You and Betty and the Nancy's and Bill's and Joes and Jane's will find in the study of science

a richer, more rewarding life.

Welcome to Inquiring Minds. I'm Indravis Gontas.

This is a podcast that explores the space where science and society collide.

We want to find out what's true, what's left to discover,

and why it matters. This is the first episode in a two-part series about the things that keep us together,

our bones. How often do you think about your

bones, usually only when they hurt or are broken or aren't functioning? But the truth is that

bones actually are made of the world's best building material, and they're really interesting.

But don't take my word for it. This week's interview is with Roy Meals. He's an orthopedic surgeon,

someone who specializes in fixing hands. But in his first book, Bones, Inside and Out,

he talks about not just the chemistry and biology of bones, but also the many ways in which

we take them for granted, and how they teach us about the very essence of what it means to be human.

Dr. Roy Meals, welcome to inquiring minds. Well, thank you for inviting me. So I was really excited

to get a copy of your book, Bones, inside and out, because I feel like it's something I never think

about. I don't think about my bones.

And so it's always nice to know that you're walking around with a body part that has so many

fascinating things tied to it that I can still learn. So let's start with the basics. What are

human bones actually made of? What are they constructed of? Well, that's the beginning of this

incredibly interesting story, that it's a composite material where, first of all, there's a

meshwork of collagen protein fibers that you might think of like a piece of steel wool, that it's

flexible and has lots of openings in it.

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