Blue Streak Science Podcast

We’re well into the 19th year of the 21st century and we still have people who don’t understand the reality of climate change, and the benefit of vaccines. Not to be outdone by the aforementioned, the Flat Earth Society is alive and well. Better yet, they’re planning a cruise to the edge of the Earth. On This Week’s Show Huge fossil discovery made in China Flat Earthers go on a cruise Sun bears mimic one another’s facial expressions Good news for sufferers of postpartum depression Science News with Chris MacAlister and Sophie McManus Huge fossil discovery made in China Chris MacAlister Let me take you back in time. Back some 500 million years ago to a period called the Cambrian. Of all the Earth’s eras, the Cambrian is one of the better know, mainly because it was the setting for something called the Cambrian explosion. It refers to an explosion in the diversity of life. All of the major branches of animal life emerged in this period of history. The fundamental structures for complex life were forged at th

Spring has arrived! It’s been a cold, snowy, and wet winter in North America while the rest of hemisphere seemed much warmer than normal. But hope springs eternal with the new season. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and young people are on strike for climate action. There’s something in the air, that’s for sure. On This Week’s Show Switch to soft foods affected human speech An invasion in California Good news when it comes to heart attacks An explanation for my magnetic personality The Climate Lounge Pub Quiz Science News with Sophie McManus and Chris MacAlister Ancient switch to soft food gave us the ability to pronounce ‘f’s and ‘v’s Sophie McManus This is so interesting! I can blame evolution for my horrendous need for braces as a teenager. Maybe. This story concerns a study recently published in the journal Science by an international team of researchers, with affiliations in Switzerland, the US, France, Russia, the Netherlands and Singapore. The emergence of agriculture allowed early human di

On This Week’s Show New study regarding the measles vaccine and autism Green icebergs Type D killer whales Expert birders are full of crap Science News with JD Goodwin and Chris MacAlister More than 100 new insect species discovered on island JD Goodwin Did you ever think that whatever can been discovered has already been found by someone, somewhere else, some other time? It can feel like that. However, in the field of biology, in this case entomology, there’s a lot out there we know nothing about.  Last week it was announced in the journal Zoo Keys that 103 new species of beetles have been discovered, described, and named.  And all came from the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. All are weevils, only a few millimeters in length, and were named after things like Star Wars characters like Yoda. Others were names for scientists like Charles Darwin.  To put this discovery in perspective, only a single species of weevil had ever been found before on Sulawesi, and that was in 1885. This is essentially because no

On This Week’s Show Hoodwinker sunfish washes up on California beach SpaceX launches Ripley to the ISS Second Adult In The World To Be Considered Cleared Of HIV You can’t make it up on the weekend (sleep) Science News with Chris MacAlister and JD Goodwin Hoodwinker sunfish washes up on California beach JD Goodwin But first we’re going to start off with a story that’s a great example of what I love most about doing this podcast. That’s discovering something is not as I thought it was, at having my assumptions turned over. I had always thought there was just one kind of giant sunfish in the ocean, the ocean sunfish, or Mola mola. They look like a giant fish head without the body, and their unlikely fins propel them in an unlikely way. They get huge, like over a metric ton huge. Some even as much as two tons! They eat small fish, crustaceans, and jellyfish. But I always thought it was just one species, until this story came up. Last week, at the unfortunately named Coal Oil Point Reserv

On This Week’s Show Bacteria living on insects could provide new antibiotics New letters to the DNA alphabet A story of interspecies communication The latest buzz on a new species rediscovered The Climate Lounge Pub Quiz Science News with Nevena Hristozova, and Sophie McManus Bacteria living on insects could provide new antibiotics Nevena Hristozova We’ve heard of the crisis with spreading antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria, which can be very very big problem in a very very short time. Until now, for the most part, antibiotics are discovered either by identifying new species producing them, by growing in the lab said species from soil samples and then isolating compounds they produce with antimicrobial properties. The problem with that is, that many bacteria are not easy to grow in the lab, because they only live in complex environments and in microbial communities. This means that the traditional way to stumble across new antibiotics to replace the useless ones due to antimicrobial resistance are be

During his radio show “The Saint” in 1947 actor Vincent Price delivered a message that is, unfortunately, as relevant today as it was 72 years ago. On This Week’s Show Ukraine's science revolution stumbles Opportunity lost InSight gained Life began to move 2.1 billion years ago The Pub Quiz And a special appearance by Mr. Vincent Price Science News with Dr. Amrita Sule, and Chris MacAlister Ukraine’s science revolution stumbles five years on Amrita Sule Around five years ago in February 2014 a revolution took place in Ukraine known as the “Euromaidan” revolution, or the “Revolution of Dignity”, which ended with change in the leadership. The new leadership in Ukraine aligned with European Union. This raised hopes among scientists that more fruitful collaborations will form with the western world. Initially this looked very promising. In 2015 Ukraine was able to apply for EU research programs and in 2016 a law was passed to strengthen science, technology and innovation. However, five years

On This Week’s Show Good news for those who like to sleep Good news for those who like to eat Good news for those who like to sh*t Good news for those who like to brush their teeth The Climate Lounge: Greta Thunberg Drops the Mic Pub Quiz Science News with Chris MacAlister and JD Goodwin Rocking puts adults to sleep faster and makes slumber deeper JD Goodwin This is one of those findings in research that may seem obvious, but so often what appears to be obvious just ain’t so. This study seems to confirm…the obvious. I’m talking about sleep. Sweet sleep. This study from the 4 February issue of Current Biology confirms that being rocked to sleep, even for adults, seems to do the trick. According to Aurore Perrault of the University of Geneva a rocking bed could provide a benefit to people suffering from sleeping disorders, as well as older people. This wasn’t a huge study, so the results should be considered preliminary. The subjects were 18 men and women with an average age of 23. The test subjects spent th

On This Week’s Show Anti-vaccination movement hits the big-time Gardening on the moon Silencing a type of brain cell can reduce pain Mitochondria kicking bacteria butts Science News with Dr. Amrita Sule, and Nevena Hristozova Anti-Vaccine Movement Joins Ebola, Drug Resistance on List of Top Global Threats Amrita Sule Every year the World health organization (WHO) comes up with a list of issues which threaten global health. This year they’ve laid out a list of 10 problems which need attention from the WHO, and their health partners.   Some of the issues in the list were pandemic flu, dengue, climate change, and superbugs. But guess who has also made it to the list? Anti-vaxxers! The anti-vaccine movement, which has mostly been prevalent in the United States, is now an international concern and poses a significant threat to the whole world. The WHO’s list refers to it as “vaccine hesitancy.” A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the number of unvaccinated children und

On This Week’s Show First use of Bluetooth discovered Some new fast radio bursts discovered Another case of foot in mouth News of a proper space rocket Science News with Chris MacAlister, and Nevena Hristozova Blue tooth reveals unknown female artist from medieval times Chris MacAlister This story has, like the light from Rigel, travelled to us over the centuries to provide a small but noticeable illumination to our modern world. Our story starts with a team of intrepid scientists making an heroic survey of ancient tooth plaque. A movie premise that is bound to get you popcorn munching and creating some tooth plaque all of your very own. Studies of this tartar can provide us with a many clues as to the otherwise forgotten lives of people who WILL be direct ancestors of many of us. This dental bacterial film has been found to contain DNA, living bacteria, textiles, pollen, food and even tiny insect wings; which I’m really hoping don’t qualify under the heading of food. Although, this was a time where the dr

We ring in 2019 with news of lovelorn crickets, the far side of the moon, food allergies, and a new branch on a big tree. But the proverbial elephant in the room is the ongoing shutdown of the United States' government. On This Week’s Show The far side of the moon Food allergies? Remember those reports of sonic assaults by the Cuban government against US embassy staff? We have some surprise information about that. We close with some discussion about a new kingdom of life and what it really means Science News with Sophie McManus and JD Goodwin What Does China Want To Do On The Far Side Of The Moon? JD Goodwin On the 3rd of January China’s Chang’e 4 lunar explorer landed on the far side of the moon. This is the first time we’ve done a soft landing on that obscure part of the moon. Okay, so let’s talk about why the far side of the moon is so interesting. The moon is tidally locked to earth, that is, it doesn’t rotate in relation to our planet. We only see the one side of the moon, whether it’s illuminated or

The best in science communication tells a compelling story, and this week we have a great one! Gabriel Montejo-Kovacevich joins us to talk about her research in Central and South America studying butterflies of the genus Heliconius, also known as longwings. She shares her story of the hard work and the gratifying rewards of field research in challenging conditions. Gabriela is at the front line of science, and we are grateful to her for sharing her adventure and her research with us. On This Week’s Show Science News of the Week The Pub Quiz Interview: Gabriela Montejo-Kovacevich of the University of Cambridge Science News with Nevena Hristozova and Sophie McManus NASA’s Voyager 2 Probe Leave the Solar System Nevena Hristozova “Houston, I’m out of here” is probably what Voyager 2 said when it officially left the Solar System and is now roaming in the deep space between stars. The craft was launched before Voyager 1. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it was set on a different trajectory

A year ago we were in shock and disbelief in the days after the Tubbs Fire in Northern California incinerated our neighborhood, and our home. One year later and that scene of apocalyptic devastation has been replaced by a community coming together and rising from the ashes.  I'm overjoyed to announce that we can put that awful year behind us. My family and I have moved back into our wonderful neighborhood, and we're looking forward to more and more of our neighbors' return. A million thanks to the Blue Streak Science team. You are simply the best. I'm indebted to you, and it's my honor to work on this project with you.  Thanks to our incredible audience for sticking with us during the past year. For you, we pledge to take the Blue Streak Science Podcast to the next level. The future is gonna be awesome!  On This Week’s Show The science news of the week The Climate Lounge with Tom Di Liberto And the Pub Quiz Science News with Dr. Amrita Sule and Sophie McManus Cosmic Airburst May Have Wiped Out Part of the

On This Week’s Show Cosmonauts make emergency landing after Soyuz rocket malfunctions Big Bird Misbehaves and eats a Neanderthal Child Stephen Hawking's final science study is released Increase In Cases of Rare 'Polio-Like' Illness in the US We have a big election coming up, so Blue Streak Science is giving endorsements to our favorite science-friendly candidates The Climate Lounge Science News with Nevena Hristozova and Dr. Amrita Sule Cosmonauts make emergency landing after Soyuz rocket malfunctions Nevena Hristozova Two scientists sitting in a rocket. What can go wrong? Pretty much everything when you are sitting on several hundred litres of highly flammable fuel. On 11 October this is exactly what went wrong. Two astronauts were on their way to the ISS in a rocket powered by the Soyuz engines when a problem in the detachment of one of the stages caused the rocket to plunge back to earth, not only before it delivered the cosmonauts to the ISS, but in a trajectory less like the one of a space vessel, but

There were many interesting science stories this week, but none more important than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1.5˚C Report. This may be one of the most important news stories of our lifetimes. Our government's failure to recognize its importance, and their continued contempt for inconvenient truths warranted a collective rage-scream by the Blue Streak Science Team. On This Week’s Show More Nobel Prizes A new immune system strategy for treating cancer A Geyser in Yellowstone spews rubbish Good news for any of our listeners who happen to be bitten by a black mamba The Climate Lounge Pub Quiz Science News Chris MacAlister Caltech Scientist Among Three Awarded Nobel Prize In Chemistry If you tuned in last week then you would have heard about some of this year’s Nobel Prizes, and we’re not finished with you yet! The final science award to be announced this year is the Chemistry prize; and it’s a chemistry prize with a very biological feel to it. Our good friends the Creationists often like t

Last week it was the fun stuff, but this week it's that most serious of awards ceremonies, The Nobel Prize Awards. Sophie gives us the low-down on this year's winner in the category of Medicine and Physiology. JD breaks in with a newsflash, as one does, with Nobel Prize in Physics. On This Week’s Show Nobel Prize Week Scientists De-Code How the Brain Processes Speech Hayabusa Rovers Send New Pics of Comet CDC: 80,000 Died From Flu In 2017 The Climate Lounge Pub Quiz Science News with Sophie McManus and Chris MacAlister Cancer Immunologists Win Nobel Prize in Medicine Sophie McManus The Ig Nobels took place recently, but now it’s time for the Nobels. The winners for the Nobel Prize in medicine are two scientists who have pioneered immunotherapy for cancer. Their names are James Allison and Tasuku Honjo. They separately discovered proteins that act as a brake on the immune system. They later found that releasing these brakes would allow the immune system to attack cancer cells. Drugs called checkpoint inhibi

Science marches forward, but sometimes nations march backward. This is certainly true in recent years with my own country, and we're not alone in our reversion to a lesser form of ourselves. The government of Japan is throwing an international temper tantrum because most of the rest of the world don't want to go back to the awful days of wanton and senseless slaughter of whales for commercial purposes. Yes, we're judging. And the verdict speaks poorly of this great nation. Japan can, and must do better. On This Week’s Show Science News of the Week The Climate Lounge A****** of the Month Pub Quiz Science News with Dr. Amrita Sule and Chris MacAlister Skeletal Stem Cells Found In Humans Amrita Sule Today’s stem cell story is super exciting because it is the very first time researchers have identified these very specific stem cells in humans, which differentiate into the skeletal cells. Stem cells have been studied rigorously for their ability to self renew and differentiate into more specialized cells. Stem

A slight diversion from the usual format today. But hey, do we know how to turn out a science podcast or what? Chris and JD talked about everything from cigarette smoking kids to self-administered colonoscopies. And of course, this episode was custom-made for all the Whovians out there. You know WHO you are. On This Week’s Show More kids in Europe are starting to smoke tobacco We have a heaping helping of Nuclear Pasta California Announces that it’s gonna launch its own damn satellite The Ig Nobel Prize winners for 2018 Doctor Who! The Pub Quiz Science News with Chris MacAlister and JD Goodwin More Children In Europe Have Started Smoking Chris MacAlister Has anyone got a light? The question’s rhetorical since I am a part of a statistical majority of European non-smokers. This is largely a good news story as the number of people who are taking up smoking in Europe has been greatly declining since 1980 onwards but, you know, there are some people out there who can’t just let good news be good news. People wh

On This Week’s Show A better late than never physics prize for 1967 pulsar discovery The International Space Station gets drilled Fishermen haul in the huge skull and antlers of an extinct elk Governor Moonbeam takes California into the future with clean energy The Climate Lounge Pub Quiz Science News with Chris MacAlister and JD Goodwin Jocelyn Bell Burnell wins big physics prize for 1967 pulsar discovery Chris MacAlister This is the exciting news about the discovery of something sending sweeping beams of radio wave pulses through space. It is thought that these beams are originating from expired suns; neutron stars. These small but massive bodies produce radio wave signals like the ones that we’re talking about and the spinning of these neutron stars produces the sweeping waves which have been detected. These bodies are being referred to as pulsars. I’m sorry? What’s that? You’ve heard all this before and it’s not really science news? Well, I grant you that this discovery was made in 1967 so there is a c

The observation of a decaying Higgs’ Boson | Skull tunnels | Troubleshooting on the International Space Station | Rates of STD infections in the United States go way up |The Climate Lounge |Pub Quiz Science News with Nevena Hristozova and Chris MacAlister Physicists Observe the Higgs Boson’s Elusive Decay We struggled for 50 years to detect it, and now we can’t wait to see it die! It’s the Higgs. The boson, not the Professor! Luckily, Professor Peter Higgs is still alive and well at the age of 89. And I’m talking about the decay of the higgs boson - because only by knowing how a particle is born and how it dies one can truly understand it - I’m so poetic! But it’s true. Now the two largest experiments at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva ATLAS and CMS have found another manner via which the boson decays - into bottom-antibottom quarks. This most common decay pattern was surprisingly hard to detect, even if more than 50% of the time the higgs decays like this. Previous observations included its decay into t

Seriously, an empathy expert under fire for bullying? | Mama is a Neanderthal and Daddy is a Denisovan | Earth's Quick Flippin' Magnetic Field | Ancient Turtle Had No Shell | A****** of the Month: Tokyo Medical University | Pub Quiz Science News with Amrita Sule and Sophie McManus Empathy Researcher Accused of Bullying I think this story deals with a very important issue in academia which is often not reported: bullying. Tania Singer, a 48 year old neuroscientist, director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany has been accused of bullying and intimidation by her former colleagues. She is one of the world’s leading experts on empathy research and has spent her entire career studying and understanding human nature. Max Planck institute was brought to notice about this bullying behavior last year. They started investigating the allegations last year and allowed her a year long sabbatical. However, they plan to bring her back to the lab and this is when the curren