Building big dream machines, and self-organizing landscapes

<p><em>Builders of the largest scientific instruments, and how cracks can add resilience to an ecosystem</em></p> <p> </p> <p>First up this week, a story on a builder of the biggest machines. Producer Kevin McLean talks with Staff Writer Adrian Cho about Adrian’s dad and his other baby: an x-ray synchrotron.</p> <p> </p> <p>Next up on this episode, a look at self-organizing landscapes. Host Sarah Crespi and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chi-Xu-8">Chi Xu</a>, a professor of ecology at Nanjing University, talk about a <em>Science Advances</em> paper on how <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq3520">resilience in an ecosystem</a> can come from the interaction of a plant and cracks in the soil.</p> <p> </p> <p>Finally, in a sponsored segment from the <em>Science</em>/AAAS Custom Publishing Office, Jackie Oberst, assistant editor for custom publishing, discusses challenges early-career researchers face and how targeted funding for this group can enable their future success. She talks with Gary Michelson, founder and co-chair of <a href="https://www.michelsonphilanthropies.org/">Michelson Philanthropies</a> and Aleksandar Obradovic, this year’s grand prize winner of the annual <a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/michelson-philanthropies-and-science-prize-immunology">Michelson Philanthropies and Science Prize for Immunology</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>This week’s episode was produced with help from <a href="https://podigy.co/">Podigy</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast">About the <em>Science</em> Podcast</a></p> <p> </p> <p>[Image: Hong’an Ding/Yellow River Estuary Association of Photographers; Music: Jeffrey Cook]</p> <p> </p> <p>[alt: red beach from above with podcast overlay]</p> <p> </p> <p>Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kevin McLean; Adrian Cho</p> <p> </p> <p>Episode page: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/science.adi5718">https://www.science.org/doi/science.adi5718</a> </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/