In every episode, EC&M brings electrical insights, market data, technical information, and helpful hints to our audience of electrical engineers, electrical contractors, and plant facility personnel. This podcast series is produced by EC&M magazine, the technical authority (established in 1901) for electrical professionals who design, construct, and maintain electrical systems for all types of businesses across a variety of vertical markets and industries. Part of Endeavor Business Media‘s p ...
…
continue reading
The NFPA Podcast is the place for safety professionals to stay up to speed on the fast-paced world of electrical, fire, and life safety. Hear in-depth conversations with people out in the field about how they are confronting new challenges and staying on top of emerging technologies to keep the world safe. Listen the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Email [email protected] to send feedback or recommend a topic for future episodes.
…
continue reading
Have you heard the buzz? We’ve got electrical safety tips for Licensed Electrical Contractors, Master and certified electricians working in Ontario. Hosted by the Electrical Safety Authority’s Josie Erzetic, we’ll explore best safety practices with ESA technical advisors and experts to arm you with the tools you need to get your job done safely! Plus hear about emerging industry trends, potential hazards, new bulletins and updates to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. Stay informed and stay ...
…
continue reading
Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.
…
continue reading

1
Are You Flourishing? This Global Study Has Surprising Takeaways
18:16
18:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:16Are you flourishing? It’s a more understated metric than happiness, but it can provide a multidimensional assessment of our quality of life. Victor Counted, an associate professor of psychology at Regent University and a member of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, joins host Rachel Feltman to review the first wave of results from…
…
continue reading

1
Diagnosing Male Infertility with a Mechanical Engineering Twist
10:39
10:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:39Male infertility is undercovered and underdiscussed. If a couple is struggling to conceive, there’s a 50–50 chance that sperm health is a contributing factor. Diagnosing male infertility is getting easier with at-home tests—and a new study suggests a method for testing at home that would be more accurate. Study co-author Sushanta Mitra, a professor…
…
continue reading

1
Understanding Advanced Risk Factors for Electrical Safety
14:03
14:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:03In this episode of EC&M On Air, we're featuring an interview conducted at PowerTest 25 in March 2025 by Ellen Parson with Lanny Floyd, adjunct professor (principle consultant, electrical safety and technology), The University of Alabama at Birmingham. They got the opportunity to discuss Lanny's presentation at PowerTest 25, hosted by NETA, entitled…
…
continue reading
Tribal nations and native communities across North America are consistently one of the highest-risk population groups for a range of health and safety issues, including fire incidents and casualties. And yet, developing and implementing community risk reduction programs in native communities can be daunting, especially for non-native fire departmen…
…
continue reading

1
Could We Speak to Dolphins? A Promising LLM Makes That a Possibility
19:07
19:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:07Dolphins have a broad vocabulary. They vocalize with whistles, clicks and “burst pulses.”This varied communication makes it challenging for scientists to decode dolphin speech. Artificial intelligence can help researchers process audio and find the slight patterns that human ears may not be able to identify. Reporter Melissa Hobson took a look at D…
…
continue reading

1
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse
27:04
27:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:04Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for everything from metabolism to mental health. Check out Martin Picard’s …
…
continue reading

1
How to Make Gold, Flamingo Food Tornado, and Kosmos-482 Lands
8:09
8:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:09Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos-482 lands, though no one is certain where. Physicists turn lead into gold. Overdose deaths are down, in part thanks to the availability of naloxone. Flamingos make underwater food tornadoes. Chimps use leaves as a multi-tool. Recommended reading: A New, Deadly Era of Space Junk Is Dawning, and No One Is Ready https://ww…
…
continue reading

1
Could Freezing Arctic Sea Ice Combat Climate Change?
25:29
25:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:29The year-round sea ice in the Arctic is melting and has shrunk by nearly 40 percent over the past four decades. Geoengineering companies such as Real Ice are betting big on refreezing it. That may sound ridiculous, impractical or risky—but proponents say we have to try. The U.K. government seems to agree, investing millions into experimental approa…
…
continue reading

1
How a West Texas Outbreak Threatens Measles Elimination Status
10:00
10:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:00Measles was technically “eliminated” in the U.S. in 2000 thanks to high measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. While prior outbreaks have made headlines, a slew of cases in West Texas is more than just newsworthy—it could cause the U.S. to lose elimination status. Associate health and medicine editor Lauren Young explains what eliminat…
…
continue reading

1
Safe Ladder Usage on Job Sites with Mark Lamendola — EC&M On Air Highlights
6:46
6:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
6:46In Episode 72 of EC&M On Air, Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson reads an audio-only version of a past popular article from the EC&M website. Today, she features "Maintaining Safe Ladders on Job Sites," written by Mark Lamendola, an electrical consultant to EC&M, and originally published in February 2025.By Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M)
…
continue reading
May is Electrical Safety Month, which is a good time to remember that dozens of people across the world suffer injuries from electrical hazards every single day. Survivors of these incidents list a range of devastating symptoms, from burns and chronic pain to insomnia, muscle spasms, depression, and various other mental health issues. Many of the f…
…
continue reading

1
Sinking Cities, Waving Cuttlefish and Falling Spacecraft
8:17
8:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:17A 1970s Soviet spacecraft is hurtling down from space—and no one knows where it will land. All 28 of the most populous cities in the U.S. are slowly sinking. Investments and overconsumption make the wealthiest 10 percent of the global population responsible for two thirds of climate-change-related warming. Recommended reading: Cuttlefish May Commun…
…
continue reading

1
This Podcast Was Recorded Inside a Particle Collider
18:11
18:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:11We’re taking a field trip to the U.S.’s only particle collider, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), housed at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Staff scientist Alex Jentsch takes listeners through some basic terminology and interconnected technologies that help Brookhaven researchers probe questions about our unseen universe. The RHIC is wind…
…
continue reading

1
Next-Gen Insights with Khalid Hachil, Stantec
20:57
20:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:57Episode 71 of EC&M On Air features another interview with a past Under 30 All-Star! This time, Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson interviews Khalid Hachil, an electrical engineer with Stantec. They discuss why Khalid decided to enter the electrical industry, insights from an electrical engineering perspective, and tips for other electrical engineers look…
…
continue reading

1
Rejecting Toxic Fitness Culture with Casey Johnston
17:56
17:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:56Casey Johnston is not your typical health and fitness influencer. She joins host Rachel Feltman to discuss how finding joy in strength training changed her relationship to fitness, food and body image. Johnston’s new book, A Physical Education, reflects on engaging with exercise in a balanced way. Recommended reading: You can get Johnston’s book A …
…
continue reading

1
Jupiter’s Cyclones, Amazon’s Satellites and T. rex Collagen
9:01
9:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:01The congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment grinds to a halt. Amazon launches its first round of Internet satellites. The European Space Agency launches a satellite to measure the biomass of Earth’s trees. New data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft offer insights into Jupiter and Io. Claims of Tyrannosaurus rex leather are, predictably, misl…
…
continue reading

1
The Fungi Facing Extinction and the Conservationists Working Hard to Protect Them
12:07
12:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:07Conservationists are ringing the alarm about the fungi facing extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List features vulnerable pandas and endangered tortoises, but it also highlights more than 400 fungi species that are under threat. Gregory Mueller, chief scientist emeritus at the Chicago Botanic Garden and coordi…
…
continue reading

1
Griefbots Offer AI Connections with Deceased Loved Ones
16:18
16:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:18Griefbots, artificial intelligence chatbots that mimic deceased loved ones, are increasingly in popularity. Researcher Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska reflects on what death, grief and immortality look like in the digital age. She shares insights from a project that she is leading as a AI2050 Early Career Fellow: Imaginaries of Immortality in the Age o…
…
continue reading

1
Misconceptions About the Power Quality Industry
15:35
15:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:35This episode features Part 2 of EC&M Editor-in-Chief's conversation with Philip Keebler, technical advisor to PBE Engineers. They cover common misconceptions throughout the power quality industry that electrical professionals need to be aware of. In case you missed it, check out Part 1 of this conversation, where Ellen and Philip discussed economic…
…
continue reading

1
Scientific American in 1925: Solar Eclipses, Seances and Some Strange Inventions
9:26
9:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:26We’re taking a break from our usual weekly news roundup to do a little time travel. In 1925 Scientific American covered a total solar eclipse that featured some surprising solar shadow play and a prediction about today’s eclipses. Plus, we review some long-gone sections of the magazine that tried to verify mediums and show off zany inventions! Reco…
…
continue reading
Wild NYC author Ryan Mandelbaum takes host Rachel Feltman through New York City’s Prospect Park to find urban wildlife. They explore the city’s many birds, surprising salamanders and unexpected urban oases. Plus, they discuss what the rules of engagement with wildlife are and how you can find wildlife in your own urban or suburban environment. Reco…
…
continue reading
When writer Stephen S. Hall was a child, he would capture snakes—much to his mother’s chagrin. Now the science journalist is returning to his early fascination In his latest book, Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World. The book explores our long, complicated relationship with snakes. Plus, Hall chats about humans’ and o…
…
continue reading

1
Is It Alzheimer's, or Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
30:25
30:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:25Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer, but it doesn’t have to kill you to have permanent consequences. There is growing evidence that long-term exposure to CO, at concentrations that are too small for a typical household alarm to detect, can have serious and permanent impacts on human health, including cognitive decline, neurological issues…
…
continue reading

1
Childhood Illnesses Surge, Magnetic Poles Wandered, and a Colossal Squid Is Found
8:15
8:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:15Measles cases are going up—and a federal scientist has warned that case counts have probably been underreported. Another vaccine-preventable illness, whooping cough, sees a troubling increase in cases. Ancient humans found sun-protection solutions when Earth’s magnetic poles wandered. A colossal squid has been captured on video in its natural habit…
…
continue reading

1
From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All
20:15
20:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:15Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host Rachel Feltman to take us through the rise of the Internet and the acceleration of advancement in neuroscience that he’s covered throughout his time here. Stix retired earlier this month, and we’d lik…
…
continue reading

1
A Disinfectant That’s More Powerful Than Bleach—And Safe for Your Skin
14:25
14:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:25Hypochlorous acid is a promising disinfectant that is difficult to commercialize because it is not very shelf-stable. Senior features editor Jen Schwartz takes us through what the science of this nontoxic disinfectant is and explains why its popularity in the beauty aisle is only the beginning. Recommended reading: The Nontoxic Cleaner That Kills G…
…
continue reading

1
NECA Recommendations for Tariffs & the Electrical Industry — EC&M On Air Highlights
4:45
4:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
4:45In Episode 69 of EC&M On Air, Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson is highlighting a popular past article with alerts from NECA for its members about what impending tariffs will mean for the electrical industry. If you're interested in more insights regarding tariffs, check out this recent article from Tom Zind, a freelance reporter for EC&M.…
…
continue reading

1
A Long Day on Uranus, a Better Method of Making Coffee and Dinos Fossils in Decline
8:51
8:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:51Caffeine-motivated researchers find that pour height may be the key to a perfect cup of coffee. A new study of plastics finds that less than 10 percent of such products are made with recycled materials. And once the plastics are used, only 28 percent of them make it to the sorting stage—and only half of that plastic is actually recycled. Data from …
…
continue reading

1
How Are Prenatal Blood Tests Detecting Cancer?
20:55
20:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:55Noninvasive prenatal blood testing, or NIPT, is a routine screening that is offered during pregnancy and looks for placental DNA to diagnose chromosomal disorders in a fetus. But in some cases, these tests can also find cancer in the pregnant person. How do the tests work, and why are they uncovering cancer? Genetic counselor and writer Laura Hersc…
…
continue reading

1
Next-Gen Insights with Wes Newton, Hill Electric Co.
22:46
22:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:46Episode 68 features our latest Next-Gen Insights interview with 2024 EC&M Under 30 All Star honoree, Wes Newton, a service technician with Hill Electric Co., Anderson, S.C. EC&M Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson and Wes chat about Wes's journey into the electrical industry, must-know technology, and other tips for up-and-coming electrical leaders. You c…
…
continue reading

1
Treating Bacterial Vaginosis as an STI Could Improve Outcomes
19:29
19:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:29Bacterial vaginosis (BV), an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the vagina, affects nearly one in three people with a vagina. While you can get BV without ever having sex, a new study has found that, in some cases, it could be functioning more like a sexually transmitted infection. That’s in part because of the increased risk of BV after sex with…
…
continue reading
As the weather in the Northern Hemisphere starts to shift to spring and construction season gears up, we revisist an episode from 2021 about the costly ongoing problem of fires in buildings under construction. In the United States, there's a fire in a building under construction or renovation every hour and a half, according to NFPA data. On this p…
…
continue reading

1
How the Science of Safety Helps Tackle Global Risks [Sponsored]
16:23
16:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:23We're surrounded by risks of all sizes, every day. Some people might be risk-takers, while others do whatever they can to avoid them. But how can we tackle the risks that impact society on a global scale, like those linked to sustainable energy, societal health and digital technology? Science journalist Izzie Clarke explores this question in the la…
…
continue reading

1
Yodeling Monkeys, Increasing Measles Cases and Stressed Out Americans
8:44
8:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:44The Trump administration continues to make cuts to U.S. science and health agencies. Now some states are fighting back, suing the Department of Health and Human Services for slashing $11 billion in public health funds. A study finds that Americans live shorter lives than Europeans with the same income—stress and other systemic issues could be to bl…
…
continue reading

1
Cutting USAID Threatens Public Health around the World
11:59
11:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:59The U.S. Department of State recently announced plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. While some of USAID’s functions will continue under the Department of State, there is real concern that the cuts will jeopardize public health efforts across the world, including immunization programs and other efforts that ha…
…
continue reading
The human body is capable of some truly incredible things. One of the most mysterious and debated phenomena is a release of fluid during sex that is often referred to as “squirting.” What’s actually happening, and why does it stir so much speculation? Wendy Zukerman, host of the hit podcast Science Vs, breaks down the science behind this fascinatin…
…
continue reading

1
Shark Sounds, Molecules on Mars and Continued Federal Cuts
9:05
9:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:05Long-chain alkanes discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover point to the possibility that there may have been fatty acids on Mars—and that they could have come from past microbial life. Paleontologists have found a huge dinosaur claw that was probably made for foraging, not fighting. Researchers studying ocean life have recorded the sounds of sharks an…
…
continue reading

1
Go Inside M.I.T.'s 50,000 Square Foot Clean Room
20:08
20:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:08The cutting edge of research is very small—and very clean. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman joins Vladimir Bulović, director of MIT.nano, on a tour of this facility’s nanoscale capabilities. Its tightly controlled clean room hosts research across several fields, from microelectronics to medical nanotechnology. You can see Bulović’s tour of the …
…
continue reading

1
Are These Plants Out of Place? A New Look at Invasive Species
16:29
16:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:29When you hear “invasive plant,” you might picture an aggressive species taking over and harming the environment. But what if the way we think about invasive plants is part of the problem? Host Rachel Feltman chats with Mason Heberling, associate curator of botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, about why these plants are more complicated…
…
continue reading

1
Economic Considerations for Power Quality Issues
17:08
17:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:08In Episode 67, we're covering the many misconceptions surrounding power quality (PQ) issues with Philip Keebler, technical advisor to PBE Engineers. This episode had so much great PQ information, so Ellen Parson, host of EC&M On Air and Editor-in-Chief of EC&M, decided to split this episode into two parts. This episode is Part 1 and covers economic…
…
continue reading
This is the second part of our series looking at how fire and life safety codes are being delayed, erased, and watered down across the United States. On this episode, we talk to Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon about some of the challenges he's facing in his state, strategies to counter misguided legislative efforts, and why the fire service n…
…
continue reading

1
NASA Astronauts Finally Return, Seals Hold Their Breath, and Penguin Poop Stresses Out Krill
10:14
10:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:14Two NASA astronauts are finally back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay in space. What kept them up there so long? Meanwhile scientists have discovered that gray seals have a built-in oxygen gauge that helps them hold their breath for more than an hour. And in the Antarctic, researchers found that penguin poop seriously stresses out krill…
…
continue reading

1
Severance’s Consulting Neurosurgeon Explains the Science behind the Show’s Brain Procedure
17:25
17:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:25What if you could completely separate your work and personal life—with the help of a brain implant? That’s the unsettling premise of Severance, the hit Apple TV+ show that just wrapped its second season. To make the science fiction feel as real as possible, the creators brought in an actual neurosurgeon, Vijay Agarwal, chief of the Skull-Base Tumor…
…
continue reading

1
What Everyone Gets Wrong about Colonoscopies
10:34
10:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:34Colonoscopy gets a bad rap, but how much of what you’ve heard is actually true? In recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we’re tackling the biggest myths that keep people from getting this potentially lifesaving screening. John Nathanson, a gastroenterologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, joins host Rachel Feltman to cle…
…
continue reading

1
NASA Launches New Missions, Saturn Gains Some Moons, and Whale Urine Balances Marine Ecosystems
9:05
9:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:05The new Environmental Protection Agency administrator plans to get rid of or weaken critical environmental rules and policies, such as regulations around greenhouse gases and clean water protections. The deregulation effort follows the recent cancellation of hundreds of grants. NASA launched two missions last week. The first, SPHEREx, will make a t…
…
continue reading

1
Movie Magic Meets Practical Robotics for Netflix’s The Electric State
17:49
17:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:49Dennis Hong, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered a love of robots at an early age while watching the “droid” characters in Star Wars. As director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at U.C.L.A., Hong has worked on functional humanoid robots for tasks such as firefighting an…
…
continue reading

1
Next-Gen Insights with Yamil Camacho, Henderson Engineers
18:41
18:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:41Episode 66 is EC&M On Air's first Next-Gen Insights episode! We're featuring past and present EC&M 30 Under 30 All Stars who discuss their journey in the electrical industry, advice they'd share with other up-and-coming young electrical leaders, technological insights to keep up with, and more. This week, Ellen Parson chats with Yamil Camacho, reta…
…
continue reading

1
A Tuberculosis Outbreak Exposes U.S. Postpandemic Vulnerabilities
14:59
14:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:59It’s been five years since COVID was declared a global pandemic. Local, national and global public health agencies mobilized to contain the spread of COVID, but experts worry that backlash against measures like lockdowns have made today’s systems less capable of handling a disease of similar scale. Now the U.S. faces a tuberculosis outbreak in Kans…
…
continue reading
There is a serious threat to safety happening now that isn’t getting nearly enough attention, according to many state fire marshals and fire service leaders. Across the U.S., anti-regulatory sentiments and well financed lobbying efforts are persuading lawmakers to weaken or erase the longstanding fire and life safety codes intended to keep the publ…
…
continue reading

1
Safety-Related KPIs All Electricians Should Track — EC&M On Air Highlights
5:29
5:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
5:29ICYMI, this month's EC&M "On Air Highlights" features an audio-only version of a popular past article, read by Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson. She reads an article by Kevin Kolhonen called "The Importance of Key Performance Indicators in Workplace Safety," which can also be viewed in its original form on the EC&M website.…
…
continue reading