Former NIH Director Francis Collins

In the first six months of his second term, Donald Trump has set about changing the very fabric of America. And in the crosshairs: science. Unprecedented funding cuts and staff layoffs across universities, federal agencies and programs are threatening to derail research crucial in tackling the most pressing health issues facing Americans and indeed much of the world. Francis Collins has overseen some of the most revolutionary science of the last few decades before announcing his retirement in March, and he joins the show with a warning. Also on today's show: Mstyslav Chernov, Director, 2000 Meters to Andriivka; Carly Ann York, Author, "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog and Other Serious Discoveries of Silly Science" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices