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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Scientific Hope, Anti-fungal Antfarms, All The Protection, Cat Protection, Allergy Gut Bugs, Water That Binds, COVID-19 Update, Beetle Goo, Eel Hunters, Perfect Dino Butthole, Brain Material, Fast Laser Pulses, AI Teacher, Get Some Sleep, And Much More…
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
We are living in interesting times…
While this is always true in one way or another
This day and age will be of especially key interest to future historians
Future historians who will be tasked with figuring out how our societies got to where we will be
at the time when future historians are tasked with figuring out our present’s future foundations.
Will this look back be about how grifters, strong men and all too common con-men dictators
were finally and called out,
stripped of power and thrown out for good?
Will this be the age where policy discussions are conducted by people
with knowledge, interest and commitment making a better world.
Will this be another era of war and destruction?
Or one of peace and prosperity?
Will the actions taken by the humans of today
lead us to a rational world of reason, technological innovation and scientific discovery?
Or will we see truth, facts and knowledge further discarded
in favor of the fervently low information minded,
the faithfully foul mouthed feckless mobs with upper-decker mentalities.
Will the future historians cringe at our next fifty years,
or will they rejoice us as pioneers of a future they hold dear…
The answer can be found in our recent past where it seems
Anything can happen
We are living in interesting times…
and, nowhere is that made more clear than right here on
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Scientific Hope
Last Friday, the 46th President of the United States of America announced his choice for science advisor and head of the Office of Science & Technology Policy, and elevated the position to Cabinet level for the first time in history, putting science in the room during important policy discussions.
Antifungal Antfarms
Ants use antifungal agents to protect their little animal farms that could one day be tasked to protect humans.
When it comes to Marine Protected Areas, is something better than nothing?
No, turns out it isn’t.
Cat Protection
Catnip has been shown to protect cats from mosquitoes, not just get them high.
Microbiome twin study
Twin guts help researchers understand microbiome influence on food allergies.
Water That Binds
A study in Nature Chemical Structures this week discovered that water is the key to antibiotic resistance for a group of antibiotics called macrolides, which are drugs like azithromycin, clarifthromycin, erythromycin, and more that are commonly used to combat bacterial infections.
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And, now for the COVID-19 Update…
Variant Variance
A variant in Brazil has been reported than might have escaped from antibody immunity. Cases are increasing once again despite widespread exposure to the virus.
Masks Save Lives
If the US had adopted a national mask-mandate early in the pandemic, 47,000 lives could have been saved before May 1st.
Separate from a mask-mandate
…personal reports of mask use and social distancing correlate to improved control of the SARS-CoV2 viral spread.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Beetles know how to stretch that expiration date
…and keep the moochers away, too! The secret’s in the goop of course.
Electric eels hunt in groups
Yes, you read that right. Stay out of the Amazon river folks…
Perfect Dino Butthole
…for science!
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What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Brain function revealed
For glial cells.
Pulsed laser optics
Breakthrough could possibly speed up connectivity
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Let’s finish strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
AI Teacher
The classrooms of the future might have personalized curricula for students created by AI. A new twist on general adversarial networks in neural network training led to problem-solving AI that could solve problems never solved by AI before.
Get Some Sleep
It’s good for clearing the waste of a fruit fly or mouse brain. Why not yours?
This Week in Science Questions!
“Hey guys!
First- love the show!! I started listening when you interviewed my friend Dan Hummer and have been hooked since!
I’m curious if you can help point me in the right science direction… and, shocker, it’s a covid question ?
How will we be able to evaluate if vaccinated people can be carriers for the virus or not?
I’m thinking I’d like to propose this question when my spring medical physiology class starts in a week but, frankly, I’m not even sure ? so any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for all y’all do!! Hope you are all healthy and as well as can be for pandemic times 🙂
Sara”
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!
Want to see what we were talking about at this time last year? Check out this episode of TWIS when we talked with Dr. Moriba Jah about space junk or this one from 2010!
I'm the host of this little science show. 
