra Witze joins Host Ira Flatow to walk through the details of the government funding process, and her recent report in Nature about the funding slowdown.

Guest: Alexandra Witze is a correspondent for the journal Nature. She's based in Boulder, Colorado.

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

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In nature, enzymes are the catalysts that make much of biology work. They jumpstart chemical reactions that either wouldn’t happen, or would happen super slowly. They break down food, build other molecules, extract energy, and more. What if we could harness evolution to engineer designer enzymes that do other specific jobs that benefit us?

Putting that idea into practice changed the game for chemistry, and earned Frances Arnold the Nobel Prize prize in 2018. She called it “directed evolution.” Today, thousands of labs use her methods to coax enzymes into doing things no one ever thought of. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk about where she sees this approach going in the future, and the personal evolution that brought her into science.

Guest: Dr. Frances Arnold is the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

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The new semi-autobiographical play “The Reservoir” spins a comedic narrative around cognitive reserve, the idea that doing brain-stimulating activities can prevent or delay the onset of dementia symptoms. It’s currently running at the Atlantic Theater Company and co-produced by The Ensemble Studio Theater in New York.*

Host Ira Flatow talks with playwright Jake Brasch about his inspiration for the play and how to mesh science into the theater.

Then, neurologist Marilyn Albert discusses some of the latest science of mental stimulation and dementia. After following a diverse group of older adults for 20 years, her research found that a modest amount of specialized cognitive training reduced dementia risk by 25%. You can try a very similar brain training exercise at home.

*“The Reservoir” received funding from the Sloan Foundation, which also helps support Science Friday.

Guests:
Jake Brasch is a writer, performer, composer, clown, and writer of the new play “The Reservoir.”
Dr. Marilyn Albert is a professor of neurology and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.