Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:59 — 73.3MB)
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Water Worries, Union Economics, Predator Poop, Brain Tumor Vaccine?, Not So Mysterious Human, Anti-Vax Vaccination , Wafting Bee Wings, Bonobo Baby, Brain Pathogens, Bronze Age Grub Hub, Big Brains, Removing False Memories, And Much More…
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
And, remember that you can find us on all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! You’re looking for science podcasts on iTunes, science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science…
Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
America is getting back to normal…
Nowhere is that more clear than with the recent mass shooting in Colorado.
Since there are tens of millions more guns than people in the United States
I thought we might start the show with a few fun gun facts…
1 – there are around 70 millions more guns than people in the United States.
About ? of Americans own a gun,
which means gun owning Americans are really into owning guns…
In 2018, 73% of homicides were committed with firearms according to the FBI,
And 600,000 violent crimes were committed with a gun.
While the majority of Americans support stricter gun laws according to the pew research folks in 2019 at 60%,
That number is even higher in women who, fun fact…
are three times more likely to be murdered with a gun by an intimate partner than a perfect stranger.
As also reflected in a 2019 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that
showed states with the highest gun ownership had 64.6 percent increased incidence rate
of domestic firearm homicide when compared to states with the least.
And…
gun control laws reduce deaths
Yes…
yes they do…
If you don’t agree with that, it’s not because we have differing opinions,
It’s because you are wrong, and you have not actually taken the time to look into it.
I won’t go through every state
But I will take you to Guns & Ammo’s 2020 Best States for gun ownership:
Guns & Ammo’s annual ranking of gun-friendly states.
Top five gun friendly states?
Arizona, Idaho, Alaska, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Who have a combined average per 100,000 residents of 17.2 deaths by firearm in 2019 according to the CDC
Worst gun friendly states?
New york, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California.
They have a combined average per 100,000 of 4.6 deaths by firearm
So, your chances of death by firearm are nearly 4 times higher in gun friendly states…
According to Guns & Ammo who remind us that guns don’t kill people,
It’s the bullets that do that.
But, what good is one without the other?
Texas and Florida didn’t make the top gun-friendly list,
maybe that’s why they have 12.7 deaths per capita.
Still, that’s more than 4 times the rate of the least friendly state of New York at 3.9.
At the end of the day,
The gun conversation won’t go away, and shows like this that are nothing about guns
Will be forced to talk about it until meaningful reforms are put in place.
And then we can once again focus on more important things like
This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Water Worries
The ocean is stabilizing, but what does this mean to ocean life?
Are unions bad for economic growth?
No, but hear the story.
Corals depend on the poop of their predators
How’s that for a twist??
Brain Tumor Vaccine?
First results are looking good.
The mystery archaic human was no mystery once
DNA tells the story once again.
Anti-Vax Vaccination
Communicate to people who are highly connected to reduce anti-vax sentiment and reduce the years of life that will be lost to COVID-19.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A TWIS SHIRT OR MUG OR OTHER ITEM OF TWIS MERCHANDISE CLICK ON THE ZAZZLE LINK TO BROWSE OUR STORE.
HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Honeybees know how to waft
Bees send pheromones from the queen down through the colony by wafting with their wings! Don’t tell your older brother, we don’t want him to get any ideas…
Bonobo adoption – it’s a thing!
In this later installment of, “bonobos are the best ape” we learn that females will adopt completely unrelated babies from another troop, with seemingly no genetic or social connection. Just because they are alone and need a parent.
Support us on Patreon!
What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Maybe it’s not the toxoplasma gondii?
Could be another pathogen that causes schizophrenia?
Bronze age grub hub
Processed food was delivered to a Bronze Age copper mine.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Big Brains
Who dis? Humans!!!
Removing False Memories
It can be done… with a little urging.
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!
Leave us a message on our Facebook page, OR email Dr. Kiki!
It’s Women’s History Month! Check out this predictions episode of TWIS with Kelly Weinersmith, or this one with Melanie Mitchell.
Then there was also this one from 2010 after Dr. Kiki attended SXSW in Austin, TX & Justin learned something new.
I'm the host of this little science show. 
I have enjoyed your program for many years until now. You have decided to go political !! I have noticed the left leaning comments in the past, But now it is just over the top ! Your politics have spoiled the show for me! Is it This Week In Science or This Week In Politics ? May be you should look at how the over abundance of politics in our lives has effected stress !!
Brian
Hi Brian! We’ve included commentary on science-relevant politics for more than a decade. And, I’m certain that we’ve been quite vocal over recent years because of the way science has either been ignored or mis-used in US politics. What was it about this episode in particular that got to you? And, I absolutely agree that politics can be stress-inducing – there is a lot at stake.