13 May, 2026 – Episode 1058 – Unicorns Are Real

May 14th, 2026
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview w/Alaina Levine, Science Unicorns, Cancer Gone, Carnivorous Plants, Outdoor Cats, Carnivorous Rice, Gluca Gone, Insect Pain, Wings, Sleepy Time, and Much More!

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Check out the full unedited episode of our podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

Disclaimer Disclaimer Disclaimer
Hantavirus has reared its head,
but do not fear its reported spread.
The Noro is another beast.
Not much to do.
Just wash your hands
and brush your teeth.
Will Legionnaires be next?
In this cruise ship hall of fame?
And truly, who is to blame?
Certainly not you
Who buys your berths
and then complain
about the heat
as you dine on crab
and sleep like sardines.
We’ll definitely have thoughts here on
This Week in Science.

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The Interview!

We’re starting the show off with an interview tonight.

Our guest, Alaina Levine is an international professional speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, STEM career coach and consultant, TEDx speaker, science journalist, and corporate comedian. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Her newest book, the forthcoming Your Unicorn Career, named after her successful column in Science, empowers anyone to create a customized career that honors your authenticity and values; allows you to define impact and success in a meaningful and personal way; and use skills and solve problems that bring you joy. Her first book, Networking for Nerds (Wiley, 2015), beat out Einstein (really!) for the honor of being named a Top 5 Book of 2015 by Physics Today.

As President of Quantum Success Solutions, LLC, Alaina is a prolific speaker and writer on career development and professional advancement for STEM Nerds (engineers, scientists, and technical leaders) and Word Nerds (journalists, communicators, writers, and PR Professionals).

Craft Your Unicorn Career.

This is a fun and fascinating interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

Quick Science News!

Your Cancer Gone
Does this method really promise treatment for more than the most dire cases?

Carnivorous plants and wasps – strange bedfellows indeed
It would appear that even though pitcher plants will eat wasps, the wasps get their air supply from the pitcher, too. Is this mutualism and not predation?

Iron Space Rain
How does Earth happen to have so much Iron-60, the kind that comes from big stellar explosions?

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Blair’s Animal Corner

Outdoor cats are teeming with disease
Or at least carry as much as a feral cat, despite having a home to come home to…

Carnivorous rice
Rice plants and Venus flytraps share something in common

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More Science with Kiki!

Gluca Gone
How do GLP-1 drugs lead to weight loss?

Insect Pain
How do we know that insects feel pain? We test it!

Gives You Wings
Why are VR researchers making people flap their arms?

Sleepy Time
How much sleep do you get? Is it in the sleep sweet spot?

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This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, are unicorns really real??)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

Support us on Patreon!

Support is the secret to more TWIS!

WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!

Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed Knowledge, & Power, Forever Chemicals, AI Exaggeration, Internal Inference, Prey Trapping, Labile Language, Librarians Saving Democracy, and Much More Science!

This week 10 years ago TWIS Kepler Finds More Planets!, Martian Oxygen???, Earth’s Thin Atmosphere, Oldest Axe Ever, Loud Moths, Interview w/ Josiah Zayner re: Microbiome Transplantation, Lizard Tail Tales, Deadly Reptiles, Conservation By Kids, Sea Star Resurgence?, Memory Genes, Sleep Science, And Much More! Take a blast into the past with TWIS!

If you love TWIS, and all the news we present each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.

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06 May, 2026 – Episode 1057 – Science de Mayo

May 7th, 2026
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Guest Host Philip Shane, Death Of A Great Mind, Plastic Heat, Fish Filth, Swedish Power, Double Trouble, Sweet Myelin, Folding Proteins, Baby Mom Yawns, and Much More Science!

Become a Patron!

Check out the full unedited episode of our podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

What kind of legacy does a great mind leave
When it shifts from this mortal coil?
What is left after all has been done and said?
What remains of the hopes and dreams
when people remember the man who had been?
Is it the buildings?
The centers?
The labs?
The papers?
Is it the many presentations upon so many stages
That leaves the rest of humanity to guess
What would have been done next?
Or is it the students?
The colleagues?
The nemeses and friends?
Will those who speak now
forever create the space
You inhabit in our minds?
Or, is what is said here on
This Week in Science.

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Quick Science News!

Death Of A Great Mind
Last week, Craig Venter, the spearhead of synthetic biology, died. What comes next?

Plastic Heat
Are microplastics accelerating the warming of our planet?

Fish Filth
How long can Norwegian fish farms last if they’re swimming in filth?

Swedish Power
Why is Sweden digging a giant pit in the ground?

Double Trouble
When the “Big One” hits, will it take both California & Oregon?

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Blair’s Podcast Corner

Fantastical Field Guide
Finding the real-world inspiration for the fantastical creatures from your favorite fiction

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More Science with Kiki!

Sweet Myelin
How does the body know when to build myelin?

Folding Proteins
Is your multivitamin helping your proteins get folded?

Baby Mom Yawns
Why do babies yawn when their moms do???

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This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, What Is Science Worried About?)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

Support us on Patreon!

Support is the secret to more TWIS!

WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!

Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed Tiny Life, Human Fungus, Honeyguides, Survey Says, Vaccines and Menstruation, Art with Porpoise, Cuttlefish, Shrimp, Brain Computer Interface, Neanderthals, Tiny Town, On Being, and Much More Science!

This week 10 years ago TWIS How Ketamine Lifts, Weight Loss Gains, Dinos And Dung Beetles, Traumatic Insemination, Interview w/ Dr. Amro Hamdoun from UCSD, Rok Runestone Re-Read, Rhino Seed Vault?, 1 Trillion Friends?, Robo-Clicker For Dogs, How To Boil Water On Mars, And Much More! Take a blast into the past with TWIS!

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22 April, 2026 – Episode 1055 – What’s The Earth Worth?

April 23rd, 2026
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview W/Sara Kobilka, Slowing Currents, Hard Freeze, It’s All Connected, Plant Lives, Cocaine Salmon, This Is New, Mars Stuff, and Much More Earth Science!

Become a Patron!

Check out the full unedited episode of our science podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

Just how much is all this worth?
This planet of ours. This Earth?
In 1997, our global ecosystems were valued at just $33 trillion dollars annually.
give or take $17 trillion dollars.
At the same time, people globally were pumping out somewhere around $18 trillion,
or maybe $28 trillion,
or was it $31 trillion, as according to the WHO?
Later, in 2011, people profit was thought to be around $75 trillion,
while the planet was producing $125 trillion in benefits to people.
That number while shifting through time
decreases as environments are degraded by those activities
that push those profits ever higher.
How high can they get
lest we forget that our future is tied to this planet?
In 2024, nominal GDP was just $111 trillion.
Our population is nearly 8.3 billion.
There are so many reasons to value our planet,
Earth,
and to pay attention to This Week in Science!

HELP TWIS GROW! GET YOUR FRIEND’S BRAIN TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

The Interview!

We’re starting the show off with an interview tonight.

Our guest, Sara Kobilka, is a Renaissance Woman and lifelong learner known for her multidisciplinary approach to both work and life. A self-identified multipotentialite and generalist, her career spans television news, nonprofit organizations, higher education, and entrepreneurship, giving her a uniquely broad and adaptable perspective.

Guided by values such as honesty, authenticity, curiosity, and mutual respect, Sara brings an interdisciplinary mindset to everything she does. Based in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley, she balances her professional pursuits with a vibrant personal life as a mother, wife, and enthusiast of gardening, fitness, wine, and theater.

This is a fun and fascinating Earth day interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

Quick Science News!

Slowing Currents
Is our biggest climate disaster movie fear coming true?

Hard Freeze
Frost or Freeze? Why and when? Does how we talk about it matter?

It’s All Connected
Does the forest have an internet of sorts?

Plant Lives
Are plants really listening to the world around them?

Cocaine Salmon
What is all our cocaine doing to fish?

This Is New
Did we just find a new DNA replication process?

Mars Stuff
What do these organic molecules mean?

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DON’T FORGET TO GET FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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

Support us on Patreon!

This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, what is the earth actually worth!?!?)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

Support us on Patreon!

Support is the secret to more TWIS!

WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!

Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed an Interview W/Natan Shahar, Carbon Capturing, Gator Biting, Fur Babies, Cow Burps, Climate Change Cost, Canceling Women Studies, Life in Spce, Deathbots, And Much More Science!

This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed Bad Bleaching Down Under, Earth Day Plus, Dutch Decisions, Moving Forward, Stinky Lemurs, Mice On Ice, Panamanian Primate, CRISPR Mushrooms, CRISPR Advances, Iron Eaters, Ant Rafts, Interview w/ Jess Pelaez from Blueprint Earth, And Much More!

If you know and love TWIS, and all the science news we present each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.

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25 February, 2026 – Episode 1049 – Stabilizing The Changing Brain

February 27th, 2026
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview W/Nicola Allen PhD., Stabilizing The Brain, Space Alerts, Artemis, Bouba Kiki, Birder Brains, Drunken Apes, and Much More Science!

Become a Patron!

Check out the full unedited episode of our science podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

The state of all things is fine
Just sign on the dotted line
Watch what you get
and never forget
That This Week in Science is coming up next…

HELP TWIS GROW! GET YOUR FRIEND’S BRAIN TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

The Interview!

We’re starting the show off with an interview tonight.

Our guest, Dr. Nicola Allen, is a neuroscientist & professor in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute. She investigates how the brain normally forms and functions, and how it goes awry in diseases, like autism and Alzheimer’s disease, by asking how non-neuronal cells in the brain regulate neuronal function. Dr. Allen and her colleagues recently published a study in Nature establishing the stabilizing role of one cell type, called astrocytes, in the adult brain. And she is here tonight to talk with us about her work and its implications.

Allen studies how astrocytes regulate the formation, function and stability of neuronal connections called synapses. Astrocytes closely interact with neurons and synapses via thousands of fine processes, putting them in a position to regulate these connections. Synapses are essential points of information transfer within neuronal circuits and change throughout life. In the young brain trillions of synapses form, in the adult brain synapses are stabilized, and in the aging brain synapses become less functional and are eliminated. Further, in most neurological disorders, no matter the stage of life, synaptic dysfunction is a key component. This includes autism during youth, schizophrenia in adulthood and Alzheimer’s disease in aging. Allen is investigating if life stage-specific properties of synapses are being regulated by the astrocytes the neurons interact with, to identify new therapeutic targets for repairing synapses in the disorders where they are dysfunctional.

This is a brainy and fascinating interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

Quick Science News!

First Alerts For Space
How will near-real time information of changes in space impact astronomy?

Artemis Rollback
It’s back to the hangar for Artemis II for repairs. No launch should be expected until after March.

Bouba Kiki Effect
Is it really universal?

Birder Brains
How does birding change your brain?

Drunken Apes
Yes, chimpanzees consume alcohol.

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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

Support us on Patreon!

This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, when do we know enough!?!?)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

Support us on Patreon!

Support is the secret to more TWIS!

WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!

Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed The Stellarator!, Animal Emotions AI, Islet Surgery, Stressed Monkeys, Animal Awareness, Oxygen Pill, More Memory, Melatonin, And Much More Science!

This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed Rapidly Rising Waters, Cutting Out HIV, Probiotics For Cancer, Mama’s Little Helper, Fear for Forests, Dodo Brains, Climate For Change, Tracking Sleep Genes, Spider Webs!, And Much More!

If you know and love TWIS, and all the science news we present each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.

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21 January, 2026 – Episode 1044 – Why Tilt at Windmills?

January 22nd, 2026
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview with Dr. Clare Fieseler, Windmill, Acetaminophen, Fight Aging, Artificial Light & Pollen, Bloody Mossies, T. rex, Hot Tubbin, Howler Monkeys, Cow Tools, Cow Food, and Much More!

Become a Patron!

Check out the full unedited episode of our science podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And, remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

When the weather is bitter,
How do you find a glimmer
of warmth, goodwill, or joy?
Do you curl up indoors?
Find new places to explore?
Resist hostile occupation?
Celebrate Congress funding science in this great nation?
Witness illegal kidnappings with neighbors?
Sing protest songs of the day?
Scroll for baby animal dopamine hits?
Or, do you check out
This Week in Science?
Coming up next…

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The Interview!

We’re starting the show off with an interview tonight.

Our guest is Dr. Clare Fieseler, a scientist and journalist whose work focuses on people coping with a changing ocean and a warming world. Clare is a recipient of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communications, is a National Geographic explorer, and does research through the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. You can find Clare’s work in National Geographic, Vox, Grist, The Washington Post, Politico, and Canary Media. Welcome to the show, Clare.x

Currently, she is covering oceans and offshore wind for Canary Media, a U.S.-based non-profit newsroom. She has been a staff reporter for POLITICO covering the green energy transition. Prior to that, Clare was an investigative reporter covering environmental issues in the South for The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.). In this interview Dr. Kiki and Dr. Clare get into the impacts of stopping offshore wind in the US, going to be for our energy economy & infrastructure, the reason President tRump seems so opposed to wind power, and the man who might be behind the fall of off shore wind in the US. 

She is a National Geographic Explorer and maintains an unpaid research appointment at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. She is currently collaborating with museum curator Nick Pyenson on a National Geographic Society-funded project combining research and visual storytelling.

Though they talk a lot about wind there is nothing long-winded about this interesting interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

Quick Science News!

No Autism From Acetaminophen
Is this latest review the final word on paracetamol safety?

Fight Aging?
Get vaccinated… for shingles!

Artificial light at night extends pollen season
Turn off the porch light, you’re making me sneeze!

Bloody Mossies
Are mosquitoes in Brazil becoming hungrier for human blood?

Delayed T Rex Action
How long did it take for the T. rex to reach full size?

COW TOOLS!
Was The Far Side prescient? Are cows tool users?

TILT A WINDMILL IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A TWIS SHIRT OR MUG OR OTHER ITEM OF TWIS MERCHANDISE, OR JUST CLICK ON THE ZAZZLE LINK TO BROWSE OUR STORE

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Support us on Patreon!

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This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, who would tilt a windmill??)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

Support us on Patreon!

Support is the secret to more science with TWIS!

WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!

Take a windmill into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed The End Of Social Social Media, Climate Collusion, Researcher Targets, Smelly Spider Legs, Ants with Grudges, And Much More !

This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed Live from SF Sketchfest! Predatory Mice, Ark Time!, Work Life Balance, Moth Parts, Clymatia, Mother Mary Shark!, And Much More!

If You love TWIS, and all the science news we present each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.

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5 November, 2025 – Episode 1036 – The Verifiable Science Show

November 7th, 2025
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview with Virginia Gewin, Scientific Destruction, AI Wildlife, Recreating People, Baby T. Rex, Crab Homes, Biggest Web, Antibiotic Brain Health, Memory, And Much More Science!

Become a Patron!

Check out the full unedited episode of our science podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And, remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

A blue wave crashed upon the American shore.
Who knows what the future has in store?
Let’s savor the present,
and consider what might be in this land of the free.
Just you & me…
& Blair…
& the rest of our friends here on
This Week in Science!

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Quick Science News!

AI Wildlife Videos are hurting you
And me, and conservation in general.

Recreating People
Agentic AI researchers basically showed that Agentic AI is bad for social media & the future of humanity.

No More Baby T. Rex
Have scientists come to a conclusion in the “juvenile T. rex or new species debate” that has had paleontologists dueling for years?

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The Interview!

We want to welcome our guest, Virginia Gewin. She is an independent science journalist writing about climate change, food security, agriculture, and land use. 

Virginia Gewin was raised in Alabama and is now based in the Pacific Northwest. She writes about how humans are reshaping the environment, from climate change to biodiversity loss, and the efforts to preserve nature. Her work, often focused on agriculture, food security, and land use, has appeared in Nature, Scientific American, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, bioGraphic, and many others. A 2023 Nova Media Fellow, she is reporting on emerging pollutants such as microplastics, toxic algal blooms, and wildfires.

Previously, as a 2021 MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow, she investigated dust and environmental change across the American West, later expanding that work with a USC Annenberg grant to examine the health impacts of toxic dust from the Salton Sea. Her bioGraphic story “Raising Nature on Florida Ranches” won the 2021 Northwest Science Writers Association’s Best of the Northwest Science Writing award. She has also received grants from the Alicia Patterson Foundation, FERN, SEJ, and others. Across her reporting, she explores the importance of diversity in food, land, and science itself.

Dr. Kiki and Blair dig in with Virginia Gewin in this interesting interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

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Blair’s Animal Corner!

Anemone 
Provides stylish homes for crabs

Biggest web… 
Ever??

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Some Science stories with Kiki!

Antibiotic For Brain Health?
Does doxycycline have an anti-inflammatory effect on neurons that reduces schizophrenia risk?

A Face For Memory
What is the “enfacement illusion,” and how can it help you remember your childhood better?

Support us on Patreon!

DON’T FORGET TO GET FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, What is the most verifiable science??)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

Support us on Patreon!

Support is the secret to more science with TWIS!

WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!

Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed CO2, Dark Matter, Infection Diagnosis, Stem Cells, Breast Cancer, The UN, Bored People, Depression Help, Nervous System Work Out, Tired & Angry, And Much More Science!

This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed Antarctica Is Doomed, Antarctica Is Fine, Vampiric Microbes, Social Anti-Matter, Popeye Quack frog Sex, Cowbirds Get Out, Oxytocin Social, Dopamine Damage, New World Pompeii, Dating Mass Extinction, Viral Skin, How To Astronaut, Redaction, Sex Change Tree, Poop For Power, And Much More! Take a blast into the past with TWIS!

If You love TWIS, and all the science news we present each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.

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22 October, 2025 – Episode 1034 – What Do Aliens Know Anyway?

October 24th, 2025
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview with Dr. Daniel Whiteson, It’s Jupiter’s Fault, Squirrels, Metabolic Limits, Pandas, Mini-Brains, Flatworms, Flying, Lead Brains, And Much More Aliens!

Become a Patron!

Check out the full unedited episode of our science podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And, remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!

We don’t know what’s going on,

How could aliens know what’s going on?

I don’t even know what a Gold Standard is anymore. They put words and things in the government, and that’s what’s supposed to determine what things are? I don’t know anything anymore.

I’d like to know things, so let’s talk about them here on,

This Week in Science!

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Quick Science News!

It’s Jupiter’s Fault
… that Earth exists.

Squirrels like road noise
Not everyone prefers peace and quiet

Metabolic Limits
Even the most extreme have their limits.

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The Interview!

We want to welcome our guest, Dr. Daniel Whiteson. He’s a professor of physics at UC Irvine, coauthor of We Have No Idea, Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe, and now a third book called Do Aliens Speak Physics? 

Dr. Daniel Whiteson’s research is in the field of Experimental High Energy Physics. He is interested in probing the structure of matter and the nature of its interactions at the very smallest scales, to understand the fundamental nature of our universe.Whiteson is part of the ATLAS collaboration which built, maintains, and collects data from the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, where the Higgs boson was discovered. His research uses the LHC to investigate the basic building blocks of the Universe around us, hoping to find new kinds of particles or interactions and reveal a deeper and simpler layer underlying our reality.. WELCOME TO TWIS, Daniel!

Dr. Kiki and Blair explore space and time with Dr. Daniel in this interesting interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

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Blair’s Animal Corner!

Panda gut microbes are back in the news
And they do better in captivity. proving once again that pandas should not be…

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Some Science stories with Kiki!

More Complete Mini-Brains
Will lab-grown mini-brains inherit neuroscience?

Flatworm Miracles
How did the headless flatworm regrow its head? Ask the stem cells.

Flying Time
Why does time seem to go faster the older you get?

Lead Brains
Did a mutation help us adapt to lead poisoning as humanity evolved?

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This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, What Do Aliens Know Anyway??)! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

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Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed an Interview W/ Dr. Steven V. Rouse, Tasmanian Tigers, Ovulation, Toilet Water, Doulas, Global Warming, Polarizing People, Human Biased, The Next Jaws, And Much More!

This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed Scariest Meat, Venomous Bandages, Blackest Black, Mummies In Europe!!!, Zombies!!!!, Furry Wolfmice, Shriek For Danger, Anty-Oobleck, Spider Glue, Drunk Comet, Tracking You, The Black Death, Zeno Confirmed, And Much More! Take a blast into the past with TWIS!

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19 September, 2025 – Interview 1030 – Science Under Siege

September 23rd, 2025
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?

This Week: Interview with Dr. Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., about Science Under Siege.

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Check out the full unedited episode of our podcast on YouTube or Twitch.

And remember that you can find TWIS in all the podcast directories. If you are looking for science podcasts on Spotify, we are there! Science podcasts on Google? We are there! Are you looking for science podcasts on iTunes or science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science!

The Interview!

We want to welcome our guests, Dr. Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D.!

Dr. Michael E. Mann is Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication. He also serves as Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action and Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM). You can also find him on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and BlueSky.

Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., is Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics. You can also find him on XTwitter.

Science Under Siege

How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World
Two of the world’s most respected scientists reveal the forces behind the dangerous anti-science movement—and show us how to fight back

From pandemics to the climate crisis, humanity faces tougher challenges than ever. Whether it’s the health of our people or the health of our planet, we know we are on an unsustainable path. But our efforts to effectively tackle these existential crises are now hampered by a common threat: politically and ideologically motivated opposition to science.

Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez are two of the most respected and well-known scientists in the world and have spent the last twenty years on the front lines of the battle to convey accurate, reliable, and trustworthy information about science in the face of determined and nihilistic opposition.

In this powerful manifesto, they reveal the five main forces threatening science: plutocrats, pros, petrostates, phonies, and the press. It is a call to arms and a road map for dismantling the forces of anti-science. Armed with the information in this book, we can be empowered to promote scientific truths, shine light on channels of dark money, dismantle the corporations poisoning the planet, and ultimately avert disaster.

Dr. Kiki, Dr. Michael E. Mann, and Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. get a little political in this interesting interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

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This Week in Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions! We will do our best to have answers!

Remember, everyone, we need you to write in with your questions!

Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

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Support is the secret to more science with TWIS!

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