May 14th, 2021
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Immune Therapy, Post-natal Depression, Birds of Instagram, Paleo Poop, Slowest Earthquake, Fossil Turducken, Headless Worms, COVID Update, Why We Yawn, Smelly Mice, Giant Lizards, Human Origins, Magneto-Sharks, Brain Bonding, 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!!!
The best part of being a human is having a human brain
One that is good at understanding how things work.
Yes, there are many other aspects of being human that are full of merit,
and note worthy of praise.
Art and science, agriculture and cooking, architecture and engineering, woodworking and ceramics, medicine and midwifery, pantomime and puppeteering…
All the things we are proud of as humans originate from the seemingly basic ability we have to understand how things work… thanks to our big human brains.
Being a human with the ability to learn and understand how things work
is such a magnificent super power
that it is constantly amazing us with new wonders of invention and ingenuity.
We have such capacity to think and to do…
to learn and to create…
to imagine and to build…
With a brain like that…
That there is nothing humans can’t do.
There is of course that other rest of our brain.
The ape brain let’s call it…
And while it has it’s uses,
understanding how things work is not high on its list of things it cares about,
Which is why most politicians are successful,
why many television shows get watched,
and how economic systems work…
But, with so much attention being paid to entertaining the ape brain,
you might think the amazing human brain would get bored…
And, you would be right!
Because you have an amazing human brain that knows how things work!
Which is why we offer you this mostly ape-brain-free episode of
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Immune Therapy
Gene therapy for kids is 95% successful in latest trial for ADA-SCID, or “bubble baby” disease.
New mothers post-natal depression in lockdown
It hasn’t been good.
The most Instagrammed bird on the internet
Blair would be proud.
Paleo Poop
Really old poop is different from modern poop.
slowest… earthquake… ever…
If it wasn’t really shaking, was it really quaking?
Fossil Turducken
A crustacean being eaten by a squid that was being eaten by a shark. It happened.
Who needs a head??
Not flatworms, that’s who!
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?
Younger Vaccinations
The CDC has approved use of the Pfizer vaccine in youth as young as 12 as of today.
Viral Integration
Evidence that SARS-CoV2 integrates into human DNA using LINE1 retrotransposon mechanisms was published this week, but no one knows what it really means.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
WHY Do We Yawn??? It’s a question you’ve probably considred recently.
The longer the yawn, the bigger the brain.
It turns out, bigger brains need more cooling action as provided by yawns. So, when I’m listening to you talk, and have to yawn… maybe my yawning is actually a compliment?
For mice, a little smell goes a long way.
Mice can tell a lot about where they live with a little bit of smell for just a moment. Who says I can’t tell if you’re trustworthy with my nose??
What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Peak giant lizards
Giants like the mosasaur are no more.
Where did humans come from?
No one really knows!
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Let’s finish strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Magneto-Sharks
Why, yes, sharks DO use magnetic fields to navigate.
Brain Bonding
Mice were made to bond with others at the push of a button.
This Week in Science Questions!
Why do we yawn? Did you miss Blair’s answer up above?
Do you have other 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!
Check out this episode of TWIS from last May when our COVID update was pondering the future of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine & anti-vax messages! Have they both followed predicted trajectories?
Then there was also this one from 2011 – that featured flaming water caused by frakking, flying robo-birds, and thoughts on $1000 genomes. How far has the tech come 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, 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
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May 7th, 2021
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
This Week: Cytobacteria?, Invisible Fences, Jurassic Garden, Zee Deeehnay, Branching Worms, Simulated Impact, COVID Update, 1 To 3, Baby Mantis Punch, Holographic Histopathology, Fertility Feed, Bat Senses, Seat Of Consciousness, Cinco de Mayo Science News…
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!!!
World governments continue to reflect thoughtfully over the past years pandemic.
Waiting patiently to reopen until such a time as it is safe for the general public to return.
Like Florida did before leading the nation in COVID cases.
Like India did before leading the world in COVID cases.
How did the virus overwhelm hospital capacity?
Who knows, it was a novel virus…
Despite dire warnings from scientists who study such things,
it was pretty obvious that it was safe because – why bother with facts?
Even now I am talking about it in the past tense
despite there being more new cases in the world this past week than at any other time,
and peak deaths will naturally follow…
So, statistically we’re at the worst point…
but, why bother with facts?
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to re-imagine the future of energy production.
Our current system was imagined into existence a hundred years ago.
Since then we have learned that reliance on fossil fuels,
while fantastic at first,
is bad for human health.
It is bad for land, air and water quality…
turning them toxic, which is about as far from quality as you can get.
And, of course, also bad for stability of the climate.
We’ve known all of this for nearly a hundred years
thanks to scientists who have been pointing out the dangers all along the way,
but still we failed to make any significant changes to our behavior because…
again, why bother with facts?
Facts are persistent, pesky things…
and while we may not wish to bother with them…
Time will come when they won’t bother with us either…
Because none of the facts we ignore now will matter when we have all sorts of new facts to deal with,
with all sorts of new questions…
Which cities will be abandoned when sea levels rise above their sewer systems or their suburbs…
For what reasons did the super storms get started…
Why did so many species go extinct so fast…
Who knew that a minor food web collapse in the ocean could lower the planet’s oxygen levels…
Someday sooner than you think the world won’t care about warning signs…
because it will be too late.
But it isn’t too late yet!
In fact you are just in time for another episode of
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with some quick science news
Cytobacteria?
Do bacteria live in the cells of healthy plants?
Invisible Fences
A little citrus, and wood becomes transparent.
Jurassic Garden
A thousands of years long dead plant breathes fresh CO2 again in an amazing new breakthrough
Zee Deeehnay
A unique form of DNA is in use by viruses, and was apparently evolved to get around bacterial defenses.
Branching worms
When is a plurality of posteriors preferable? Apparently, when you are a sponge-inhabiting annelid.
Simulated Impact
NASA JPL took part in a simulated asteroid impact at the 7th International Academy of Aeronautics (IAA) Planetary Defense Conference to see how well the international community responds to such a threat. The results were…not great.
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?
Who To Trust?
Trust the experts!
In-School Risk
In-person schooling increases risk of COVID-19 to household members, but simple mitigation measures implemented at schools can reduce that risk so as to make it non-existent.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
What once was one is now three
In an extreme case of regeneration, a marine cordate cut into three pieces can regrow to three complete organisms
Don’t ever babysit a mantis shrimp
Babies are just as smash and stabby as adults from a very early age
What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Holographic histopathology
Allowing us better views of tissues.
Fertility Feed
Do you know what data your fertility app is collecting, and how it is being used?
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!
Bat Senses
Two studies out this week investigated the navigation abilities of bats and their senses.
Seat Of Consciousness
A study claims to have found the part of the brain that makes you conscious of the world around you.
Don’t forget that Brood X is coming to the East Coast soon!
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!
Check out this episode of TWIS from last May when we talked about identifying dolphins by their voices and told you not to panic about the Murder hornet. How’s that all panned out?
Then there was also this one from 2011 – another Cinco de Mayo science news episode that featured Osama Bin Laden’s DNA, self-awareness in chimpanzees, and Gravity Probe B confirming Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
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, 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, archeology, astronomy, astronomy, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, botany, cell biology, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, crustaceans, ecology, emergent behavior, engineering, evolution, genetics, infectious diseases, mammals, marine biology, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, NASA, neuroscience, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, sponges, technology, worms, z-Broadcasts | 2 Comments »
April 30th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:49:46 — 75.9MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Mars Milestones, Whey To Go, Whale Speak, Malaria Success, Bacterial Biofilms, Anti-Stars?, COVID Update, Sponge Tracks, Fruit Fly Marathoners, Antibiotic Time Bomb, New Nomenclature, Drug-Finding Tool, Lost Identity, 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!!!
The following program is unintended for audiences of any age
As it contains information presented as news and informed opinion by experts
But often is not…
Reasonable people are expected to understand the difference
between actual journalism, political propaganda, and paid sponsorship influence manipulation in all content…
Though it will be considered an unreasonable burden for the program to point out which is which.
Any medical advice, supplement testimonials or favorable product mentions
are at the sole discretion of the audience to regard as meaningful.
While some people may be called doctor
and even hold degrees of higher education relating to those titles,
always remember that they may not be “that kind” of doctor.
While others who may on occasion claim to be doctors clearly are not
…no matter what advice they offer
Or what advice you select to take,
they aren’t your doctor,
they don’t know you or your medical history,
and despite them looking into the camera
and you seeing their eyes on the screen…
The sense of connection you have is an illusionary product of the medium
As no actual eye contact has taken place.
Consume this media at your own risk as no legally described human or corporate entity is liable for the content…
how it might affect you or your loved ones is none of our concern…
…wait a second…
my bad, this is the disclaimer for a cable news network…
here’s ours…
Welcome everyone!
Audience members are encouraged to dance along to the intro music as we begin another episode of…
This Week in Science –
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Mars Milestones
NASA has met several mission milestones this past week involving Mars-copters and MOXIE.
Milking every last drop of milk
This story is whey out there.
Do you speak whale?
Your phone might soon! AI is helping to figure out: what are whales saying?
Malaria Success
A phase 2 trial of a new malaria vaccine in West Africa showed 74-77% effectiveness after one-year in preventing malaria infection in 450 children aged 5-17 months.
Beating microplastics with bacterial biofilms
Could bacteria save us from our plastic problem?
Anti-Stars?
Could stars of antimatter exist in the universe? Some physicists think so.
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?
COVID Update
Over one billion doses of COVID vaccines have been administered worldwide. But, even as more and more people are vaccinated, the numbers of doses delivered daily in the United States is declining, which means herd immunity will be reached more slowly. Even as more vaccine doses are being doled out, India is struggling with more than 350,000 new COVID cases per day, overwhelmed hospitals, supply shortages, and a rising death count. Some researchers believe the reported numbers to be undercounting the true impact, which is bound to reverberate around the world.
Masks Outside
The CDC has updated its mask guidance on wearing masks outdoors because data has shown that the likelihood of COVID transmission outdoors is extremely low. It does still happen however, so masks should be worn if social distancing is not possible.
Single Dose
New data out of England finds that after just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine people who became infected with COVID were between 38% to 49% less likely to pass it on to members of their household that unvaccinated individuals. Bottom line: vaccination reduces transmission. Even just one dose helps.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Sponges on the move
Sponges are up to a lot more than we previously thought, scooting all over the sea floor!
Fruit flies: nature’s perfect model of endurance
Flies can fly long and without rest, leaving the rest of us in the dust, comparatively
What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Antibiotic time bomb
Endangered chimps and biological bombs
What’s in a name? How science over names things…
simplifying gene nomenclature
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!
Drug-Finding Tool
A new neurological tool has the potential to find drugs with fewer side-effects.
Lost Identity
Salk researchers showed that skin cells of Alzheimer’s patients reprogrammed to be brain cells are significantly different from cells of healthy people.
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!
Check out this episode of TWIS from last April when we spoke with Valerie Trouet about how many things we can learn from tree rings.
Then there was also this one from 2011 – the week that we began to hear rumors of the Higgs Boson discovery from the LHC. It was a huge week for high energy physics.
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
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April 23rd, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:04:34 — 171.6MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Making Chimeras, Bad Humans, Forgotten Coffee, Interview w/ Dr. Greg Gbur on Light and Invisibility, COVID Dogs, Beetle Pee, Snake Venom, Honey Fallout, Slow Rex, Glancing Gaze, Traveling Tarantulas, Shift Work Woes, 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!!!
Nothing is in the way of the world
doing all the right things to prevent the climate emergency
that is looming over our planetary future like a dark…
foreshadowing…
cloud of…
dystopian gloom,
ready to burst with thunderous metaphors.
The sort of mechanisms used to alert a reader to the danger to come in a story.
Only this isn’t fiction, and instead of literary props that hint at action ahead
We have scientific papers that spell out the threats,
the causes, the solutions, the consequences and outcomes in great detail…
If you watch the news these days, you won’t hear anything about it.
The story has no arc, no reveal…
to ratings appeal.
It’s just spoiler alert after spoiler alert…
Like a who done it, where the real killer is revealed on the first page.
A mystery twist movie
where the big secret is revealed in the trailer, and the title gives away the inevitable end.
And so, with nothing left to the imagination.
Nothing left to interest or entertain.
The public simply switches the channel, and tunes out the emergency warnings.
Or they might do that if the emergency warnings ever aired in the first place.
And, while we seem to be saving the end of the world for a late century news cycle,
We will continue to bring you boring news about the planet you are on,
the universe you are in,
and the uneventful discoveries about how everything works here on
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Making Chimeras
Researchers in China kind of succeeded in making monkey-human chimeric embryos.
Humans aren’t all bad
Mostly harmless humans past 12,000 years have been mostly sustainable.
Forgotten coffee bean could save me from a jittery future
This vulnerable bean is more heat tolerant than the bean in my morning cup, and it sounds like it tastes good, too!
Honey Fallout
Researcher & students find radioactive radiocesium from nuclear bomb tests in honey from across the country.
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. GREG GBUR
Greg is a Professor in the Department of Physics & Optical Science at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte, where he studies classical optics and the wave nature of light. He is also the author of ‘Falling Felines & Fundamental Physics’. We discussed how invisibility cloaks work, why we don’t have them yet, and more intricacies of making light do things it’s not supposed to do.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
COVID sniffing dogs do more good work!
Patient urine could be the key to a rapid COVID test, thanks to my old pal spot.
New pesticide idea – what if we made the bugs pee to death??
A new pesticide hormone would force beetles to dehydrate themselves until they die. Cruel, but probably not more than neuro inhibitors in current pesticides, and this time species specific!
Snake venom depends on the raw ingredients
Snake diets vary in complexity along with the menu.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
What science news did Justin bring this week?
Traveling with the tarantulas
How did they manage to get everywhere?
Shift-work impacts on health
Yes, of course it does, but why does it impact men more than women, and how can we fix it?
Let’s finish TWIS strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Slow Rex
Tyrannosaurus rex has hit the news this past week with several stories suggesting that the adults were slow-moving pack animals that existed by the 10’s of thousands at a time across North America.
Glancing Gaze
Another person’s gaze grabs your attention, and makes you lose track of time.
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 on the 50th Earth Day when we talked Kevin Peter Hand about life on other planets and Alien Oceans!
You might also enjoy this episode from 2011! Wow! Was the first successful transmission of quantum information between two points really a decade ago already?!? Also, Justin and I talked about several bacteria stories. What impact do microbes have on our lives and health?
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
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April 15th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:47:42 — 74.5MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
FermiLab Followup, Almost Astronauts, How Do You Scream, Moving Fish, Magic Mood Mushroom, Crazy Light, Monkey Speed Bumps, COVID Update, It’s A Yawn, Bird Blood Heaters, Halfway To Zero, Imprinting Autism?, Facial Phrenology?, Gar Brains, 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!!!
All of the content from all of the platforms in which content is contained
On whatever new device that streams into our consciousness
Cannot compare to simple beauty of a having your favorite beverage
outside under the bright blue sky of sunny southern California springtime…
Or a crowded café bookstore in cloudy sweater weather Portland
Or a bustling New York Deli, with everyone bagels to briskets wanting what she’s having
Or even mingling with masses in the fragrant fish markets of foggy San Francisco
As the world begins to emerge, albeit too soon,
from a half-masked attempt to divert a pandemic
It’s those simple things we’ve been missing, once taken for granted,
that we will relish with tremendous glee once everything begins to get back to normal
Going out in public…
to places not inside our own homes…
will be amazing.
But before we go full on post pandemic COVID complacency
Let us keep in mind that while almost there…
we ain’t there yet.
So sit back, stay home and tune into the electronic void just a little longer with
This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Fermi Lab Followup: Is the Standard Model complete?
A group of theorists have published their supercomputer calculation of the value discovered by the Muon g-2 study we discussed from Fermi Lab last week. While the experimental approach showed a massive discrepancy between the Standard Model and their result, this new calculation finds minimal difference. So who is right? The theorists or the experimentalists? The jury is definitely still out on this one.
Blue Origin space launch
It was a successful launch with some almost astronauts
Why do screams scare us? Human screams are saying something:
Screams don’t just mean fear, and that’s what makes us special
Moving Fish
Fish are leaving the equator, and this could spell trouble for species overall.
Psilocybin For Depression?
A recent study found that it is as good or better than a commonly used anti-depressant.
Crazy Light
A particular class of light called scattering-invariant light can pass through opaque objects and emerge on the other side opening up a whole world of investigation through imaging.
Speed bumps save lives
And in this case, endangered primate lives.
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?
COVID Update
With winter, our 3rd wave of COVID abating in North America, AND vaccinations on the rise globally, many might be feeling carefree and optimistic about the virus that has killed almost 3 million people around the world since last year. However, data suggests that a fourth wave is on the rise – cases and deaths are increasing in general even though some locales might be holding rather steady. So, what’s going on? What do we know? What don’t we know?
Vaccines
There are now over 17 million vaccine doses being administered per day according to reports from 172 countries. The rate of increase is 18% per week. In the Unites States, 29% of adults are fully vaccinated, and 47% are at least partially vaccinated. 62% of people 65 and older are fully covered. This is especially exciting as all US adults will be able to get in line to get vaccinated as of April 19th.
J&J
The one-dose Johnson&Johnson vaccine has been put on hold in the US after 6 people (all women) were diagnosed with blood clots. This one in a million event is exceedingly rare, but as the vaccine is under Emergency Use Authorization and has not been fully authorized, AND the Astra-Zeneca vaccine (similarly an adenovirus-based vaccine) reported blood clots, there are questions that need to be answered. The good news is that doctors know what symptoms to look for and not to use heparin to break up the clots. Also, this appears to be a very rare immune reaction that occurs in people with low platelet counts.
Pfizer For Kids!
Pfizer completed a clinical trial of kids 12-18 that was 100% effective at reducing severe disease, and has applied for EUA with the FDA.
Mask Up!
Remember to wear your mask. Vaccines plus masks means faster freedom from COVID.
HELP TWIS GROW! GET A FRIEND TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Why do we yawn? Yawns are doing more than we thought
Yawns wake us up, and are contagious, but also may cue in other common behaviors among comrades.
Birds give warm blooded a new meaning
Blood may be heating little birds otherwise left out in the cold, due to the mighty mitochondria!
What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Halfway to zero
In 2005 researchers thought the US was going to keep emitting carbon, but it looks like we are actually in decline.
Imprinting autism?
While the autism angle might be a stretch, researchers have discovered molecules involved in managing the olfactory imprinting process in mice.
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!
Gar Brains
Some really old fish have something new to teach us about evolution.
Facial Phrenology?
You might think so, but the genes that connect the shape of your face and brain, are not actually involved in brain function.
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!
Check out this episode of TWIS with Crazy Aunt Lindsey from last April. She talked with Dr. Kiki & Blair about her new STEM educational endeavor that took off with the pandemic.
Then there was also this one from 2011 when Dr. Kiki came back to show from maternity leave to discuss birds, dinosaurs, gravity, and world-changing science with Justin.
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
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April 9th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:14:26 — 92.8MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
New Physics?, Sensitive Tattoos, COVID Update, PUF Piece, Interview w/ Ben Goldfarb for International Beaver Day, Worm hunting Snails, Blaring Fireflies, Norwegian Blobs, Battery Race, Neander Ancestors, Rain Rules, Tit Turnover, Game Guides, Brain Glue, 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!!!
For the past four years the Environmental Protection Agency
has been the worst enemy of, well….
The environment.
Denial of global warming,
Mass purges of research scientists,
repeals of land, air, and water pollution regulations,
Abandonment of federally protected nature areas,
An odd attempt to get the auto industry to abandon their investments in cleaner emissions…
Then, when many auto companies rejected the plan,
announcing they would stick to the higher standard California regulations…
They were investigated by the department of justice under antitrust laws…
because not giving people an option to pollute more toxic exhaust out of their tailpipes
is exactly what antitrust laws are for…
Only, no, that’s not what antitrust laws are for,
and so yes, the investigation went nowhere…
But yes, the auto industry was investigated by the US federal government for wanting to make cleaner cars…
And there was also a massive reduction in on site inspections of industry by the EPA.
And, all the while, a pool of radioactive sewage was building up in Florida.
Also, in Florida,
a phosphate plant that closed 20 years ago began leaking
Threatening fish populations, sea grass, and aquifers of drinking water
has forced people to evacuate their homes and could bring about an epic red tide of toxic algae into Tampa Bay.
Because, environmental regulations, who needs ‘em?!?
But now there is at least some good news:
The global warming page is back up on the EPA website.
Science is being restored to the science advisory board of the EPA in the form of research scientists.
Yes, those folks…
are replacing the dozens of political appointees illegally placed there by the previous administrators
who I can only imagine started every conversation while at the science advisory board with:
“I’m not a research scientist, but the way I see it dot dot dot”
So to the incoming class of EPA advisor applicants we say
“Please take your job seriously.
We know you will, but seriously you have to take it seriously
Because the air we breathe and the water we drink is almost as important as…”
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
New Physics?
Magnetic muon movements suggest there is more to the world than the Standard Model.
Tattoo made of gold nanoparticles
It works like a sensor!
COVID UPDATE: Covid sniffing dog study has begun
Imagine a drive through that involved a doggy sniff, and not a nasal swab? It could be the near future!
COVID UPDATE: Breastmilk might hold antibodies for up to 80 days!
An admittedly small (5 participants), but still peer reviewed study shows getting the vaccine while breast feeding could protect your little one for nearly 3 months!
PUF Piece
Chaos might be the answer to security.
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 with Ben Goldfarb
Ben Goldfarb is the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His work has appeared in publications including the Atlantic, Science, Orion Magazine, and National Geographic. He lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Cone Snail Femme Fatales
Cones snails coerce worms out of hiding by being sexually irresistible. Really, that’s the story.
Fireflies blare out bats
“Musical armor” plays from within flireflies, that they themselves cannot hear, making them unlikely prey to bats. That’s one way to do it!
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What science news did Justin bring this week?
Mysterious blobs of Norway SOLVED
It’s squid eggs!
New type of battery on the horizon
Better batteries to be?
Neanderthal Ancestors
Have been around many times that didn’t always make it.
Let’s finish TWIS strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Rain Rules
The rain in Spain falls mainly same on other Earth-like planets regardless of airdensity, according to a new study looking at the physics of raindrops, WHICH APPARENTLY DON’T LOOK LIKE RAINDROPS.
Tit Turnover
Immigrant turnover drives cultural evolution in Great tit populations even though resident birds are the innovators of new behaviors.
Game Guides
How could video game concepts help create greater social opportunity and equality?
Brain Glue
Could traumatic brain injuries be treated with brain glue someday?
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 we talked about how there were still only 2,860 COVID deaths in the US.
You might also enjoy this episode from 2011! Justin was joined by another guest for an hour of science discussion BEFORE SpaceX had really become something special.
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, archeology, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cephalopod, chemistry, conservationism, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, endangered animals, energy, engineering, evolution, genetics, infectious diseases, insects, mammals, marine biology, medicine, mollusks, nanotechnology, neuroscience, particle physics, physics, physiology, podcast, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexuality, sexy scientists, technology, theoretical physics, therapies, worms, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
April 2nd, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:16:34 — 94.3MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Synthetic Life, Old Bones, Circus Rabbits, Interview with Michelle Nijhuis re: Beloved Beasts, Dreaming Octopus, Big Fangs, Australasian South American?, Social Distanced Mice, Antimatter Lasers, Invasive Species, Xenobot The Sequel, 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!!!
The whole, here today, gone tomorrow outlook on life
Can make us seize the day with the gusto of a first year declared poetry major.
Evoking ancient themes of love and loss, action and change,
as if all our moments were monumental.
Born of some epic story never to be forgotten.
Meaningful, intentional and beautiful to behold.
Or, the terrible waiting between the poetic beats,
As we endure simply to survive,
Can make us fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
The apathy of permanence.
The fleeting worry.
The fleeting joys.
The fleeting terror of fleeting moments.
But these aspects of life that makes us aware of our brevity
Ignore the larger story for pages that mention us by name.
This idle skimming, this disjointed reading,
Ignores the long shadows a life can cast
We are all part of a much greater story.
One that has evolved over billions of years.
One that was once independent,
That is now dependent on our monumental choices.
A modern day world of love and loss, action and change.
It is a story that can be meaningful, intentional and beautiful to behold
If you only take the time to read it.
Whatever you want to do
The moment in which you can do it is always now,
And where better to be now then here with
This Week in Science.
Coming up next…
Let’s start with the science news
Synthetic Life
Researchers have created a synthetic cell capable of self-replication. All it took were 492 genes.
No Bones About Old Bones
When did bone become a living thing with bone cells and metabolism? Research uses scanning electron microscopy to dig into the question.
Like a rabbit who can’t jump
…but can walk on it’s front paws??
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!
Michelle Nijhuis is a project editor at the Atlantic, a contributing editor at High Country News, and an award-winning reporter whose work has been published in National Geographic and the New York Times Magazine. She is coeditor of The Science Writers’ Handbook, and has published ‘Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in the Age of Extinction‘.
Stop Consuming
If you live in a G7 country, you cause the destruction of 3.9 trees per year according to a new analysis that links consumption in developed countries to biodiversity loss in at risk ecosystems.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Dreaming octopus
Like a puppy chasing rabbits, octopuses appear to live through their dreams, as seen by a beautiful light display
Fangs for not being venomous!
Why aren’t I able to give a deadly bite? What if I could though? No pepper spray for me, anymore!!
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
What science news did Justin bring this week?
Australasian South American?
Did they come by land or ocean?
Social Distanced Mice
A brain circuit controls whether mice want to socialize with sick individuals.
Antimatter Lasers
Laser light is letting physicists cool down antimatter for study.
Let’s finish TWIS strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Invasive Species
Your pets are bad news, but PLEASE plant that urban garden.
Xenobot The Sequel
Using Xenopus embryonic stem cells, researchers have created self-organizing biological machines.
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 Vanessa Hill joined us for some great conversation about science communication and brains.
You might also enjoy this episode from 2011! Justin was joined by Tom Merritt for an hour of science discussion with some great take-home lessons.
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
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March 28th, 2021
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:59 — 73.3MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Water Worries, Union Economics, Predator Poop, Brain Tumor Vaccine?, Not So Mysterious Human, Anti-Vax Vaccination , Wafting Bee Wings, Bonobo Baby, Brain Pathogens, Bronze Age Grub Hub, Big Brains, Removing False Memories, And Much More…
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!!!
America is getting back to normal…
Nowhere is that more clear than with the recent mass shooting in Colorado.
Since there are tens of millions more guns than people in the United States
I thought we might start the show with a few fun gun facts…
1 – there are around 70 millions more guns than people in the United States.
About ? of Americans own a gun,
which means gun owning Americans are really into owning guns…
In 2018, 73% of homicides were committed with firearms according to the FBI,
And 600,000 violent crimes were committed with a gun.
While the majority of Americans support stricter gun laws according to the pew research folks in 2019 at 60%,
That number is even higher in women who, fun fact…
are three times more likely to be murdered with a gun by an intimate partner than a perfect stranger.
As also reflected in a 2019 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that
showed states with the highest gun ownership had 64.6 percent increased incidence rate
of domestic firearm homicide when compared to states with the least.
And…
gun control laws reduce deaths
Yes…
yes they do…
If you don’t agree with that, it’s not because we have differing opinions,
It’s because you are wrong, and you have not actually taken the time to look into it.
I won’t go through every state
But I will take you to Guns & Ammo’s 2020 Best States for gun ownership:
Guns & Ammo’s annual ranking of gun-friendly states.
Top five gun friendly states?
Arizona, Idaho, Alaska, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Who have a combined average per 100,000 residents of 17.2 deaths by firearm in 2019 according to the CDC
Worst gun friendly states?
New york, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California.
They have a combined average per 100,000 of 4.6 deaths by firearm
So, your chances of death by firearm are nearly 4 times higher in gun friendly states…
According to Guns & Ammo who remind us that guns don’t kill people,
It’s the bullets that do that.
But, what good is one without the other?
Texas and Florida didn’t make the top gun-friendly list,
maybe that’s why they have 12.7 deaths per capita.
Still, that’s more than 4 times the rate of the least friendly state of New York at 3.9.
At the end of the day,
The gun conversation won’t go away, and shows like this that are nothing about guns
Will be forced to talk about it until meaningful reforms are put in place.
And then we can once again focus on more important things like
This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with the science news
Water Worries
The ocean is stabilizing, but what does this mean to ocean life?
Are unions bad for economic growth?
No, but hear the story.
Corals depend on the poop of their predators
How’s that for a twist??
Brain Tumor Vaccine?
First results are looking good.
The mystery archaic human was no mystery once
DNA tells the story once again.
Anti-Vax Vaccination
Communicate to people who are highly connected to reduce anti-vax sentiment and reduce the years of life that will be lost to COVID-19.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A TWIS SHIRT OR MUG OR OTHER ITEM OF TWIS MERCHANDISE CLICK ON THE ZAZZLE LINK TO BROWSE OUR STORE.
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It’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!
Honeybees know how to waft
Bees send pheromones from the queen down through the colony by wafting with their wings! Don’t tell your older brother, we don’t want him to get any ideas…
Bonobo adoption – it’s a thing!
In this later installment of, “bonobos are the best ape” we learn that females will adopt completely unrelated babies from another troop, with seemingly no genetic or social connection. Just because they are alone and need a parent.
What does Justin have to say about science this week?
Maybe it’s not the toxoplasma gondii?
Could be another pathogen that causes schizophrenia?
Bronze age grub hub
Processed food was delivered to a Bronze Age copper mine.
WANT TO HELP TWIS? LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW FOR TWIS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM TODAY!
Let’s finish strong with science from Dr. Kiki!
Big Brains
Who dis? Humans!!!
Removing False Memories
It can be done… with a little urging.
This Week in Science Questions!
Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions! We will do our best to have answers!
Leave us a message on our Facebook page, OR email Dr. Kiki!
It’s Women’s History Month! Check out this predictions episode of TWIS with Kelly Weinersmith, or this one with Melanie Mitchell.
Then there was also this one from 2010 after Dr. Kiki attended SXSW in Austin, TX & Justin learned something new.
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, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, anthropology, archeology, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, cancer, cell biology, chemistry, clinical trials, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, conservationism, crustaceans, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, endangered animals, evolution, fish, genetics, global warming, infectious diseases, insects, KDVS, mammals, marine biology, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, nutrition, paleontology, pharmacology, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, technology, therapies, z-Broadcasts | 2 Comments »
