Science

Science writer James Gleick's new book is about chaos theory, which informs all scientific disciplines. This concept can sometimes be difficult to understand; Gleick says that the unpredictability of the weather serves as an excellent example.

Journalist Timothy Ferris spent twelve years writing his new history of the galaxy. He explores ancient and contemporary theories of the universe, and how philosophy and theology have influenced scientific advancements.

Alan Beck, a leading authority on the relationships between pets and their owners. Beck is the director of the Center for Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Biologist Daniel H. Janzen's dream is to create a tropical forest in the northwest of Costa Rica. Janzen is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Fiction and science writer David Quammen. His column "Natural Acts" appears regularly in Outside Magazine. His new collection of short stories is called Blood Line, and his second collection of science essays will be published soon.

David Dinges, a professor of psychology at The University of Pennsylvania. He has recently started a chronobiology research lab to study how cycles of time and light can affect behavior and mental health. He will discuss our internal biological clock, sleep disorders, and how shortage of light can affect our moods.

Scientist and writer James Trefil has a new book about meteorology called Meditations at Sunset. He hopes that a better understanding of the rules of physics will help people appreciate the mysteries of nature.

Stewart Hoover is a research scholar at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in the impact of communications technology on culture. In recent years, many have deemed religious television programming controversial. Many mainline church leaders fear the effect such programming will have on local churches. Hoover, along with George Gerbner, Larry Gross, Michael Morgan, and Nancy Signorielli, has just conducted a study on religious television programming.

Researcher Dian Fossey returns to Fresh Air to share more of her findings about gorillas' social and sexual behavior, and her experience confronting poachers, all of which she details in a new book.

Gerontologist Roy Walford is currently researching the aging process and how to extend life expectancy. His new book "Maximum Life Span," explores the theory he is currently developing on using caloric restriction, or what Walford calls "under nutrition," to extend life expectancy. Walford has been on the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) since 1954, and has won many awards for his research and work.