Hold That Thought

Oct 17 2019 228 ep. 13 mins 12
Hold That Thought Podcast artwork

Hold That Thought brings you research and ideas from Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Throughout the year we select a few topics to explore and then bring together thoughtful commentary on those topics from a variety of experts and sources. Be sure to subscribe!

  Society & Culture  Arts
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Mud cores, rain gauges, and the hunt for climate data

Oct 17 2019 11 mins  
Climate scientist Bronwen Konecky travels to tropical regions around the world gathering evidence of the geologic past. Using data from rain samples and sediments deep at the bottom of lakes, she is piecing together a story about Earth's climatic history – and what it can tell us about our planet's future.

Reading revelation

Mar 29 2019 25 mins  
Religious studies scholars Elaine Pagels and Laurie Maffly-Kipp discuss the Book of Revelation and how it has been interpreted across time, as well as the personal side of their writing and research.

Diva Nation

Jan 31 2019 21 mins  
Rebecca Copeland and Laura Miller, coeditors of "Diva Nation: Female Icons from Japanese Cultural History," discuss queens, goddesses, and the nature of “diva-hood.”

How good is the US economy, really?

Oct 25 2018 16 mins  
Ahead of the midterm elections, Steve Fazzari explores the current state of the economy and explains why widely cited unemployment and growth numbers don't give a full picture.

Materials through the ages

Sep 27 2018 8 mins  
Over thousands of years, by trial and error, humankind has learned how to produce superior materials for different types of processing. Physicist Ken Kelton talks about materials through the ages.

The Southwick Broadside

Jun 25 2018 18 mins  
This Fourth of July, visitors to Washington University's Olin Library will have the chance to see a rare piece of history - an early copy of the Declaration of Independence known as the Southwick Broadside. Historian David Konig and curator Cassie Brand discuss the historical significance of the broadside, the process of conserving and displaying the document, and their hopes for t

Saint Peter, According to Mark

Jun 04 2018 19 mins  
The apostle Peter was a leader and role model in early Christianity - or was he? According to Lance Jenott, a lecturer of classics and religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis, how we understand Peter depends on who is telling the story.

The Secret Lives of Plants

Mar 01 2018 14 mins  
Biologist Elizabeth Haswell wants to change the way that people think about plants. What do we know about how plants sense their environment, and what remains a mystery? The answers may surprise you. Haswell teaches biology at Washington University in St. Louis and is host of The Taproot podcast.

Frog love and the decoy effect

Feb 13 2018 15 mins  
This Valentine's Day, we bring you a story of frog romance and economics - with a side of math and 1960s game shows. Which mate will the frog bachelorette choose, and how does her choice relate to human decision-making? Economist Paulo Natenzon connects the dots.

Becoming a Biotech Explorer

Jan 22 2018 14 mins  
A competition for a million-dollar grant leads biologist Joe Jez to creative an innovative program for first-year and sophomore students.