The Maine Question

Oct 11 2024 96 ep. 27 mins 455

The Maine Question Podcast artwork

This podcast series will engage in a pursuit of knowledge on topics ranging from the nanoscale to the polar icecaps and everything in between. The world can be complex, fascinating and daunting all at the same time. The Maine Question will explore ways to navigate and make sense of today’s world. We’ll look at how UMaine researchers and students do what they do, what it means for Maine and the world, and why they are passionate about their work.

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What is Maine’s blue economy?

Oct 11 2024 43 mins

What is Maine’s blue economy? by The Maine Question

Lost Winter: What happens if Maine loses its winter?

Mar 26 2024 27 mins

Romanticized by outdoor enthusiasts and feared by warm-weather lovers, Maine is faced with an era of adaptability as climate change begins to alter the state’s identity. Deemed a “lost winter,” the 2023-24 snow season capitalized on what the future could look like for Maine’s residents, economy and tourism. Coastal communities are racked with complications caused by extreme

How can I experience the total solar eclipse?

Mar 18 2024 34 mins

On April 8, Mainers will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a rare cosmic event without traveling out of state: a total solar eclipse. Space enthusiasts from across the U.S. are flocking to communities in rural Maine like Jackman and Houlton and enjoy three-and-a-half minutes of totality, when they can see a ring of light surround the moon as it blocks the sun. Shaw

How can student research and development help them and our economy prosper?

Mar 08 2024 29 mins

Conducting research with global impact and local relevance is a quintessential service of the University of Maine. Out of all university research conducted in Maine, 89% occurs here, and the insight and innovation it yields annually benefit hundreds of businesses. Research funding in 2023 reached an all time high of close to $190 million. In recent years, more of UMaine's research

Can Maine become a global pioneer in renewable energy and infrastructure ?

Oct 30 2023 27 mins

Finding possible solutions to the nation’s ailing infrastructure, affordable housing deficit and renewable energy needs is all in a day's work for the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC). At Maine's largest university-based research facility, faculty, staff and many students are feverishly developing new materials and technologies to help address

Can Maine lead a revolution in consumer goods with nanocellulose?

Sep 28 2023 41 mins

In every plant and tree exist tiny fibers called nanocellulose, a building block like no other with the potential to be the next material that changes the world. This plant matter, which is a billionth of a meter in length, can be used to make packaging, building products, insulation, water filters, medical tools and countless other products. An abundant, biodegradable and renewabl

How can nature-inspired engineering improve human health?

May 04 2023 29 mins

Antibiotic resistance has become a growing problem in the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition to minimizing or negating the effects of existing medicine, these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” are mutating faster than the development of new remedies. Caitlin Howell, University of Maine associate professor of biomedical engineering, is working on new to

What's the music scene like at UMaine?

Apr 27 2023 29 mins

The University of Maine is home to 18 formal vocal and instrumental ensembles and many informal musical groups, each one with a distinct sound that enriches the academic and cultural life on campus. Many of these groups welcome students of all majors and community members. These performers tour Maine, New England and beyond, promoting the artistic offerings of the university with t

How will AI impact our lives?

Apr 20 2023 31 mins

Artificial intelligence, or "AI," is a hot topic in 2023. AI and machine learning make headlines every day, with stories ranging from the technology's helpful capabilities, like self-driving cars, to its scariest potential -- think "deep fake" videos fooling the public, or human workers being made obsolete by tools like ChatGPT. At the University of Maine, AI is central to research

How can Indigenous and western knowledge help preserve the planet?

Apr 06 2023 28 mins

Darren Ranco has spent his life determining how to help Indigenous and non-Indigenous people protect the land they inhabit. Through his work as an anthropologist and chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine, Ranco has studied tribal sovereignty, cultural resource protection, environmental justice and ways Native American communities can resist environmental dest