October 3rd, 2019
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Tundra Blair & Polar Bears International, 2019 IgNobel Awards, Eat Meat?, Humans > Volcanoes, Ape Minds, Secrets Of The Tardigrade, Sneaky Bacteria, Color Change Asteroid, Cometary Visitor, Save The Sea Grass!, Baby Muscles, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
All over the world…
People worry.
What are they worrying about today?
Well, that all depends on which person is doing the worrying
Where they are in the world
In their life
In their day
Many worries may seem distinct,
as if an individual person’s specific worry
might make them the only human being worrying about such things…
But it is rarely true…
There are enough people in the world worrying about things that despite how it seems,
no one worrier is ever alone in what worries them.
(Though there may only be one person on the planet currently worrying about being impeached.)
The numbers of people worrying about global warming is rising to such numbers
that there is coming next a global recognition that none of us are alone.
There is a strength in numbers that can cast worry aside and replace it with action.
And action is the enemy of worry.
But action alone is not enough.
What the world needs is action and…
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
First up, Blair calls in from the Canadian tundra!
Blair is traveling the sub-Arctic on the search for polar bears and new friends. She called in from a tundra buggy with one of those friends to talk about Polar Bears International and climate change.
Let’s talk about science now!
2019 IgNobel Awards
A lot of science finds interesting things… our annual look at the awards organized by the Annals of Improbable Research.
Eat Meat?
A new series of meta-review papers controversially find that eating red and processed meats is fine for your health.
Stop blaming volcanoes…
It’s not volcanoes… the real culprit of global warming is… HUMANS!!! Humans are 100x worse.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… without Blair!
Ape Minds
Apes might now be said to have a ‘Theory of Mind’.
Secrets of the Tardigrade
Have we divined their secret sauce for longevity and resistance to radiation?
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Hello everybody,
So what has science done for me lately? Well, lately being 29 years ago…
Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer, my self preservation skills are poor at best. I’m attracted to caution tape. Halloween of 1990, my senior year of high school, while out with a friend my car broke down. While waiting for a ride to come pick us up, I decided to climb a high voltage transmission tower. I had always thought, “Don’t touch a wire. What’s the worst that can happen?” and I found out.
I was 55 feet up the tower, 15 feet below the power lines when the power arced off and hit me. My friend Kelli was on the ground, and said the sky lit up so bright – it was midnight by the way – that she couldn’t see me. She said I kept screaming, “I can’t let go!”, when suddenly darkness and my body fell to the ground.
It gets better… when I hit the ground I started a brush fire. Yep, I was an ember. Never met one of those before.
The base of the tower was surrounded by a 6 foot fence with 3 strands of barbed wire on top. Remember that disclaimer? I climbed all of that to accomplish this goal.
I was motionless at this point, thought to be dead. Within minutes the emergency crews were showing up, and I was starting to move around. They had my friend yelling at me to lay still to avoid further injuries. She had to do this because they weren’t allowed to cut the lock on the gate until the power company showed up to
determine whether or not it was safe to enter.
After about 45 minutes, the brush fire had extinguished, and Kelli was losing her mind that no one was helping me. An onlooker walked around to the back of the fence and pulled it up from the ground. At which point, Kelli slid underneath and approached me.
This apparently changed the situation, and gave cause to the cops to cut the lock. The paramedics entered, and retrieved me. I was put into a helicopter, and sent off to the hospital.
While in the chopper I died, arriving at the hospital with no signs of life. The ER unit grabbed the defibrillator… anyone see the irony in where this is going? They shocked me back to life.
I spent the next 7 days in a coma. Both lungs had collapsed, and I was on a respirator. After waking from the coma I was still in a space between – meaning I was responsive, but still not aware. I came around on November 23rd with no recollection of what had happened. To this day I have no memory of the event or the 20 minutes or so leading up to it. Everything I’m telling you is simply what has been told to me.
I was 48% second and third degree burned. My left arm was welded to my side. Due to a broken collar bone, the only break from a 55 foot fall, they couldn’t start physical therapy until it healed 4 weeks in. That meant my left arm was useless when I woke. (A rep from the power company told me I was hit with roughly 140,000 volts, coal fired at that.) After 10 months of therapy and a few surgeries, I could lift a glass of water to my mouth.
Within a year I had a full recovery, and started rock climbing. I went on to get a job as a stunt performer with full use of my arm.
Science made all of this possible. Science figured out a way to make me whole and live on to travel the world doing awesome things with amazing people. When someone tells me they don’t trust science I simply take my shirt off, and point out that it wasn’t a politician or belief system that allowed me to tell my story. It was science, pure science.
I love your show. Blair’s theme song stays in my head for days after each episode. Keep doing what you’re doing and thanks for letting me tell my story.
Take Care
–Josh Hicks”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with SCIENCE NEWS!…
Bacteria can shed their skin
This allows them to avoid detection.
Color Change Asteroid
An asteroid in the asteroid belt is acting like a comet.
Cometary Visitor
A second interstellar interloper has been discovered, and it seems to have some similarities to comets in our own system.
Save the sea grass!
Nearly one-third of all sea grass has disappeared, threatening coastal ecosystems.
Baby Muscles
Apparently, early in development babies have extra hand muscles.
Robotic Self Control
A new design for prosthetic hands combines robotics and neuroengineering to create “shared control” of the limb.
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, calendar, Dr. Kiki, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Interview, 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
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September 26th, 2019
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ C.A. Preece on Science & Comics, Bad Climate News, Good Climate News, Old Bottles, Correction!, Rat Serial Killers, Robot Rodeo, Tea Time, Delicate Disaster, Crypt Keeper Wasps!, Cat Friends, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
This world should not be led by children
The fact that this week the UN put a young girl center stage
to speak on climate change
Never should have happened
That 4 million children skipped school
to focus this worlds attention on climate change
Never should have happened
And the constant stream of derision from some media platforms
aimed at these children
Never should have happened
What should have happened, and happened long ago
Is for the adults of this world to take the lead on the climate crisis
But if we can not find the adults willing to do the adulting
It is at the very least
nice to see that the next generation takes the responsibility seriously
But they can not do it alone
They need your help
They need the adults of the world to become much more active
They need the adults of this world to become much more vocal
They need the adults of this world to fight for this world
Because it’s the only world we’ve got,
and we owe it to them when we’re done with it
That and another episode of
This Week in Science,
Coming up next…
First up, our guest interview with C. A. Preece!
Chris Preece is the writer of a chemistry graphic novel, CheMystery, high school chemistry teacher, and a S.T.E.M. education Ph.D. student.
His Kickstarter begins October 1, 2019.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“What has science done for me lately?
Today I went to the store to buy a very ubiquitous item in the western diet. It is an off-white, nutrient-rich liquid, that goes well with cereal. Just your typical purchase. Nonetheless it made me realize how much we owe to Nutrition and Food Sciences.
Because the product I bought was soy milk.
This year I became a vegetarian —mostly for environmental reasons—, and without science, I would not be able to keep my body functioning properly. I would most likely suffer from weakness and muscle loss from the acute lack of protein, I would have a severe vitamin B12 deficiency, critically low iron, magnesium and zinc levels in my blood, not to mention the brittleness of my bones due to an inability to absorb and fixate calcium.
Today, it is well-known that a plant-based diet can avoid all these shortcomings and provide a healthy source of all the necessary nutrients. But of course, we understand this only because of all the knowledge that we have accrued over the course of history, such as:
Identification of nutritious species from poisonous ones.
Domestication of crops
Development of food preservation
Industrial large-scale production
Standardization of ascetic conditions
Enrichment and Fortification
Determination of nutritional content
Genetic engineering and molecular enhancement
All these advances (and many more) allow me to make better choices about what I use to fuel my body, while considering the impact that my decisions have in our planet. And this happens three times a day!
Science is what makes a balanced, plant-based, sustainable diet possible! And who knows. If this trend continues, maybe science will develop even better and more efficient ways of putting food in our plates, with an even smaller ecological footprint.
For now, I’m happy cutting back on my consumption of animal products. It’s an almost insignificant price to pay, compared to all the discoveries and technological leaps that had to occur to reach this point. And it is all well worth it.
I love the show. I’ll be forever aghast by your diligence, passion, and commitment. Thank you so much for bringing to my life reasons to be joyful, hopeful, and motivated to keep participating on this joint effort that is SCIENCE!
Your number one Mexican minion!
Fernando”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with SCIENCE NEWS!…
Bad Climate News
Let’s get it out of the way…
Good Climate News
Here are some stories that might give you hope. Greta Thunberg delivered a moving address to the UN general assembly. Costa Rica is named a champion of the earth. Intuit announces plans to become climate positive. And, Project Drawdown starts Drawdown Labs. And, we CAN reduce fossil fuels without concern of a warming boost.
7000 year old baby bottles
They were SO cute.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Correction to 9/11 story: Thank you, Ian!!!
“Hi, In the 11th September show you said several times that gills split water molecules to extract the oxygen. This is absolutely not how gills work. They extract dissolved oxygen gas from the water. Pretty much like our lungs which extract it from the air. The real difference between gills and lungs is how you get the oxygen containing substance into contact with the correct membrane. If fish split water molecules to breath we could collect h2 gas by just having a fish pond, then burn the hydrogen for power!
–Ian”
Rats give “eat your heart out” a whole new meaning.
But in this case, it’s good news. and said hearts are that of an invasive toad…
Or, you could scare invasives with robots.
But what will that do to the natives, one wonders??
Tea Time
A study found that plastic teabags release lots of plastic into the liquid brew you drink. No concusions can be made about how this might affect human health.
Delicate disaster
Our laundry is bad for the environment.
Crypt Keeper Wasp Victims!
Apparently, crypt-keeper wasps don’t necessarily specialize, but have multiple species of victims.
Yes, your cat does indeed like you.
She’s just playing coy.
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, 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
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September 19th, 2019
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Moon Dust, Unintended Mosquitoes, Weird Old Apes, Pain In The Asp, Hide & Seek Rats, Older Neanderthals, Cure For Colds, Everything Old Is, Asteroid Impacts, Scent Sacs, Big Neutron, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
Every once in a while things do not go quite as you expected they might.
An election goes the other way
You lose your job without notice
You fall off your bike and need stitches
Which might make the unexpected seem like a very terrible thing.
However the unexpected can also be a source of really positive things…
Like falling in love
Finding a 20 in the pocket of a jacket you haven’t worn in some time
Or detecting the background cosmic radiation,
the residual proof of the big bang,
despite never having heard of it before,
as happened at Bell Labs’ Holmdale Horn Antenna in 1964.
The unexpected comes in many forms…
if it didn’t it could hardly keep on being unexpected,
eventually someone would catch on to it…
And occasionally they do!
The story of science is the story of people catching on.
It’s the story we can’t get enough of here
Where having expectations of hearing the unexpected is just what you can expect each week on
This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…
First up, the BIG science news stories of the week!
Moon Dust
A new study suggests that a vaporizing moon/comet/exoplanet is potentially responsible for the odd behavior of Boygian’s, or Tabby’s, Star.
Unintended Mosquitoes
A planned release of genetically modified mosquitoes meant to reduce mosquito populations in Brazil worked, but has led to the spread of genes from the GM species into the natural population.
10 million year old upright apes
… found in Hungary.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Paths clean from poop come at a price.
By excluding birds from public parks and walkways, we may have made the park a much worse place to be…
Have you played hide and seek with your lab rats today?
Rats appear to enjoy this activity, and it may, once again, change the way we care for lab animals.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE FOR ME . . . l a t e l y ? ?
Independence for chickens! The lovely feather babies/ pet dinosaurs commonly known as chickens that I have living in my yard have been greatly impacted by physics and electricity. In the past I faithfully trudged out to their coop at 6am every day and made sure I was home before sunset to let them out or lock them in their coop. However, I knew some day I would like to sleep in again on weekends.
I consulted with my brother who is a mechanical engineer about an automatic door opener for the coop. Eventually I found that such a thing already existed and was able to fully automate the chickens. Their door automatically lifts in the mornings and closes in the evening. Of course I still make sure to go out in the morning and evenings to give them treats but am no longer bound to a strict schedule. It has been wonderful!
Also, I would love if Blair did something on Tapirs. I love them. They’ve been my favorite since I was a kid and I believe they’re endangered. They are the gardeners of the rainforest and they have the cutest spotted babies! I heard that scientists are now putting reflective strips on their trackers to help them be seen by people at night as many of them are being hit by cars in south America.
So way to go science for looking out for one of my favorites.
–Sarah Crawford”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with more SCIENCE NEWS!…
Neanderthals are older than we thought
New evidence pushes them back to European living 650,000 years ago.
Cure For Colds
Stanford researchers are targeting a single protein that could cure the common cold and more.
Robots of the late Neolithic
Weren’t really robots, but they had a similar effect.
Cool Asteroid Life?
Did the breakup of a massive asteroid lead to an explosion of life on Earth?
Asteroid Boop Plans
NASA and an international contingent are planning to push an asteroid around.
Don’t blame the dog, blame the microbes.
It turns out that the anal secretion created by cats, dogs, bears, and more to mark their territory is actually produced by their microbes. Thanks, little buds, but I think we’re good from here.
Biggest Neutron Star
It’s only 30 km across, but at almost 2 and a half times the mass of our sun, it breaks records as the largest ever discovered.
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, 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
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September 12th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:35:40 — 77.1MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Not Your Future Home, What Is Habitable?, Crater Lake, Age Reversing Drugs, Snake Skin Surprise, T Rex A/C!, Better Antibiotics?, CAR-T For Hearts, Bubble Blowing Black Hole, So Super Cool, Shocking News!, Robot Skin, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
Humans are interesting people
Just look around, if you happen to have them about…
On any given city street…
Anywhere in the world
You can observe the human species going about their daily routines
With heads full of thoughts…
So many thoughts!
Thinking about the tasks at hand
Thinking about getting to or from work
Thinking about the things they want to accomplish
Thinking about the next meal they would like to prepare
Thinking about the next leisure time activity
Thinking about the time or money it will take to do these things
Thinking about the song in their ear buds, or the news on tv
Thinking about problems, theirs, societies, problems of all sorts.
And while all of this thinking is going on most everywhere on the planet at once
There is another mode of thinking that is also taking place
Thinking that momentarily pushes human ego aside and looks for solutions
to increase our understanding of the world beyond the bony confines of our brains…
though often within it as well
Scientific thinking
The likes of which you may not see taking place on any given city street anywhere in the world
But you will find at the intersection of here and now on
This week in Science,
Coming up next…
First up, the BIG science news stories of the week!
Not Your Future Home
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope found a smallish Neptune-sized exoplanet around a small red dwarf about 110 light years away. Astronomers looked at the data and were able to find water vapor in the atmosphere. Now people are going crazy about habitability. Let’s discuss why this is not our next Earth.
What Is Habitable?
Harvard researchers have put some bounds on the planet sizes that can maintain water and support life.
Crater Lake
More like explosion lake! A new model of lake formation on Titan suggests some may have formed from explosions caused by vaporizing liquid nitrogen.
Age reversing drugs
Drugs reverse aging
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Aquatic snakes breathe through their heads!
No, not through their mouth. Well, yes, through their mouth in the conventional way… But this is more like gills. But on the top of their head… Just listen to the story?
T Rex A/C!
Holes on the T Rex’s head don’t appear to be for big bite muscles, modern alligators point to a special form of temperatire regulation as the reason instead.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Science helped me get a new ACL so I could play Ultimate again. Many cool things made that happen, the MRI was pretty bad ass. Donor ligament. The screw that attached the donor ligament. The tools used to do the surgery through a couple tiny holes in my skin. Also crazy how weak I got after surgery and how PT was able to get me back playing.
-Mike”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with more SCIENCE NEWS!…
Looking for better antibiotics where we already looked for them
But, in a different way.
CAR-T For Hearts
A new use for Car-T therapy might be in treating scar tissue that forms in hearts after myocardial infarction. So far, it seems to work well in mice. We will see how it performs in humans.
Our black hole is blowing bubbles
Is it like burping after a good meal?
So Super Cool
Scientists successfully supercooled human livers, extending their viability by slightly more than a day. This has tremendous potential for human organ transplantation… far more than drone delivery.
Shocking News!
About a new species of electric eel.
Robot Skin
A new design for robot skin promises to give sensation to the automata, and could lead to clothing for haptic feedback and motion capture.
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
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September 5th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:55:05 — 92.7MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ Dr. Veljko Dubljevic, Ancient Magma Oceans, 8th Grade Smarty Computer, Ancient Lake, Adventures in Jellyfishing, Squirrel Busy Bodies, Crystalline Nets, Cornea Transplant, Long Beautiful Hair, Super Fast Snail, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
Throughout the history of humanity
Humans have been attempting to answer one question with only modest result
What are we?
And while the obvious answer these days is that we are upright bipedal mostly hairless apes,
With greater than usual blood flow to a larger than obvious brain…
The original questioning of what we are lingers still
And in our current age of medical technology we have new ways of answering these questions
You can loses a limb and have a prosthetic replacement
A failed heart, liver, lung or kidney? Transplants are available.
Lacking a gene here or there that’s causing an ailment?
A medication may supplement you.
The human anatomy can largely be considered as parts…
Interchangeable, exchangeable and more and more often replaceable…
There is however one part that we would hesitate to replace even if we needed to
Our brain.
For a full brain replacement would essentially be an “us” replacement
So important is your brain, that each week we find something interesting to think about
Here on this week in Science.
Coming Up Next…
First up, an interview with Dr. Veljko Dubljevic!
Veljko Dubljevic Ph.D.,D.Phil., is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and affiliate of the Science, Technology and Society program at North Carolina State University. Veljko’s research focuses on ethics of neuroscience and technology, and neuroscience of ethics. He has recently published Neuroethics, Justice and Autonomy: Public Reason in the Cognitive Enhancement Debate, the first book to address a political approach to neuroethics.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“This is what Science Has Done For Me Lately.
NOAA Weather. Weather alerts are so necessary. I have a generator, bottled water and batteries. We have power trucks ready to spring into action. We have shelters to go to if the weather gets really bad. Our county is providing free sand bags. Can’t imagine experiencing a hurricane with no science!
— Randy LaMonda”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Check out the BIG science news stories of the week!
Ancient Magma Oceans
Did magma oceans lead to an oxygen-rich mantle in the early Earth?
8th Grade Smarty Computer
The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence has developed an AI called Aristo that finally passed 8th grade. It’s been trying to pass the test for several years, but recent advances in natural language processing and cognitive reasoning allowed it to score better than 90% on a science test geared toward 8th grade level knowledge.
Ancient Lake
It’s taking us back 1.3 million years…
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Adventures in Jellyfishing
A new soft technology that can only be descirbed as long fettucini fingers and a silicone palm can change the game for people who study these pelagic pals!
Squirrel busy bodies
Squirrels listen to bird songs to see if the coast is clear. This brings a whole new meaning to eavesdropping!
Now, let’s continue with more SCIENCE NEWS!…
Crystalline Nets
Water capture from the air is potentially becoming cheaper and easier thanks to chemistry and molecular cages.
Cornea Transplant
A Japanese woman is the first in the world to receive a corneal transplant of iPS cells. Apparently, all is progressing well.
Removal of pubic hair wont give you an STD
So, let’s just let that myth go.
Super Fast Snail – the ultimate oxymoron?
Nope, just a deadly cone snail, being super fast, for no apparent reason…
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, 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
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August 29th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:57:03 — 94.2MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ Dr. Richelle Tanner, Sleep Mutations, Fingerprint Earth, Toxoplasma Gondii Genes, Plane Noisy, Crows Like Puzzles!, Strict Fasting, Carbon Chips, How Hot Now?, Vacation Routines, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
It started a long, long time ago
In a galaxy much closer than you might think
The one you are on the outskirts of in fact
Was it a spark?
A muddy blob at the bottom of an ocean?
A simple interaction of the right combination of chemicals?
However it began, life has come a long way since then.
With domains and kingdoms
Phylums and classes
Families and genuses
Species of all sorts…
Life diversified in a brilliantly mind blowing explosion of possibilities
So much so, so abundantly so…
That it may be easy to forget that it is truly unique
compared to what we have so far been able to see of the rest of the universe.
And out of all those possibilities
Out of all the seemingly endless diversity of living things on earth
You happen to be one of them
A human living thing at that!
Sentient and self aware with a keen brain and modest ability to communicate
And of all the places you could have been in this amazing world
You chose to be here
And we are so happy you are because you are
In for another episode of
This week in Science.
Coming up next…
First up, an interview with Dr. Richelle Tanner!
Dr. Tanner is a climate ecophysiologist at Washington State University. She also communicates about science and climate change, and is a member of the governing council of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, or NNNOCI.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Dear Kiki, Justin and Blair!
Good science to you!
Firstly I’d like to say thank you for making my favorite podcast and source of fun facts! Since discovering TWIS some months ago I’ve been having such a great and interesting time going back through the archives of Twistory (apologies for that corniness) and having my mind blown repeatedly. I work a very menial job as a stewardess on a yacht and have felt my brain slowly turning to mush with lack of stimulation, TWIS keeps me thinking and curious and has inspired me to really try and figure out what to do with my life. I’m 23 and desperate to go to university to study a science of some sort but just can’t pick… between marine biology, astronomy and geology my mind just can’t be made.?
Anyway congratulations on getting to 13,000 subscribers on YouTube (I know this because I persuaded my friend and coworker Charlene to hit the subscribe button and had the supreme satisfaction of watching 12,999 turn to 13,000).
What has science done for me lateleeeey? Jumbo coffee queen percolators (and the process of extracting goodness from coffee beans in general) the shear efficiency of putting the grounds in the filter, some water in the tank and within minutes having 1.9 litres of energizing arabica infused hot water. It’s almost magic…it’s science and I could not work the long shifts and maintain sanity without it!
Science also gives us pure drinking water onboard, we use a reverse osmosis desalinator to turn the salt water of the ocean into clean fresh water, which we then treat with a UV filter and can drink. So no matter how long we’re at sea, we always have plenty of water to drink.
Thanks again for this kickass show! I really do love it and find you all so cool and inspiring.
Warmest regards from the Ionian islands and from your number one Zimbabwean fan!
–Sarah Forfar”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Check out the BIG science news stories of the week!
Sleep Mutations
Are you an early bird? Do you only need a few hours of sleep to feel refreshed? It might be thanks to a genetic mutation.
Fingerprint Earth
An undergraduate physics student at McGill University has created an infrared “fingerprint” of Earth’s atmosphere to enable easier discovery of exoplanets with similar molecular signatures indicative of potential life.
Toxoplasma Gondii
It’s still killing sea otters, but now we know more.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Airports are unpleasant locales for birds, too.
Birds that live near airports appear to be going deaf, and are more likely to get in physical fights. Is that why I act so confrontational at the Cinnabon??
Crows like puzzles!
Just like I like a good brain teaser, crows seem to enjoy making and using tools to solve a problem. Do you think they would like a rubix cube if they had thumbs?
Now, let’s continue with more SCIENCE NEWS!…
Strict Fasting
Want to lose weight? A new study finds that alternate day fasting might be easier to maintain than calorie restriction, and have similar benefits.
Carbon Chips
Performing like silicon chips of the 1980’s, engineers have developed the first computer chip made from carbon nanotubes.
How hot is it?
It’s hot everywhere…
Mule deer’s vacation plans are all about routine.
Migration patterns are most influenced by the path previously traveled, which means if the landscape changes, they might have trouble finding what they need.
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, 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
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August 22nd, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:42:03 — 82.2MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Human Brain Evolution, Brain Lanes, Brain Maps, Toxoplasmystery Solved!, Lake Of Bones!, Koala Poo Pills, Locust Face Plants, Underwater Boat!, Beneficial Recklessness?, Mongolia!, Practice Or Perfect, Spider Storms, Memory Ripples?, Bioluminescent Schools!, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
The following program is not intended for all audiences…
If you are curious minded
Or like learning about curious things
If you like thinking logically
Or speculating wildly about where logic may lead
If you like methodical inquiry
Or asking questions with no established pathways to answers
If you like science.
You have come to the right place.
If on the other hand
The very idea that the world is more complicated than might have assumed
Fills you with dread
And you enjoy a good scare
You have come to the right place.
If on the other… other hand
You are physically allergic to knowledge, wonder and un biased curiosity…
By all means stay tuned and document your symptoms so that we may find a cure…
Come to think about it, this show may actually be intended for all audiences
So welcome everyone to another episode of
This week in science,
Coming up next…
First up, the BIG science news stories of the week!
Human Brain Evolution
It wasn’t a very straight line.
Brain Lanes
Reading and math are relegated to different parts of the brain, but they follow the same tracts of white matter between brain regions. Digging deeper, neuroscientists discovered that the subject matter signals are also separated into sub-tracts within the larger bundles.
Brain Maps
UC Berkeley neuroscientists mapped the brain’s activity while people both read and listened to stories from The Moth. Surprisingly, they found the same areas of the brain were activated in both circumstances.
Why Cats? or Toxoplasmystery Solved!
The lack of an enzyme allows Toxo to reproduce.
What’s better than a day at the lake?
A day at a lake full of human bones!
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Dr Justin’s Poo Pills.. For Koalas!
Microbial transplant could help koalas respond to reduced and rapidly changing habitat. Could this work for other endangered species with a need to adjust their diet?
D’oh! Locusts face plant for glory!
It might just be the best way to fall… On your face… if you are a locust. Not only is it the easiest, it might actually be the most likely method to save your tiny little exoskeleton from predators!
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Hi Kiki, Blair, and Justin
I have written two “What Has Science Done for Me Lately” stories previously. One was about an illness and the other was about a natural disaster. This one is not like them. This will be a happy one.
The science and technology of telecommunications and shipping have allowed me to more fully enjoy my hobbies. I am a collector of stamps and of Boy Scout books. The sales and auction sites on the internet have allowed me to purchase items I never would have found any other way. I have found information that would have required a trip to an archive in a faraway country just a few years ago. I have also made hobby friends all over the world.
I often repeat the old joke that there is a tiny difference between a hobby and a mental illness, but my hobbies have helped me in many ways over the years. When I am working on my hobbies my mind is calm, I am engaged, and I am enjoying myself.
So, Science has given me tools to make my enjoyment of my hobbies better. And for that I am grateful.
Eric Knapp
Eric-in-AK in the chatroom.”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with more SCIENCE NEWS!…
Marine archaeologists make a discovery!
A deteriorating boat!
Beneficial Recklessness?
Scientists are suggesting that because both teenaged humans and macaque monkey adolescents show poor impulse control compared to adults, the inability to control the poor decisions of youth must be evolutionarily conserved because it’s beneficial.
Mongolia!
Based on remains of tools, humans were there 10,000 years before the fossils suggest.
Does Practice Make Perfect?
With a few upgrades to the methodology, behavioral scientists repeated a study that showed more practice translated into better violin skills. The new findings also show practice makes better, but discovered that this isn’t necessarily the case for the best violinists, making the case for genes and inherent ability as a predictor of skill.
Spider Storms
Spider scientists followed colonial spiders after hurricanes in 2018, and found that the more aggressive colonies survived better. The next step is to find out why that is.
Closer To A Cure
Several recent trials of drugs to treat Ebola have proven very successful at reducing the mortality rate from the disease. The trick now will be getting people into the clinics for treatment.
Big Gulp
LIGO and Virgo have detected a black hole swallowing a neutron star completing the trifecta of gravitational wave discoveries sought by astrophysicists.
Memory Ripples?
Neuroscientists have detected a signal, called a sharp wave ripple, in the hippocaampus of the human brain that occurs 1-2 seconds before a memory is actively recalled.
Bioluminescent schools!
How and why do fish stay together in the aphotic zone when they can’t see each other? They glow, baby!
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. Kiki Sanford, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, Kirsten Sanford, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
Posted in animal behavior, animals, anthropology, arachnid, archeology, arthropods, astronomy, astrophysics, astrophysics, biology, biotechnology, Black Holes, Blair's Animal Corner, burning man, cell biology, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, conservationism, cosmology, ecology, emergent behavior, evolution, exploration, genetics, infectious diseases, insects, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, nutrition, paleontology, pandas, pharmacology, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, technology, therapies, Toxoplasma, Women in Science, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
August 15th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:40 — 81.9MB)
Subscribe: | More
What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Free Will Falters?, First Cells Collaborated, Underwater Neanderthals, Monkey Worry Molecule, Big Frog Nests, Picking Baby Sex, Justin’s Airship Future, Supernova Dust, Plastic Snow, Black Hole Rising, Daddy Longlegs Venom, Feeling Foreshocks, And Much More…
Want to listen to a particular story from TWIS, the This Week in Science podcast? You can do that here. Just look for the time-code link in the description.
DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
Every once in a while it is worth taking a step back from everything going on around you
Everything going on at work
Everything going on in your home life / social life
Everything going on in the news around the country and around the world
Set it all aside for a moment, it’ll be there when you are done here…
Take this moment.
And ask yourself a question…
If I could learn something new, what would I most like to learn about…
And whatever comes to mind, whatever peaks your interest,
Whatever subject occurs to you that you do not know as much as you would like to
Do some digging, some reading, googling, youtubing or do some testing, some experiments…
Feed that curiosity with a bit of research…
The mindset of inquiry isn’t limited to a lab bench or a massive data set
It is something you can take with you anywhere you go
And if you follow where it leads you might just find yourself
Listening to another episode of…
This Week in Science,
Coming up next…
First up, the BIG science news stories of the week!
Free Will Falters?
University of Utah researchers studying the genetics of behavior in mice are using machine learning to find definitive links between genes, actions, and aging.
First Cells Collaborated
Fatty acid membranes are normally disrupted by salts. But, UW researchers discovered that fatty acids are stabilized by amino acids enabling them to form layers of membranes even in the presence of salts that would have made up the early oceans. Could this have been the chemistry that led to early life?
Underwater Neanderthals
Perhaps Neanderthals dove for fish or bivalves.
What makes a monkey worry?
Molecules, that’s what…
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Largest frog also most nurturing?
The reason for the Goliath frog’s size might just be so they could male a perfect home for their tadpoles! Awww. AHHH!
If you could pick your offspring’s sex, would you?
More importantly, SHOULD YOU???
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“I’ve struggled with getting pregnant for almost two years, so I often find myself feeling frustrated with my body and cursing human biology and the seemingly haphazard way that many lucky couples are able to conceive. But recently I’ve started fertility treatment and learning about all of the incredible medical advancements and options for couples like us has been pretty awesome. It feels super encouraging knowing that some really smart people are working hard to develop methods to help me (and tons of other women) start a family. Science gives me hope.
-Kristen”
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with more SCIENCE NEWS!…
Nevermind about flying cars…
It’s time to reignite the future with airships.
Supernova Dust
We could talk about how human-caused climate change is speeding up the melting of West Antarctica, but instead let’s talk about dust particles from a supernova that were found there.
Plastic snow
It’s falling.
Black Hole Rising
Our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole was recently seen to brighten significantly before dimming over a very short period of time, leading astronomers to wonder what could have caused such an event.
Who’s your daddy longlegs??
They’re not so dangerous after all!
Feeling Foreshocks
More earthquakes is actually good news for geo-scientists. A new analysis of Southern California earthquake data finds that nearly 72% of big quakes are preceded by many foreshocks. The data couldn’t identify a prediction template, and 20% of quakes occurred without any apparent foreshocks. But, this analysis potential puts us on a path to finding eventual prediction patterns.
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, 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 amphibians, animal behavior, animals, anthropology, arachnid, archeology, astrobiology, astronomy, astronomy, astrophysics, astrophysics, aviation, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Black Holes, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, conservationism, cosmology, earthquakes, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, engineering, evolution, exploration, genetics, geology, global warming, information technology, insects, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, NASA, neuroscience, paleontology, physicists, physics, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexuality, sexy scientists, space, space elevator, space exploration, stars, technology, therapies, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
