Loose Talk

Let's make a list of multimedia resources! News websites, journals, and publications can be separate.

• twis.org 

One of the oldest netcasts out there! Live every Wednesday night (US timezones). Check them out on YT or subscribe via Antennapod or any other podcatcher. Subscribe to their newsletter. Weekly news by Dr. Kiki, Blair Baz The Zoologist who has her Animal Corner segment, and Justin Jackson who's a science writer and funny dude. They also broadcast on FM radio in California from UC Davis.

• Skeptoid

Since 2006, the weekly Skeptoid podcast has been taking on all the most popular urban legends and revealing the true science, true history, and true lessons we can learn from each. Skeptoid is a listener supported501(c)(3) nonprofit. Learn more

• The Skeptics Guide to the Universe

Another one of the oldest netcasts out there on critical thinking and science. Featuring Dr. Steven Novella, Dr. Cara Santa Maria, and a few others. Tune in for the weekly "Who's That Noisy?", "Science or Fiction?", and other segments.

• Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

Conversations with interesting people about interesting topics.

• This Week in Space

Hosted by Rod Pyle, Tariq Malik
The new space age is upon us, and This Week in Space leaves no topic untouched. Every Friday, join Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine, Rod Pyle and Managing Editor of Space.com, Tariq Malik as they explore everything related to the cosmos.Join Club TWiT to remove ads. New episodes every Friday.

• Science Friday

Covering the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies, Science Friday is the source for entertaining and educational stories about science, technology, and other cool stuff. Also on most public radio stations in the US.

• Unbiased Science

Hosted by Dr. Jessica Steier and Dr. Sarah Scheinman. Together they debunk health science myths and break down complex topics - without oversimplifying them. Combating disinformation with expert discussion.

• The Naked Scientists

Based at Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), the Naked Scientists are a team of scientists, doctors and communicators whose passion is to help the general public to understand and engage with the worlds of science, technology and medicine.
They have a whole bunch of netcasts!

• Well There's Your Problem

We're making a podcast about engineering disasters and systemic failures, from a leftist perspective.

• Science In Action

Brought to you by the BBC every week covering the latest science news.

• Singularity.FM

The world's first podcast dedicated to exploring AI and the technological singularity. Dive into thought-provoking interviews where cutting-edge technology meets deep ethical discussions. We focus on exponential tech, accelerating change, and the critical choices shaping our future. Our mission is to uncover unprecedented dangers and opportunities, empowering you to create a better future and a better you.

• Microbe.tv

They host a bunch of weekly science news netcasts on microbology, viruology, and others. They're blocking my VPN IP currently so I can't really get ya any more info right now! Search in your podcatcher.



What do you guys listen to that's science-y. 

Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Eder

Explanation: Big beautiful barred spiral galaxy Messier 109 is the 109th entry in Charles Messier's famous catalog of bright Nebulae and Star Clusters. You can find it just below the Big Dipper's bowl in the northern constellation Ursa Major. In fact, bright dipper star Phecda, Gamma Ursa Majoris, produces the glare at the upper right corner of this telescopic frame. M109's prominent central bar gives the galaxy the appearance of the Greek letter "theta", θ, a common mathematical symbol representing an angle. M109 spans a very small angle in planet Earth's sky though, about 7 arcminutes or 0.12 degrees. But that small angle corresponds to an enormous 120,000 light-year diameter at the galaxy's estimated 60 million light-year distance. The brightest member of the now recognized Ursa Major galaxy cluster, M109 (aka NGC 3992) is joined by spiky foreground stars. Three small, fuzzy bluish galaxies also on the scene, identified (top to bottom) as UGC 6969, UGC 6940 and UGC 6923, are possibly satellite galaxies of the larger barred spiral galaxy Messier 109.

Kunzite is the pink to light purple gem variety of the mineral Spodumene. Spodumene is a common mineral, but only in several localities does it occur in transparent gem form. The main gem form of Spodumene is Kunzite, the other is the rarer Hiddenite. Yellow and colorless gem forms of Spodumene also exist, but are not commonly faceted as gemstones. Kunzite has a lovely pink color and is becoming increasingly popular in the gemstone market.

Chemical Formula: LiAlSi2O6
Color: Pink, Purple
Hardness: 6.5 - 7
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Refractive Index: 1.66 - 1.68
SG: 3.1 - 3.2
Transparency: Transparent
Double Refraction: .015
Luster: Vitreous
Cleavage: 1,2 - prismatic
Mineral Class: Spodumene

All About:
Kunzite is a relatively recent gemstone, having been first discovered in the 20th century. It was first found in the pegmatites of Pala, California, in 1902, and is named after the famous mineralogist George F. Kunz who first identified it. Though it wasn't until the 1990's that this gemstone became a more mainstream gemstone, having been used only as a collectors gemstone prior to that time.

Kunzite is a very attractive pink gem, but is notorious for its habit of color fading in prolonged exposure to strong light. Although the color-fading effect is very slow, most people still prefer to wear Kunzite jewelery in the evening to avoid sunlight exposure. Kunzite is regarded as an evening stone for this reason.

Kunzite deposits are quite extensive and yield large amounts of this gemstone, thus making it very affordable. Extremely large and flawless crystals of Kunzite have been found, and these can yield very large and flawless faceted gemstones.

The perfect cleavage and splintery fracture of Kunzite makes it a difficult gemstone to facet. It is very sensitive to knocks and will chip if hit too hard. Kunzite is known for its strong pleochroism, showing lighter and more intense coloring when viewed at different angles. For this reason, it is always cut to show the deepest pink color through the top of the gem. The deeper pink the Kunzite, the more valuable it generally is.


Uses:
Although Kunzite is a relatively soft and delicate gem, and can fade after prolonged exposure to light, its appealing color makes it a popular gem. Small gems are not commonly cut from Kunzite because of its cleavage and strong pleochroism. It is most often used as a pendant stone and as a large decorating stone on ornamental objects. It is less commonly used in rings, necklaces, or other jewelry items where small stones are required. Less transparent stones are sometimes cut into cabochons and beads.

Varieties:
Blue Kunzite - Light blue to bluish green transparent form of Spodumene.
Yellow Kunzite - Yellow transparent form of Spodumene.



History and Introduction:
Kunzite is the pale pink to light-violet gem-quality variety of the pyroxene mineral spodumene, a lithium aluminum inosilicate. Kunzite was first discovered in Connecticut, USA, and was named after George Frederick Kunz (1856 - 1932), an American mineralogist and the former vice president and buyer for Tiffany & Company. Kunz was a legendary New York jeweler and colored stone specialist, and he was the first to comprehensively describe the stone in 1902.

Although it was first discovered in the USA, most of the current supply of kunzite is found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kunzite is closely related to hiddenite, the yellow-green member of the spodumene gemstone family which was also discovered and named after an American mineralogist, W. E. Hidden; as well as the classic golden to yellow color gem-quality spodumene. Kunzite is known to produce gemstones of great size. In fact, it's not uncommon to find fine quality stones weighing 20 carats or more. Kunzite and the entire spodumene group are important industrial sources of lithium, which is used for the making of medicines, ceramics, mobile phones and automotive batteries.

Sources:
https://www.minerals.net/gemstone/kunzite_gemstone.aspx
https://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/kunzite/kunzite-info.php