When you think about military science, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Bombs and guns, right? Well, that’s not what interests the writer Mary Roach, who has a habit of seeking out eccentric scientific corners. She’s not so much curious about the killing as she is about the keeping alive. That curiosity led her to research into the battlefield’s more obscure threats: exhaustion, shock, bacteria, panic, even turkey vultures. Roach joins us to explore the curious science of humans at war. (Rebroadcast)
Mary Roach is the author of the books Stiff, Spook, Bonk, Packing for Mars, and Gulp. Her new book is called Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War[Amazon|Indiebound].