25 July, 2018 – Episode 680 – This Week in Science (TWIS) Podcast

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Water On Mars, Overcoming CRISPR, Bacteria Can Talk, Uncontroversial Conservation, Bigger Climate Spiders, Brainy Discovery, Finding A Fungus, Better Beer, Candida Confusion, Manga-Bey Behavior, Adaptive Anoles, And Much More…

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DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
Despite any evidence you may have heard to the contrary
(Though hopefully you have heard none)
You are one of the most important earthlings in the history of planet earth
Yes there have been a lot of earthlings throughout history
For me to compare you to all of them in order come to this conclusion may seem daunting
And Yes it is possible that my lack of direct knowledge of who you are
makes this determination dubious at worst
I stand by the assessment because the following is certainly true:
1) We live in an age where idle minded activities are easily available everywhere
2) We live in an age where time is money, the baby needs a new iphone, and the rent was due yesterday
3) We live in an age where people can choose how educated they want to be, or how ignorant they would prefer to remain
4) You have passed on idle mindedness, to take valuable time out of your day to add to your knowledge…
5) People who do that are always the most important earthlings the planet has produced
Because
6) If not for earthlings like you, if we ever should lose those with the desire to seek knowledge,
The earth that would follow your in absence would be such a thing of such horror as to plunge a planet into darkness and despair…
A living nightmare of endless lies
Endless arguments made with great confidence yet out of utter ignorance
Endless propaganda, Endless war
George Orwell’s vision of a boot stomping on a human face forever…
That’s the world without you, and why you are one of the most important humans ever to breathe the earthling atmosphere.
So thank you. Keep up the good work.
As a reward for your efforts, here’s another episode of This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…

Water On Mars
A massive underground aquifer has been detected on Mars. The hypothesis s that it is full of liquid water.

Overcoming CRISPR
Bacteria and viruses are locked in a fascinating evolutionary battle that will influence our medical therapies.

Bacteria can talk…
To each other in a really interesting way.

The Endangered Species Act isn’t so controversial after all…
Despite campaigns to make it sound like a complicated topic, the Endangered Species Act is widely and universally accepted and supported in the USA. So why are people who are supposed to “represent” the public trying to slash it?

A Warming World makes Bigger Spiders
But that might actually be a good thing…?

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This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Hello Dr Kiki, Justin, and Blair. I have been all over the place on trying to decide what to write here! Science has impacted my life and the world in a million ways every day. The more I thought about it the more this task became daunting. However, there is one very specific thing that science has done for me that I would be remiss to not talk about.

In February 2014 I had finally finished school with my very hard-won B.S. in Environmental Science. The world was my oyster, and I was going to go protect it with everything I had in my arsenal. I was on top of the world.

April rolled around, and I went into the emergency room with a severe headache and eye pain. I mean this sucker was painful! After many MRI’s and 2 days of the most awful anxiety I had ever felt I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. From that day on my healthy life style took a sever nose dive. I was depressed, in pain, my balance was absolutely awful, and I even started to lose normal function in my fingers for a while. My life as I knew it was irreversibly altered.

Now, this isn’t a sad story. While yes, I have had my ups and downs, and it has been a learning process. I have had to relearn my body and its capabilities. I still struggle sometimes but the great things is I have Science in my corner!

Through science we are learning even more about this. Ten years from now we may have better ways to treat MS. Twenty years from now we may even have a cure.

So, what has science done for me lately? It has given me hope. Just like it gives millions of people hope for a future where they can feel like the world is once again their oyster.

Thank you,
Jacqueline Boyster”

Keeping your brain longer
Might have to do with waste removal.

Finding A Fungus
The Eisen lab was searching for a fungus, but found something much more interesting.

Better Beer through Science
We can make the barley our own.

Candida Confusion
Genetic analyses has once and for all determined that what scientists thought were separate species is actually one in the same… just at different life stages.

Either men are liars,
or gay men are having all the fun…

Adaptive Anoles
Hurricanes in the Carribean have impacted anole populations in a measurable way.

Mangabeys? More like sneakabey… ammiright???
Monkeys steal cracked nuts from chimps and hogs, despite the fact that chimps will sometimes eat monkeys. Now that’s a risky meal!!

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I'm the host of this little science show.