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Organics And Gas On Mars, Gamma Rays From Lightning, Water on Earth!!!, Death To Mammals, Squirrel Impacts, Cannibal Ant Babies, Snail Sense, Hypo Ain’t So, Unhealthy Hajj, Arsenic Everywhere, Cholera From Orbit, Tastes Like Dino, Holiday Science, And Much More…
Disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer!
Twas the night before Twis-mas when all through the house
No science was stirring, not even on a mouse
The stories were laid, by the web cam with care…
In hopes that the minions soon would be there
Blair was already hiding her bed
While visions of peacock spiders danced in her head
And Kiki in her lab coat and I on the moon
Preparing our brains to bring the show soon
When all of the sudden the arose such a chatter
So to the chat room I sprang to see just what was the matter
The minions were there and the minions were ready
For the show to begin and the news to come steady
I open a window and saw with surprise
That the google hangout was going… about to be live
I looked for my invite, I found it in text….
Just in time for This Week in Science…
Coming up next!!!
Organics And Gas On Mars
Mars Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules and methane burps on Mars. What does this mean for life on Mars? Absolutely nothing.
Gamma Rays From Lightning
Experiments with satellites and airplanes have confirmed that lightning produces x-rays and high energy gamma-rays. Shocking!
Water on Earth!!!
Massive amounts of water are contained within the mantle of the Earth, and are part of a billion year water cycle in and on our planet.
Smart Snail Foetuses
Foetile snails still in the egg can learn from stimuli while they mature and react better once they are hatched. Those are smart babies!
Ant larvae are cannibals
Ant larvae, despite being quishy blobs of ooze, can sense relatedness to nearby eggs and cannibalize those eggs when it is advantageous.
Squirrels are exacerbating climate change
Squirrels turn the soil and raise temperatures where there is permafrost filled with heat-trapping gasses. So, they are melting the ice and releasing more carbon dioxide. Way to go, Squirrels…
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Allergens in your hypoallergenics
Labeling means nothing. There are potential allergens in many products labeled hypoallergenic.
Holy Unhealthy Hajj
Air pollution is the worst measured by scientists in Mecca during the annual holy pilgrimage.
Arsenic Everywhere
And, everyone is still drinking! Test your well, folks.
Cholera From Space
Using satellites to monitor temperature and precipitation in areas prone to cholera has enabled scientists to predict outbreaks and the potential spread of the disease.
Asteroids killed off the mammals too
Not just the dinosaurs were affected when asteroids made Earth difficult for large animals to survive. Many egg-laying mammals died as well.
Chickens really ARE tiny dinos…
Or, at least, they are more genetically related to dinosaurs than other birds.
Tinsel Science
Tinsel used to contain lead, but was phased out in favor of plastic tinsel in the 1970’s.
Holiday lights
NASA is visualizing changes in light from day to day around the world to get an understanding of human activities. Christmas lights make things brighter in the winter months!
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I'm the host of this little science show. 
I’m a fan of TWIS and I try not to miss an episode. I usually take what you folks say at face value. However, I must correct Jason regarding his assumption that just because women in Saudi Arabia do not drive, “only half the population drives”. This is false. Women do not drive, but they’re still on the road in cars contributing to pollution. They have a male chauffeur, usually a foreign worker from southeast Asia. Everyone in Saudi Arabia contributes to pollution through driving, including children, who also often have their own chauffeur to take them to and from school.
Also, Jason, why would you say that a mention of Mecca and Haj has nothing to do with your audience? There are plenty of Muslims who follow and enjoy TWIS.
Is all. Thanks folks. Keep up the good work.
Wow! Thank you for setting the record straight. We are glad you enjoy the show, and sometimes (often) need to be set straight about our assumptions.
We hope that you continue listening, and share TWIS with your friends!