Exploring Stem

Many people believe scientists work to prove theories or facts, but in reality scientists apply the scientific method to disprove or refute things. This lack of scientific literacy often leads people to turn to pseudoscience, which looks like science but instead starts with a claim and seeks to find evidence to support that claim. In this episode, Dr. Bjorn Mercer talks to APU STEM professor Dr. Danny Welsch about pulling back the curtain on the scientific process, understanding how scientific findings makes its way to the public via the media, and why politics often gets mixed up with science.

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When most people think of soil, they just think of dirt and don’t realize that improving soil health could help offset factors that cause climate change. In this episode, Dr. Bjorn Mercer talks to APU STEM professor Dr. Danny Welsch about the documentary “Kiss the Ground” that focuses on ways to improve soil health. Learn how changes to commercial agriculture practices like no-till farming and regenerative agriculture practices could turn farms from carbon sources into carbon sinks, which would naturally enrich the soil and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Also learn the challenges behind making such changes like reducing federal government subsidies to farmers, and educating the public in order to increase market demand for food grown via regenerative farming practices.

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Technology is driving unprecedented change in the economy and in education. In this episode, APU business professor Dr. Kandis Boyd Wyatt talks to Alex Fernandez, who specializes in innovation, digital inclusion, and emerging technology as a learning tool. Learn some of the factors that inhibit STEAM education like proper integration, collaboration, and technology training. Also learn about some advancements in technology that will create jobs and careers that don’t currently exist and why it’s so important for people of all ages to improve their digital literacy and be driven by curiosity and passion.

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Pursuing a career as a systems architect, with responsibilities for designing and developing highly functional systems, is often a winding path that requires a lifelong-learning mindset along with both confidence and humility. In this episode, Dr. Bjorn Mercer talks to Dr. David Rogers about his decades-long career in technology development and the steep learning curve that comes with advancing in systems architecture. Learn about the hard and soft skills needed, the “ilities” that are the building blocks to developing a good system, the three A’s of security, insight into career progression, and more.

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Why is it so critical to keep people from falling for disinformation? In this episode, Dr. Bjorn Mercer talks to APU STEM professor Dr. Karen Hand about the steps people can take to identify disinformation campaigns that are aimed to manipulate. Learn ways to increase your information literacy, how to check the reliability and credibility of online sources, and why it’s so important to read widely to learn other points of view. Also learn about confirmation bias, how social media companies use their algorithms to keep people addicted and in an echo chamber, and why governments need to regulate tech giants to stop the rapid and intentional spread of false information.

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Our world is increasingly technologically driven, so it’s critical to equip youth with the knowledge, skills, and passion that results from STEM learning. But STEM curriculum provides more than knowledge, it teaches students critical thinking and problem-solving skills and gives them confidence about their abilities. In this episode, APU professor Dr. Kandis Boyd Wyatt talks to Sheila Porter, the founder of SciFest in Ireland, which hosts 10,000 students each year for its STEM competition. Learn how STEM projects actively engages students in learning, provides essential life skills, and helps solve real-world problems. She also encourages adults and older learners to investigate STEM-based pursuits because it’s never too late to learn about the wonders of our modern world.

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How people get from place to place will look very different in the not-too-distant future. In this episode, Dr. Bjorn Mercer talks to APU STEM professor Dr. Karen Hand about the evolution of autonomous cars. Learn about the current use of semi-autonomous technology in many of today’s cars, the testing of autonomous semi-trucks transporting goods, and other projects aimed at integrating autonomous vehicles on the roadways. Also learn about road safety benefits, ethical issues, security measures, and how people will need to adjust their thinking about owning and driving their own vehicles.

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Learning how to design, build, fix and fly a drone requires the application of all aspects of a STEAM education. In this episode, APU professor Dr. Kandis Boyd Wyatt talks to Stevenson Demorcy about teaching drone technology as part of a STEAM education program. Learn about the development of the drone program, and how it supports students’ real-world use of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematic knowledge.        

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While the educational value of STEAM programs is widely recognized, the lack of curriculum standardization makes it especially difficult for those teaching STEAM. In this episode, APU professor Dr. Kandis Boyd Wyatt talks to STEAM teacher Holly Leskovics about the immense research and work she has done to develop STEAM curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade. Learn about resources to help teachers stay up-to-date with changing technology, how to retrain kids that failing is an important part of learning, and why STEAM programs must be widely integrated in all grade levels.

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After she graduated with a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences and meteorology, Dr. Jamese Sims found that she was often the only woman, the only Black person, and also the youngest person in the room. In this episode, she talks to APU professor Dr. Kandis Wyatt about how she taught herself to speak up and be assertive so she could effectively communicate her ideas and her expertise. Also learn about her strategy for creating a personal vision and setting attainable life goals by better understanding her personality, strengths, weaknesses, and passions as well as attending training, finding mentors, and developing a strong support system.

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