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Science Friday

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Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Brain fun for curious people.

#150

Zoonomia Genetics Project, Telomeres, Mutter Museum. May 26, 2023, Part 1

Orcas Are Attacking Boats Near Spain. Scientists Don’t Know Why This Thursday, the Supreme Court restricted the scope of the Clean Water Act pertaining to wetlands, in a 5-4 vote. This could affect the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to protect certain kinds of wetlands, which help reduce the impacts of flooding by absorbing water, and also act as natural filters that make drinking water cleaner. Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court’s three liberal members in the dissent, writing that the decision will have, “significant repercussions for water quality and flood control throughout the United States.” Plus, earlier this month, [three orcas attacked a boat] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/orca-attacks/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , leading to its sinking. This is the third time an incident like this has happened in the past three years, accompanied by a large rise of orcas attacking boats near the Strait of Gibraltar. Scientists are unsure of the cause. One theory is that these attacks could be a fad, led by juvenile orcas in the area, a documented behavior in this subpopulation of the dolphin family. They could also be a response to a potential bad encounter between boats and orcas in the area. Science Friday’s Charles Bergquist talks with Sophie Bushwick, technology editor for Scientific American, about these and other stories from this week in science news, including a preview of a hot El Niño summer, an amateur astronomer who discovered a new supernova, and alleviating waste problems by using recycled diapers in concrete. A Famous Sled Dog’s Genome Holds Evolutionary Surprises Do you remember the story of Balto? In 1925, the town of Nome, Alaska, was facing a diphtheria outbreak. Balto was a sled dog and a very good boy who helped deliver life-saving medicine to the people in the town. Balto’s twisty tale has been told many times, including in a 1990s animated movie in which Kevin Bacon voiced the iconic dog. But last month, [scientists uncovered a new side of Balto] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/balto-genetics-mammals-zoonomia/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . They sequenced his genes and discovered the sled dog wasn’t exactly who they expected. The study published in the journal Science, was part of a project called Zoonomia, which aims to better understand the evolution of mammals, including our own genome, by looking at the genes of other animals—from narwhals to aardvarks. Guest host Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Elinor Karlsson, associate professor in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology at the UMass Chan Medical School and director of Vertebrate Genomics at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Dr. Katie Moon, post-doctoral researcher who led Balto’s study; and Dr. Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, who coauthored the new study on Balto and another paper which identified animals that are most likely to face extinction. The Long And Short Of Telomere Activity Telomeres are repeating short sequences of genetic code (in humans, TTAGGG) located on the ends of chromosomes. They act as a buffer during the cell replication process. Loops at the end of the telomere prevent chromosomes from getting inadvertently stuck together by DNA repair enzymes. Over the lifetime of the cell, the telomeres become shorter and shorter with each cell division. When they become too short, the cell dies. Telomere sequences weren’t thought to do much else—sort of like the plastic tip at the end of a shoelace. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers now argue that telomeres may actually encode for two short proteins. Normally, those proteins aren’t released into the cell. However, if the telomere is damaged—or as it gets shorter during repeated cell replication cycles— [those signaling proteins may be able to leak out into the cell and affect other processes] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/telomeres-protein-activity/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , perhaps altering nucleic acid metabolism and protein synthesis, or triggering cellular inflammation. Jack Griffith, one of the authors of the report and the Kenan Distinguished Professor of microbiology and immunology at the UNC School of Medicine, joins SciFri’s Charles Bergquist to talk about the idea and what other secrets may lie inside the telomere. Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum Takes Down Digital Resources Robert Pendarvis gave his heart to Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. Literally. He has [a rare condition called acromegaly] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/mutter-museum-digital-resources-human-remains/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , where his body makes too much growth hormone, which causes bones, cartilage and organs to keep growing. The condition affected his heart, so much so that a heart valve leaked. He had a heart transplant in 2020. Pendarvis thought his original heart could tell an important story, and teach others about this rare condition, which is why he was determined to put it on display at the Mütter Museum. The Mütter Museum is a Philadelphia institution, a medical museum that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to its rooms filled with anatomical specimens, models, and old medical instruments. The place is not for the squeamish. Display cases show [skulls, abnormal skeletons, and a jar containing the bodies of stillborn conjoined twins.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/mutter-museum-digital-resources-human-remains/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Pendarvis thought it would be the perfect home for his heart — and more. [To read the rest, visit sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/mutter-museum-digital-resources-human-remains/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) To stay updated on all-things-science, [sign up for Science Friday's newsletters] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-26-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

26 May 2023

47 MINS

47:15

26 May 2023

#149

Weight and Health Myths, A Corvid Invasion. May 19, 2023, Part 1

[Can Science Find An Antidote to Americium?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/finding-americium-antidote/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) With some poisons, there’s an antidote — something you can take to block the effects of the poison, or to help remove it from your body. But when the harmful chemical is a radioactive element, options are limited. Iodine pills can be used to help block radioactive iodine I131 from being absorbed by the thyroid, but there aren’t many other drugs that can help deal with contamination with other radioactive substances. One of the two existing medications can only be delivered via IV in a clinic. This week, [the NIH announced the start of an early clinical trial for an oral drug] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/finding-americium-antidote/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) delivered as a tablet that could potentially be used to bind and remove radioactive elements including plutonium, uranium and neptunium from the body. Rachel Feltman, editor at large at Popular Science, joins Ira to talk about that trial and other stories from the week in science, including [an experimental universal flu vaccine] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/finding-americium-antidote/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , [research into the amount of trace DNA humans shed every day] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/finding-americium-antidote/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , and an update on [the planet Saturn’s moon count] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/finding-americium-antidote/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . [Debunking Common Myths About Being Fat] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/debunking-myths-fat-research-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Weight loss is big business. Americans spend roughly $60 billion each year trying to lose weight, forking over cash for supplements, diet plans, and gym memberships. Yet somewhere between 90 to 95% of diets fail. Much of what we think we know about the relationship between weight and health is based on a series of assumptions that [don’t always match up with the latest science.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/debunking-myths-fat-research-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Science Friday producer, Shoshannah Buxbaum talks with Aubrey Gordon, co-host of the podcast Maintenance Phase and author of the recent book “You Just Need To Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, about the history of the Body Mass Index or BMI. She discusses why the word “obesity” is tangled up in stereotypes about fat people, the flaws in commonly cited mortality statistics, and how anti-fat bias translates into worse healthcare for fat people. [Read an excerpt of “You Just Need To Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People here.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/you-just-need-to-lose-weight-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) [What To Do When 500-1,000 Crows Roost In Your Neighborhood] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/large-crow-roost-baltimore/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Laura Young was at a breaking point when she [submitted a post titled “Request: Make 500-1,000 crows leave my street alone”] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/large-crow-roost-baltimore/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) to the subreddit r/lifeprotips in January. “I think you can tell that I was feeling very frustrated and running out of options and I clearly needed help,” she said. Starting last October, Laura’s neighborhood in Baltimore was the site of a massive crow roost. And unlike past years’ roosts, which usually only last a few weeks with a few dozen crows, this one showed no signs of leaving. “The numbers that they’ve attracted ever since then are unbelievable,” she said. “I mean, we’re at the point where it is frightening to walk out at night.” According to Laura, hundreds of them filled the trees in the park outside her apartment. “And they’re all screaming,” she said. “It is loud enough to wake you up indoors with all the windows closed. I don’t think anyone on my block has slept past 6:00am in three months.” There was the noise, and then there was the poop: [coating the streets, the buildings, and the cars.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/large-crow-roost-baltimore/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) “It is just disgusting. I’ve never spent so much money on car washes in my entire life,” she laughed. [To read the rest, visit sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/large-crow-roost-baltimore/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) To stay updated on all-things-science, [sign up for Science Friday's newsletters] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-19-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

19 May 2023

48 MINS

48:08

19 May 2023

#148

The B Broadcast: Bees, Beans, Bears, and Butterflies. May 19, 2023, Part 2

[Science Says Eat More Beans] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-eat-beans-recipe/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Beans are delicious, high in protein, inexpensive, efficient to grow, and an absolute staple in so many cuisines. So why don’t Americans eat more of them? The average American eats 7.5 pounds of beans annually, which is only a few cans of beans every year. The answer is complicated, but one thing is sure: Beans have a PR problem. Ira talks with Julieta Cardenas, a Future Perfect Fellow at Vox, who reported this story. If you’re looking to chef it up, [read some of the SciFri staff’s favorite bean recipes] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-eat-beans-recipe/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . [The World According To Sound: Feeding Time] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/grizzly-bears-feeding/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) In this story from our friends at The World According to Sound, we’ll take a sonic trip to Yellowstone National Park. You’ll hear the sounds of two grizzlies feasting on a bison. It’s very rare that a bear can take down an adult bison, but they will chow down on animals that are already dead, like if they were killed by wolves or a car. [The World According to Sound] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/grizzly-bears-feeding/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) is a live audio show, online listening series, and miniature podcast, created by Chris Hoff and Sam Harnett. [Bees Have Feelings, Too] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/what-a-bee-knows-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Few pollinators have the charisma of bees, so much so that the phrase “save the bees” has become a calling card for those who consider themselves ecologically-conscious. There are more than 21,000 species of bees, ranging from the very recognizable bumblebees to the vibrant blue and green Augochloropsis metallica. Pollination ecologist Stephen Buchmann has studied bees for nearly fifty years, learning about everything from their natural behaviors to how they respond to puzzles. All of this has led him to a fascinating conclusion: [bees are sentient, and they have feelings] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/what-a-bee-knows-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Stephen joins Ira from Tucson, Arizona to talk about his new book, [What a Bee Knows] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/what-a-bee-knows-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . [Read an excerpt from the book here.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/bee-feelings-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) [Pinning Down The Origin Of Butterflies] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/butterfly-origins-evolution-tree/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) One of the highlights of being outdoors in warmer weather is spotting a delicate, colorful butterfly exploring the landscape. There are over 19,000 different species of butterflies around the world—and all of them evolved from some enterprising moth that decided to venture out in the daytime, around 100 million years ago. But just where that evolutionary fork in the road occurred has been a matter of scientific debate, with many researchers positing a butterfly origin in Australia or Asia. Writing this week in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, researchers report on a new phylogenetic map of butterfly evolution, a lepidopteran family tree, combining genetic data with information from fossils, plants, and geography to trace back the origin and spread of butterflies. [They find that butterflies likely split from moths in what is now Central or North America, before spreading to South America,] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/butterfly-origins-evolution-tree/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) crossing oceans to Australia and Asia, and eventually spreading to Europe and Africa. Dr. Akito Kawahara, professor, curator, and director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History and one of the authors of the report, joins Ira to talk about the findings and share some other surprising facts about butterflies. To stay updated on all-things-science, [sign up for Science Friday's newsletters] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-19-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

19 May 2023

47 MINS

47:42

19 May 2023

#147

Star Trek Science, Listening to Pando. May 12, 2023, Part 2

Star Trek’s Science Advisor Reveals The Real Astrophysics On Screen Few pop culture properties have lasted quite as long as Star Trek. A dozen Star Trek television shows have aired over the last sixty years—not to mention countless movies, novels, and comic books. Science concepts have always been integral to the Star Trek franchise: from [warp speed travel to dilithium] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/star-trek-series-science-consultant-astrophysics/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . But how much does the series actually accurately depict? Ira speaks with astrophysicist Dr. Erin Macdonald, science consultant for Star Trek about the legacy of the franchise, and how accurate the science is within the series. Listen To The Largest Tree On Earth For this story, we’re taking a trip to south central Utah and into the Fishlake National Forest to visit the largest tree on earth, an aspen named Pando. The strange thing about Pando is that it doesn’t really look like the world’s biggest tree. It has rolling hills with thousands of tall, lean aspens swaying in the wind. But Pando is there, hiding in plain sight. All those tree trunks you see aren’t actually individual trees. Technically, they’re branches, and that’s because [Pando is one massive tree] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/listen-to-the-pando-largest-tree/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) —sprawling more than 100 acres, with 47,000 branches growing from it. There is a lot to learn about Pando, and our guests turned to sound to understand the tree better. Together, they created an [“acoustic portrait”] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/listen-to-the-pando-largest-tree/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) to hear all the snaps, splinters, and scuttles that happen in and around the tree. Ira talks with Jeff Rice, a sound artist and co-founder of the Acoustic Atlas at the Montana State University Library, and Lance Oditt, executive director of the non-profit [Friends of Pando] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/listen-to-the-pando-largest-tree/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , which is dedicated to preserving the tree. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-12-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

12 May 2023

47 MINS

47:17

12 May 2023

#146

US COVID Health Emergency Ends. May 12, 2023, Part 1

[FDA Advisory Board Approves First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/otc-birth-control-pill/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) This week an FDA advisory board [paved the way for the first over the counter birth control pill] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/otc-birth-control-pill/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , with an unanimous decision 17-0. The FDA must accept the recommendation before the pills are available for sale, which is expected in a few months time. If approved, the progestin-only pill would be manufactured by the company Perrigo, under the brand name Opill. Ira talks with Maggie Koerth, science journalist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about that and more including; Voyager spacecrafts get energy boosts, wild axolotls face extinction, testing airplane waste for COVID-19 and more. US Declares An End To The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Just over three years ago, Alex Azar, then the Secretary of Health and Human Services, issued a declaration of a national public health emergency as a result of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. That declaration kicked off a cascade of nationwide funding, policies, and restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the three years that followed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates over a million people in the US have died from COVID-19. Yesterday, although the virus is still circulating and people are still getting sick, that emergency declaration finally came to an end, after being renewed over a dozen times. A statement released by the Department of Health and Human Services said “ [COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it once was.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/end-of-covid-emergency/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Since January 2021, COVID-19 deaths have declined by 95% and hospitalizations are down nearly 91%.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, joins Ira Flatow to talk about where we go from here. Is life back to normal—or is there a new normal? [What have we learned from the past three years about responding to future outbreaks?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/end-of-covid-emergency/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-12-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) ... Read more

12 May 2023

46 MINS

46:56

12 May 2023

#145

Antibiotic Resistance, Space Launches and the Environment, Phage Therapy. May 5, 2023, Part 2

SpaceX Explosion Damages Environment Around Launch Site Last Thursday, SpaceX’s South Texas facility was awash in noise and fire, as crowds gathered in South Padre Island and Port Isabel to watch Starship’s first orbital launch. It was the largest and most powerful rocket ever made, standing at around 400 feet tall. Four minutes into the launch, SpaceX detonated the rocket after the SuperHeavy booster failed to separate from the Starship as planned. The launch destroyed the company’s launch pad, [spreading concrete up to three quarters of a mile away.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/spacex-explosion-launch-debris/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Cameras left by YouTubers were either knocked down or destroyed in the rumble, along with some of the fence surrounding the launch pad’s road-facing property. [To read the rest, visit sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/spacex-explosion-launch-debris/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) The Private Space Race Takes A Toll On Planet Earth After the SpaceX explosion last month, debris wasn’t the only thing on the minds of Science Friday listeners. The following messages arrived in our inbox [after we reported on 3-D printed rockets in March.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/private-space-launches-pollution/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) It was interesting to hear you discuss 7 space launches in 5 days, and then just moments later the fact that we’re not on track to reduce carbon emissions. My understanding is that rocket launches release huge amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gases. Story idea?—@RevBobIerien, Twitter Also regarding the 3-D rockets there wasn’t any concern made for space pollution was there? I may have tuned out unhappily before the end. —Juanita H, email How much carbon do rockets contribute to global warming? —Robert C, email Very disappointing to hear the report of new “cheaper” 3D-printed rockets are available so that, like fast food pods and big gulps, we can now drop even more cheap **** into the ocean. And, *immediately* following a story about the new report on climate change, what exactly is the carbon footprint resulting from the ability of more people to more cheaply fire rockets into space? —David M, email [Carbon isn’t the big pollutant that comes from spaceflight] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/private-space-launches-pollution/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , says Dr. Eloise Marais, associate professor in physical geography at University College London. Instead, black carbon or soot particles are generated and released directly into the atmosphere, alongside reactive nitrogen and nitrogen oxides. Dr. Marais joins Ira to talk about how much of an impact increased rocket launches could have on the atmosphere, and how that compares to the auto industry. How To Combat The Antibiotic Resistance Crisis For years scientists have been ringing alarm bells about a global antibiotic resistance crisis. Now hospitals and healthcare facilities face the consequences: In the United States, there are 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections every year, and more than 35,000 people die from these infections. Bacteria naturally try to outsmart the drugs designed to kill them, which causes treatments to become ineffective over time. While new antibiotics are made to respond to these resistant strains, the bacteria continue to evolve—creating a constant, and costly, cycle. There’s a number of added factors driving the crisis, including antibiotic use in livestock and the general overprescription of antibiotics. [About 1 in 3 antibiotic prescriptions in outpatient settings like urgent care or emergency departments are unnecessary.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/antibiotic-resistance-crisis/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Scientists are struggling to keep up with the need to replace antibiotics that no longer work. It’s a never ending game of catch up. Ira discusses some of the possible solutions to this vexing problem and takes listener questions with Dr. Victor Nizet, faculty lead of the Collaborative to Halt Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes at the University of California San Diego and Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, executive vice chair of medicine at the University of Colorado. Are Phages A New Page In Medicine? One of the many possible solutions to the global antibiotic resistance crisis is an old idea that’s new again—bacteriophages, or phages for short. Phages are viruses that exist solely to kill bacteria and are abundant in nature. While scientists first discovered [phages’ ability to treat bacterial infections] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bacteriophages-antibiotic-resistance/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) about a century ago, there’s been little interest in turning them into a treatment for patients with antibiotic resistant infections—until recently. Ira talks with Dr. Graham Hatfull, professor of biotechnology at the University of Pittsburgh about the latest in phage science. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-5-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

05 May 2023

46 MINS

46:58

05 May 2023

#144

Why Rats Love Cities, Science Of Saliva And Taste. May 5, 2023, Part 1

A Dying Planet Offers A Peek Into The Future This week, astronomers reported in the journal Nature that they had spotted [a planet approximately the size of Jupiter being swallowed by a star over the course of ten days] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/dying-planet-engulfed-star/) . The star, called ZTF SLRN-2020, is about 15,000 light-years away from our solar system, but still in our own galaxy. Astronomers had thought this type of planet-engulfing must happen, based on how stars evolve and certain chemical signatures they’ve spotted from inside stars. However, this is the first time the process has actually been observed. Our own sun is predicted to go through a similar expansion in about five billion years, consuming Mercury, Venus, and likely Earth. Tim Revell, deputy US editor at New Scientist, joins Ira to talk about the fate of the planet [and other stories from the week in science] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/dying-planet-engulfed-star/) , including mapping the trees of Africa, an experimental Alzheimer’s drug showing early promise, and reconstructing a short movie clip based on brain signals recorded in mice. Saliva: The Unsung Hero Of Taste How good are you at tasting what you eat? Not just gulping food down, but actually savoring the flavor? When you think about how taste works, you may think about your tongue and taste buds, and how they send information about your food info to your brain. But there’s an overlooked—and understudied—hero in this story: saliva. That may sound strange, since [part of saliva’s job is to help us chew, swallow, talk, and even digest] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/saliva-taste-test/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . But saliva is much more interesting and complicated than that. Ira talks with Chris Gorski, editor at Chemical & Engineering News, who reported this story about taste and saliva for Knowable Magazine earlier this year. Who Will Win The Rat Race? Last fall, New York City’s Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood in front of a microphone and announced her plan to deal with NYC’s most hated residents: rats. She went on to make a now-viral declaration: “I want to be clear, the rats are absolutely going to hate this announcement. But the rats don’t run this city: We do.” Soon after, NYC announced its search for a rat czar. Someone who is “highly motivated and somewhat bloodthirsty” with “the drive, determination, and killer instinct needed to fight the real enemy—New York City’s relentless rat population.” This news—and the memes born from it—put rats in the forefront of city dwellers’ minds. And now, the newly appointed rat czar Kathleen Corradi’s reign has begun. But ridding cities of rats is no easy feat. It requires public participation, new policy, behavioral changes, and an all-hands-on-deck approach from several government departments. So what’s it going to take to rid cities of rats? And is it even possible? In this live call-in, Ira talks with Bethany Brookshire, science journalist and author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains, and Dr. Bobby Corrigan, urban rodentologist and pest consultant. They discuss [the history of humans’ relationships with rats, why these critters thrive in cities, and why we’ll need to learn how to live with them] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/rat-cities-pests/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/may-5-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

05 May 2023

46 MINS

46:51

05 May 2023

#143

Personifying AI, The Reading Brain, Environmental Sampling Via Bees. April 28, 2023, Part 2

Why Do Humans Anthropomorphize AI? Artificial intelligence has become more sophisticated in a short period of time. Even though we may understand that when ChatGPT spits out a response, there’s no human behind the screen, we can’t help but anthropomorphize—imagining that the AI has a personality, thoughts, or feelings. How exactly should we understand the bond between humans and artificial intelligence? Guest host Sophie Bushwick talks to Dr. David Gunkel, professor of media studies at Northern Illinois University, to explore the [ways in which humans and artificial intelligence form emotional connections.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ai-human-personification/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) A Bee’s Eye View Of Cities’ Microbiomes When you want to look at the microbial health of a city, there are a variety of ways to go about it. You might look at medical records, or air quality. In recent years, samples of wastewater have been used to track COVID outbreaks. Studies of urban subway systems have involved painstaking swabs of patches of subway muck. But now, researchers are offering another approach to sample a city’s environment—its beehives. A report recently published in the journal Environmental Microbiome used the bees foraging in a city to provide information about the town’s bacteria and fungi. The researchers found that by looking at the debris in the bottom of a beehive, they could learn about some of the environments in the blocks around the hives. The microbes they collected weren’t just species associated with flowers and plant life, but included [organisms associated with ponds and dogs.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/honeybees-city-microbiomes/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) The team found that the hive samples could reveal changes from one neighborhood to another in a city, and in the microbial differences between different cities—samples taken in Venice, for instance, contained signals associated with rotting wood that were not seen in samples from Tokyo. Elizabeth Henaff, an assistant professor in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering at New York University and a co-author of the report, joins SciFri’s Kathleen Davis to talk about what bees and microbes can tell us about the cities we share. This Is Your Brain On Words What happens after you pick up a book, or pull up some text on your phone? What occurs between the written words hitting your eyes and your brain understanding what they represent? Scientists are trying to better understand how the brain processes written information—and how a primate brain that evolved to make sense of twisty branches and forking streams adapted to comprehend a written alphabet. Researchers used electrodes implanted in the brains of patients being evaluated for epilepsy treatment to study what parts of the brain were involved when those patients read words and sentences. They found that [two different parts of the brain are activated] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-does-your-brain-read/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , and interact in different ways when you read a simple list of unrelated words, compared to when you encounter a series of words that builds up a more complex idea. Dr. Nitin Tandon, a professor of neurosurgery at UTHealth Houston and one of the authors of a report on the work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, joins guest host Sophie Bushwick to talk about the study, and what scientists are learning about how the brain allows us to read. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-28-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

28 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:10

28 Apr 2023

#142

History And Science Of Chickens, Climate Activism, Pipeline Movie. April 28, 2023, Part 1

Dirty Diapers Reveal How Germy Babies’ Microbiomes Are In a new study, researchers picked through the dirty diapers of more than 600 infants. Those stinky diapers were a gold mine of info—they contained more than 10,000 virus species. And though it may sound terrifying, [those viruses play a key role in babies’ microbiomes] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/baby-diaper-microbiome/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Guest host and SciFri producer Kathleen Davis talks with Katherine J. Wu, staff writer at The Atlantic about this story and [other science news of the week] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/baby-diaper-microbiome/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . They chat about climate change’s influence on the twilight zone, what critters can be found on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a surprising twist in the story of Mars’ moon Deimos, the impressive sleeping habits of elephant seals, and why insects seem to flock to the light when it’s dark out. From Backyards To Barn Yards, The Surprising Science Of Chickens Raising backyard chickens continues to grow in popularity. The number of households in the United States with a backyard flock jumped from 8% in 2018 to 13% in 2020, according to a survey by the American Pet Products Association. But our fondness for chickens is hardly new. The relationship between humans and chickens [goes back thousands of years] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-of-chickens-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , to when humans began domesticating the red junglefowl native to Southeast Asia. Guest host Sophie Bushwick has a compre(hen)sive conversation with Tove Danovich, freelance journalist and author of the new book Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them, about [how she was charmed by her own backyard chickens, the history of their domestication, and the surprising science of chicken intelligence] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-of-chickens-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Why Climate Activists Are Turning To Drastic Measures For Earth Day this year, people all over the world took to the streets to demand climate action. But as large and loud as these protests can be, they are often met with inaction. So activists are ramping up their efforts. Just within the last year, we’ve seen people [chain themselves to banks, throw mashed potatoes at a Monet painting, shut down highways, and even glue themselves to museum walls, all in the name of climate justice] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/climate-activism-disruptive-tactics/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Those actions went viral and really seemed to strike a nerve. How did we end up here? Guest host Kathleen Davis talks with Dr. Dana Fisher, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland College Park, about the state of climate activism and the tactics at play. Recasting The Climate Movement In ‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ Climate activism is getting the big screen treatment this spring, with the new film “How to Blow Up a Pipeline.” This action-packed heist film follows a group of young climate activists, disillusioned by the slow pace of climate action, who decide to take drastic action in the name of the climate. What follows is a tense ‘will they-won’t they’ story set in Texas oil country. The name of this movie comes from a 2021 nonfiction book by Andreas Malm. That book is a manifesto that argues that property damage and sabotage is the only way forward for climate activism. The movie features characters who struggle with this question, and whether there’s a different way to accomplish their climate goals. Guest host Kathleen Davis speaks with Ariela Barer, who co-wrote, produced, and acted in the film. They chat about [bringing this complicated topic to the big screen, and creating characters reflective of the real-life climate movement] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-to-blow-up-pipeline-climate-movie/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-28-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

28 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:27

28 Apr 2023

#141

Introducing Our New Podcast: Universe Of Art

How do we use art to process the world around us in ways that science can’t? How are illustrators using their skills to help us understand nature’s most unusual creatures? On Universe of Art, a new podcast from Science Friday, hosted by SciFri producer and art nerd D Peterschmidt, we bring you some of our favorite arts stories from the show, some new ones too, and conversations with the producers who made those segments. We’ll hear from astronomers who integrate space into their artwork, drag performers who bring science into their acts, and many others. Join us for conversations with artists who use science to bring their creations to the next level. Listen to Universe of Art on [Apple Podcasts] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-of-art/id1680530900) , [Spotify] (https://open.spotify.com/show/6CVk9662jkEUYBjGrsqjMY?si=21f0f43b2d454d0e) , [Google Podcasts] (https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS95WTRSRE5EUw) , [Stitcher] (https://www.stitcher.com/show/universe-of-art) , [TuneIn] (https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Universe-of-Art-p3695071/) or your favorite podcasting app. ... Read more

22 Apr 2023

23 MINS

23:17

22 Apr 2023

#140

Anesthesia 101, Carbon-Sequestering Poplars, Period Book. April 21, 2023, Part 1

An Explosive End For A Massive Rocket This week, SpaceX attempted the first uncrewed orbital test flight of its massive Super Heavy rocket topped with an experimental crew capsule known as Starship. After one aborted launch earlier in the week, the huge rocket successfully lifted off Thursday morning—but minutes later, the Starship component failed to separate from the Super Heavy booster, [and the combined rocket stack exploded] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/spacex-rocket-explosion/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . While a setback for the team, SpaceX head Elon Musk said that a lot had been learned from the flight, and another test launch would take place in several months. Purbita Saha, senior editor at Popular Science, joins SciFri’s John Dankosky to talk about the launch and [other stories from the week in science] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/spacex-rocket-explosion/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , including an Earth Day look at water conservation issues across the country and the materials science of Maya plaster. Plus, you can now listen to Science Friday's [new arts podcast, Universe of Art] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/new-science-friday-podcast-universe-of-art/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . SciFri producer and Universe of Art host D Peterschmidt joins John to give a sneak peak of some of the episodes. Dismantling Myths About Menstruation Saying the phrase “menstrual blood” or or the word “period” can feel almost dirty. That’s because in the western world, people with periods are taught not to discuss this exceedingly normal biological process. Half the world will menstruate at some point in their lives, and yet [menstruation remains exceedingly under-studied] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/menstruation-myths-period-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Biological anthropologist Kate Clancy dug into the history of menstruation research, and the myriad misconceptions about it, while working on her book “Period: The Real Story of Menstruation.” What she found was [a lack of basic understanding of the biological process, from physicians and menstruators alike] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/menstruation-myths-period-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Clancy speaks with guest host Maddie Sofia about the misconceptions of a “normal” menstrual cycle, and other persisting period myths. Fighting Climate Change With Genetically Modified Trees Vince Stanley has a saying, which he holds as true in a commercial forest as on a row crop farm: Every acre has a plan. In a wetland he owns in Tattnall County, about 70 miles west of Savannah, downhill from an orderly grove of predictably profitable loblolly pines, he is trying out something new. “Now, look at this guy right here,” Stanley said, pointing out what looked more like a stick in the mud compared to the tupelos growing a few yards away in the deeper water. This stick, surrounded by pin flags and planted about six feet away from its sister, had signs of new life: dark green leaves. “That’s impressive,” Stanley said. And the germ of the new plan for these acres, is something that, until now, Stanley said he didn’t really have. “We’re just leaving this up to Mother Nature,” he said. “So now with Living Carbon, we’ve gone to Option B.” This nascent tree and 10,499 others are at the heart of Option B, what might be the first effort of its kind in the nation: genetically engineered trees planted in a forest. What’s more, these trees are for sale. [Read the rest at sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/gmo-trees-carbon-sequestering/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) All You Need To Know About Anesthesia If you’ve ever had surgery, you’ve probably wondered about how anesthesia works, or maybe even lied awake at night anxious about going under. If you’ve ever been there, I’m sure you remember: Right before surgery, you get rolled into the operating room. The anesthesiologist tells you to start counting down from 10. The next thing you know, you’re awake in the recovery room and you don’t remember anything that just happened to you. [How exactly did anesthesiologists manage to get you safely into that state and back out again?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-does-anesthesia-work/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Guest host John Dankosky talks with Dr. Louise Sun, professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Stanford University Health and Dr. Gunisha Kaur, anesthesiologist, director of the Human Rights Impact Lab, and medical director of Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights at Weill Cornell Medicine [about the basics of how anesthesia works] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-does-anesthesia-work/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

21 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:22

21 Apr 2023

#139

The Myth of the Alpha Wolf, Cherokee Nation Seed Banks, History of Gender Affirming Care. April 21, ...

[How We Arrived At Current Standards Of Care For Trans Medicine] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/transgender-health-medicine-standards/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) So far this year, 16 states have moved to restrict or completely ban transgender kids access to gender affirming care. And 17 other states are considering similar laws, a handful even trying to restrict care for adults. This political controversy has drawn increased attention to “Standards of Care,” a set of guidelines written by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health or WPATH. Health professionals are encouraged to consult these guidelines when providing gender affirming care like puberty blockers, hormones and surgery to transgender patients. [A new version of the standards] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/transgender-health-medicine-standards/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) were released last fall, sparking controversy. Some conservatives saw the guidelines as making transition too easy, and seized the moment to further restrict transition-related care. Some trans activists and health care providers felt the opposite, seeing the 2022 guidelines as too restrictive, creating unnecessary hurdles to life-saving medicine. How did we get to a point where one document is supposed to shape all of trans medicine? Guest host Maddie Sofia talks with Hil Malatino, Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Philosophy at Penn State University, to put in perspective the history of gender affirming care. [How The Cherokee Nation Is Saving Culturally Significant Seeds] (http://www.wnycstudios.org/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bhttps://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cherokee-nation-heirloom-seeds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Think about your family heirlooms—the most prized items passed down from generation to generation, that tell a story about who you are and where you come from. Did you ever think that seeds could be part of that story? This year, [the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank is continuing its program] (http://www.wnycstudios.org/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bhttps://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cherokee-nation-heirloom-seeds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) to distribute heirloom seeds to tribal citizens, one that’s been running since 2006. Last year, the Nation distributed almost 10,000 seed packets to citizens across the country in an effort to keep these culturally significant plants from being lost. This year, the Cherokee Nation is sharing seeds for a variety of Cherokee corn, gourds, beans, pumpkins, beads, and native plants and flowers. Guest host John Dankosky talks with Feather Smith, the Cherokee Nation’s ethnobiologist, about how Cherokee heirloom seeds have been cultivated, planted, and preserved over the years. [To see an image gallery of the Cherokee Nation heirloom garden, visit sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cherokee-nation-heirloom-seeds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) [The Long Legacy Of The Alpha Wolf Myth] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/alpha-wolf-myth/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Around the 1970s, the world latched onto a catchy new scientific term: alpha wolf. It described the top dog that clawed its way to the top of its pack, and it quickly became a mainstream symbol for power and dominance. [The idea of the alpha wolf was debunked almost 25 years ago] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/alpha-wolf-myth/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , but its legacy lives on. Most commonly, it’s found in circles of the internet where men appoint themselves alpha wolf, and also in dog training. Strangely, those two things are connected. Guest host Maddie Sofia explores how science works and how people use it in their everyday lives, whether it’s true or not. And a little about what happens when science goes mainstream. Maddie first talks with Dr. Dave Mech, senior research scientist at the US Geological Survey and founder of the International Wolf Center. His 1970 book “The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species” helped popularize the term “alpha wolf.” But when he discovered that alpha wolves aren’t really real many years later, he tried to right the wrong. Then, Maddie talks with two researchers about how the alpha wolf idea is still around today: Anamarie Johnson, PhD candidate and canine behavior consultant at Arizona State University, and Dr. Lindsay Palmer, social and behavioral scientist who studies the human-animal bond at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. They explore how biases and societal ideas shape science, and connect the dots between alpha wolves, masculinity, and dog training. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-21-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

21 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:09

21 Apr 2023

#138

‘Possibility Of Life’ Book, PFAS Sewage, ‘Smart’ Play. April 14, 2023, Part 2

Is Anybody Out There? The Quest For Life In Space It’s one of humanity’s biggest fundamental questions: “Is there life elsewhere in the universe?” But despite years of searching, it’s a query that still has no answer. That conundrum also opens up a whole string of other inquiries, from how to best search for signs of life, to whether we’ll be able to make sense of what we’re seeing. The search for life elsewhere can also help us learn about our own existence. How many of what we consider the basic rules of life on earth are really just suggestions, or convenient accidents? A new book tackles these riddles through the lens of both science and science fiction. Science writer Jaime Green, author of the book, [The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/possibility-of-life-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , joins Ira to talk about the science, history, and philosophy of our search for alien lifeforms, and takes questions from callers. The SciFri Book Club will be reading this book together in May—you can read along with us next month. Find everything you need to know on [our May Book Club page] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/sf-books/the-possibility-of-life/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Farm Fertilizers Can Contain ‘Forever Chemicals’ From Sewage The Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant is a pollution success story. Over the last several decades, it transformed Boston Harbor from a nationally embarrassing cesspool into a swimmable bay. The treatment plant takes everything the people of Greater Boston send down their sinks, toilets, showers and washing machines — plus industrial waste — and treats it. The treated water is clean enough to let out into the ocean. The remaining sludge gets recycled into fertilizer that’s used in nearly 20 states. But now that fertilizer is raising fresh concerns. That’s because wastewater treatment plants like Deer Island were not built to handle the toxic [“forever chemicals” known as PFAS.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fertilizer-sewage-forever-chemicals/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) The treatment process concentrates PFAS chemicals in the sludge, and therefore in the fertilizer, leading environmentalists and public health advocates to call for an immediate end to its use. Others are not sure that a full ban on sludge-based fertilizer, or “biosolids,” is the answer. But there is widespread agreement that we have only begun to grasp the extent of the problem. To read the full article, visit [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fertilizer-sewage-forever-chemicals/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) When AI And Dementia Intersect As AI becomes more advanced, it’s also becoming a bigger part of our lives. That’s especially true of smart speakers, which to some of us, act as another member of a family: answering simple questions, reminding us about appointments, and entertaining children. But what parts of our privacy are we giving up to make our lives slightly more convenient? That’s the focus of [a new play called “Smart,”] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/smart-stage-play-smartspeakers/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) which tells the story of four characters: a woman, her aging mother who has dementia, an AI programmer who works for a tech company, and a smart speaker named Jenny. Ira speaks with the writer of “Smart,” Mary Elizabeth Hamilton, about how she wrote the play, how the science behind AI inspired its plot, and the connections between AI hallucinations and dementia-induced hallucinations. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-14-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

14 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:44

14 Apr 2023

#137

EV Proposal, Lactose Intolerance. April 14, 2023, Part 1

EPA Proposal To Require 60% Of New Cars To Be EVs by 2030 The EPA released [a set of proposals this week] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/epa-ev-cars-proposal/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) that would cap C02 emissions for new cars. In order to meet the new stricter targets automakers would need to ramp up electric vehicle manufacturing substantially. By 2030, 60% of new cars would need to be electric. Ira talks with Casey Crownhart, Climate Reporter for the MIT Technology Review, about the new EPA emissions proposals and other top science news of the week including predictions of a bad mosquito season and turtles basking in the moonlight. Lactose Intolerance May Have A Lot To Do With Your Gut Microbiome In the animal kingdom, it’s not normal to drink milk past infancy. It’s even more rare to consume milk from another mammal. But throughout history, humans have used dairy farming as a way to get calories and nutrition from creatures like cows, goats, and sheep. And a big perk: dairy products taste good. Evidence of dairying goes back to the early Neolithic era. Traces have been found in the historical record in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in ancient teeth and pottery. Lactase persistence, or the ability to consume dairy into adulthood, developed alongside this burgeoning industry. But here’s the catch: [a large part of the population is still lactose intolerant] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/lactose-intolerance-gut-microbiome/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , either from childhood or developed in adulthood. It’s estimated that about a third of the U.S. population is lactose intolerant, with a higher chance among certain ethnic and racial groups. There’s a lot to learn about the origins of lactose persistence and lactose intolerance, and much of that knowledge comes from the gut microbiome. Joining Ira to talk about this is Christina Warinner, assistant professor of anthropology at Harvard University, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-14-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) ... Read more

14 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:44

14 Apr 2023

#136

Artemis II Astronauts, AI Research Pause, Terra Nil Video Game. April 7, 2023, Part 2

An Open Letter Asks AI Researchers To Reconsider Responsibilities In recent months, it’s been hard to escape hearing about artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT, the AI-enabled version of Bing, and Google’s Bard—large language models skilled at manipulating words and constructing text. The programs can conduct a believable conversation and answer questions fluently, but have a tenuous grasp on what’s real, and what’s not. Last week, the [Future of Life Institute released an open letter] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ai-open-letter-chatgpt-ethics/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) that read “We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” They asked researchers to jointly develop and implement a set of shared safety protocols governing the use of AI. That letter was signed by a collection of technologists and computer researchers, including big names like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Tesla’s Elon Musk. However, some observers called the letter just another round of hype over the AI field. Dr. Stuart Russell, a professor of computer science at Berkeley, director of the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public, and co-author of one of the leading AI textbooks was a signatory to that open letter calling for a pause in AI development. He joins Ira Flatow to explain his concerns about AI systems that are ‘black boxes’—difficult for humans to understand or control. NASA Announces Artemis II Crew For Next Moon Mission This week, NASA announced the four person crew of the Artemis II mission to the moon: Commander Reid Weisman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. The crew has three firsts for a moon mission, the first woman, first person of color and first Canadian. While these Artemis II astronauts will not actually step foot on the moon, it’s an important milestone for [NASA’s first moon mission since Apollo.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/artemis-ii-crew-announced/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Ira talks with Swapna Krishna, host of the PBS digital series, Far Out about this week’s announcement and the future of the Artemis mission. Will Rising Temperatures Help Batters Swing for the Bleachers? As the planet warms, melting ice and shifting seasons aren’t the only things changing—the traditions of baseball may be affected as well. A report published this week in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society finds that warmer air temperatures are connected to a slight increase in the number of home runs hit in major league baseball. The effect, the researchers say, is due to a decrease in air density at warmer temperatures, which [allows a hit ball to fly slightly further than it would in cooler air.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/baseball-home-run-climate-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) So far, the effect is small. After correcting for other factors, the researchers say they can attribute about 500 additional MLB home runs since 2010 to warmer temperatures. Most of the observed increase in home run hitting isn’t attributable to the climate. However, they say, each additional one degree Celsius increase in temperature may lead to a two percent increase in home runs. And while ballparks with an insulating dome won’t see big shifts from increased temperatures, open-air parks with a lot of daytime games, such as Wrigley Field, will see more significant effects. Christopher Callahan, a Ph.D. candidate in geography at Dartmouth and lead author of the report, joins Ira to talk baseball and climate. This Video Game Prioritizes Restoring An Ecosystem Over Profits If you’ve played Rollercoaster Tycoon, Cities: Skylines, the Civilization series—even Animal Crossing—you’re probably familiar with this gameplay pattern: extract some kind of resource from the land, industrialize it into a theme park or a city, and (step three) profit, ad infinitum. But Terra Nil, a new game from the studio Free Lives, fundamentally challenges this oft-used game loop. Instead of maximizing profit at the expense of the local ecosystem, the [player’s focus is to make a healthier, natural one instead] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/video-game-environment/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . You start with a barren wasteland (one that you assume has been completely desolated by human activity, perhaps the aftermath from one of the previously mentioned games), and with the help of advanced eco-tech—like wind turbines, soil purifiers, irrigators, and more—restore it to a thriving, diverse ecosystem. The player’s ultimate goal is to take all the tech they used to restore the land, recycle it into an airship, and fly away, leaving no human presence behind. SciFri producer D Peterschmidt speaks with Sam Alfred, the lead designer and programmer of Terra Nil, about how Free Lives designed this “reverse city-builder,” how the studio took inspiration from the flora of their local Cape Town, and how he hopes the game challenges players how they think about traditional gameplay systems and their effect on our world. Workout Worms May Reveal New Parkinson’s Treatments [Scientists built an exercise pool for tiny worms.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/worm-gym-exercise-parkinsons/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Why? A team of researchers at University of Colorado Boulder are looking into ways to help treat people with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. They’re turning to tiny collaborators, C. elegans, worms which measure just one millimeter in length. These scientists wanted to see how exercise affects brain health by putting a bunch of these worms in an exercise class—in a tiny pool. Ira talks with the co-author of this fascinating new research, Dr. Joyita Bhadra, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-7-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

07 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:34

07 Apr 2023

#135

Plants Make Sounds, Frog Science, COVID Vaccine Update. April 7, 2023, Part 1

Your Plants Are Trying to Tell You They’re Thirsty Spring is in the air, with flowers blooming and gardens starting. Most people with a green thumb will know a droopy plant is a signal that it needs water. But new research has found another way that plants will signal that they’re thirsty: [emitting staccato popping sounds, too high pitched for the human ears] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/plants-water-click-sounds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Elsewhere in the world of science journalism, an argument has been made that elephants have self-domesticated. If true, this would make these gentle giants only the third creature to have done this, alongside humans and bonobos. Joining Ira to talk about these stories and [other science stories of the week] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/plants-water-click-sounds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) is Rachel Feltman, host of the podcast “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week” and editor at large of Popular Science. Your Future COVID-19 Vaccine May Come Through Your Nose The nose knows about COVID-19 infection. It is the entrance to the immune system, after all. The nose’s position as one of our first lines of defense has many experts in favor of developing COVID-19 nasal sprays, with the thought that [it may replace the needle jabs we’ve come to expect] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/nasal-covid-vaccine/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . The development of nasal vaccines comes at a time when many Americans are anxiously awaiting if the government will approve additional COVID-19 boosters. The bivalent boosters have been out for more than six months, and there have been reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will recommend an additional dose for some Americans this spring. Joining Ira to give us the latest on [nasal sprays, boosters, and answering some listener questions] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/nasal-covid-vaccine/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) is Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, immunobiologist at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut. Make It Easier To Be Green. Show Frogs Some Love Frogs have been called the equivalent of the canary in the coalmine, harbingers for the health of our environment. When frogs go silent, something is amiss. So we’re going to spend some time talking about why frogs are so important and how you can better support your neighborly amphibians. One idea? Build a toad abode and welcome them in. Plus, there’s another way to help frogs and toads—and that’s by lending your eyes and your ears to the scientists who study them. April is Citizen Science Month, so we’re kicking things off with [a toad-ally cool project called FrogWatch] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/building-frog-friendly-habitats/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . It relies on volunteers from across the country to record frog calls and report them to FrogWatch’s database. Ira talks with Dr. Itzue Caviedes-Solis, assistant professor at Swarthmore College, about [making outdoor spaces more frog-friendly] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/building-frog-friendly-habitats/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Then, he chats with Carrie Bassett, National FrogWatch USA coordinator and education mission manager at the Akron Zoo, [about how volunteers can lend their eyes and ears to help scientists study frogs] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/building-frog-friendly-habitats/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/april-7-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

07 Apr 2023

47 MINS

47:25

07 Apr 2023

#134

Mapping An Insect Brain, Climate Education, Audubon Name, Wastewater Methane. March 31, 2023, Part 2

Sewage Is A Biological Necessity, And A Methane Minefield In most cities, once you flush a toilet, the water and waste flows through the sewage system to a water treatment plant. Once it’s there, it goes through a series of chemical and biological processes which clean it up and make the water safe to drink again. But a recent paper in the journal Environmental Science & Technology finds that some of those sewage plants may be having a greater impact on the climate than previously thought. The anaerobic decomposition of organic material in the waste stream at sewage plants produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The researchers used an electric car fitted with a suite of atmospheric gas sensors to sniff the emissions downwind of 63 sewage treatment plants at different times and during different seasons. They found that the wastewater treatment process [may release amounts of methane nearly twice that] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/sewage-methane/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In a related study, other researchers analyzed data from published monitoring of wastewater treatment facilities around the globe—and arrived at a similar estimate of the methane production. Mark Zondlo, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University, and one of the authors of the methane-sniffing research, talks with guest host Shahla Farzan about the studies, and about what might be done to mitigate the methane impact of treating our cities’ sewage. Meet The Activist Reimagining Climate Education As a high school student, Sage Lenier remembers being frustrated with the way she was taught about climate change. It left her feeling helpless, contending with the gloomy predictions for a doom-filled future. Despite talking about the problems, she wasn’t learning anything about solutions. A year later at the University of California, Berkeley, [Sage took it upon herself to create the course she wished she had—one focused on solutions and hope] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/sage-lenier-climate-education/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Nearly 2,000 students have taken her course since, and she recently founded Sustainable & Just Future, a youth-led educational non-profit. Guest host Kathleen Davis talks with Sage about her experiences, why we’ve gotten climate education all wrong, and how we need to be thinking about our future. The First Fully Mapped Animal Brain Is The Larva Of A Fruit Fly Understanding how a brain works is one of the most challenging tasks in science. One of the ultimate goals in brain research is to develop brain maps, which catalog which neurons are connected to others, and where. If researchers have a brain map, they can better understand neurological conditions like addiction, and develop more effective treatments. It may even help scientists understand more abstract concepts, like consciousness. The catch? Mapping millions, or even billions, of tiny little neurons is an extremely challenging and expensive task. But a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University recently [completed a 12-year effort to map the entire brain of a fruit fly larva] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/animal-brain-map-fruit-fly/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , which is the size of a grain of salt, and contains 3,000 neurons and 500,00 connections. Their results were published in the journal Science. Joining guest host Shahla Farzan is the paper’s senior author Joshua Vogelstein, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. They talk about how exactly his team completed this task, when a human brain map might be completed, and how this could be a meaningful step in understanding how enlightenment works. National Audubon Society Sticks With Its Name, Despite Namesake’s Racism For more than a year, the National Audubon Society—one of the largest bird conservation groups—mulled over a big decision: whether or not they should rename the organization. Its namesake, John James Audubon, is known as the founding father of American birding. But Audubon and his family were anti-abolition and they enslaved nine people in their home. He also actively harmed and looted from Indigenous people. Earlier this month, the National Audubon Society announced its decision to keep “Audubon” in its name, saying that it’s important in allowing the organization to keep protecting birds. The open letter also says the organization represents “much more than the work of one person.” The decision to stick with the Audubon name [has been met with intense backlash, from birders, local branches, and even its own employees] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/audubon-society-name-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . A handful of locally-run Audubon branches, from New York City to Madison, Wisconsin, plan to change their names to nix the word Audubon. Seattle’s branch is renaming itself “Birds Connect Seattle,” and Washington D.C.’s Audubon Naturalist Society is now “Nature Forward.” Guest host Kathleen Davis speaks with Stuart Wells, executive director of Portland Audubon and conservation scientist Corina Newsome about their reactions to the National Audubon Society keeping its name, and how changes are happening locally, including in places like Portland. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-31-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

31 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:09

31 Mar 2023

#133

Early Spring, Mumps On The Rise, Gulf Of Maine, Supermassive Black Hole. March 31, 2023, Part 1

A Supermassive Black Hole The Mass Of 30 Billion Suns This week, astronomers reported that they may have found signs of [one of the largest black holes ever detected] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/black-hole-30-billions-suns/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) –a space behemoth the mass of some 30 billion suns. The supermassive black hole, located in part of the Abell 1201 galaxy cluster, was detected using a combination of gravitational lensing and supercomputer simulations. First, the astronomers observed how the images of other more distant objects viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope were warped by the vast gravitational well produced by the black hole. They compared those images to thousands of simulations created via a supercomputer, and found that a simulation containing a supermassive black hole matched the real-world images. The work was reported in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Umair Irfan, staff writer at Vox, joins SciFri’s Kathleen Davis to talk about the finding and [other stories from the week in science] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/black-hole-30-billions-suns/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , including the FDA’s approval of over-the-counter Narcan, the real-world challenges of EV charging, and the creation of a meatball–made of mammoth. What’s Driving A Rise In Mumps Cases In The United States? In 1971, the United States rolled out a revolutionary new vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine nearly eradicated all three of those viruses by the start of the 21st century. Over the last several years, there have been numerous measles outbreaks cropping up across the country, especially among unvaccinated kids. What about mumps—that second “m” in the MMR vaccine? Since 2006, there have been mumps outbreaks too. But unlike measles, most of the people getting the mumps are vaccinated. And they’re older too, mostly teens and young adults. New research [suggests that the efficacy of the mumps vaccine wanes over time] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/mumps-outbreaks-vaccines/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , unlike the ones for measles and rubella. Guest host Shahla Farzan talks with Dr. Deven Gokhale, co-author of a recent study on the reemergence of mumps. Gokhale recently completed his PhD from the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology, based in Athens Georgia. Foundational Food Sources In The Gulf Of Maine Are Failing At the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, researchers Barney Balch and Catherine Mitchell are looking at a map affixed to a large table. “We’re looking at a chart of the Gulf of Maine, and right across the middle there’s a line that’s drawn from Portland, in Maine, to Yarmouth, in Nova Scotia,” Mitchell says. That line is the route along which Bigelow researchers have been taking regular measurements for the last 25 years. They’ve analyzed chemical and temperature data that help describe how the waters of the gulf are changing. One tool they use is a six-foot long cylinder with wings. “This is an autonomous underwater vehicle, or a glider,” Mitchell says. “So it’s a big robot that moves up and down in a yoyo-like pattern, from the top of the ocean to the bottom of the ocean right across the middle of the Gulf of Maine. So it’s measuring a bunch of science things as it goes. It looks a bit like a big yellow torpedo. It’s got some wings on it.” [Read the rest at sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/phytoplankton-food-source-failing-maine/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Is Spring Falling Out Of Sync? Each year, it feels like spring comes as a surprise—too early or too late. For example, new maps reveal that spring is 13 days late in Sacramento, California but two weeks early in Richmond, Virginia. And that could be a problem because plants and animals use environmental cues, like temperature, to know when to flower, migrate, breed, or emerge from hibernation. So when the seasons are thrown off, [what happens to those natural rhythms that once flowed together seamlessly?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/early-spring-timing/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Guest host Shahla Farzan talks with Dr. David Inouye, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland and a researcher at the Rocky Mountain Biological Station, and Dr. Theresa Crimmins, director of the USA National Phenology Network and research professor at the University of Arizona. They discuss the variability in seasons, and the cascade of effects these changes can have on ecosystems. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-31-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

31 Mar 2023

46 MINS

46:54

31 Mar 2023

#132

New NASA Science Head, Climate and Fungus, Whiskey Fungus, Animal Testing Alternatives. March 24, 20...

Can Medicine Move To Animal-Free Testing? Before a new drug can begin clinical trials in humans, it gets tested on animals. But things are changing. Late last year, Congress passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which cleared the way for new drugs to skip animal testing. [Can we expect to phase out animal testing altogether? Is it safe? And what technologies might make that possible?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/animal-free-drug-testing/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Guest host Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Thomas Hartung, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, to get a broader picture of alternatives to animal testing. Capturing Carbon With Tasty Fungus This week, a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change brought dire warnings about our planet’s climate future and an alert that drastic action is needed—now—to avoid catastrophe. One action the report recommends involves an [overhaul of our food production systems to decrease their carbon impact] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/carbon-neutral-edible-fungus/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers suggest one possible way of sequestering some carbon dioxide might be cultivating certain kinds of edible mushrooms on land that has already been cultivated for agroforestry. The researchers are working with Lactarius deliciosus, commonly known as the saffron milk cap or red pine mushroom, but other species are possible as well. These mycorrhizal fungi live in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the trees, increasing biomass and storing more carbon, while producing food on land that might have otherwise been used only for trees. In certain climates and with certain trees, these fungi can actually be a carbon-negative source of protein. However, to produce a pound of protein currently requires a lot of land and effort. [The researchers are working to make forest fungal farming easier, and to expand the approach to a wider range of trees.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/carbon-neutral-edible-fungus/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) SciFri’s Charles Bergquist talks with Dr. Paul Thomas, author of that report and research director at the company Mycorrhizal Systems, a company that helps farmers grow truffles. He’s also an honorary professor in the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences in the UK. Whiskey Distillery On The Rocks After Fungus Spreads Lincoln County, Tennessee has been overcome by an unwelcome guest: whiskey fungus. It covers everything from houses and cars to stop signs and trees, and no amount of power washing seems to make it go away. Why has whiskey fungus attached to this small town? [It feeds on ethanol from the famed Jack Daniel’s distillery, which is in a neighboring county.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/whiskey-fungus-spreads-tennessee/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Lincoln County isn’t the first place to encounter this problem. Whiskey fungus was first documented in 1872 by a French pharmacist named Antonin Baudoin. Baudoin noted how mold caused distillery walls in Cognac to blacken, a phenomenon that has since been seen near distilleries across the world. The fungus was not given a name until 2007, when it was dubbed Baudoinia compniacensis, named for Antonin Baudoin. Joining guest host Flora Lichtman is James A. Scott, PhD, professor of public health at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. Scott has studied whiskey fungus for over two decades, and gave it its scientific name. NASA’s New Science Head Sees A Bright Future [Last month, NASA announced Dr. Nicola Fox as the agency’s new scientific leader.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/nasa-new-head-of-science/#segment-transcript) Fox is taking on a critical role at NASA, shaping the agency’s science priorities and overseeing roughly 100 missions, with a budget of $7.8 billion. The portfolio includes space science from astrophysics and Earth science, covering the planets in our solar system to exoplanets far beyond. Previously, she was the director of the heliophysics division at NASA, which studies the Sun and its role in the solar system. SciFri senior producer Charles Bergquist talks with Dr. Nicola Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate for NASA, [about her new position, career path, and plans for science at NASA] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/nasa-new-head-of-science/#segment-transcript) . ... Read more

24 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:11

24 Mar 2023

#131

March Mammal Madness, Underwater Volcano, Listening to Space. March 24th, 2023, Part 1

The Latest IPCC Report Is Full Of Warnings—And Hope It’s that time of year: another IPCC report has hit the presses. These reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are like a check up—to let us know how we’re doing on the climate front and what Earth’s future is projected to look like. And to no one’s surprise, this year’s report is full of warnings. [But also, it has a lot of room for hope.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ipcc-report-climate-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Maggie Koerth, senior science writer at FiveThirtyEight, joins guest host Charles Bergquist to talk more [about the report and other science news of the week] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ipcc-report-climate-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . They chat about a 3D printed rocket that didn’t quite make it to space, the mysterious Oumuamua space object, the rise of dangerous fungal infections in the U.S., why researchers are so excited about figuring out Beethoven’s cause of death, and—of course—new research about octopuses’ brain waves. An Underwater Volcano Off The Oregon Coast Sheds Light On Eruptions A thick blue-white haze envelops the Research Vessel Thompson as it floats 250 miles off the Oregon coast. Akel Kevis-Stirling’s orange life vest and blue hardhat are vivid pops of color in the fog. “You guys ready to go?” he calls into his radio. The person on the other end crackles an affirmative. “Copy that,” he says and looks up across the rear deck of the research ship. “Alright, straps!” The crew of the ROV Jason jumps into action, removing the straps that secure the cube-shaped submarine to the deck. The remotely-operated sub, with a base the size of a queen mattress, is loaded with scientific instruments it will carry down to the seafloor. Kevis-Stirling gets final permission from the Thompson’s bridge for the launch. “Ok, here we go. Jason coming up and over the side,” he calls. “Take it away Tito!” The crane operator, Tito Callasius, lifts the submarine and swings it over the side of the ship into the water. A plume of fine bubbles rises through the waves as Jason starts its mile-long descent to the Axial Seamount, a deep-sea volcano that’s erupted three times in the past 25 years. [Read the rest at sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/oregon-deep-sea-volcano-eruptions/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) March Mammal Madness Wants To Hear You Roar When mid-March rolls around, your news online—and maybe your conversations with friends and colleagues—can sometimes get taken over by discussions about the tournament. From debating your bracket selections to conversations about last night’s matchup, or celebrating big upsets and debating whether this is finally the year the bat-eared fox goes all the way, it can feel all-consuming. [March Mammal Madness is an exercise in science communication involving a 64-animal bracket and nightly simulated combat matchups between animals—where the outcomes are determined by chance and specific species traits found in the scientific literature.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/march-mammal-madness/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) This is the 10th year of the tournament, which this month has some 650,000 students around the world predicting battle outcomes on the road to the Elite Trait, the Final Roar, and the championship match. Dr. Katie Hinde, a biological anthropologist in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University, and ringleader of March Mammal Madness, joins SciFri’s Charles Bergquist to talk about the keys to success in the tournament. Want to participate yourself? It’s not too late— [you can find the tournament bracket and more information about March Mammal Madness on the ASU Libraries site] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/march-mammal-madness/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Listen To The Ethereal Sounds Of Space You’ve probably heard that if you scream in space, no one will hear a thing. Space is a vacuum, so sound waves don’t have anything to bounce off of. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that space is silent. A team of researchers are taking data from a variety of telescopes and assigning them sounds, creating song-length sonifications of beloved space structures like black holes, nebulas, galaxies, and beyond. The album, called “Universal Harmonies” [aims to bring galaxies to life and allow more people, such as those who are blind and low-vision, to engage with outer space] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/universal-harmonies-space-sonification/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Guest host Flora Lichtman talks with two of the scientists behind “Universal Harmonies,” Dr. Kimberly Arcand, visualization scientist at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Dr. Matt Russo, astrophysicist and musician at the University of Toronto. ... Read more

24 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:43

24 Mar 2023

#130

Smart Toilet, Soft Robotics, Naked Mole Rats. March 17, 2023, Part 2

Stop Flushing Your Health Data Down The Toilet You could be flushing important information about your health right down the toilet—quite literally. Pee and poop can tell you a lot about your health, so what if your waste…didn’t go to waste? What if, instead, it could tell you more about your health? Like number one, it can catch a condition like diabetes early. Or number two, check out what’s going on in your gut microbiome. That’s the goal of the smart toilet—a device that gets all up in your business to tell you more about your health. Ira talks with the inventor of the PH Smart Toilet, Dr. Seung-min Park, instructor of urology at Stanford’s School of Medicine in California, [about how the toilet works, how it can be used to catch diseases early on, and the ethical implications of such a device] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/health-data-smart-toilet/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . 50 Years Later, Reflecting On The Treaty That Controls Wildlife Trade 50 years ago this month, a collection of nations met in Washington and reached agreement on a way to regulate international trade in certain wildlife species—from orchids to gorillas. That agreement came to be known as CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The treaty has come to cover over 30,000 different plants and animals. Some, listed in Appendix 1 of the treaty, are under a complete ban on commercial use, while other species have their trade tightly regulated via a system of permits. Dr. Susan Lieberman, the vice president for international policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society, has attended the last 13 meetings of the CITES signatories. She joins Ira to talk [about the convention, and what it has meant for conservation over the last 50 years] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cites-50th-anniversary/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . This Skin-like Robot Can Heal Itself Think of a robot, and the image that may come to mind is a big, hulking body building cars or working in factories. They battle each other in the movies. But a growing field called softbotics focuses on thin, flexible materials—closer to human skin than to a Transformer. There’s been a breakthrough in this field out of Pittsburgh: [softbotics that can not only conduct electricity, but can heal itself from damage] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/self-healing-robot-softbiotics/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . This replicates the healing abilities of organic materials, like skin, but can happen in seconds. Dr. Carmel Majidi, mechanical engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, joins Ira to break down possible futures for this material, including a new generation of prosthetics. Naked Mole-Rats Are Eternally Fertile There may be no stranger—or more impressive—critter than the naked mole-rat. They may look unassuming, but they can defy aging, have an astonishingly high pain tolerance, and are resistant to cancer. And their list of superpowers doesn’t stop there. Scientists recently discovered yet another way these rodents reject the mammalian status quo: by producing egg cells, and staying fertile, until the day they die. This makes them unlike humans, whose ovaries eventually stop producing eggs. [So what can we learn about fertility from these strange critters?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/naked-mole-rats-fertile/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Ira talks with the lead researcher of this study, Dr. Miguel Brieño-Enriquez, assistant professor at the Magee-Womens Research Institute and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-17-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

17 Mar 2023

46 MINS

46:32

17 Mar 2023

#129

Drugs Designed By AI, The Phosphorus Paradox, Regulating PFAS Chemicals. March 17, 2023, Part 1

At Long Last, More Regulations For Forever Chemicals This week, the EPA proposed the first national standards for drinking water that would set limits on the amount of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals that would be allowed in water systems. There are thousands of different PFAS chemicals, which are often used industrially for properties such as heat, water and stain resistance—from fire-fighting foams to coatings on clothing and paper plates. They have come to be known as “forever chemicals” as they are extremely slow to break down in the environment. The chemicals have been linked to health problems, including cancer. Katherine Wu, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins Ira to talk about [the proposed regulations and how such a sweeping rule might be implemented nationwide] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/regulations-pfas-forever-chemicals/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Wu also discusses her latest article on COVID-19 origins, and genetic analysis that could tie the pandemic back to raccoon dogs in the Wuhan market. They also talk about [other news from the week in science] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/regulations-pfas-forever-chemicals/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , including research hinting at active volcanoes on Venus, a study of the effects of COVID-19 on maternal health during pregnancy, and research into curing HIV with stem cells from cord blood. Plus an explosion of seaweed, and the unveiling of a new space suit design. How AI Is Changing The Drug Development Pipeline Researching and developing new drugs is a notoriously long and expensive process, filled with a lot of trial and error. Before a new drug gets approved scientists must come up with something they think might work in the lab, test it in animals, and then if it passes those hurdles, clinical trials in humans. In an effort to smooth out some of the bumps along the road, [a growing number of pharma companies are turning to new artificial intelligence tools in the hopes of making the process cheaper and faster] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ai-designs-drugs/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Ira talks with Will Douglas Heaven, senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review about his reporting on the topic. An Ambitious Plan To Build Back Louisiana’s Coast Louisiana will receive more than $2 billion to pay for an ambitious, first-of-its-kind plan to reconnect the Mississippi River to the degraded marshes on Plaquemines Parish’s west bank. A collective of federal and state agencies—the Louisiana Trustees Implementation Group—signed off on the multibillion-dollar Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion on Wednesday. The funding will come out of settlement dollars resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Once constructed, the two-mile-long sediment diversion is expected to build up to 27 square miles of new land by 2050. In the next 50 years, as Louisiana’s coast continues to sink and global sea levels rise, the diversion is also projected to sustain one-fifth of the remaining land. “The Trustees believe that a sediment diversion is the only way to achieve a self-sustaining marsh ecosystem in the Barataria Basin,” wrote the implementation group in its decision. [Read the rest at sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/sos-louisiana-mississippi-estuary/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Balancing The Good And Bad Of Phosphorus Phosphorus is critical to life as we know it. In fact, every cell in the human body contains this important element. It’s also a key component in fertilizer. But not all of that fertilizer stays on crops—much of that phosphorus flows into waterways. Therein lies the rub: the runoff fertilizes the plant life growing in the water, creating toxic algal blooms. To top it all off, the phosphorus reserves in the United States are on track to disappear in just a few decades, according to some estimates. Ira talks about the past, present, and future of phosphorus with Dan Egan, journalist in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences, and author of the new book, [The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and A World out of Balance] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/dan-egan-devils-element-phosphorus/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Want to read The Devil’s Element with us? [Join the SciFri Book Club and read along!] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/sf-books/the-devils-element/) Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-17-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

17 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:17

17 Mar 2023

#128

Tips And Tricks To Grow Your Garden In A Changing Climate. March 10, 2023, Part 2

Tips And Tricks To Grow Your Garden In A Changing Climate For many of us, spring is right around the corner—or already here—which means it’s time to start thinking about what is going into your garden this year. But largely thanks to climate change, our seasons are getting wonkier every year. Gardens are feeling the heat as climate change affects the timing of the seasons, temperature extremes, the amount of rainfall, the intensity of droughts, and more. So it’s more important than ever to plant a garden that can be more resilient to these changes. In this live show, Ira talks with a panel of guests [about planting a climate-resilient garden, and how to set your plants up for success] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/gardening-during-climate-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . He’s joined by Laura Erickson, a birder and author of “100 Plants to Feed the Birds: Turn Your Home Garden Into a Healthy Bird Habitat,” Dr. Lucy Bradley, a horticulturist and extension specialist at North Carolina State University, and Dr. Tiffany Carter, research soil scientist at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-10-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

10 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:44

10 Mar 2023

#127

A New Controversial Black Hole Theory, Saving The Great Salt Lake. March 10, 2023, Part 1

Despite Superconductor Breakthrough, Some Scientists Remain Skeptical This week, [researchers unveiled a new superconductor which they say works at room temperature] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/superconductor-breakthrough-skepticism/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Scientists have been working on identifying new superconductors for decades—materials that can transmit electricity without friction-like resistance. However, previously discovered superconductors only work at super cold temperatures, and under incredibly high pressures. The newly discovered superconductor, lutetium, could be much more useful in applications, like strong magnets used in MRIs, magnetically floating trains, and even nuclear fusion, than those which must be kept super-cold. But there’s a bit of a wrinkle. The research team which published their results in the journal Nature this week, had their previous study on another superconductor retracted in 2020. As a result, many scientists in the field have concerns about the quality of this new research Ira talks with Sophie Bushwick, technology editor at Scientific American, to make sense of this superconductor saga and other big science news of the week including bumblebee culture, extreme ways to save mountain glaciers, and identifying the worms in Mezcal. Can Utah’s Great Salt Lake Be Saved Before It’s Too Late? Utah’s Great Salt Lake is one of the state’s treasures and is vital to the local ecosystem and economy. But since the 1980s, it’s been drying up—and now the lake’s water level is at a record low. The lake is fed by three rivers, which are fed by Utah’s snowpack. It’s also a terminal lake, meaning that there’s no outlet for water to exit. And as the population of Utah has increased, more water has been diverted from those rivers to agriculture, industry, and local residents. As more of the lakebed has become exposed, wind has picked up dust plumes and blown them into local communities. Dr. Kevin Perry, a professor of atmospheric science sciences at the University of Utah, discovered that those lakebed dust plumes contain heavy metals, including arsenic. But despite these challenges, Perry and local politicians are confident that [if the right water usage reductions are put in place, the lake will have a chance to bounce back] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/saving-the-great-salt-lake-utah/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Science Friday digital producer Emma Gometz visited Perry at the Great Salt Lake in January, who describes how we got here and what the future holds. Exploring A New Theory About Dark Energy’s Origins Black holes remain one of the great mysteries of the universe. Another enigma? Dark energy. Little is known about this concept, aside from the belief that dark energy accelerates the expansion of the universe. These are two of the most mind-bending concepts in physics. There’s a new theory that brings together black holes and dark energy into one mind-bending solution: research led by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa [posits that dark energy could actually come from supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/black-holes-dark-energy/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . If true, this would be a massive breakthrough in what we know about astrophysics. But many experts in the field have reservations about this idea. Two of those experts join Ira to talk about this theory, and other recent black hole breakthroughs: Janna Levin, PhD, author of “Black Hole Blues” and “Black Hole Survival Guide,” and a physics and astronomy professor at Barnard College in New York City, and Feryal Özel, a professor and chair of physics at Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, Georgia. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-10-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

10 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:58

10 Mar 2023

#126

Science At The Oscars, Finding Shackleton’s “Endurance” Ship. March 3, 2023, Part 1

Insulin Maker Eli Lilly Finally Caps The Drug’s Cost In 1923, drug manufacturer Eli Lilly became the first company to commercialize insulin. Since then, its cost has skyrocketed. But this week, the company announced that it is capping the cost of insulin at $35. This comes as a huge relief to many Americans, since insulin has become the face of pharmaceutical price gouging. Over the last 20 years, the price of insulin has grown by six times, making this essential, life-saving drug unaffordable to many who need it. Purbita Saha, deputy editor at Popular Science, joins Ira to talk [about this announcement and other science news of the week] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/insulin-cost-reduced/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . They chat about a new at-home test for COVID-19 and the flu, how the bird flu outbreak is faring, what we learned from NASA’s DART mission, and why scientists are growing a mushroom computer. It’s Spacetime And Science Season At The Oscars The Academy Awards are almost upon us, airing March 12. Movie buffs may have already seen many of the nominated films. But for science geeks, there’s another form of criteria for what films go on the top of their watchlist: Do these movies include science? This year, a whole bunch of Oscar nominees are driven by science as part of the plot. The Best Picture category has three: the multiverses in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the water-based society in “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and the gravity-defying aerial stunts in “Top Gun: Maverick.” The Documentary Feature Film category is also ripe for science analysis: “Fire of Love” follows the love story between two French volcanologists, “All That Breathes” follows brothers who run a bird hospital in Delhi, and “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” spotlights Nan Goldin’s advocacy against the opioid-creating Sackler family. Ira is joined by Sonia Epstein, curator of science and technology at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York, [to discuss these films and more—including science-oriented films that were snubbed from this years’ awards] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-movies-oscars-with-momi-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . The Lasting Allure Of Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ There are few stories about heroic survival equal to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic rescue of his crew, which turned disaster into triumph. In August of 1914, 28 men set sail from England to the South Pole. Led by Shackleton himself, the group hoped to be the first to cross Antarctica by foot. However, their ship, the Endurance, became stuck in ice. It sank to the bottom of the frigid Antarctic waters, leaving most of the men stranded on a cold, desolate ice floe. Shackleton, with five of his crew, set out in a small boat to bring help from hundreds of miles away. Finally, after many months of fighting the cold, frostbite and angry seas, Shackleton was able to rescue all his men with no loss of life. Over the years, there have been many attempts to find the Endurance shipwreck. None were successful [until a year ago, when the wreck was located for the first time since it sank back in 1915] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/shackleton-endurance-beneath-the-ice-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Ira is joined by Mensun Bound, maritime archeologist and the director of exploration on the mission that found the Endurance. His new book, The Ship Beneath the Ice, is out now. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-3-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

03 Mar 2023

46 MINS

46:51

03 Mar 2023

#125

Social Media’s ‘Chaos Machine,’ Whale Vocal Fry, Distant Galaxies. March 3, 2023, Part 2

Inside The ‘Chaos Machine’ Of Social Media Despite social media’s early promises to build a more just and democratic society, over the past several years, we’ve seen its propensity to easily spread hate speech, misinformation and disinformation. Online platforms have even played a role in organizing violent acts in the real world, like genocide against the Rohinga people in Myanmar, and the violent attempt to overturn the election at the United States capitol. But how did we get here? [Has social media fundamentally changed how we interact with the world] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-chaos-machine-social-media/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) ? And how did big tech companies accumulate so much unchecked power along the way? Read an excerpt of [The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/chaos-machine-book-excerpt/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) here. Taking On Renewables’ AC/DC Disconnect In the push to transition society to more renewable energy sources, there are several logistical challenges. One central question involves the best way to connect solar panels and battery storage—which both produce direct current, into an energy grid that primarily provides alternating current at the local level. Dr. Suman Debnath leads a project called the [Multiport Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar power plant] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/solar-grid-renewables-acdc/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) (MARS) at Oak Ridge National Lab. He and his colleagues have designed a system of advanced power electronics that allow large, utility-scale solar facilities and battery storage projects to feed either AC or DC power, as needed. The approach, Debnath says, will both allow for better integration of those electric resources into the grid, and make it more possible to transport power long distances using more efficient DC transmission lines. Debnath talks with Ira about the MARS project, and ways to modernize the country’s power distribution system for greater reliability and efficiency. Are These Ancient Galaxies Too Big For Their Age? We’ve all been wowed by the amazing images from the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST. But sometimes, the important data isn’t in those amazing galactic swirls or wispy nebula images, but in the images of tiny smudges from far, far away. Astronomers [recently described] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/jwst-galaxies-images/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) some of those smudges, tiny red dots thought possibly to be ancient, distant galaxies, in the journal Nature. However, if the red dots do in fact represent galaxies, they appear to be too large to fit predictions for how fast galaxies form. The possible galaxies may be about 13 billion years old, forming just 500 to 700 million years after the Big Bang, but appear to contain as many stars as much more mature galaxies. Dr Erica Nelson, an assistant professor of Astrophysics at the University of Colorado, Boulder and one of the authors of that paper, joins Ira to talk about the observation and what could explain the confusing finding. How These Russian Wasps Could Help Save Ash Trees How do you find an insect the size of your fingertip in a densely packed forest? For Jian Duan, the answer is simple: Follow the dead ash trees. On a rainy day in eastern Connecticut, Duan, a federal research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, walked to a dying ash covered with holes. Peeling back the bark with a drawknife, he revealed a mess of serpentine tunnels. Curled up inside was one of his targets: [a larva of emerald ash borer] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/wasp-save-ash-trees/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . “Let’s collect it,” Duan said, gesturing as his assistant handed him a pair of tweezers tied to a brightly-colored ribbon. (In case you’re wondering, the ribbon makes the tweezers easy to spot when they’re dropped on the leaf-covered ground.) But today Duan isn’t just collecting emerald ash borers. He’s also looking for their predator, one released here on purpose in 2019 and 2020: a wasp known as Spathius galinae (pronounced spay-see-us glee-nuh). “It’s from the Russian Far East,” Duan said, smiling. “Unfortunately, there are no common names for these parasitic wasps.” To read the rest, visit [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/wasp-save-ash-trees/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Vocal Fry Serves Up Treats For Toothed Whales Toothed whales—species like orcas, bottlenose whales, and dolphins—use echolocation to zero in on prey about a mile deep into the ocean. Until now, scientists couldn’t quite figure out how the whales were making these clicking sounds in the deep ocean, where there’s little oxygen. [A new study published in the journal Science] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/toothed-whales-vocal-fry/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , finds the key to underwater echolocation is vocal fry. Although in whales it might not sound like the creaky voice that some people love to hate, the two sounds are generated in a similar way in the vocal folds. Ira talks with the study’s co-author, Dr. Coen Elemans, professor of bioacoustics and animal behavior at the University of Southern Denmark based in Odense, Denmark. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/march-3-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

03 Mar 2023

47 MINS

47:24

03 Mar 2023

#124

AI And Hip Hop, Self-Planting Seeds, Abortion Pill Facing Restrictions. Feb 24, 2023, Part 1

A Medication Abortion Drug Faces Potential Nationwide Restriction A federal court case underway in Texas this week could have big implications for medication based abortion care across the U.S. The case involves the FDA’s approval of the drug mifepristone, which is used as part of a two-drug combination in most medication abortions. The plaintiffs in the case are arguing that the FDA went against its own guidelines regarding drug safety when it approved the medication in 2000, though the overwhelming evidence has shown the drug to be safe and effective. A ruling against the FDA [could result in mifepristone prescriptions being banned nationwide] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/abortion-pill-restrictions/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Maggie Koerth, senior science writer at FiveThirtyEight, joins John Dankosky to talk about the case and its implications. They also tackle [other stories from the week in science] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/abortion-pill-restrictions/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , including investigations of the Earth’s inner core, a timeline for astronauts on board the ISS, and efforts to understand what “burnout” actually is. A New Twist On Sowing Seeds Imagine sowing a handful of seeds on the ground—but instead of needing planting help from a rake or hoe, the seeds can determine for themselves when the ground is fresh from the rain and ready for planting, and burrow their own way into the damp soil. Some seeds, including varieties of Erodium species, can actually do that. They use their self-burying ability to adapt to arid climates. But in a recent study in the journal Nature, researchers describe a package, or wrapper that can give other kinds of seeds self-burying powers as well. The design adapts some of the shapes and techniques used by Erodium into a biodegradable corkscrew made of engineered wood, that can respond to moisture and uncoil [to slowly drill a seed into receptive soil] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/corkscrew-seed-self-planting/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . Dr. Lining Yao, co-author of that report and director of the Morphing Matter Lab in Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, joins guest host Regina Barber to describe the seed delivery system, and what remains to be solved before it can be used in the wild. A Long History Shadows New Fight Over California’s Shasta Dam A few years ago, I stumbled onto the story of the Winnemem Wintu people, an indigenous people of Northern California. Theirs is an epic tale and it grabbed hold of me. For several years, I tagged along with them whenever I could. I was around so much, they started teasing me. The large fuzzy windscreens of my recording setup earned me a nickname. The Winnemem Wintu and their close friends call me and my microphone Gray Squirrel. Nickname aside, I never took it lightly that the Winnemem Wintu let me into their space. For good reasons, many Native people are suspicious of outsiders. I understood their openness was special and rare. My greatest hope is that you will hear their story of struggle and resilience, of betrayal and a willingness to still believe in the good things to come – and that it will change you as it did me.Behind the Chief we see the top of Shasta Dam’s immense concrete spillway set against a background of dry, rolling hills. Shasta Dam stands 602 feet high. It’s the country’s 8th tallest. It turned California into the giant, agricultural engine that it is today. It also left a legacy of harm when it flooded the Winnemem and other Wintu people off their land. [Read the rest at sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/shasta-dam-salmon/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Rapper And Scholar Sammus Confronts AI In Hip-Hop Over the last six months, there’s been a lot of movement and discussion about the effects that generative AI will have on visual art and writing. But what about its effects on music—in particular, hip-hop? A few years ago, a deep fake of Kanye West rapping a verse from “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen went viral. It was created with just a few clicks using the program Uberduck, which can output AI-generated raps from text of the users’ choice. And it turns out that the rhythmic qualities that make hip-hop performers’ verses so spellbinding is exactly what makes them easier to mimic in deep fakes, as opposed to other genres of music. Guest host Regina Barber talks with rapper and music, science, and technology scholar Dr. Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, also known as Sammus, about [the unexpected crossovers between hip-hop and the growing field of generative AI] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/sammus-hip-hop-ai/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . She is also an assistant professor of music at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/february-24-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

24 Feb 2023

47 MINS

47:39

24 Feb 2023

#123

“All That Breathes’ Film, Repatriating Native American Remains, Benjamin Banneker. Feb 24, 2023, Par...

‘All That Breathes:’ A Story Of Two Brothers Saving New Delhi’s Raptors The Oscars are right around the corner, and one of the nominees in the documentary category is called “All That Breathes.” It tells the story of two brothers—Nadeem and Saud—who dedicate their lives to rescuing black kites, a type of raptor that dominates the skies of New Delhi. Since they were children, the brothers have rescued more than 25,000 of these birds, who are quite literally falling out of the thick, polluted, hazy sky. [Their conservation efforts] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/all-that-breathes-documentary/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) have triumphed over limited resources and periods of religious violence in New Delhi. Guest host John Dankosky speaks with Shaunak Sen, director of “All That Breathes,” about the making of the film, and how it’s a story of urban ecology, politics, and hope. Why Won’t Museums Return Native American Human Remains? In 1990, the United States passed a groundbreaking human rights policy called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act—known as NAGPRA. It was designed to spur museums, universities, and federal agencies to return Native American human remains and cultural items back to the tribes they were stolen from. NAGPRA held a lot of promise, but now—33 years later—more than 110,000 Native American, Hawaiian, and Alaskan human remains are held up in research institutions. So why, decades later, have so many institutions failed to return remains? That’s the focus of [a new report from ProPublica.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/museums-wont-return-native-american-remains/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) ProPublica reporter Mary Hudetz joins guest host John Dankosky to discuss why NAGPRA fell short, and where to go from here. Appreciating The Brilliance Of Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Banneker was a free Black man born in 1731, over a century before slavery was abolished in his home state of Maryland. Today, Banneker is perhaps best known for his role in drawing the original borders of Washington, DC. But he was also an accomplished naturalist and polymath. He was among the first to document the cicada’s 17-year life cycle. Banneker also taught himself astronomy and math, and published one of [the country’s first almanacs.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/life-of-benjamin-banneker/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Guest host Regina Barber talks with Dr. Janet Barber, an independent researcher, writer, and social scientist (with no relation to Regina), and Dr. Asamoah Nkwanta department chair and professor of mathematics at Morgan State University, based in Baltimore, Maryland, about Benjamin Banneker’s life and scientific legacy. The Supernatural Side Of Astronomical Events Throughout history, there have been events in the sky that have made people uneasy: Think supernovas, comets, and eclipses. It’s easy to understand why. Even when astronomical knowledge was limited, the skies were readily observable. So when things changed, it sometimes led people [to see these events as omens.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/supernova-astonomical-omens/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) In ancient China, eclipses were thought to occur when a celestial dragon attacked and ate the sun. And in Incan culture, eclipses were seen as the sun god expressing displeasure, which sometimes led to human sacrifice. And in 1456, Halley’s Comet was excommunicated by the pope for being an instrument of the devil. There are scientific explanations for these events, of course. Co-host Regina Barber speaks with Dr. Samaiyah Farid, solar physicist and project scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, about what’s behind these astrological omens. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/february-24-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

24 Feb 2023

47 MINS

47:39

24 Feb 2023

#122

Spy Balloons, Cost of Cancer Care, Seaweed, Chocolate Mouthfeel. Feb 17, 2023, Part 2

Eyes In The Sky: The Science Behind Modern Balloons This month, the news cycle has been dominated by updates about suspicious objects being detected in the stratosphere. This bonanza started with a balloon from China, and escalated as four more objects—not all confirmed as balloons— [have been shot down from the sky.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/modern-balloons-weather-spy/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifr) Although this might sound like a new problem, there are probably thousands of balloons floating above us—some for spying, others for exploring near space, or studying weather patterns. Dr. David Stupples, professor of electronic and radio engineering and director of electronic warfare research at City University of London, joins Ira to talk about the science behind modern balloons: how they work, what they do, and just how common they are. Low Income Patients Hit Hardest By Cancer Treatment Costs Being told you have cancer is not only terrifying, [it’s expensive.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cancer-treatment-health-inequity/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) In the year following a diagnosis, the average cost of cancer treatment is about $42,000, according to the National Cancer Institute. Some of the newer cutting-edge treatments may cost $1 million or more. While insurance may cover some or all of that cost, many people are uninsured or under-insured. And the bills add up. A quarter of patients with medical debt have declared bankruptcy or lost their home, according to an analysis conducted by KHN and NPR. While there’s been remarkable progress in treating cancers in the past several decades, less attention has been paid to just how astronomical the price tags can be. Researchers at Augusta University wanted to track the results of the financial burden after patients’ treatment was complete. [They found that poorer patients were hit harder financially—which not only resulted in more bills, but also worse health outcomes.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cancer-treatment-health-inequity/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Ira talks with Dr. Jorge Cortes, co-author of this study and director of the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, about the importance of making cost part of the discussion in developing new cancer therapies. The Unseen World Of Seaweeds Chances are you don’t give much thought to seaweed unless you’re at the beach, or perhaps when you’re considering a dinner menu. But the thousands of seaweed species around the world are a key part of our coastal ecosystems. Seaweeds photosynthesize, provide food and shelter for marine animals, stabilize the coastlines, and even contribute to making your ice cream creamier (through an ingredient called carrageenans, extracted from red seaweeds in the Rhodophyceae family). Increasingly, they’re also being [investigated as a source of biofuels and as biological factories, due to their fast-growing nature.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/seaweeds-of-the-world-book/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Dr. John Bothwell, a phycologist at Durham University in the UK, has written a book in praise of seaweeds. In Seaweeds of the World: A Guide To Every Order, he highlights beautiful, unusual, and important species from each of the three seaweed lineages—green, red, and brown. In this segment, he talks with SciFri’s Charles Bergquist about some of his favorite species, where the seaweeds fit into the web of life, and the importance of seaweeds to the global ecosystem. Why It Feels So Good To Eat Chocolate When you eat a piece of good chocolate, chances are you don’t just bite down and chew away. There’s a good chance you hold the chocolate in your mouth for a moment, feeling the silkiness as it softens, melting into a molten mass and mixing with your saliva. That gradual phase change process—as fats in the chocolate melt from solid to liquid—is a big part of the chocolate mouthfeel experience. Researchers at Leeds University in the UK have constructed an artificial tongue that doesn’t focus on the taste of a food, but rather its texture, and how that texture changes over time. Using the artificial tongue, they explored the textures of materials that can change phase in the mouth, such as chocolate, butter, and ice cream. They [reported their findings recently in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/chocolate-tastes-good-mouth/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . The researchers found that in dark chocolate, the sensation in the mouth is governed largely by the fat content, as the surface of the chocolate begins to soften. A few moments later, as the chocolate melts completely and mixes with saliva, the fat content of the treat is less important to the mouthfeel experience. Dr. Anwesha Sarkar, an author of the report, joins Ira to talk about the research, the challenge of designing a lower-fat chocolate that might exploit these findings, and the importance of learning about textures to determine why people like—and don’t like—certain foods. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/february-17-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

17 Feb 2023

47 MINS

47:11

17 Feb 2023

#121

Ohio Train Spill, Mushroom And Memory, Water Infrastructure. Feb 17, 2023, Part 1

UFOs? Balloons? Spy Cams? Here’s What’s Going On This week, the saga over UFOs, balloons, and spyware continues. The drama all started with a Chinese surveillance balloon, and then—one by one—governments kept finding others in the U.S. and Canada. Earlier this week, President Biden announced, “We don’t know yet exactly what these three objects were. But nothing right now suggests they are related to China’s spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from any other country.” [So what do we know about these balloons? And why is this such a big deal all of a sudden?] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ufo-balloon-explainer/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Casey Crownhart, climate reporter at the MIT Technology Review, joins Ira to discuss the hullabaloo surrounding these flying objects and other science news of the week. They also talk about the outbreak of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea, Tesla agreeing to open some charging stations to other EV drivers, the startups trying to remove methane from the air, what a pencil-shaped robot taught scientists about the “Doomsday Glacier,” and why researchers modeled a new camera after cuttlefish eyes. How The Western U.S. Could Rebuild Its Water Infrastructure In early January, California was inundated with record-breaking rainfall. The state was battered by back-to-back storms, which caused severe flooding and power outages. But could there be a silver lining in those storm clouds? Given the historic drought conditions plaguing the western U.S., a way to collect or divert rainwater to use when the dry season hits is especially appealing. [However, potential solutions are not within easy reach.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/western-us-water-infrastructure/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Ira talks about the limitations and opportunities of storing and diverting rainwater with Dr. Andrew Fisher, hydrogeologist and professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Later, Ira is joined by Dr. Sharon Megdal, director of the University of Arizona’s Resources Research Center, to talk about the drivers of the water crisis and some of the policy solutions being floated to solve the problem. Ohio Residents Want Answers About Risks Of Train Derailment Hundreds of people packed the high school gymnasium in East Palestine, Ohio, Wednesday evening, trying to get some answers about whether they were safe in their homes after an explosion and the release of numerous toxic chemicals following the train derailment two weeks ago. What started as an open house with tables set up around the floor for the US EPA, the Ohio EPA, the state Division of Wildlife, and the county health department to answer individual questions morphed into a town hall meeting. Residents sat in bleachers and yelled their questions to the officials. Many were angry, largely because Norfolk Southern, the rail operator, did not show up to the meeting. East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, surrounded by the media, said the company feared for the safety of its employees because there was so much anger against them. Conaway said people keep blaming him for this horrible incident, and it’s not his fault. [Read the rest at sciencefriday.com.] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ohio-train-derailment/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Improve Memory, Study Finds For centuries, the lion’s mane mushroom has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of ailments, including strengthening memory. A recent study from the Queensland Brain Institute confirms what herbalists have long said: There are properties of this mushroom that build brain cells. In mice, these properties promoted neuron growth when diluted in water, resulting in better hippocampal memory. This result is a very good sign that the properties in lion’s mane mushrooms [can protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/lions-mane-mushroom-memory/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) , the researchers behind the study say. Using the isolated components of the mushroom could be a step forward in the treatment of these devastating brain conditions. Joining Ira to talk about this study is the study’s co-author, Dr. Ramon Martinez-Marmol, research fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute, based in Brisbane, Australia. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on [sciencefriday.com] (https://www.sciencefriday.com/episodes/february-17-2023/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri) . ... Read more

17 Feb 2023

47 MINS

47:27

17 Feb 2023

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AI And Hip Hop, Self-Planting Seeds, Abortion Pill Facing Restrictions. Feb 24, 2023, Part 1

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“All That Breathes’ Film, Repatriating Native American Remains, Benjamin Banneker. Feb 24, 2023, Par...

#122

Spy Balloons, Cost of Cancer Care, Seaweed, Chocolate Mouthfeel. Feb 17, 2023, Part 2

#121

Ohio Train Spill, Mushroom And Memory, Water Infrastructure. Feb 17, 2023, Part 1