August 8th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:04:07 — 99.9MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Its a TWIS/What the IF? Podcast Crossover Episode!!!!!
Human-Monkey Chimeras, Tardigrades on the Moon, Police Violence, Old Dark Matter, Starfish Love Guts, Blind Caterpillars, What the IF?, 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 disclaimer has been interrupted
(wait, what?)
to bring you this important message on behalf of humans everywhere…
Enough with the gun violence.
Enough with weapons meant for war in the hands of troubled men and boys…
Enough with empty thoughts and insincere prayers.
And enough with the rhetoric of hateful speech.
Enough of racism.
There is nothing uniquely American about racism…
It’s something ignorant people have in common with other ignorant people all over the world…
Racism is not an American idea…
it is the opposite of our ideals
Racism fed and clothed this country
Through centuries of a slave economy
Racism gained us this great land
By the ethnic slaughter and genocide of its native peoples
Racism built this country
Through the waves of immigrants who worked harder for less in order to be Americans.
And while the ideals of freedom and equality have for most of our history
seemed hypocritical to our actions as a nation…
It is because they were ideals deemed so noble…
more noble than the men who wrote them…
And more noble than the nation born from it…
That the ideals of equality and freedom were written into our foundation…
Our idealism as a nation has eventually led us to become the most ethnically diverse nation on the earth.
And there is nowhere else I would rather be than right here,
On this week in science,
Coming Up Next…
First up, the BIG science news stories of the week!
Human-Monkey Chimeras
Spanish and American researchers have gone to China to avoid regulations restricting the creation of human-primate chimeras, and although nothing has been scientifically published it’s being reported that they have successfully produced human-monkey embryos that have been allowed to develop for a week or two.
Tardigrades on the Moon
The Israeli moon lander that recently crashed on the moon might have spilled some tardigrades who might have survived.
Who’s getting killed by police violence?
Mostly young black men according to a recently published study.
Dark Matter…
Older than the big bang? What???
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Starfish Love Guts
Oxytocin is much more than a love hormone when it comes to starfish… it turns their stomachs out for feeding.
Caterpillars don’t need eyes to see how bad that top looks on you
It would appear that caterpillars can “see” without their eyes well enough to change colors despite wearing a blindfold. What the what??
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
‘What the IF?’ Podcast hosts, Philip Shane and Matt Stanley, talked about airplanes, the positivity that can come from learning, and vaccines for dogs.
Let us know what science has done for you lately, and we will read it on the show!
Now, let’s continue with a round of ‘What the IF?’…
Philip Shane and Matt Stanley host a podcast called ‘What the IF?’ that takes science and postulates what would happen to the world if possible results came about. It’s a bit of science and science fiction, and we all got to play this week.
Based on stories from earlier in the show, Philip and Matt asked ‘What if’ chimeras became more common…
Let us know what you think about our science fiction speculation in the comments below!
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, crossover, Dr. Kiki, Dr. Kirsten Sanford, education, Justin Jackson, Kirsten Sanford, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science fiction, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS, What the IF?
Posted in animal behavior, animals, anthropology, arthropods, astrobiology, astrophysics, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, chemistry, civilian space travel, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, conservationism, CRISPR, Dark matter, deep space, echinoderms, ecology, emergent behavior, evolution, exploration, genetics, insects, mammals, marine biology, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, physics, physiology, planets, podcast, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, spacecraft, stem cells, technology, theoretical physics, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
August 1st, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:31 — 78.6MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
TESS Findings, Salty Battery, Probiotic Cures?, Hot Wings, Ant Protection, Old Parents, Baby Bacteria, Mosquito Love, Regeneration Paths, CRISPR Test, Cockroach Bot!, Cuttlefish Bugs, PE Tests, 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!!!
Picture for a moment if you will…
Large spinning saucer shaped spaceships…
The wobbly, erratically flying 49 Ford hubcap looking things
And really big, like several city blocks, or a cool country mile big…
with lights flashing different colors
Hovering over all the capitols of the world…
And suddenly, everywhere at once, on every kind of device…
A message…
On the radio, the television, via text messages, in chat rooms, streaming via netfix, on the web-tubes,
and yes, if you pick up that land line that’s ringing you’ll hear it there too…
“Humans of Earth be warned!”
“The future of your world is in danger!”
“You are at critical levels of carbon in your atmosphere.”
“If you fail to reduce your carbon emissions now…”
“Life on your planet will be destroyed!”
“You have been warned!”
“And oh by the way here’s cures for several cancers, hundreds of other diseases and a technology that turns sunlight directly into electricity.”
And then, just like that…
they were gone.
Would humanity take seriously the words of these mysterious alien visitors?
With their superior technology, and generous sharing of cures to human misfortune?…
It seems plausible that humans might take such a warning seriously…
But then…
why is it that they don’t heed the advice of earth scientists?
Who have made the same warnings, backed by evidence mind you, cured many cancers, ended a thousand human diseases, and developed technologies that offer alternatives to fossil fuels?
Why are they ignored?
Because people like a show.
And the show people like most is
This Week in Science!
Coming Up Next…
First up, the BIG science news stories of the week!
TESS Findings
The NASA-managed Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite otherwise known as TESS is in the news this week with a variety of findings being reported at the first TESS science conference. Among them are a super-Earth, a hot Neptune, and a trio of exoplanets.
Salty Battery
A new twist on using saltwater as the basis for a battery is being tested as a way to power wastewater treatment plants. The method relies on “blue energy”, the electrochemical gradient between salty and fresh (or waste) water to generate current.
Curing cancer with probiotics?
Is IBS on its way out?
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
You are the brown beneath my wiiiiings
Believe it or not, the color of a bird’s feathers might have something to do with aerodynamics.
Ants, they’re like family. And family take care of each other.
You know, you’re on your way home with a nice seed, and you get stuck in a spider web! Good thing your sisters are here to cut you out and take you home to clean you off.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“You did say haiku…
You didn’t say good haiku:
Vibrating bass strings
Transistors and vacuum tubes
Electrify all
When I plug in my bass, magnets convert string vibrations to electricity. The electric signal is wirelessly transmitted to my pedal board and on to tubes and transistors that electronically amplify the signal. That signal is mixed with similar signals from my Sugar Buzz bandmates and amplified further on to some really big magnets that convert the electricity back into sound waves that push a whole lot of air past peoples ear drums. Rock on!
Larry Cox
Longtime listener and Patreon patron”
Let’s continue with some science news…
Kids with older parents…
Parental age might improve kids behavior.
Baby Bacteria
A new study suggests that there might not be bacteria in the placenta after all, and that previous studies probably reported contamination as a real signal.
For the love of mosquitoes
Mosquito larvae might give us a way to fight all sorts of emerging infectious diseases.
RNA and Stem Cells
Hydra might have a few things to teach us about regeneration. Also, it is possible that cells with regenerative stem cell-like properties might exist within the liver according to a new study in Nature Communications.
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
CRISPR Test
Editias has begun a clinical trial to study the use of CRISPR to fix retinal deterioration in people.
Cockroach Bot!
Withstanding the weight of a human, able to run as fast as a real cockroach, and able to carry a peanut, UC Berkeley engineers have created the world’s first robotic cockroach!
The cuttlefish microbiome is astounding!
Astoundingly small, that is. Just two species…. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??
Remember PE tests?
Data suggests they are a waste of time
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 alternative energy, animal behavior, animals, arachnid, arthropods, astrobiology, astronomy, astronomy, biology, biotechnology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cancer, cell biology, chemistry, clinical trials, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, CRISPR, ecology, emergent behavior, energy, engineering, evolution, exploration, extrasolar planets, genetics, infectious diseases, insects, mammals, marine biology, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, NASA, nutrition, physics, physiology, podcast, psychology, robots, science, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, spacecraft, stars, technology, therapies, world robot domination, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 26th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:55:00 — 92.6MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ Dr. Sarah Parcak, Stimulating Seeing, Parenting Brain, LOCKR, Changing Brains, Egg Vibrations, An Apple A Day, Hot Headed Haggling, Shrinking Birds, 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 acts of communication are all in your head
Nothing you are hearing now is happening now…
Not even the sound of this voice, saying these words
The person most often associated with the sound of this voice
is not actually saying this right now
If fact, his lips may not even be moving
What you are listening to now is a recording of a voice
A voice that in a short while will be accompanied by other voices
All telling you about amazing things that are happening now
Or happened long ago
Or might happen in the future
As we speak these voices are taking up residence in your head,
Re wall papering the interior of your skull
Setting up subtle sciencey subroutines in your subconscious mind
Navigating your every third thought in the direction of
This Week in Science
Coming up next!
First up, an interview!
Our guest in this episode is Dr. Sarah Parcak, a space archaeologist. Dr. Parcak is professor of Anthropology and director of the Laboratory for Global Observation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. An expert in using satellites for remote sensing, and in archaeology and Egyptology, she is a National Geographic Explorer and a TED Senior Fellow. She won the 2016 $1 million TED prize, which she used to launch GlobalXplorer, a citizen science platform that “aims to bring the wonders of archaeological discovery to everyone”. She also has a book out now called, “Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past.”
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Hello TWiS team!
Here’s my “What Has Science Done for Me Lately?” entries:
Entry #1: Years ago after learning of the TWiS podcast I was fortunate enough to hear a suggestion to use a salt as an abrasive to rub burnt-on food from pots and pans. The next day we had one such event and sure enough it worked well! We continue to use it to this day on our cast-iron pans – using dish-soap on cast iron is a big no-no apparently (removes too much of the oil ‘seasoning every time).
Entry #2: Related to WHSDfML, there was a segment a few weeks ago talking about how much non-homo-sapiens had actually invented that we take for granted. You asked for ideas of things that were invented well after that point that us homo-sapiens could call “”ours””. I propose that modern “”Ice Cream”” is that invention – it required the domestication of cattle for milk, cultivation of specific plants for sugar, as well as the free time to churn the freezing mixture for extended periods of time, not to mention the ability to do this in non-freezing climates by harvesting ice and keeping that into the summer. I can’t provide facts backing this up, but I’d like to think it was “”ours””. 🙂
Thanks!
Dan”
Let’s continue with some science news…
Stimulating Seeing
Neuroscientists used optogenetics to trigger small populations of visual neurons and simulate real visual input leading mice to perform a trained behavior. Is this method recreating real vision within the brain?
Parenting In The Brain
Looks like parental behaviors in mammals might share a lot in common with frogs… at least based on brain activation.
LOCKR: A Programmable synthetic protein in a living cell
Will it be as influential a tool as CRISPR?
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
And the female brain goes to…
In clownfish, or anemonefish, the gonads follow the brain, and not the other way around. Maybe that’s just another difference between women and men.
Screaming at your baby in utero might not be a great idea… unless you are a gull.
Chicks exposed to warning calls while still in their eggs showed marked physical and behavioral differences once they emerged, ready for a tougher, more dangerous existence.
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
An Apple A Day
Gives you lots of bacteria! Apparently, a 240 gram apple harbors over 100 million bacteria with most of those residing in the seeds and skin.
Hot heads get breads
Higher temperatures make people more combative when it comes to money.
I like big birds and I cannot lie.
So climate change has me pretty bummed, overall.
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
Posted in amphibians, animal behavior, animals, anthropology, archeology, astrobiology, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, engineering, evolution, exploration, fish, genetics, geography, global warming, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, NASA, neuroscience, nutrition, physiology, podcast, psychobiology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexuality, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, spacecraft, technology, Women in Science, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 18th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:05:50 — 115.7MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ Dr. Lukas Pasteka, Another Constant?, Neuralink Tech, Ancient Breastfeeding, Zombie Ant Fungus, Eat Bugs, Bugs In Pain, Rubik’s AI, Antarctic Snow Blowers, Radioactive islands, Runner’s Elbow, 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!!!
Children
Small statured humans, young in age and high in energy.
They like sugar, playing with things, being curious about everything…
And, they have visions of the future!
Sometimes these visions are very different than the futures they actually encounter upon growing up…
The world it seems only needs so many cowboy-princess-astro-pirates
What the world does need of course is science…
And lots of it.
Science is a field for the curious
Science is all about playing with things.
And, science runs on visions of the future like a hopped up 7 year old with a fist full of pixie stix.
If there is one thing you can inspire the next generation with that they can relate to the most
It is science.
Because, at its core,
it is a childlike curiosity,
an active imagination…
And above all else,
a drive to prove that those who came before
didn’t really know everything after all.
And, nowhere else is that more a parent than
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
First up, an interview!
We spoke with Dr. Lukas Pasteka, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia about his work investigating the fundamental constants of the universe.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“I didn’t die (or go blind, or have my bones twisted, or become sterile) from Polio, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, or influenza today. Yay!
–Mae Harmon Archer”
Let’s continue with some science news…
Another Constant?
Rather than be a tie-breaker, a third estimate of the Hubble constant has delivered a THIRD value provocatively between other values previously estimated for the expansion of our universe.
Neuralink Tech
Another Musk endeavor, a company called Neuralink is making waves this week with a presentation and paper detailing their efforts to improve BMI technology, and get to human trials within the year.
Australopithecus africanus mothers breastfed their infants
Teeth tell the tale of nutrition for our ancient ancestors.
Secrets of a zombie ant fungus revealed!
It’s all in the muscles, not the mind.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Eat a bug, it’s good for you!
Antioxidant levels look great in edible invertebrates. That, combined with the reduced carbon footprint, mean eating bugs could be in our future – and perhaps should be.
But… it turns out they can feel chronic pain
Bugs in pain could give us clues on chronic pain in humans. Thanks, fruit flies! Now lemme get you an Advil…
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
Rubik’s Solved By AI
A deep learning algorithm has solved the Rubik’s cube puzzle using the least number of moves.
Antarctic Snow Blowers
I’m all for solutions, but this one is just dumb.
Radioactive islands
The Marshall Islands are more radioactive than Fukushima or Chernobyl.
What’s in a ‘bow?
Why do we walk with arms out straight, but run with arms bent?? We may never know…
Netflix and Chimp
Chimpanzees like each other more after hanging out and watching movies.
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'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
Posted in animal behavior, animals, anthropology, archeology, artificial intelligence, astronomy, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, conservationism, cosmology, Dark matter, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, energy, energy conservation, engineering, evolution, exploration, global warming, insects, mammals, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, neuroscience, nutrition, paleontology, physicists, physics, podcast, robots, science, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, stars, technology, theoretical physics, therapies, world robot domination, z-Broadcasts | 3 Comments »
July 11th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:55:58 — 106.6MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ rap artist Baba Brinkman, Crab Power Rays, Molecule Storage, Toothy History, Ancient Human Skulls, Inherited Memory, Spider Aggression, Extinction Revival, Smells Like Love, Long live corn!, A Hot World, 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 frequently contains information
considered objectionable by the United States Government and the companies they represent.
So subversive is this information
that even the top scientists working within government who produced this information…
are not allowed to speak publicly about it…
In fact, when the Scientists of the US Geological Survey attempted in March make this information public
It was rewritten by administration agents to remove any mention of global warming’s consequences.
Department of Agriculture scientists have seen similar measures used against their findings.
As have the EPA, and NASA…
While not all the information contained in the following program is of this objectionable nature,
Listeners are warned in advance that simply knowing the facts about global warming
Makes you a political and ideological threat to the wealth and welfare
of momentarily powerful interests.
That said, we will continue to speak science to power because
From the big bang to the latest advances
We got more science news than Chinese zoos got pandas
Here on,
this week in science,
Coming up next…
First up, an interview!
This week we spoke with rap artist, science communicator, and award-winning playwright, Baba Brinkman about his life as a science rapper. He is most well-known for his series of “Rap Guides”, the most recent being the Rap Guide to Consciousness, and has a new album of songs out now. The video he mentioned at the end of this week’s episode is here.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“It helped me plan my vacations well in advance so I could come to Argentina to watch the eclipse.
Also, no polio.
–Rodrigo Roesler”
Let’s continue with some science news…
Crab Power Rays
Water tanks buried deep beneath the Tibetan Plateau have detected the highest energy photons ever seen coming from the Crab nebula.
Molecule Storage
Brown University scientists have demonstrated a proof of concept experiment for data storage using small molecules contained in the metabolome.
The tooth is out there…
Some current humans have Denisovan traits!
Oldest human?
The oldest human fossil ever found outside of Africa just got a whole lot older.
Study finds psychiatric diagnosis to be ‘scientifically meaningless’
The take-home is that psychiatry needs new diagnostic methods.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Memory can be inherited
Even if mom just wants to avoid those darn wasps!
Rhinos, mammoths, it’s all on its way!
The first step in reviving extinct species has proven possible. But where to go from here?
Spiders can be aggressive, but it just isn’t their fault!
They can’t help the fact that growing up alone is a tough lot. So tough in fact, they forget how to be friendly. Yikes…
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
Smells Like Love
Female lampreys respond to an odorant molecule in sperm called Spermine. Researchers hope they can use this to limit reproduction in this species that can be a pest in some river systems.
20+ year old tooth in man’s foot gives valuable science data
Just the kind of headline you would expect from “Florida Man.”
It’s getting hotter in here!!!
Everywhere.
Long live corn!
Some 600 genes for longevity have been discovered that might influence harvests of all cereal grains.
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, 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 agriculture, animal behavior, animals, anthropology, arachnid, archeology, astronomy, astrophysics, astrophysics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, chemistry, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, CRISPR, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, endangered animals, energy, engineering, evolution, galaxies, genetics, global warming, insects, mammals, molecular biology, paleontology, particle physics, physicists, physics, podcast, psychology, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexuality, sexy scientists, space, technology, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
July 8th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:17:29 — 126.3MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ Dr. Susanne Ahmari, HIV Removal, Probing Atmospheres, Lab burgers, Food safety?, Turtles Hearts, Pro-biotics For Bats, Mold In Space!!!, Exercise Your Brain!, Reading Robots, Veggie Crocs, 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 fourth of July!
Independence day…
The day that we celebrate as a nation with great pride and a plethora of pyrotechnics…
In memory of the illegal immigrants who, despite the odds…
Declared land stolen from a native population by the British empire
to be theirs instead…
Yes, our founding immigrant fathers and mothers had no right to the land by law…
And, by defying a tyrannical monarch they were by definition illegal trespassers in their own homes…
They should have been deported back to the many, many, many nations they had fled in search of freedom…
But instead, they stood tall.
Spoke half-truths to power.
And declared America to be a nation of free people!
Except for the negro and of course not extending all rights to women…
But to be fair…
these were newcomers to America.
Sometimes immigrants need time to adjust to a new society.
First settlers could barely feed themselves,
and needed the assistance of the native population to survive.
And, the founding immigrants brought with them more than a few cultural hang ups
that needed to be worked out over a few hundred years of assimilation…
It would be a 144 years between 1776 and 1920 when women first got the vote…
Whereas, in most native American cultures women had either
an equal or in some cases the only voice on internal tribe issues…
like choosing the chief!
So as we celebrate this fourth of July let us not forget that this is a nation of immigrants…
And that independence day is a day of declaring yourself free from a foreign nation
And finding a home instead…
here on
This week in science,
coming up next…
First up, an interview!
This week we spoke with Dr. Susanne Ahmari
Dr. Ahmari is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She has an MD and PhD from Stanford University, and completed her post-doctoral work at Columbia University. She studies the neural mechanisms underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Science has gotten me a job in a cytology lab and I’m so excited to start!!! Also the promise of a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease makes me giddy.
–Jessica Ridulfo”
Let’s continue with some science news…
HIV Removal
Mice have been completely cured of HIV using a method involving slow-release anti-retroviral drugs and the CRISPR-
Cas9 gene-editing technology, according to a study published in Nature Communications this week. Is it a proof of concept toward treatment?
Probing Atmospheres
NASA scientists have taken a good look at the atmosphere of a distant planet called Gliese 3470b finding it contains hydrogen and helium, kind of like our sun.
Lab burgers
How to best sell lab-grown meat to the public?
Food safety?
Who is making sure things we eat are safe?
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Who needs oxygen, anyhow?
Not snapping turtles, but definitely me…
Pro-biotics give bats another chance
White nose? More like white no’s with some pro-biotics!!
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
Mold In Space!!!
Spores can withstand “stupid” amounts of radiation.
Exercise Your Brain!
OHSU researchers have discovered a small molecule that gets turned up in the hippocampus of the mouse brain with a moderate amount of exercise. This molecule is involved in the creation of dendritic spines on the membrane of neurons, which might mean that it can help prime your brain for learning.
Robots reading text books can write the next version
Predictive algorithms are predicting our science discoveries.
Never smile at a crocodile
Except for 200 million years ago. Back then, that crocodile was a vegetarian, so it would have been quite safe…
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, 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, artificial intelligence, astrobiology, bioethics, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, CRISPR, emergent behavior, evolution, exploration, extrasolar planets, genetics, mammals, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, NASA, neuroscience, nutrition, pharmacology, physics, physiology, planets, podcast, psychology, reptiles, robots, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, spacecraft, technology, therapies, world robot domination, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
June 27th, 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:46:10 — 97.7MB)
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Neanderthal Tech, Mammalian Radiation, Barefoot Walkers, Rolling Poop, We Make Mosquitoes, Robots Make Jobs!, Glia Glue, Big Bird Bones, Nar-what?, Cicada Hallucinations, Hot Europe, 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!!!
No matter what…
Be positive.
Yes life isn’t always a bowl of cherries, but so what?
You could have a bowl of cherries right now if you wanted it…
but you don’t… and why? Because of the pits.
Even a bowl of cherries has a down side if you look for it.
So be positive!
Because tomorrow you might die suddenly and unexpectedly…
And if you have not been positive those around you will say that you didn’t really like it here anyway…
Be Positive!
Because even when things are bad they could be much worse
So be positive!
Because the universe doesn’t actually care if you are not happy
So be positive!
Because it doesn’t matter if you are not.
So you might as well just look on the bright side…
After all, there are things to look forward to.
And a great number of those things are about to come your way
On this week in science…
Coming up next.
First up, some science news!
Neanderthal Tech
Neanderthals were no saps, but they used pine sap or resin as a glue for their tools.
Mammals were all that and a bag of chips while T-rex was still roaming
Mammalian radiation and domination didn’t wait for dinosaurs to go extinct, according to new fossil evidence.
Barefoot walkers have tough feet but sense the ground just as well
Barefoot walkers build up tough calluses on the soles of their feet without losing their sensitivity unlike wearing shoes. Hypothesis that hard calluses transmit pressure without dampening them.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Rolling poop, on a wind and a prayer
Dung beetles use multiple variables to move about their landscape, including wind direction!
Just like the bacteria, mosquitoes are becoming monsters of our own design.
Pesticide resistant mosquitoes are a thing. Oops.
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
Our guest host from The Daily Tech News Show, Roger Chang, tells us about the benefits he gets from science.
Let’s continue with some more science news…
Big Bird Bones
Bones from a bird almost as big as a polar bear have been discovered in Europe on the Black Sea.
Robots Make Jobs!
“Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be replaced by robots by 2030, according to analysis firm Oxford Economics. But, however, increasing automation will also boost jobs and economic growth, it added.”
Glia, previously thought to just be brain glue, actually kind of a big deal.
The glia may be responsible for the impulse to give up on something that isn’t working – which is a really important thing to be able to do, it turns out!
Nar-what?
A whale specimen was discovered that turned out to be a hybrid Narwhal and Beluga whale, or Narluga.
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
What do fungal hallucinogens and cicada genitals have in common?
They are part of a horrifying “salt shaker of death”
Heat is on
An unprecedented heatwave is underway in Europe.
If You love TWIS, and all the science news we bring you each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.
Tags: Blair Bazdarich, Blair's Animal Corner, education, Justin Jackson, KDVS, new media, news, Patreon, podcast, radio, science, science news, science podcast, science policy, science radio, STEM, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS
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June 26th, 2019
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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Salty Water?, Aging Humans, Aging Bats, Sinking Seashells, Ancient Weed, Beewolf Business, Mantis Shrimp Armor, Mousey Peer Pressure, Interview w/ Dr. Jennifer Dunne, Venomous Medicine?, Robo-helper, Impossible Pterodactyls, LEGO Satellites?, 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!!!
For all the certainty with which humanity sets its course
and seizes opportunities where it can…
We rarely contemplate our destination.
Allowing far too often…
For tendencies of mankind’s impulses to push us forward
Fulfilling the immediate needs
Of safety and security
Comfort and greed
The next steps taken by humanity
far too often are in reaction to where the last steps have left us standing
As if we have no destination in mind.
When seen from afar the course of humanity…
Often looks more like the drunken stagger of an infant
than the steady steps of a progressing society
And when we have no destination in mind…
We choose one by default.
And so…
This world of changing climate… is the destination we have chosen
Melting ice caps… is the destination we have chosen
RIsing sea waters… is the destination we have chosen
Flooded cities… is the destination we have chosen.
Death of the coral reefs,
the source of half the oxygen we breathe… is the destination
Agricultural drought and the ensuing famine… is the destination
Extreme weather events, of all sorts, affecting everywhere…
is the destination we have chosen by not choosing
And as we stagger off the right foot, and catch ourselves with the left…
We might turn this drunken stumble of a society in a direction of our own choosing…
One that sets a course with a destination in mind…
One that will ultimately lead us all to
This Week in Science
Coming Up Next…
First up, some science news!
Salty Water?
Thanks to Hubble, we now think there is salty water under the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa increasing the likelihood that its hidden oceans may contain life.
Aging Humans
A study in Aging Cell looked at the question of whether human cells follow the same program for aging throughout life, and discovered that at least in neuron and muscle cells, they switch away from maintenance around age 60.
Aging Bats
Turns out that many species of bats are strangely long-lived for their small sizes. A new study didcovered that at the point in life when genes for health are getting turned off in most species, these bats are turning them up.
Sea shells by the sea shore
Climate change is affecting sea levels, and our access to ancient archaeological sites.
Origins of cannabis cultivation
The weed goes way back.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
How did the beewolf keep their food from going bad?
Hint – it’s not a vacuum sealer from QVC!
Mantis shrimp at it again! This time with space age armor.
OK, should we just send them into space instead? They seem well equipped…
Peer pressure at its finest
The science of… You like cumin? OK, so do I!
This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
Let us know what science has done for you lately by leaving us a message on our Facebook page!
Let’s continue with some more science news…
Interview w/ Dr. Jennifer Dunne, Professor and Vice President for Science at the Santa Fe Institute. Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Pacific Ecoinformatics and Computational Ecology Lab. Editor at Ecology Letters and the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution, Oxford University Press.
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
Venomous Medicine?
Compounds discovered in scorpion venom show promise as potent antibacterial agents.
Robo-helper
A new algorithm might make robots better at sharing space with humans.
Impossible pterodactyls
They flew how?
Satellites are one part lyft, another part Lego.
This “ride sharing” and interlocking satellite method could change the way we go to space!
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, 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, anthropology, arachnid, arthropods, artificial intelligence, astrobiology, bioethics, biology, biotechnology, birds, Blair's Animal Corner, cell biology, civilian space travel, cognitive science, computer science, conservationism, crustaceans, ecology, emergent behavior, end of the world, engineering, ethnobotany, evolution, exploration, genetics, global warming, insects, mammals, marine biology, mathematics, medicine, molecular biology, paleontology, pharmacology, physics, planets, podcast, robots, science, science and politics, Science Education, science history, Science Music, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, STEM Festival, technology, therapies, Women in Science, z-Broadcasts | No Comments »
