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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Cosmological Agreement, CAR-T Cure?, Daddy Mommas, Getting Gassy, Pigs Save Lungs, Interview w/ Dr. Brian Hare on The Survival of the Friendliest, COVID Update, Pickled Brains, Seeing Eye To Eye, Placental DNA Twist, Rat Rescuers, Lucky Handedness, And Much More…
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Just a quick note: This week’s podcast interview was 2 hours long, and amazing all the way through. It was edited significantly to make the podcast episode a more palatable length (and, it’s still a 2-hour show!). For the FULL interview, we highly suggest you check it out on our YouTube channel. You can do that here.
Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
The information you are hearing from your religious, business and/or political leaders
about the deadly viral pandemic
may or may not represent the actual evidence based understanding
of scientists and medical researchers who…
Know what the expletive they are talking about.
If viruses could be prayed away,
the pandemic would be over by now
If political will, sticking to your guns against popular opinion could persuade a virus
The pandemic would be over by now
If pool parties, getting back into the office and reopened restaurants was intimidating to a virus
The pandemic would be over by now
If we just took science seriously, if we just acted a little sooner or waited at home a little longer
The pandemic could be over by now
But instead
we may as well await the ringing of a bell and the voice from the street calling out…
Bring out your dead… bring out your dead
The only thing that may yet save us from the fate of death by ignorant and powers that be?
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with some quick science news stories…
Cosmological Agreement
Data is in from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, which mapped the cosmic microwave background radiation of a large portion of the sky, and agrees with previous results from the European Space Agency’s Planck Survey determining the Hubble Constant – a measure of how fast the universe is expanding. This is great news for validation of the CMB as a credible measurement method, but does not solve the the discrepancy between measurements made using the CMB versus those based on other methods. This Hubble tension could indicate a problem with the Standard model of physics.
Cancer cures that work
Study shows that CAR T cells could perhaps act as vaccines by exposing cancer proteins to the patient’s immune system.
Seahorse dads have a strong connection to their babies. Literally.
Researchers have discovered that male seahorses transfer nutrients, oxygen, and provide immune modulation to their babies while in the father’s pouch, and they think it is through a placenta!
Getting Gassy
Driven by increases in agriculture and natural gas, methane emissions have increased 10% over the past two decades, reaching 596 million tonnes in 2017. Increased consumption of red meat can be tied to the agricultural emissions in most places except Europe where cattle ranching has decreased and efforts have been made to reduce landfill emissions.
Pigs Save Lungs
Apparently, hooking damaged human lungs up to a swine’s circulatory system can heal the lungs… enough to potentially revive them for transplantation.
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Who is up for an interview?
This week we are joined by… Dr. Brian Hare
Dr. Brian Hare is a core member of the Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, a Professor in Evolutionary Anthropology, and Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. With his wife Vanessa Woods, he wrote ‘The Genius of Dogs’, and now “Survival of the Friendliest’.
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Now for the weekly COVID-19 Update!
COVID Update
The US numbers keep climbing. The WHO suggests the public needs to be engaged in public health through individual behaviors that help others, and that the government should provide strong leadership and consistent messaging. And, there are now three vaccines entering Phase 3 clinical trials.
COVID Calling Card
A report in Science indicates that interferon response deficiency and exacerbated inflammation could be indicative of severe cases of COVID-19, and could guide treatment.
Reducing Inflammaton
Additionally, Tocilizumab, a rheumatoid arthritis drug has been used fairly successfully in a couple of recent studies leading to marked improvements in outcomes for the most ill with the virus.
Salon Safety
The CDC published a report finding that the use of masks by stylists at a hair salon likely influenced the reduced the transmission of SARS-CoV2 from infected stylists to clients.
Let’s answer a question about COVID and kids:
“Dear TWIS – Kiki, Blair, and Justin,
I have two very important questions I hope you will answer:
Has anyone ever actually sent you a haiku?
What evidence is there regarding how infectious children are with COVID-19? I teach high school biology, so I will soon be in close contact with a lot of teenagers. I recently heard a claim that children harbor less viral load than adults, which makes them less contagious – but I am dubious about this claim. (The information for the video that made this claim is at the end of this email.)
I am a recent fan of your podcast, but I found Kiki several years ago when I started teaching high school biology – I show your fermentation video to my class every year. It’s hard to tell if my students find it as amusing as I do, but you still crack me up every time!
P.S. I love your theme music! It never gets old.
Thank you so much for your response, and for spreading the good word about science each week.
Christin Shorma
Powell, Wyoming”
Canid COVID crapola!
Dogs can’t get COVID, the story you may have seen this past spring was hooey.
LET US KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU HAVE, OR INFORM US ON ANY REGIONAL UPDATES, BY EMAILING KIRSTEN@THISWEEKINSCIENCE.COM.
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Tell us a story Justin!
Pickled Brains
Capers contain quercetin, a bioavailable polyphenol found in many plants that is known to have many healthful effects, acts directly on potassium ion channels and might influence heart and brain activity.
Tyrants And Parents
Dysfunctional families during childhood lead people to prefer tyrranical leaders as adults.
Dr. Kiki’s got some science for you!
Placental DNA Twist
When the placenta begins to form, the DNA in its cells gets twisted until it breaks into single strands instead of its normal double stranded form. The interactions that occur next determine its fate.
Seeing Eye To Eye
It doesn’t happen. We have perceptual variation that makes our view on the world unique.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Rats can be good samaritans, or passive rubber-neckers, just like humans.
And it turns out, we operate with the same influences, pressures, and biases as they do!
Lefties and righties aren’t so different after all.
Four eyed fishes of the genus Anableps have left-leaning or right-leaning genitalia. What we assumed was a genetic trait turns out to be just… luck??
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!
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