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No Dark Matter, Too Much Water, Humans In Canada!, People Everywhere, Mama Bears, Shark Poop Factories, Buried Controversy, Worms For Weightloss, Superbug Battle, Brain Mapping Revolution, Not Really New Organ, Fish Lunch Lag, And Much More…
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DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER!!!
The following hour of programming is for people
with really big brains to enjoy at their leisure.
Other people are welcome to listen as well,
but may run the risk of over filling their brains with science-y information.
If unsure of your particular brain’s capacity,
Ask yourself the following questions:
1.) When I learn a new thing do I immediately forget something I used to know?
If the answer is no, you will be fine listening to the show.
If the answer is yes, move on to question #2
2.) Is the thing I forget, that I used to know, a uselessly outdated piece of information that I can safely do without?
If the answer is Yes, you may proceed with listening further…
or closer as the case may be.
If the answer is No, you may want to reconsider listening…
If the answer is I don’t know, then it may be too late,
as you are already listening to
This Week In Science,
Coming Up Next…
No Dark Matter
A galaxy that should have loads of dark matter has been found lacking.
Too Much Water
Does the TRAPPIST-1 system have too much water for life?
Humans in Canada!
Or, at least their footprints.
People everywhere
Even where the Amazon was thought to be uninhabited.
Mama bears have another reason to keep their cubs at home.
Due to hunting pressure, bears are staying home longer. Is this an explanation for those “lazy millenials” who won’t move out? Perhaps…
Sharks are important! For even more reasons!
They’re population control, but they’re also… Poop factories! And their poop keeps coral reefs thriving!
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This Week in What Has Science Done for me Lately?!?
“Science has given me a deeper appreciation for EVERYTHING, and is constantly keeping me humble and amazed. I graduated from UC Davis in 2000 with a BS in Electrical Engineering, I was one of the 10% of females in my class by the way, but that is another topic. The amount of physics, math, logic and programming that I studied has allowed me to see the world with new appreciation. I was particularly interested in learning about where the hardware met software and how we could possibly push these electrons through silicon logic gates and get the amazing software we all take for granted today.
I’m far from an electrical engineer now, but I am an avid knitter! I started knitting when I was pregnant with my son 11 years ago and haven’t stopped. You might be wondering what has this got to do with science? Well, knitting is made up of two stitches, Kint and Purl. Much like the 0’s and 1’s that underpin our entire complex digital life, I can take the knit and purl stitchs and create elaborate sweaters, socks, hats and plushies for my kids. I’ve grown an appreciation for the natural properties of wool, did you know it is naturally antibacterial, water wicking and keeps you warm in the cold yet breaths in warmer temperatures? Knowing the micron lengths of the fibers has allowed me to pick the non-scratchy fibers. Science has given me “”super wash”” wool yarn that if my knits get thrown into the wash then they won’t felt. I also spin my own yarn now, and again it’s science that has given me a deep appreciation for this ancient craft and understand how the twist energy in a single ply and the alignment of the fibers can affect how fluffy or smooth the yarn turns out, which affects the drape of the garment or object I create. I’ve learned about natural dyes and how indigo dye vats are actually alive! These age old chemistry experiments have given us color to play with and wear. Could you imagine only wearing gray, white, black or brown every single day?
So, that’s my odd story about what science has done for me… that and everywhere I look I can appreciate just how much science goes into it. Science is all around us. Sometimes I see Forier Transform patterns when driving past a field of young orchard trees. We have learned so much being on this planet, yet there is so much still unknown. So thank you for bringing the science each week!
–Sharon Troia”
Buried controversy
Did the Neanderthals bury their dead?
Worms For weight loss
The newest dietary fad may soon be… tapeworms!
Or Don’t Eat
Caloric restriction might keep us young.
Give me room lots of room…
C.difficile likes its space.
Brain Mapping Revolution
In the vein of faster and better, MAPseq technology might be the path to better understanding of the brain.
Superbug Battle
Teixobactin proves successful at treating Staph infection in animals.
Not Really New
What’s being touted as a “new” organ system in humans is not really new, and probably not really an organ.
Fat fish can’t swim
A big meal slows even the most dominant fishes down to the back of the pack. So quit rushin me, Karen, I just had a big lunch!!
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I'm the host of this little science show. 
While it may seem silly to use a site with dates similar to or younger than the oldest archaeological dates on the west coast of the americas, there are not many early dates in northern North America overall. This is often because of the geology of the region and how that has affected site preservation. There are also several archaeologists who still support an alternative hypothesis that people came through the center of the United States first instead of coming south along the coast line. This alternative hypothesis is based largely on a stone tool called the Clovis point.
Interesting! Lack of data is certainly a limiting factor in this area of research. But, is it possible there might have been multiple migrations of humans – up the coast AND through the center?
Thank you for the comment and for listening to the show.