Pulse of the Planet

Syndicated radio producer Jim Metzner (multiple radio media major-award winner, plus multiple NSF, Grammy Foundation, and Fulbright grants) produces NanoEarth sponsored Pulse of the Planet episodes about nanoenvironmental research and environmental nanoscience and engineering in general. These shows are nationally distributed on NPR radio and through numerous online podcast platforms. The radio audience for weekday broadcasts of Pulse of the Planet is estimated to be 220,000 listeners, heard over about 264 stations nationwide, and on Armed Forces Radio. On online podcast outlets, several NanoEarth-sponsored shows have surpassed 100,000 downloads!

NanoEarth’s Pulse of the Planet episodes are built for public consumption and highlight the most interesting projects from external users, impactful research at other NNCI sites, and local site researchers, with those individuals personally interviewed for each episode. Original episodes were short 2 minute spots while newer episodes are in long podcast form.

Pulse of the Planet website: https://www.pulseplanet.com/

Pulse of the Planet on iTunes

Pulse of the Planet on Stitcher Note: SiriusXM is discontinuing the Stitcher platform and transitioning podcasts to their SiriusXM subscription service. A timeline for the episode removal from Stitcher has not been provided.

Pulse of the Planet Programs
F. Marc Michel Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences & Leader of the Division of Nanoscience in the Academy of Integrated Science at Virginia Tech & NanoEarth Deputy Director Small Things, Big Challenges: The tiniest bits of matter have a very large impact on our environment and our lives. Join Geoscientist Marc Michel on a deep dive into the science of nanotechnology.
Nikolla Qafoku Laboratory Fellow in the Environmental Subsurface Science Group and Deputy Director of the Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites (RemPlex) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Secrets of Soil: Not only does soil support virtually every tree, plant and crop on earth, it can control toxic waste and help mitigate climate change
Michael Hochella, Jr. University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geosciences at Virginia Tech & Laboratory Fellow of the Earth Systems Science Division, Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory & NanoEarth Founding Director Seeding the Oceans: Nanotechnology is making possible a new way to remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere
Karen Sorber Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Micronic Technologies Tornadic One-Pass: The power of a tornado offers a possible solution to clean polluted waterways Cleaning Up Water with the Power of a Tornado: One of nature's most destructive forces has inspired a new technology Revolutionizing Water Treatment: A new invention could revolutionize the way we treat contaminated water Recovering Waste Products from Contaminated Water: Is it possible to both clean up contaminated water and reclaim useful elements from the waste? Removing Nanoparticles: A new water-purifying technology may provide a way to remove nanoparticles from our waterways
Maya Trotz Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida Coral Reefs - Up Close: A classic example of symbiosis. Coral Reefs - Endangered: What's causing reefs around the world to bleach and die? Coral Reefs - Sunscreen: Do sunscreens have an impact on the health of coral reefs? Coral Reefs - Nanotechnology: How to construct an artificial reef? Coral Reefs - Microfragmentation: An accidental discovery leads to a new way of recovering reefs.
Linsey Marr Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech Fullerenes: The places where engineered nanomaterials-like Fullerenes- are being manufactured have the potential for the highest exposure to people of toxic materials. Winter's Unwanted Guest: Having a humidifier in your house may reduce the chances of getting the flu.
Paul Schroeder Professor and Department Head of Geology at the University of Georgia Clay - Incredibly Useful: From porcelain to plastic! It Comes in Many Guises: Wherever you may be right now, odds are you're not far from clay in one form or another. A Trojan Horse Made of Clay: Fooling cancer cells! Window to the Past: Geologists reconstruct the climates of yore by looking at the types of clay minerals that are preserved.
Greg Lowry Walter J. Blenko Sr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Immunizing Plants: Scientists are finding ways to help plants absorb fertilizers and nutrients more efficiently. Smart Sprays: Currently only a fraction of the nutrients and pesticides applied to crops are actually benefiting the plants. Nano-Agriculture: The future of large scale agriculture may depend upon the use of very small scale nanoparticles. Talk to Your Plants: With the help of nanotechnology, one day we all may be able to communicate with our houseplants.
Paul Westerhoff Vice Dean and Regents' Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University The Ubiquitous White Powder: What do toothpaste, powdered donuts and sunscreen have in common? Solar Donuts: With the help of nanotechnology, you can transform a powdered donut into a truly enlightening experience. Alternative Antibiotic: Nano-spikes of silver impale invading bacteria! Golden Sewage: Nanoparticles of gold are showing up in some unlikely places.
Adam Coates Assistant Professor of Forest Fire Ecology and Management at Virginia Tech Toxic Smoke, Deadly Particles: The effects of a wildfire can last long after the fires have burned. Managing Forests for Fires: Prescribed burns have an impact on the amount of toxic particles released in the smoke of a wildfire.
Quinn Spadola National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Associate Director of Education and Outreach at Georgia Institute of Technology Smartphones, Smartclothes: We're all carrying nanotechnology in our pockets; soon we'll be wearing it too. Nano Clean: Inspired by the fine structure of cicada wings, nano-sized spikes actually impale bacteria. Cloak of Invisibility: Sometimes there's a fine line between science and fiction. Nano Sensors: Green light = ripe pear!
Christine Ogilvie Hendren Executive Director of the Center for the Enivonmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT) and Research Scientist at Duke University Pulse of the Particle: What happens when nanoparticles find their way into the environment? Biomagnification: Contaminants can increase in their concentration as they move up the food chain. Hyperspectral Imaging: A micro-galaxy of colors! A Recipe for Algae Blooms?: Recent findings suggest that fertilizers together with nanoparticles can lead to algae blooms.
Amy Pruden W. Thomas Rice Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech Antibiotic Resistance: Every year, at least 23,000 people in the US die because of antibiotic resistant infections. Pulse of the Bacteria: In many countries around the world, people can walk into a pharmacy and purchase antibiotics without a prescription. Nanopores: Reading strings of DNA like the beads on a necklace.
Peter Vikesland Nick Prillaman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech Nanotechnology Meets Clams: Are nanoparticles from products effecting the environment? Eradicating Polio: There are three countries in the world where polio is still found. The Polio Detector: A low-cost means of detecting polio in the field is being developed by scientists, using nanotechnology.
Pedro Alvarez George R. Brown Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University Nanoparticles - A Whole Lot of Surface: How does making something smaller change its nature? Nanotechnology - Revolutionizing Water Treatment: It takes about ten barrels of water to get one barrel of oil. Nanotechnology - Just Like Shark Skin: Designing a membrane that doesn't clog up. Nanotechnology - Sense and Destroy: Self-repairing membranes that target pathogens. Nanotechnology - The Bottom Line: Do we need nanomaterials to be 100% pure?
Tim Long Professor of Chemistry at Virginia Tech Microplastics - Into Our Oceans: Virtually every plastic bag that finds its way into the ocean, deteriorates into microplastic particles. Microplastics - Solutions: Can we develop bio-friendly polymers? Microplastics - Beneficial Uses: What happens to the microplastics in your toothpaste when they get washed down the drain? Microplastics - Double-Edged Sword: Can we design pastics whose structures respond to their environment? Plastics in Your Body: "Take me into the cell! Don't kill me!
Deborah Berhanu Assistant Professor at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York Nanotech - Think Thin: Is that a pen in your shirt pocket or the latest smartphone? Nanotech - Staying Small: If they're going to retain their special properties, nanoparticles have to stay small! Nanotech - Lycurgus Cup: Did fourth century Rome know about nanotechnology? Nanotech - Worst Case Scenarios: Could nanoparticles be toxic to humans and the environment?
Nadine Kabengi Assistant Professor of Geochemistry at Georgia State University Soil - Organic Filter: Every drop of water we drink has gone through a piece of soil. Soil - Planet Skin: Some soils have taken hundreds of thousands of years to form. Soil - Nano Attraction: Can iron nanoparticles be used to clean up toxic waste?
Kim Jones Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Howard University Nano Caffeine: According to US Geological Survey, much of the fresh water in the US is contaminated by caffeine. Nano Membranes: Wastewater plants typically don't filter our phramaceuticals from our water supply. Stealth Nanoparticles: If nanoparticles from consumer products end up in solid wastes, what effects could that have on the environment?

Pulse of the Planet Programs

F. Marc Michel
Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences & Leader of the Division of Nanoscience in the Academy of Integrated Science at Virginia Tech & NanoEarth Deputy Director

Small Things, Big Challenges: The tiniest bits of matter have a very large impact on our environment and our lives. Join Geoscientist Marc Michel on a deep dive into the science of nanotechnology.

Nikolla Qafoku
Laboratory Fellow in the Environmental Subsurface Science Group and Deputy Director of the Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites (RemPlex) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Secrets of Soil: Not only does soil support virtually every tree, plant and crop on earth, it can control toxic waste and help mitigate climate change

Michael Hochella, Jr.
University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geosciences at Virginia Tech & Laboratory Fellow of the Earth Systems Science Division, Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory & NanoEarth Founding Director

Seeding the Oceans: Nanotechnology is making possible a new way to remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere

Karen Sorber
Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Micronic Technologies

Tornadic One-Pass: The power of a tornado offers a possible solution to clean polluted waterways
Cleaning Up Water with the Power of a Tornado: One of nature's most destructive forces has inspired a new technology
Revolutionizing Water Treatment: A new invention could revolutionize the way we treat contaminated water
Recovering Waste Products from Contaminated Water: Is it possible to both clean up contaminated water and reclaim useful elements from the waste?
Removing Nanoparticles: A new water-purifying technology may provide a way to remove nanoparticles from our waterways

Maya Trotz
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida

Coral Reefs - Up Close: A classic example of symbiosis.
Coral Reefs - Endangered: What's causing reefs around the world to bleach and die?
Coral Reefs - Sunscreen: Do sunscreens have an impact on the health of coral reefs?
Coral Reefs - Nanotechnology: How to construct an artificial reef?
Coral Reefs - Microfragmentation: An accidental discovery leads to a new way of recovering reefs.

Linsey Marr
Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Fullerenes: The places where engineered nanomaterials-like Fullerenes- are being manufactured have the potential for the highest exposure to people of toxic materials.
Winter's Unwanted Guest: Having a humidifier in your house may reduce the chances of getting the flu.

Paul Schroeder
Professor and Department Head of Geology at the University of Georgia

Clay - Incredibly Useful: From porcelain to plastic!
It Comes in Many Guises: Wherever you may be right now, odds are you're not far from clay in one form or another.
A Trojan Horse Made of Clay: Fooling cancer cells!
Window to the Past: Geologists reconstruct the climates of yore by looking at the types of clay minerals that are preserved.

Greg Lowry
Walter J. Blenko Sr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

Immunizing Plants: Scientists are finding ways to help plants absorb fertilizers and nutrients more efficiently.
Smart Sprays: Currently only a fraction of the nutrients and pesticides applied to crops are actually benefiting the plants.
Nano-Agriculture: The future of large scale agriculture may depend upon the use of very small scale nanoparticles.
Talk to Your Plants: With the help of nanotechnology, one day we all may be able to communicate with our houseplants.

Paul Westerhoff
Vice Dean and Regents' Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University

The Ubiquitous White Powder: What do toothpaste, powdered donuts and sunscreen have in common?
Solar Donuts: With the help of nanotechnology, you can transform a powdered donut into a truly enlightening experience.
Alternative Antibiotic: Nano-spikes of silver impale invading bacteria!
Golden Sewage: Nanoparticles of gold are showing up in some unlikely places.

Adam Coates
Assistant Professor of Forest Fire Ecology and Management at Virginia Tech

Toxic Smoke, Deadly Particles: The effects of a wildfire can last long after the fires have burned.
Managing Forests for Fires: Prescribed burns have an impact on the amount of toxic particles released in the smoke of a wildfire.

Quinn Spadola
National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Associate Director of Education and Outreach at Georgia Institute of Technology

Smartphones, Smartclothes: We're all carrying nanotechnology in our pockets; soon we'll be wearing it too.
Nano Clean: Inspired by the fine structure of cicada wings, nano-sized spikes actually impale bacteria.
Cloak of Invisibility: Sometimes there's a fine line between science and fiction.
Nano Sensors: Green light = ripe pear!

Christine Ogilvie Hendren
Executive Director of the Center for the Enivonmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT) and Research Scientist at Duke University

Pulse of the Particle: What happens when nanoparticles find their way into the environment?
Biomagnification: Contaminants can increase in their concentration as they move up the food chain.
Hyperspectral Imaging: A micro-galaxy of colors!
A Recipe for Algae Blooms?: Recent findings suggest that fertilizers together with nanoparticles can lead to algae blooms.

Amy Pruden
W. Thomas Rice Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Antibiotic Resistance: Every year, at least 23,000 people in the US die because of antibiotic resistant infections.
Pulse of the Bacteria: In many countries around the world, people can walk into a pharmacy and purchase antibiotics without a prescription.
Nanopores: Reading strings of DNA like the beads on a necklace.

Peter Vikesland
Nick Prillaman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Nanotechnology Meets Clams: Are nanoparticles from products effecting the environment?
Eradicating Polio: There are three countries in the world where polio is still found.
The Polio Detector: A low-cost means of detecting polio in the field is being developed by scientists, using nanotechnology.

Pedro Alvarez
George R. Brown Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University

Nanoparticles - A Whole Lot of Surface: How does making something smaller change its nature?
Nanotechnology - Revolutionizing Water Treatment: It takes about ten barrels of water to get one barrel of oil.
Nanotechnology - Just Like Shark Skin: Designing a membrane that doesn't clog up.
Nanotechnology - Sense and Destroy: Self-repairing membranes that target pathogens.
Nanotechnology - The Bottom Line: Do we need nanomaterials to be 100% pure?

Tim Long
Professor of Chemistry at Virginia Tech

Microplastics - Into Our Oceans: Virtually every plastic bag that finds its way into the ocean, deteriorates into microplastic particles.
Microplastics - Solutions: Can we develop bio-friendly polymers?
Microplastics - Beneficial Uses: What happens to the microplastics in your toothpaste when they get washed down the drain?
Microplastics - Double-Edged Sword: Can we design pastics whose structures respond to their environment?
Plastics in Your Body: "Take me into the cell! Don't kill me!

Deborah Berhanu
Assistant Professor at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York

Nanotech - Think Thin: Is that a pen in your shirt pocket or the latest smartphone?
Nanotech - Staying Small: If they're going to retain their special properties, nanoparticles have to stay small!
Nanotech - Lycurgus Cup: Did fourth century Rome know about nanotechnology?
Nanotech - Worst Case Scenarios: Could nanoparticles be toxic to humans and the environment?

Nadine Kabengi
Assistant Professor of Geochemistry at Georgia State University

Soil - Organic Filter: Every drop of water we drink has gone through a piece of soil.
Soil - Planet Skin: Some soils have taken hundreds of thousands of years to form.
Soil - Nano Attraction: Can iron nanoparticles be used to clean up toxic waste?

Kim Jones
Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Howard University

Nano Caffeine: According to US Geological Survey, much of the fresh water in the US is contaminated by caffeine.
Nano Membranes: Wastewater plants typically don't filter our phramaceuticals from our water supply.
Stealth Nanoparticles: If nanoparticles from consumer products end up in solid wastes, what effects could that have on the environment?

Pulse of the Planet

Pulse of the Planet Programs

F. Marc Michel Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences & Leader of the Division of Nanoscience in the Academy of Integrated Science at Virginia Tech & NanoEarth Deputy Director

Nikolla Qafoku Laboratory Fellow in the Environmental Subsurface Science Group and Deputy Director of the Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites (RemPlex) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Michael Hochella, Jr. University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geosciences at Virginia Tech & Laboratory Fellow of the Earth Systems Science Division, Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory & NanoEarth Founding Director

Karen Sorber Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Micronic Technologies

Maya Trotz Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida

Linsey Marr Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Paul Schroeder Professor and Department Head of Geology at the University of Georgia

Greg Lowry Walter J. Blenko Sr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

Paul Westerhoff Vice Dean and Regents' Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University

Adam Coates Assistant Professor of Forest Fire Ecology and Management at Virginia Tech

Quinn Spadola National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Associate Director of Education and Outreach at Georgia Institute of Technology

Christine Ogilvie Hendren Executive Director of the Center for the Enivonmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT) and Research Scientist at Duke University

Amy Pruden W. Thomas Rice Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Peter Vikesland Nick Prillaman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Pedro Alvarez George R. Brown Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University

Tim Long Professor of Chemistry at Virginia Tech

Deborah Berhanu Assistant Professor at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York

Nadine Kabengi Assistant Professor of Geochemistry at Georgia State University

Kim Jones Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Howard University