Unfold

Processed food is everywhere—and chances are, you're eating more of it than you think. In this episode of Unfold, we go beyond the ingredient list to uncover the science and public perceptions of processed and ultra-processed foods. Are these foods addictive by design, unsafe or just misunderstood? With insights from food scientists and cultural experts, we’ll examine how modern food manufacturing may be shaping our health, our public policy and even our understanding of what food is. In this episode: Alyson Mitchell, professor and food chemist, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology Charlotte Biltekoff, professor in UC Davis Departments of Food Science and Technology and American Studies   Read our In Focus story: “What to Know about Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods.”   Learn more about processed foods from nutritionists and food scientists in our “Ask the Experts” article. Read Biltekoff’s latest book, Real Food, Real Facts: Processed Food and the Politics of Knowledge

Consumers once complained about the short range of electric vehicles, but not so much anymore. Now, finding reliable public charging has become the top concern for EV drivers. Chargers can be broken, slow or just inaccessible for multiple reasons. In this episode of Unfold, we talk to UC Davis researchers studying public charging woes and tag along as they drive all over California to test thousands of chargers.   In this episode: Alan Jenn, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies Gil Tal, director, Electric Vehicle Research Center at the UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies

If you’ve perused grocery store shelves lately, you may have noticed a trend – food and beverages labeled probiotic or prebiotic. It’s even on sodas! Labels claim the products “support gut health” or “help boost your immune system.” But is this proliferation of probiotics and prebiotics just marketing or are these microbes really good for you? In this episode of Unfold, a UC Davis microbiologist separates hype from health. In this episode: Maria Marco, microbiologist and professor in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology Learn more about probiotics, prebiotics and friendly microbes in this Q&A and test your knowledge with a fun quiz! Go to our website at www.ucdavis.edu/unfold to find links.

Some call it fake meat – but the burgers of the future could come from a lab, a fungus, a plant or a hybrid that combines animal meat with alternative proteins. UC Davis researchers are looking at ways to bring these proteins to market on a large scale. Experts say it may be the only sustainable way to meet the world’s demand for meat. In this episode of Unfold, you’ll learn more about alternative proteins and the challenge of getting meat eaters to embrace them.    In this episode: David Block, director of the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein at UC Davis Ruihong Zhang, professor, UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Anna Denicol, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Animal Science Lucas Smith, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior Cody Yothers, UC Davis graduate student researcher, co-founder Optimized Foods Zane Starkewolfe, CEO of Optimized Foods Doni Curkendall, executive vice president of operations, Better Me

A tiny songbird called a black phoebe is trying to adapt to city life – and it’s not an easy job. They didn’t naturally evolve in the city, and they face different threats than they might in their natural habitat. Black phoebes may encounter tougher predators, more chemical pollution and hotter temperatures in the city. In this episode of Unfold, we’ll talk to researchers hoping to find a way for humans and the backyard bird to happily coexist. What they learn could help us understand how to protect other bird species whose habitat is threatened by urban sprawl.   In this episode: Sage Madden, UC Davis ecology Ph.D. student Jacob Johnson, UC Davis animal behavior Ph.D. student Ian Haliburton, UC Davis master’s candidate in animal behavior   Learn more about Project Phoebe by visiting our webpage, www.ucdavis.edu/unfold.

The world’s largest dam removal project is underway along the 250-mile Klamath River in California and Oregon. By the end of 2024, four of the river’s six dams will be demolished. UC Davis scientists are studying whether it will help salmon populations rebound. The fishes’ ear bones could hold clues to their future. In this episode of Unfold, host Amy Quinton discusses the topic with co-host Kat Kerlin, who has written a multimedia feature story about whether restoring the river to its natural state will also restore decimated salmon populations.   In this episode: Rob Lusardi, aquatic ecologist, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Beth Rose Middleton Manning, professor, UC Davis Department of Native American Studies Barry McCovey, director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department   

You may not know it, but artificial intelligence may be responsible for the food on your table. AI is transforming nearly every aspect of our food system, from before a seed is planted up to the moment that food is eaten. AI could even help you decide what food you should eat based on your own health profile. In this episode of Unfold, we take you on AI’s journey from seed to plate. Host Amy Quinton and guest co-host Andy Fell examine the ways “Big Data Comes to Dinner.”     In this episode: Ilias Tagkopoulos, director of the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next Generation Food Systems at UC Davis Christine Diepenbrock, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences Mason Earles, assistant professor, UC Davis Departments of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Viticulture and Enology Christopher Simmons, professor and chair, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology Danielle Lemay, associate adjunct professor, UC Davis Department of Nutrition and USDA-ARS Western Health Nutri

Can communication with a humpback whale teach us how to talk to extraterrestrials? Researchers from UC Davis and the SETI Institute want to find out. In the waters of Southeast Alaska, scientists believe they’ve had what might be the very first human-whale communication. The interaction was designed to eventually help us detect and interpret signals coming from outer space. In this episode of Unfold, you’ll hear about the scientists’ remarkable 20-minute “conversation” with a humpback named Twain and what we can learn by studying nonhuman communication on Earth.   In this episode: Brenda McCowan, professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Josephine Hubbard, postdoctoral researcher, UC Davis Laurance Doyle, astrophysicist, SETI Institute Fred Sharpe, president, Olympic Peninsula Prairies

Imagine this: A man rubs a hormonal gel on his shoulders once daily, and after a few months his sperm count is zero, giving him and his partner peace of mind that they won’t conceive. That’s been the reality for one couple taking part in a clinical trial for male hormonal birth control at UC Davis Health – and around the world. In this episode of Unfold, we’ll learn more about how the gel works from the physician running the trial, and we’ll chat with the couple about how using the gel has changed their lives.   In this episode:  Mitchell Creinin, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a family planning specialist at UC Davis Health Matthew Treviño and Emily Fletcher, couple taking part in the clinical trial Edward Elizarraras, clinical research coordinator at UC Davis Health

If you’ve ever asked Siri or Alexa something, you may have noticed you speak MORE LOUDLY, slowly or make your words “clear-er.” UC Davis researchers say most of us speak differently when talking to our devices. Voice artificial intelligence may even be changing our social behavior. In this episode of Unfold, we’ll talk to two UC Davis linguists to find out why voice AI is changing the way we operate. In this episode: Georgia Zellou, associate professor, Department of Linguistics, UC Davis Michelle Cohn, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Linguistics, UC Davis

You’ve probably heard of groundwater — the water stored underground in aquifers that is a critical natural resource for the western U.S. Did you know that in California, these aquifers provide nearly 40 percent of the water used by farms and communities? During a drought, that figure is even more — nearly 60 percent. Groundwater is vital for growing crops. But California is using this underground resource faster than it can be replenished. In this episode of Unfold, learn how UC Davis researchers are working to make groundwater more sustainable while also helping California remain the most productive agricultural state in the nation. In this episode: Isaya Kisekka, director of the Agricultural Water Center at UC Davis Thomas Harter, hydrologist and distinguished professor in the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources Mallika Nocco, assistant professor of Cooperative Extension in soil-plant-water relations and host of the podcast Water Talk Patrick Brown, distinguished professor in the UC Davis D

Unfold, a UC Davis podcast about science, innovation and discovery, unfolded through storytelling. We make complex topics relatable and reveal answers to questions you’ve always been curious about. Each episode takes you into the field with leading researchers and scholars who are working to tackle big picture problems – like how we’re going to feed a growing population, adapt to climate change and improve the health of people, animals and the planet. Hosted by public radio veteran Amy Quinton. Co-hosted by Kat Kerlin and Marianne Russ Sharp. Sponsor free. Learn more at ucdavis.edu/unfold.

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who love daylight saving time, and those who don’t. UC Davis Health sleep medicine expert Heinrich Gompf is not a big fan of the clock change — or at least not the way we currently do it in the United States. In this episode of Unfold, he tells us why it’s so darn difficult for our bodies to adjust to the time change (the suprachiasmatic nucleus!) and offers tips to help you prepare and adapt when we do spring forward. In this episode: Heinrich Gompf, sleep researcher, Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Health

No better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Unfold than to “partner” with another UC Davis podcast, The Backdrop, hosted by Soterios Johnson. In this episode, you’ll learn a little about the science of relationships from a conversation Soterios had last year with UC Davis Psychology Professor Paul Eastwick. Eastwick investigates how people initiate romantic relationships and the psychological mechanisms that help romantic partners remain committed and attached. Discover what the science says about whether you’ll find the perfect mate if you “swipe right.”   In this episode: Paul Eastwick, UC Davis Professor of Psychology Hear the entire interview with Eastwick on The Backdrop.

Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, more than 1.2 million Southeast Asian refugees have resettled in the U.S. Many of them have experienced significant trauma. Now, many Vietnamese refugees in the U.S. are at ages where they’re beginning to develop dementia. But like other underrepresented groups in the U.S, they also face barriers to seeking treatment for trauma and dementia.  In this episode of Unfold, we talk to a UC Davis researcher embarking on the first long-term study examining early life contributors to dementia in Vietnamese communities.   In this episode: Oanh Meyer, social psychologist at Alzheimer's Disease Center at UC Davis Health Duy Nguyen, former child refugee from Vietnam, recent graduate of UC Davis School of Medicine and psychiatry resident at UCSF Fresno

Nearly half of all arm amputees choose not to use their prosthesis, despite improvements in technology. Prosthetics can be too difficult to operate, unintuitive, and don’t allow amputees to sense pressure or temperature. At UC Davis, engineers, neuroscientists and surgeons are collaborating to solve this problem. In this episode of Unfold, we look at how the combination of surgery and machine learning is making life easier for amputees.  Jonathon Schofield, assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, College of Engineering  Wilsaan Joiner, neuroscientist and associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences Andrew Li, assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery, UC Davis Health  Clifford Pereira, associate professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery, UC Davis Health  Laduan Smedley, certified prosthetist-orthotist and biomedical engineer, UC Davis Health Fehran Maher, certified prosthetist-orthotist,

About 1,000 people live in Knights Landing, California, a rural agricultural area in Yolo County. Because of its small size, the community lacks most services, including doctors and veterinarians - except on one Sunday every month. In this episode of Unfold, learn about the Knights Landing One Health Center, where veterinarians, physicians and their students team up to help some of the most vulnerable and underserved animals and people in the county.  In this episode: Kristin Jankowski, faculty director, Knights Landing One Health Clinic and access-to-care chief at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Susan Adams, associate professor, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Health Erik Olstad, assistant professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Tiaira Washington, nursing student, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Health Sydney Rasmussen, nursing student, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Health Izzy Hack, veterinary student, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Dogs 10 years and older have a 50% chance of dying from cancer. They also develop the same types of cancers that humans do because their immune system is closely related to ours. Now human oncologists are studying cancer in canines in the hopes of benefiting both animals and humans. In this episode of Unfold, you’ll learn how UC Davis veterinarians and physicians are collaborating to help human cancer patients and their furry best friends.  In this episode: Robert Canter, surgical oncologist with UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center  Michael Kent, radiation oncologist and director of the UC Davis Center for Companion Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine  Danae Unti, owner of Boone, dog who completed a cancer clinical trial

Spina bifida is the most common cause of lifelong childhood paralysis in the United States; approximately four children are born with this spinal defect every day. Standard care usually involves surgery, but it still leaves more than half of children unable to walk. But a combination of surgery and stem cell treatment may offer hope to children. In this episode of Unfold, we examine the world’s first human clinical trial using stem cells before birth to treat the most serious form of the disease.  In this episode: Diana Farmer, pediatric surgeon and chair of surgery at UC Davis Health Maya Evans, medical director of the Shriners Spina Bifida program and associate professor in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UC Davis Michelle Johnson, mother of baby enrolled in spina bifida clinical trial  Jeff Maginnis, father of baby enrolled in spina bifida clinical trial

Spina bifida is the most common cause of lifelong childhood paralysis in the United States; approximately four children are born with this spinal defect every day. Standard care usually involves surgery, but it still leaves more than half of children unable to walk. Dogs are also sometimes born with spina bifida and most are euthanized at birth. But a combination of surgery and stem cell treatment may offer hope to both children and dogs. In the first of two episodes of Unfold, we examine the first clinical trial to treat bulldogs with spina bifida.  In this episode: Beverly Sturges, professor emeritus, neurosurgeon at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine  Aijun Wang, biomedical engineer with UC Davis School of Medicine Diana Farmer, pediatric surgeon and chair of surgery at UC Davis Health Katie Teykaerts, owner of Myrtle, a dog with spina bifida enrolled in a clinical trial