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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Neanderthal Tech, Mammalian Radiation, Barefoot Walkers, Rolling Poop, We Make Mosquitoes, Robots Make Jobs!, Glia Glue, Big Bird Bones, Nar-what?, Cicada Hallucinations, Hot Europe, And Much More…
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DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
No matter what…
Be positive.
Yes life isn’t always a bowl of cherries, but so what?
You could have a bowl of cherries right now if you wanted it…
but you don’t… and why? Because of the pits.
Even a bowl of cherries has a down side if you look for it.
So be positive!
Because tomorrow you might die suddenly and unexpectedly…
And if you have not been positive those around you will say that you didn’t really like it here anyway…
Be Positive!
Because even when things are bad they could be much worse
So be positive!
Because the universe doesn’t actually care if you are not happy
So be positive!
Because it doesn’t matter if you are not.
So you might as well just look on the bright side…
After all, there are things to look forward to.
And a great number of those things are about to come your way
On this week in science…
Coming up next.
First up, some science news!
Neanderthal Tech
Neanderthals were no saps, but they used pine sap or resin as a glue for their tools.
Mammals were all that and a bag of chips while T-rex was still roaming
Mammalian radiation and domination didn’t wait for dinosaurs to go extinct, according to new fossil evidence.
Barefoot walkers have tough feet but sense the ground just as well
Barefoot walkers build up tough calluses on the soles of their feet without losing their sensitivity unlike wearing shoes. Hypothesis that hard calluses transmit pressure without dampening them.
And, now it’s time for Blair’s Animal Corner!… with Blair!
Rolling poop, on a wind and a prayer
Dung beetles use multiple variables to move about their landscape, including wind direction!
Just like the bacteria, mosquitoes are becoming monsters of our own design.
Pesticide resistant mosquitoes are a thing. Oops.
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This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
Our guest host from The Daily Tech News Show, Roger Chang, tells us about the benefits he gets from science.
Let’s continue with some more science news…
Big Bird Bones
Bones from a bird almost as big as a polar bear have been discovered in Europe on the Black Sea.
Robots Make Jobs!
“Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be replaced by robots by 2030, according to analysis firm Oxford Economics. But, however, increasing automation will also boost jobs and economic growth, it added.”
Glia, previously thought to just be brain glue, actually kind of a big deal.
The glia may be responsible for the impulse to give up on something that isn’t working – which is a really important thing to be able to do, it turns out!
Nar-what?
A whale specimen was discovered that turned out to be a hybrid Narwhal and Beluga whale, or Narluga.
And, finally, Some Quick Science News Stories To End The Show
What do fungal hallucinogens and cicada genitals have in common?
They are part of a horrifying “salt shaker of death”
Heat is on
An unprecedented heatwave is underway in Europe.
I'm the host of this little science show. 
