21 June, 2017 – Episode 624 – This Week in Science Podcast (TWIS)

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Games For Farmers, Ancient Prosthetics, Bad Medicine, Hot In Here, Monkey Wisdom, Old Learned Lady, Fishy Fossil, Carnivore People Problems, Eating Biofuel, Probiotics For Bees, And Much More…

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DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
Science is often characterized poorly in fiction…
The occasional tool to push plot feasibility
The source of a super hero’s power
The unfair advantage of a super villain
The cause of a world devastating…
fill in the blank…
that was the result of science going too far…
And let us not forget that science has always gone too far…
For the fictional sensibility of any time.
Instead the way that fictitious days are often won,
that mysteries are unveiled,
that solutions are found to make a better world…
are with violence…
Followed by a car chase…
followed by more violence…
And the occasional interpersonal dispute solved along the way…
Usually through violence…
The real world is full of heroes…
Finding solutions…
Solving Problems…
Building…
Healing…
Discovering…
And all of it,
just so that we may bring you another episode of…
This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…

This Week in What Has Science Done For Me Lately…
“Hello Dr. Kiki.

My wife, Marjory, and I are long time listeners who absolutely love your show and decided to check-in from Tigard, OR to share how science has helped us lately.

In October my wife and I participated in an event where she ran a half marathon a day for a week (each in a different state in the southeast) and I did the same running a marathon in each state. A couple weeks ago we repeated this but this time in the northeast. That is 14 marathons/half-marathons completed in just over 7 months. A few decades ago it was thought impossible that anyone (including elite athletes) could complete even a single marathon and now we have regular folks like us completing seven in a week. Modern medicine, training, exercise, diet, advanced clothing and shoe technologies are just a few of the scientific advances that have made a ridiculous goal like this obtainable to regular people.

It makes me wonder what incredible and impossible feat for us science will make commonplace for our children or grand-children. It’s enough to make you misty eyed. :)”
-Minion Joe Cloutier

Board games… for the environment!
A board game was proven to accurately teach farmers about pest interactions on their lands, and how best to apply pesticides. Now that is a game theory I could get behind!

Ancient Prosthetics
Researchers find a 3,000 year old wooden toe!

Bad Medicine
Experts want better evidence for better healthcare.

Call it what you like…
it’s getting hotter.

Monkeys listen to their elders
Capuchin monkeys observe older individuals at a task and use the method with the highest payoff – proving that those older monkeys might have something to contribute to society afterall.

Older ladies are often wiser
What makes an old doe old? Is it her genes, or luck, or her wits, or her ability to learn from others’ mistakes? It turns out, it’s the latter!

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Fishy Fossil…
Or, the tale of the snake fish.

This week in the obvious…
Human voices disturb activity of large carnivores. Mountain Lions fled from the sound of human voices, proving that auditory cues could have a great impact on natural landscapes.

Eating bio fuel
Let’s use corn for food, people.

Probiotics for bees
Probiotics may fortify bees to be able to cope with pesticides, but no, it isn’t via yogurt.

Crabby Cuttlefish
New footage shows a cuttlefish taking textural camouflage to a whole new level!

Multi tasking is a learned thing
An interesting mechanism is at play in the brain that might make activities more efficient.

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I'm the host of this little science show.