August 27th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:49:44 — 101.0MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Space Vs Health, Evolution Education, Isolated Flies, Eat For Life, INTERVIEW W/ Dr. Noah Fierer RE: Antarctic Microbes, Babbling Baby Bats, Choking Under Pressure, Preventing Plant Pests, Caribbean Cannibals?, Political Prison Profit, Brainy Organoids, Social Tourette’s Tics, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
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!!!
It’s approved!
As the COVID-19 vaccine gets the government scientists’ seal of approval,
hesitant Americans everywhere are finally rushing out to get vaccinated…
Or, so we would hope.
In reality, there are enclaves of Americans who have been left out of understanding science.
They haven’t been left out by science teachers, or scientists, or science news.
They have been willfully kept ignorant of science by ideology.
Ideology that does not like what science has to say.
And so, unbiased, rational thought is assaulted relentlessly.
Conditioning minds to see science as fraudulent, agenda driven, and nefarious –
The desperate manner in which the unvaccinated now fill hospital beds to capacity is not their doing alone.
It takes convincing.
Misinformation, disinformation, an all out assault on the sense of self preservation.
They aren’t stupid people.
They are people who have been lied to, repeatedly and continuously.
Generationally.
They are victims of ideologies that lose power when exposed to reason,
That lose credibility when science is understood,
That punch holes in stained glass windows every time there’s another episode of
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Space Vs Health
Thanks to COVID there is a liquid oxygen shortage that threatens public health, water purification, AND launches into space.
Nearly half of Americans don’t know how life began
But, those who DO can thank their S… cience education.
Isolation makes fruit flies fat and lazy
That doesn’t make me feel any better about the last 18 months tho…
Eat For Life
Nutritional assessment linked with environmental impacts lets us know exactly how bad foods in the US are for us.
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.
And, now for our Interview!
INTERVIEW W/ Dr. Noah Fierer
Dr. Fierer is a professor in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) department and a fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado. He is also the director of the Center for Microbial Exploration. His lab explores the distribution and roles of microscopic organisms in diverse environments and the relevance of microbes to the health and function of ecosystems, plants, and animals (including humans).
HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
What is in Blair’s Animal Corner?
Baby bats babble beautifully
Just like us, bats mimic their parents to gain speech
Monkeys choke under pressure
When the stakes are highest, monkeys fail tasks they were previously good at. Like parallel parking in front of a friend!
What did Justin bring for us?
Policies for prison profits
There is money in prisons.
The cannibals of the Caribbean
Weren’t really cannibals.
Smell Of Fear
Is there a better way to repel pests?
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish TWIS strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Brainy Science
Brain organoids illuminate a possible path for more personalized brain disease treatment research. And, did you say optic vessicles?
Social Tourette’s Tics
YouTube and TikTok plus stress are influencing the development of what researchers are calling ‘Mass Social Media Induced Illness’ wherein kids are adopting ‘Tourette’s-like’ tics without actually having Tourette’s.
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!
Want to see what we were talking about at this time last year? Check out this episode of TWIS from 2020 when the team was joined by Dr. Jeremy Faust of Brief19! We had a fantastic conversation about COVID, hospitals, and science. If you didn’t hear it then, definitely check it out now!
You might also enjoy this episode from 2011! Justin had stories about the strange (to him?) creature called women. And, Dr. Kiki brought time cells and a bunch of reality. Enjoy the blast from the past!
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Interview, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, anthropology, biology, Blair's Animal Corner, botany, cell biology, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, ecology, emergent behavior, evolution, genetics, infectious diseases, insects, KDVS, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, nutrition, podcast, propulsion, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space exploration, spacecraft, stem cells, technology, z-Broadcasts | 1 Comment »
August 26th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:02 — 65.5MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Fusion Breakthrough, Children Are Different, Targeting Cancer, COVID Update, Polygamous Woodpeckers, Big City Mammals, CFC’s & Climate Change, Contact Tracing?, Camo Chameleons, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! 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!!!
As Haiti reels from another man made disaster
The sort that happens when you continue to grow and rebuild on land with a long history of earthquakes…
People everywhere should look at the cycle of building and destruction that comes from ignoring history and basic science that allows us to predict the future habitability of an area.
In the united states for instance, there is some of the highest population growth in areas that are predicted to be the most affected by climate change.
The deserts of Arizona have grown over 20% in the last decade despite predictions of increased heat and diminishing water supplies.
Likewise the gulf coast of Texas and Southern coastline of Florida have grown by more than 10% despite sea level rise and increased hurricane force storms.
And when the inevitable loss of lives, homes, and destruction of infrastructure comes…
People will blame global warming, which is right but it isn’t going to be the whole story.
Global warming is a man made problem.
As is not combating global warming sooner, which none of these states have taken seriously.
And, ignoring the predictions of science is man made ignorance.
Avoiding ignorance is not hard.
All that is needed is the curiosity to learn, the ability to read, and
This Week in Science,
Coming up next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Fusion Breakthrough!
Another goal reached for NIF.
Children are truly another species
They burn so much energy, their metabolism is unrecognizable
Targeting cancer with CAR-T
Getting better at aiming.
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.
Want a COVID Update?
Version 2.0?
Looks like it’s got some kick.
Israel warns vaccination blunts but does not defeat Delta
New Zealand enters a new lockdown
Let’s wish them well.
Do you have COVID-19 related questions? Let us know!
OH, AND, HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Don’t kink shame woodpeckers!
Polygamous woodpecker males sire more offspring when they practice big love
Cities are making mammals bigger
So it’s your fault that coyote’s big enough to eat your dog, KAREN!
Chameleon robot either cute or terrifying
but why not both??
What science news does Justin have?
CFC’s and climate change
Bad as it is, it could have been worse.
Remember contact tracing?
It does work if we use it.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
This Week in Science Questions!
Do you think it helps or hurts to consider that our current situation could actually be worse? If we had never tried to address CFC’s, our climate would have warmed much faster. If we hadn’t tried to lock-down at the beginning of the pandemic, more people would be dead from COVID-19. But, where does that leave us now? Would you say that our situation is good? And, how does it help move us forward to a brighter future?
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!
Listen to our episode 787 from one year ago! We discovered slingshot capabilities of spiders, AND how eye-spots on cows can save them from predation. There was lots of other science, too! We hope you enjoy it.
This one from 2011 included science news about bacterial bombs, stinky Cleveland, bat navigation, and spiderwebs. Check it out!
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in alternative energy, animal behavior, animals, anthropology, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cancer, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, energy, engineering, evolution, fusion power, genetics, global warming, infectious diseases, KDVS, mammals, medicine, molecular biology, ozone, pharmacology, physics, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, reptiles, robots, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexuality, sexy scientists, technology, therapies, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
August 12th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:00 — 92.1MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Climate Alarm, Power Plant Potential, Hydrogen Hype?, Missing Mars Rock, Maniac Robots, Age-Reversing Microbes, Free Loading Cats, COVID Update, Bargain-Shopping Bats, Poisonous Frog Sponge, Mast Cell Advance?, Matrix AI, Social Signals, Lady Learnings, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! 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!!!
Cause and effect.
Poke a beehive and you get angry bees.
Load the atmosphere with carbon, you get a greenhouse effect.
Fail to take a contagious virus seriously, you get a surge in hospitalizations and death.
Everything happens for a reason.
Which begs the question…
What is the cause of people who are ignoring global warming and covid-19 precautions?
In the case of global warming, it’s pretty obvious.
The fossil fuel industry that is the major contributor of carbon emissions, has funded marketing against the science, and is a major contributor to politicians who refute science, despite the fact that it threatens so many lives if it is not dealt with.
Cause and effect.
We saw this in the past with Big Tobacco when politicians and marketing campaigns were funded to keep people smoking, despite the health risks.
But what about covid-19?
What causes campaigns and politicians to refute the science despite the fact that so many are dying as a result of it?
While the answer isn’t yet clear, it one day will be.
(I’m guessing it’s institutional real estate investment syndicates, but we’ll see)
And despite causing and profiting from disinformation that directly and predictably leads to the deaths of thousands…
they will get away with it.
Like the oil industry, like big tobacco and like
This Week in Science
Coming up next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
IPCC Alarm Bells
The 6th IPCC Assessment Report was released this week with article headlines clamoring for attention… as if there has never been any… to the topic of climate change. It is here. It is our fault. We need to reduce our CO2 emissions as of yesterday. We’ve been reporting the climate change news on this show for as long as we’ve been doing the show. So, unless you JUST started listening (hello, and welcome!) you’ll have an idea of the current climate situation. So, let’s think positively about solutions instead of doom & glooming. The GOOD news from the IPCC report is that if we reduce our CO2 output, we can minimize global warming and reduce the likelihood of a lot of knockon effects. So, how do we do that?
Power Plant Decommissioning
5% of power plants produce 75% of the emissions from power production. Let’s clean those bad boys up!
Hydrogen Economy
It looks like Hydrogen is on the Infrastructure Bill & people are hyped about its potential, but it’s really not clean or cheap enough yet.
Mystery of the missing rock core…
on Mars
Maniac robot in your cerebral column
These tiny robots deliver drugs to your nervous system. What could go wrong with a robot called “maniac”?
Age reversing microbes
A strange thing happens when fecal transplants are transferred from the young to the old… in mice.
Free Loading Cats
Maybe to no one’s surprise, cats do not like to work for their food.
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.
Want a COVID Update?
Long Term Effects
There are at least 50 long-term effects of COVID-19, 80% of symptomatic people will have one.
Fresh Air
Keeping classrooms ventilated is harder than you think.
Aerosol Aspiration
Speaking and singing release a lot of viral particles.
Do you have COVID-19 related questions? Let us know!
OH, AND, HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Bats love a bargain
Bats get fooled by the same marketing ploy as humans. You gotta go large, man, it’s too good a deal to pass up!
How did the frog keep himself from poisoning himself?
With a sponge of course!
What science news does Justin have?
Mast cell disruption
Possible RNA mechanism for stopping mast cell tumor growth.
Mental matrix makes for better AI
Neuromorphic architecture that mimics the human brain is better!
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!
Social Signals
Apes will tell other apes when they’ve had enough interaction.
Lady Learnings
Female mice learn how to parent from other moms and the process is influenced by oxytocin.
This Week in Science Questions!
How do you feel about this week’s IPCC report? Was it what you expected? Does it concern you to know that the extreme weather we have experienced this past year is expected to become more common? Are you worried about the world the next generations will experience? Do you think there are reasonable solutions, or do you think we have to change our lives significantly? We’d love to hear from you about your thoughts on the latest report on climate change as we share ours every week on the show…
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!
Has it been a year since our fantastic interview with Daniel Whiteson??? Listen to our conversation about physics AND comics. It was a really great interview. We also discuss banana teeth, tuataras, and shrinking things. Curious about it all? Listen to the show!
This one from 2011 included science news about a superdrug to cure all viruses that apparently no one wants to fund?!?!? What is going on? We should look back into this story… We also discussed sphincters and world robot domination. Check it out!
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in alternative energy, amphibians, animal behavior, animals, artificial intelligence, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, cancer, cell biology, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, conservationism, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, energy, energy conservation, engineering, evolution, exploration, genetics, global warming, infectious diseases, KDVS, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, nanotechnology, NASA, neuroscience, nutrition, petroleum, pharmacology, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, robots, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, spacecraft, technology, therapies, world robot domination, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
August 5th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:04 — 81.1MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Competitive Microbes, Pollinating Microbes, Daddy Legs, Red Asteroid Bodies, All You can Eat, Life Death Trade-off, Garbage Cockatoos, Animal Art, Parental Birbs, Sleep Sabotage, Oxygen Extinction?, Melting Russia, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! 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!!!
The following program depicts actual things
being studied in the actual world
by actual scientists.
While the rest of the world engages in misinformation
Either for entertainment or human manipulation purposes
We offer you a conversation about science.
Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Nothing you will be expected to remember.
Just a conversation based in reality.
A place we can all imagine humans will live one day
Despite all the evidence to the contrary.
If you haven’t been here before, welcome!
If you have, welcome back.
It’s time for This Week in Science.
Coming up Next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Competitive Microbes
Did lengthening days on ancient Earth give photosynthetic bacteria the boost they needed to seed the atmosphere with oxygen?
Pollinating Microbes
Bacteria enhance pollination!
Daddy long legs are called daddy short legs now thanks to scientific DNA meddling
But just because they could, that doesn’t mean they should…
Red Asteroid Bodies
Did they come from beyond Neptune?
Do we really need a study for that?:
All you can eat links to weight gain.
Life Death Trade-off
A muscle protein called CAMKII helps vertebrates survive when they are young, but might lead to the diseases that kill us as we age.
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.
Want a COVID Update?
No update during the show this week! But, if you are interested in our perspective on things this week, definitely check out our after-show conversation for this episode. Get it in the Patreon supporter RSS feed by supporting us on Patreon, OR watch on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch.
OH, AND, HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Cockatoos teach each other dumpster diving
Does this make them more smart or less so?
Can animals own their art?
Chimp-made NFT’s made this question relevant once again.
What brainy science news does Dr. Kiki have?
Parental Birbs
Exposing birds to young resulted in brain changes leading to parental behavior.
Sleep Sabotage
Loss of sleep results in memory inhibition.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with melting science from Justin!
Oxygenation & Extinction
Event at the end of the Permian period lead to a mass extinction.
Russia is melting
Well, the Russian Arctic is melting just like the rest of the Arctic.
This Week in Science Questions!
Would you trust a benevolent AI to manage human society’s needs? What if we could apply the power of artificial intelligence to solving some of our most pressing problems? Do you think future AI will have what it takes to solve climate change, energy & water distribution, human migration, and more?
If you don’t want to think about AI futures, how about your favorite owl? Which owl makes you hoot? For Owl Appreciation Day, we’d love to hear your thoughts about owls as we share ours every week on the show…
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!
Leaping lemurs! Has it been a year since our fantastic interview about lemurs with Lydia Greene? Listen to conversation for a reminder of how wonderful these animals are. We also discuss spinning sperm, beetle butts, and bad pandas. Curious about it all? Listen to the show!
This one from 2011 featured so many interesting science stories, from the formation of the moon to poisonous African rodents to the chimeric bacterial gene networks that make us who we are.
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, arachnid, artificial intelligence, astronomy, astronomy, astrophysics, bioethics, biology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, conservationism, CRISPR, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, endangered animals, evolution, exploration, genetics, geology, global warming, insects, mammals, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, nutrition, parrots, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, robots, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, sleep, space, space exploration, world robot domination, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 30th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34:51 — 87.4MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: CRISPR Mosquito Cages, Neanderthal Blood, Doggy Lie Detector, Open Alpha Folding, Caffeine Buzz, Genome Completion, CRISPR Update, Baby Pterodactyls, Baboon FitBits, Microbial Mouths, IPCC warnings, Human Vision Streaks, Baby Mouse Dreams, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! 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!!!
For some, life is a brilliant chance to explore the unknown
To take on the challenges of collecting data
Forging an understanding of how things work
And in doing so, see the world without the veil of human bias.
But for most people information is rooted in what they believe,
not what has been rigorously confirmed.
A Yale university poll conducted late last year shows that the majority of Americans believe global warming is happening (72%).
We’ll ignore the other 28% for now…
and actually we’ll ignore then entirely,
it’s not the only thing they are going to be ignorant about,
and it’s only a matter of dreadful moments
before they segue into talking about the other ignorant beliefs they are metastasized with…
More interesting is that while 72% believe global warming is real…
Only 55% believe that most scientists think global warming is happening.
Which is an astonishing reveal!
It means that 17% or more of Americans who believe global warming is happening
think it’s the scientists that still need convincing!
(if only there was a way to reach them)
Further it found that only 57% think global warming is caused by human activity.
Which then means that 15% of Americans could think that global warming is happening,
that scientists haven’t figured it out yet
and that it’s just a natural phenomenon.
Information, assumptions and conclusions based solely on what they believe.
And it’s important to note here that while climate change is often framed as a political issue,
It isn’t one.
It just seems like it because 100% of elected officials in the US who deny climate science are Republicans…
And, while they are only a slim majority in that party,
they are the majority of Republicans in power, and hold tremendous influence over what many people believe.
Maybe all these numbers are the way they are because,
according to the same poll,
only 25% of Americans report hearing something about global warming on a weekly basis.
What all this suggests is that to get real action on global warming…
All we need to do is convince the media to cover it,
so that more scientists will believe in it…
Because once scientists are on board with something,
the next thing that happens is
This Week in Science
Coming up next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Gene Drive Mosquitoes
Scientists are taking CRISPR mosquitoes closer to the field in large, climate-controlled tents of death.
Neanderthal Blood
We’ve got blood! It tells us that Neanderthals really did start out in Africa, too.
Your dog knows you’re lying
So don’t point at that bowl, Deborah, cut it out…
Alpha Fold Release
It wasn’t just the open source RoseTTa2 protein sequencer announcement last week, apparently. Alpha fold also released a massive database of proteins & made it’s code public. And, they have set their sights on the human genome?
Give a bee a coffee
It will work harder.
Human Genome Completed
Wait… didn’t that already happen?
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.
Want a COVID Update?
Wear Your Mask
CDC says it might be a good idea.
Ivermectin Review
Cochrane has reviewed the evidence, and it isn’t adding up for Ivermectin.
OH, AND, HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Pterosaurs can fly from the moment they hatch.
So take that Jurassic Park 3! Or maybe you got that right… I didn’t actually watch that one……
Baboons wearing fitbits show their true colors
Quicker, bigger baboons sacrifice pace to allow little ones to keep up.
What science news does Justin have?
Oral Biome History
Dead mouths tells old tales of bacterial populations.
IPCC warnings
Researchers issue stark warning to take drastic actions now so that we can avoid climate disaster later.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with brain science from Dr. Kiki!
Baby Mouse Dreams
The natal mouse retina shows waves of activation that suggest the eye and brain are predicting the world the young mouse will enter into.
Human Vision
It’s a bit streaky.
This Week in Science Questions!
Should CRISPR modified-CRISPR mosquitoes be released in to the wild? Are you concerned about the potential for ecological trouble if we do choose this path to mosquito population reduction? There are definitely pros and cons to this particular scientific solution. We’d love to hear your thoughts as we share ours every week on the show…
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!
How can you recognize a narcissist? Listen to this episode of TWIS from last July. We also discuss mosquito bites (wow! similar to mosquitoes from THIS week – wild!), poop, & Vikings. Curious about it all? Listen to the show!
This one from 2011 featured an interview with Joel Primack & Nancy Ellen Abrams who wrote a book on humanity, physics, & the universe. We also pondered the ideas of making old brains young again, and whether cancers can be considered new species. So many questions. How have the answers changed in the past decade???
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, artificial intelligence, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, chemistry, clinical trials, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, conservationism, CRISPR, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, engineering, evolution, genetics, global warming, infectious diseases, information technology, insects, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, nutrition, paleontology, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, sponges, technology, therapies, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:35:41 — 88.1MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: You Will Assimilate, Viruses On Ice, Twisty Shark Intestines, AI Protein Puzzler, Not Spider Silk, COVID Update, Poo-Eating Pikas, Fish Friends, Butterfly Blues, Oceans Are Full, Song Rules, Rat Empathy, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! 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!!!
Space….
The final frontier.
A place where one day mankind will watch
As billionaires build resorts on the moon,
And overtime regulation free factories on Mars.
Space…
The undiscovered country, from whose borders
No travelers tax returns are ever seen.
And while tax dodging billionaires live out childhood dreams
Of wearing space suits and launching their rockets
into suborbital altitudes and then
fizzing all over themselves with champagne upon completion,
Let us not forget that this is a great achievement for the commercialization of space.
And a rather modest admission that as a Nation, America will play no role in it.
When Nasa landed on the moon we did so as a nation…
And the words Niel Armstrong used, dedicated the event to all mankind.
Jeff Bezos made no such statement…
Well, he did thank Amazon employees for paying for it.
I suppose through starvation wages, unsafe working conditions, unrealistic time quotas, lack of job security, lack of health security, and an all around lack of respect for basic human dignity.
Never mind the unregulated outsourced manor in which most of the products the company sells are manufactured…
Somehow, those starvation wages equate to “Job well done”
You did it, you put one billionaire space cowboy into sub-orbital space.
Look around at the growing homelessness problem in “fill in the blank” city or town.
The housing epidemic, the lack of mental health programs, the growing expense of healthcare, the cost of educating the next generation, the stagnant spending on science research and all the rest and tell yourself…
At least we are all paying for billionaires to take publicity fueled joy rides instead of collecting taxes from them.
Job well done everyone.
Who needs public funding for society when you have that?
The limited public funding of science is however the only reason we can even bring you
This Week in Science
Coming up next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
You Will Assimilate
UC Berkeley researchers think they have discovered a new kind of extracellular genetic element that methane-munching Archaea swap like Lego-bricks. They’ve named them ‘Borgs’ for their ability to assimilate genetic elements. But, the big question is whether they are actually real.
Viruses On Ice
Thawing ice is releasing ancient viruses into the world.
Shark intestines: so all out it’s totally in.
Their amazing, unique spiral guts keep sharks full and happy.
Protein Structure
The Baker Lab out of the Institute of Protein Design at the University of Washington has developed an open-source AI for determining protein structure that takes only 10-minutes running on a gaming computer to find solutions to protein puzzles that are almost on par with results from Alpha-Fold, Google’s DeepMind Ai.
A word from a materials scientist about how to fight global warming
We need to start with what we’ve got.
Not Spider Silk
Chemical Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have used engineered microbes to create a synthetic spider silk that is tougher than the real thing.
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.
Want a COVID Update?
Vaccine Approval
The FDA might take until January 2022 to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, but a report suggests ir might be as soon as early this fall. Additionally, we could see an EUA for kids under 12 in time for school, although several factors could keep us waiting for a pediatric vaccine until winter.
2nd Dose
Different from the 1st… Booster shots of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine stimulate the immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies, engage T-cells, and prime the immune system to ward off SARS-CoV2 significantly more than the 1st dose.
Infection Antibodies
The longer we live this virus the more we learn about our immune responses to it. A paper out in Nature Communications found that people naturally infected with SARS-CoV2 produce antibodies against the virus for up to 9 months following primary infection. They also found some individual had increases in antibody production that could be the result of re-infection.
Kid Immunity
Children who presented with mild or even asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 had robust antibody responses months later suggesting some amount of protection against future infection with the virus.
Orphan Epidemic
COVID-19 is leaving orphans around the world. An analysis estimates that a child loses a caregiver to the disease once every 12 seconds.
OH, AND, HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Pika-poop, I choose you!
Pikas survive the harsh winter like any of us might, eating yak poop. No?
Fish friends prevent you becoming food
Fish are able to more accurately respond to and recognize threats when in the company of comrades. Friendship can literally be life or death.
What science news does Justin have?
There is no room for new life on the ocean floor
Bacteria have filled it up!
New species of Butterfly discovered in San Francisco
But, this isn’t the feel-good story you were hoping for.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with brain science from Dr. Kiki!
Song Rules
The mockingbird uses song production rules similar to those used by humans.
Help Your Own
Rats help other rats they know, and it turns out their brains are activated similarly to humans in the process. The results of the study highlight the need to find common ground between people in order to manage our ancient tendencies.
This Week in Science Questions!
The team behind the Blue Origin New Shepherd launch this week should be commended for the incredible work they have done to successfully launch people to the edge of space… safely! However, there is a huge conversation that needs to be had as private companies propel us toward space and other planets. What about Earth? Is space tourism for the very-rich really a goal that our planet needs as over-population, income inequality, & climate change grow ever worse? We’d love to hear your thoughts as we share ours every week on the show…
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!
How can you keep from looking like an idiot in public? Listen to the disclaimer from this episode of TWIS from last July. Justin doles out some fantastic advice. We also covered one of my favorite stories from 2021 that described how if you break the Earth down into tiny pieces, it’s really made of tiny cubes. Don’t believe me? Listen to the show!
This one from 2011 was full of incredible science. Can you believe we were discussing NASA’s Dawn mission 10 years ago? It had just rendezvoused with asteroid Vesta and was headed to dwarf planet Ceres to discover among other things that organics & water are present on these distant space rocks; leading to so many more questions about the formation of the solar system.
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in aerospace, animal behavior, animals, anthropology, artificial intelligence, astronauts, biology, biotechnology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, chemistry, civilian space travel, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, ecology, emergent behavior, endangered animals, engineering, evolution, FDA, fish, genetics, geology, global warming, infectious diseases, KDVS, mammals, marine biology, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, nutrition, oceanography, pharmacology, physics, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, spacecraft, technology, therapies, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 15th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:13 — 88.6MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Light-Bending Holes, Friend Zone Potential, Conservation Thru Games, Fossilized Ripples, Robot Farms, iAge Immune Clock, Panda Teeth, Busting Bird Traffickers, Changing Language, Multi-Sex Species, Brain Plasticity & Psilocibin, Microbial Moods, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! You’re looking for science podcasts on iTunes, science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science…
Scroll down for Blair’s story about how pandas eat in the Animal Corner! There is so much more science to share and discuss on the way…
Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
The future is coming! The future is coming!
Right now, wherever you are…
Whatever you happen to be doing…
The future is about to change things…
It might be for the better
It might be an anticipated change
Something overdue that has taken a long time getting here
It might be a change that improves your life
In ways you can’t even imagine
It also might be a future that is worse
Where the weather is always too hot and getting hotter
One where robots take all the jobs from humans
Or worse
One in which robots don’t take all the jobs from humans
The future can be good
The future can be bad
It’s the future,
and that’s just how the future works
But one thing about the future…
It’s often predictable
Global warming is predictable
Pandemics are predictable
Automation taking over manufacturing is predictable
The only thing that we can’t predict?
Is how humans will react once they learn that the real driving force
Behind every change the future has in store
Started with a conversation on
This week in science
Coming up next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Black Hole Lensing
After more than 40 years we have a formalized mathematical description of how light bends around black holes.
Two-thirds of romantic couples start out as friends
How do the other 1/3 start out?
Video games boost animal knowledge
Red Dead, more like red read!
Fossilized Ripples
Are ripples in a sediment layer 1500meters underground evidence of ancient tsunami waves emanating from the Chixiclub asteroid impact?
Robot farms
Will we choose dystopia or utopia?
iAge Immune Clock
Can we use inflammation as a measure of aging?
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.
OH, AND, HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Bunk panda teeth explained
Despite carnivore teeth, pandas find a way to eat bamboo. Against all odds…
Animal traffickers busted!
New technology allows authorities to identify illegal wildlife trade
What science news does Justin have?
Words Matter
Does forensic anthropology need consistent language to leave its racist past behind?
Three Sexes?
A new species of algae with a trio of sexes that all breed with each other has been discovered!
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with brain science from Dr. Kiki!
Brain Transport Plasticity
Our long-term memories depend on brain transport proteins called Kifs that carry hundreds of RNA molecules to the dendrites for construction.
Psilocibin Plasticity
Brain plasticity was improved for up to a month after psilocibin exposure in mice.
Microbial Socialism
Microbes in mice help them with socializing by reducing stress hormone release.
This Week in Science Questions!
Pandas! How do they even exist? Blair has a beef with pandas because all the evidence suggests that they are poorly adapted to existence, and yet we continue to pour resources into keeping them alive. Is it at the expense of other species? But the news this week suggests that not everything about the Great panda is poorly adapted. Is there more that we just haven’t seen? Are pandas worth the fuss or not?
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!
Why be friendly? Listen to what is possibly the longest episode of TWIS ever because of our incredible conversation with Dr. Brian Hare. We explored dogs, wolves, humanity, and friendliness in addition to ALL the science news from the week.
This one from 2011 starts out with a rap from Justin. The science included stem cell treatments for macular degeneration & liver disease, the first transplanted synthetic trachea, mouse molars made from stem cells, tool use in tusk fish, a creepy moaning mouth robot, how the internet is changing human memory, and so many more things!
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Justin Jackson, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, anthropology, astronomy, astronomy, astrophysics, astrophysics, biology, biotechnology, birds, Black Holes, Blair's Animal Corner, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, conservationism, cosmology, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, endangered animals, engineering, evolution, genetics, geology, mammals, mathematics, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, pandas, parrots, physics, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, recreational drugs, robots, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexuality, sexy scientists, space, technology, world robot domination, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 8th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:37 — 84.4MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Sea Rise, Plurality Of Singularities, Clean Your House, Male Life Extension?, Bat Origins, Vampire Dominance, COVID Update, Poop Beetle, Beetle Strider, Cat Medicine, Faces & Emotion, Brain Waves, Dancing Helps, Trout On Meth, And Much More…
Become a Patron!
Check out the full episode of our science podcast on YouTube. You can do that here.
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! You’re looking for science podcasts on iTunes, science podcasts on Apple? We are there, too! Just look for This Week in Science...
Stay tuned for our story on help for cats with heart disease! There is so much more science to share and discuss…
Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
When Lewis and Clark headed west the then President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, had a special request.
Keep your eyes out for woolly mammoths…
Because, well, why not?
They had been seen before, in fossils anyway.
And concept of extinction had yet to be invented.
The early Americans believed as people had believed for thousands of years
That the natural world was unchanging.
If you killed a rabbit for supper, another magically appeared in its place.
Kill a hundred rabbits, a hundred would poof into existence overnight.
In time, the fossil record revealed more and more strange creatures that could not be found.
And once dinosaurs were discovered,
It was unavoidable…
things in nature can change.
We didn’t mean to make the Passenger Pigeon and the Dodo bird go extinct…
We just didn’t understand that killing every member of a species prevented more from existing.
And like extinction,
The concept of evolution had to be invented for humans to understand it.
Like concepts in physics,
Or anatomy,
Or climate.
Before we know about a thing,
It can be very hard to see that it is happening all around us.
We are foolish and ignorant creatures…
until we are not.
And when we are not…
That is the moment where humanity takes its rightful place in the universe,
And tunes into
This Week in Science
Coming up Next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Sea Rise
NASA researchers have determined that thanks to the moon’s wobble and sea level rise, coastal cities will experience significantly more flooding in the 2030’s. But, Texas might be starting to capture carbon, so that’s something positive?
A gaggle of black holes spotted in the Milky Way
What does this mean? And, what should we call them?
Our theories on allergies could be all washed up
A new study suggests a clean house, is only a good thing. Period.
Male Life Extension?
It comes with a catch.
Where do bats come from?
We really don’t know.
Bat Equality
Dominant female vampire bats don’t need to prove they are in charge.
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.
Are you ready for a COVID Update?
Another Receptor
It’s possible that SARS-CoV2 affects inflammation in the endothelium by way of another receptor – the alphaVbeta3 surface integrin.
HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner?
Poop beetle. Fossilized poop beetle.
Need I say more?
Beetle break-dances through water, upside down
With the help of a strategically placed air bubble, this beetle scoots across the underside of water. Wow!
What science news does Justin have?
Personalized medicine for cats with heart disease
Could we test whether or not they will respond to certain medications? It looks like help is on the way.
Faces in mysterious places
Pareidolia is emotional.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with brain science from Dr. Kiki!
Brain Waves
VR makes our brains do something different.
Dancing Helps
Dancing with music was shown to slow the development of Parkinson’s symptoms in a very small sample of patients.
Trout Desire
Apparently, trout choose meth.
This Week in Science Questions!
Do the ends justify the means? Does science still endeavor to the benefit of humanity? Is there a balance to the goals and the methods that are involved? So many questions to ponder in the philosophy of science.
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 get an idea of how far we have come with respect to COVID-19 testing? Listen to this interview with Dr. Enrique Lin Shiao on efforts underway last summer to develop COVID tests. We also discussed his work in science communication and CRISPR.
This one from 2011 included discussion of new targets for treating MS, questions about drug pricing, air pollution effects on the brain, world robot domination of armpits, and finger length proportions. What does your finger length predict? You’ll have to listen to find out!
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, Dr. Kiki, education, Justin Jackson, Kirsten Sanford, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, arthropods, astronomy, astronomy, astrophysics, astrophysics, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Black Holes, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, engineering, evolution, exploration, genetics, global warming, infectious diseases, insects, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, NASA, neuroscience, paleontology, parkinson's disease, pharmacology, physics, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, recreational drugs, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, technology, therapies, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
