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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Telescope Bias, Just Good News: Tech Edition, No Good Ski Wax, Protein Mapping, Disgusting Humans, Sound The Alarm, COVID Update, Penis Worm Shells, Fish Rubbing, Language Trace, Future Hurricanes, Different Neurons, Sponge Nerves, Pain Signal, And Much More…
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Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
We all know what is driving global warming.
As the climate summit continues in Scotland
Key provisions were put forth to make real changes in auto emissions.
A declarative pinky promise statement was written and proposed for governments, manufacturers, and investors to sign that stated that they would:
“work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission by no later than 2035 in leading markets.”
23 countries signed the pledge to do something in the direction of change in the next 20 years…
Absent from the list of signers…
All of the countries that mass produce cars.
Japan, Germany, China, South Korea and the United States did not sign sign a pledge to even move in the right direction…
Meanwhile the only auto manufacturers to sign were
General Motors, Ford,
Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo
No other auto makers…
Ok, Jaguar signed it too.
But no others…
Partly perhaps because making an electric car would require too much investment in research and development, take too long to get to market by the 14 year deadline and might be poorly received by the car buying public.
Tesla of course didn’t need to sign because they already make electric vehicles that they started from scratch making about 12 years ago,
Which have been enthusiastically received by the car buying public
To become a company valued more than
all of the other car companies…
put together.
Before all the excuses are pushed aside.
Before all the lobbyists have gone to bed.
Before the leaders jibber-jabbering double-speak falls silent.
Hopefully, before the canary in the coal mine
is actually a canary on a submerged tropical island
Clinging to a lone branch sticking out in the middle of the ocean
The real solutions for what we need to do will be found right here
On This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Telescope Bias
We can only see what we can see.
Just Good News: Tech Edition
Fast neutrons work for wireless!
Ski wax chemicals up to no good
Yet another source of toxins from us humans causing mayhem.
Protein Mapping
Take it one amino acid at a time.
Humans are disgusting
Researchers made a sewage map… turns out we”re covered in it
Sound The Alarm
Honey bees seriously buzz about hornets
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Want a COVID Update?
Seasonal COVID?
Perhaps. The evidence for seasonality is slim because human behavior to date has had a much larger input. However, as the virus becomes endemic, we might begin to see a seasonal pattern emerge.
Delta Tweaks
Researchers made SARS-CoV2-like viral particles more infectious by mutating the nucleocapsid protein.
Routine vaccinations lag
Vaccines other than those for COVID-19 are not on track and we need to catch up to prevent other outbreaks. But, will people roll their sleeves back up?
Do you have COVID-19 related questions? Let us know!
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Penis worms: the original hermit crabs
And that’s it. The whole story.
Would you rub yourself up against a shark?
You might if you were really itchy… and a fish…
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What science news does Justin have?
Back to back hurricanes
Is this what is likely to be a new normal?
Language Trails
Japanese & Turkish languages have a commonality in ancient trade.
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Let’s finish strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Different Neurons
Human neurons have a specific difference from other mammalian neurons.
Sponge Nerves
Maybe ancient sponges gave us all a nervous start.
Pain Signal
Spontaneous pain felt by sufferers of chronic pain is caused by sympathetic nerve fibers growing into and triggering a signal in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord.
This Week in Science Questions!
Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions! We will do our best to have answers!
Leave us a message on our Facebook page, OR email Dr. Kiki!
What were we discussing at this time last year? Healthy aging! This time last year we spoke with Marta Zaraska about her book exploring how to reverse the aging clock with science. We also discussed science news about hurricanes (again?!?), touchy fish, immune genes, decoding brain activity, and so much more. Listen to the show!
This one from 2011 was full of great science news. What were we discussing 10-years ago? Toxoplasmosis brain effects, monkeys, mighty mice, and so much more. Take a trip down memory lane with TWIS!
I'm the host of this little science show. 
Hey guys, love your show. It was said on this episode that malls don’t use heat. This is almost pure urban legend. While it is true that during busy times their heat load is reduced, when it is cold outside, they still have to run heat. Otherwise I wouldn’t spend half of my winter repairing heat in these malls. Thank you for the great show.
Thank you for the fact-check! We will be sure to share your comment next time Justin is on the show. –Dr. Kiki