The key to shrinking cartels is cutting recruitment, and a roundup of books, video games, movies, and more



First up on this week’s show: modeling Mexico’s cartels. Rafael Prieto-Curiel, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna, joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss how modeling cartel activities can help us understand the impact of potential interventions such as increased policing or reducing gang recruitment. 



Lisa Sanchez, executive director of México Unido Contra la Delincuencia, talks with Sarah about just how difficult it would be to make the model results—which show that reducing recruitment is key—a reality.



Next on the show, Science books editor Valerie Thompson and books intern Jamie Dickman discuss a huge selection of science books, movies, video games, and even new exhibits—all due out this fall. See the complete roundup here.



This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.



About the Science Podcast



Authors: Sarah Crespi, Valerie Thompson, Jamie Dickman



Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk9453

The key to shrinking cartels is cutting recruitment, and a roundup of books, video games, movies, and more
 
First up on this week’s show: modeling Mexico’s cartels. <a href="https://rafaelprietocuriel.com/about/">Rafael Prieto-Curiel</a>, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna, joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss how <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh2888">modeling cartel activities</a> can help us understand the impact of potential interventions such as increased policing or reducing gang recruitment. 
 
<a href="https://www.mucd.org.mx/nuestro-equipo/">Lisa Sanchez</a>, executive director of México Unido Contra la Delincuencia, talks with Sarah about just how difficult it would be to make the model results—which show that reducing recruitment is key—a reality.
 
Next on the show, Science books editor Valerie Thompson and books intern Jamie Dickman discuss a huge selection of science books, movies, video games, and even new exhibits—all due out this fall. See the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk2534">complete roundup here</a>.
 
This week’s episode was produced with help from <a href="https://podigy.co/">Podigy</a>.
 
<a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast">About the Science Podcast</a>
 
Authors: Sarah Crespi, Valerie Thompson, Jamie Dickman
 
Episode page: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk9453">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk9453</a>

Weekly podcasts from Science Magazine, the world's leading journal of original scientific research, global news, and commentary.

Science Magazine Podcast

Reducing cartel violence in Mexico, and what to read and see this fall 

What it means that artificial intelligence can now forecast the weather like a supercomputer, and measuring methane emissions from municipal waste



First up on this week’s show, Staff Writer Paul Voosen joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about how artificial intelligence has become shockingly good at forecasting the weather while using way fewer resources than other modeling systems. Read a related Science paper.



Next, focusing on municipal solid waste—landfills, compost centers, garbage dumps—may offer a potentially straightforward path to lower carbon emissions. Zheng Xuan Hoy, a recent graduate from the new energy science and engineering department at Xiamen University Malaysia, discusses his Science paper on this overlooked source of methane and some plausible solutions for reducing these emissions.



This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.



About the Science Podcast



Authors: Sarah Crespi; Paul Voosen



Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm9783

What it means that artificial intelligence can now forecast the weather like a supercomputer, and measuring methane emissions from municipal waste
 
First up on this week’s show, Staff Writer Paul Voosen joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about how artificial intelligence has become <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-churns-out-lightning-fast-forecasts-good-weather-agencies">shockingly good at forecasting the weather</a> while using way fewer resources than other modeling systems. Read a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi2336">related Science paper</a>.
 
Next, focusing on municipal solid waste—landfills, compost centers, garbage dumps—may offer a potentially straightforward path to lower carbon emissions. Zheng Xuan Hoy, a recent graduate from the new energy science and engineering department at Xiamen University Malaysia, discusses his Science paper on this <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg3177">overlooked source of methane</a> and some plausible solutions for reducing these emissions.
 
This week’s episode was produced with help from <a href="https://podigy.co/">Podigy</a>.
 
<a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast">About the Science Podcast</a>
 
Authors: Sarah Crespi; Paul Voosen
 
Episode page: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm9783">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm9783</a>

AI improves weather prediction, and cutting emissions from landfills

Why so many researchers have left Russia, and using new materials to improve medical devices that go inside the body



First up on this week’s show: the future of science in Russia. We hear about how the country’s scientists are split into two big groups: those that left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and those that stayed behind. Freelance journalist Olga Dobrovidova talks with host Sarah Crespi about why so many have left, and the situation for those who remain.



Next on the show: miniature, battery-free bioelectronics. Jacob Robinson, a professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University, discusses how medical implants could go battery-free by harvesting energy from the human body and many other potential innovations in store for these internal medical devices.



This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.



About the Science Podcast



Authors: Sarah Crespi; Olga Dobrovidova



Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm8195

Why so many researchers have left Russia, and using new materials to improve medical devices that go inside the body
 
First up on this week’s show: the future of science in Russia. We hear about how the country’s scientists are split into two big groups: those that left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and those that stayed behind. Freelance journalist Olga Dobrovidova talks with host Sarah Crespi about why so many have left, and the situation for those who remain.
 
Next on the show: miniature, battery-free bioelectronics. <a href="https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/jacob-t-robinson">Jacob Robinson</a>, a professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University, discusses how medical implants could go battery-free by harvesting energy from the human body and many other potential innovations in store for these internal medical devices.
 
This week’s episode was produced with help from <a href="https://podigy.co/">Podigy</a>.
 
<a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast">About the Science Podcast</a>
 
Authors: Sarah Crespi; Olga Dobrovidova
 
Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm8195

The state of Russian science, and improving implantable bioelectronics 

Why scientists are trying to make anemones act like corals, and why it’s so hard to make pharmaceuticals for brain diseases



First up on this week’s show, coaxing anemones to make rocks. Newsletter Editor Christie Wilcox joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the difficulties of raising coral in the lab and a research group that’s instead trying to pin down the process of biomineralization by inserting coral genes into easy-to-maintain anemones.



Next on the show, a look at why therapeutics for both neurodegenerative disease and psychiatric illness are lagging behind other kinds of medicines. Steve Hyman, director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute, talks with Sarah about some of the stumbling blocks to developing drugs for the brain—including a lack of diverse genome sequences—and what researchers are doing to get things back on track.



Finally, in a sponsored segment from the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office, associate editor Jackie Oberst discusses with Thomas Fuchs, dean of artificial intelligence (AI) and human health and professor of computational pathology and computer science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the potential and evolving role of AI in health care. This segment is sponsored by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.



This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.



About the Science Podcast



Authors: Christie Wilcox; Sarah Crespi



Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm6756

Why scientists are trying to make anemones act like corals, and why it’s so hard to make pharmaceuticals for brain diseases
 
First up on this week’s show, <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/why-can-t-you-make-coral-out-anemone">coaxing anemones to make rocks</a>. Newsletter Editor Christie Wilcox joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the difficulties of raising coral in the lab and a research group that’s instead trying to pin down the process of biomineralization by inserting coral genes into easy-to-maintain anemones.
 
Next on the show, a look at why therapeutics for both neurodegenerative disease and psychiatric illness are lagging behind other kinds of medicines. <a href="https://www.broadinstitute.org/bios/steven-e-hyman">Steve Hyman</a>, director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute, talks with Sarah about some of the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg4775">stumbling blocks to developing drugs for the brain</a>—including a lack of diverse genome sequences—and what researchers are doing to get things back on track.
 
Finally, in a sponsored segment from the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office, associate editor Jackie Oberst discusses with <a href="https://profiles.mountsinai.org/thomas-j-fuchs">Thomas Fuchs</a>, dean of artificial intelligence (AI) and human health and professor of computational pathology and computer science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the potential and evolving role of AI in health care. This segment is sponsored by the<a href="https://icahn.mssm.edu/"> Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai</a>.
 
This week’s episode was produced with help from <a href="https://podigy.co/">Podigy</a>.
 
<a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast">About the Science Podcast</a>
 
Authors: Christie Wilcox; Sarah Crespi
 
Episode page: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm6756">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm6756</a>

Reducing cartel violence in Mexico, and what to read and see this fall

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