20 February, 2019 – Episode 709 – This Week in Science Podcast (TWIS)

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What is in This Week in Science?

Interview w/ Dr. Antonella Palmese from FermiLab, Gene Drive Progress, Great White Shark Genes, Veggie Dogs!, Old Sperm Is Better, Cassowary Casques Unmasked!, Deer Architects, Citizen Discovery, Vitamin Brain, Death Inc, And Much More…

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DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!

Have you ever wondered what things were like in the good old days?
What did they do all day? How did they have fun? What did they eat?
Whatever you imagine about that time and those days is probably wrong.
Chances are good that life was a lot harder…
but still, people were not so different from people today.
Chances are bad that the diet you are eating based on any peoples of the past…
Actually resembles a diet of anything other than that of other current humans who read the same book,
magazine article, or watched the same talk show nutritionist infomercial…
Most diet data on days gone by,
is based on what data diet we have found so far…
And despite the many revisions of ancient diets that have come from increased discovery
The current fad diet fans don’t bother keeping up with new news…
Sticking instead to the myth of the good old days.
In fact, fake ancient diet fallacies don’t stop with people…
it’s a fad with people’s pets as well!
Dog food pitches ancient diets all the time!
Telling you your dog needs meat;
after all your dog descended from an apex predator…
as if this was yesterday…
as if your fur baby was just weened from the wolfy wild…
As we will report later in this episode,
nothing could be further from the truth,
in fact your furry friend might be better evolved to enjoy a veggie diet then you think!
All this and much more furry fun ahead on…
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…

An Interview with Dr. Antonella Palmese

Dr. Palmese is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Fermilab where she is part of the Dark Energy Survey, which has just completed its six year observation of a section of the southern sky.

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This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?

“Every once in a while you hear the phrase: “donate my body to science”. I have started a business retrieving brains from people who donate their bodies to science! In this role, I have provided brains to research on the cures of Alzheimer’s, MS, ALS, Multiple Systems Atrophy, Lewey body dementia, and notably, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in football players and boxers! Science has provided me an ability to work independently and do a thing that not many people can claim… thank you, Science!
–John Coleman”

And, NOW, Some Science News From This Week in Science

Gene Drive Progress
Researchers in Italy have begun a new mosquito gene-drive experiment that explores the gene-drive in a more realistic environment while still in a lab.

Great White Shark Genes
The Great white shark genome has been decoded and is full of wonders!

Veggie Dogs!
Some ancient dogs may have been vegetarian thanks to their owners’ diets.

Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!

Old Sperm is Better
Not every swimmer is a good suitor, and those that survive longer often turn out to be of greater… shall we say… quality?

Cassowary Casques Unmasked!
The mysterious ornament appears to be used for heat exchange, helping bring light to a question that has baffled scientists for nearly 200 years!

Deer as acoustic architects
The browsing behavior of deer affects the travel of bird song in the forest – now there are some unintended consequences… unless the deer are actually creating the ultimate bird song amphitheater??

And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show

Citizen Discovery
While looking for brown dwarfs, a citizen scientist made a white dwarf discovery that has scientists scratching their heads.

Vitamin Brain
Vitamin D may be a crucial part of maintaining a healthy brains according to new research that of course looked at mice.

Lobster Armor
I’m not joking.

Death, Inc.
Workers versus death… when is a corporation more trouble than it’s worth?

Native plant makes good
A California native plant promises to aid Alzheimer’s treatments.

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