Blue Streak Science Podcast

It has been a tumultuous week in American politics! Wow! But Blue Streak Science stays above the fray as we deliver the latest science to the world in our own special way. We talked about birds in hurricanes and bat-shit crazy conspiracy theorists. Did you hear the one about the chimp who could read minds? We talked about new research that shows our close cousins to possess similar "theory of mind" as humans, including the ability to anticipate when someone is about to do the wrong thing. It involved a guy in a King Kong suit. You can't make this stuff up! We also talked about Saturn's moon Dione and how it has an ocean. How many moons are there now with oceans? I lost count. "If everybody had an ocean/Across the U. S. A./Then everybody'd be surfin'/Like Californi-a" Put on your baggies and wax your board 'cause surf's up in the solar system! What The Hell Was That? Nobody got last week's sound because it was freakin' difficult. No, you'll never get. But you can try! Just have a listen. All the hosts were ver

No, none of the Blue Streak Science team received that phone call from Sweden. But the week isn't over yet! In the meantime, we had another great episode talking about a new "3-parent" technique that circumvents inherited mitochondrial disease. We also discussed some ominous news from the Antarctic, as well as this year's Nobel Prize winners (so far). Of course, what episode of the podcast would be complete without playing the "What The Hell Was That?" game and "False Positive"? That was rhetorical, by the way. What The Hell Was That? Another week and I've again stumped our panel of experts! This one was pretty difficult, and really weird, too. And the answer is...what? You think I'm going to tell you here? Stop it. You're killin' me! No way! You have to listen to the podcast for that! Blue Streak Science Roundup Join us as we have a lively discussion on the science news of the week. This week we talked about: Mitochondria World's first baby born with new 3-parent technique The team of John Zhang from

Today we welcome the newest member of the Blue Streak Science team, Tom Di Liberto! Yes, we now have our very own meteorologist and climate guru! Tom joins us with nearly a decade of research experience in climatology, meteorology, and oceanography. In 2013 he was named America's Scientist Idol at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Seriously, how cool is that? Tom has been an invited speaker and/or writer at the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang, Climate Desk, 2014 Green Biz Forum and Verge conferences, NAS Science and Entertainment Exchange, Nerd Nite DC, and Thirst DC. To top it all off Tom is a writer for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's climate.gov ENSO and is the sole author of climate.gov's Event Tracker Blog. Wow! What The Hell Was That? Congratulations to our host Sophie for nailing the correct answer! Boo-yah! And that answer is...what? You think I'm going to tell you here? Stop it. You're killin' me! No way! You have to lis

Opening Word We're back! After an extended hiatus the Blue Streak Science Podcast has returned. We still have listener favorites the What The Hell Was That game and False Positive. But we've shelved the Blue Streak Science News and are hitching up the News Roundup! Sure, we're a little rusty, but we're itching (chafing?) to get back on the saddle and on down the trail.  Yee-haw! What The Hell Was That? Today's science sound is a tough one. Do you think you have what it takes to identify it? Give it a try. Have a listen! Blue Streak Science News Roundup Eureka! I have found it! Or, Eurekalert! Where the hell is it? The news release service known as Eurekalert, was subject to "an aggressive attack" by hackers beginning on 9 september. This site is administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the publishers of the top-tier journal “Science”. The hack wasn’t discovered until 11 September and by then the damage had been done. User id’s and passwords were compromised. As a re

This week the people of the United Kingdom will be making an enormously important choice. The result of the "Brexit" vote will profoundly affect the lives of Britons for decades.  To leave or not to leave? That is the question. Last week in the closing I mentioned that “science is a team sport”. Some of the most valuable and productive collaborations are the ones that cross borders. The UK now produce 62% of its scientific output as international collaborations, and that proportion is growing rapidly. The EU has facilitated those collaborations for decades making the European Union the science powerhouse of the world. No, it’s not the United States. The EU has 34% more scientific output than the United States, and they’re increasing that lead year after year. So let’s be clear, if the UK vote to leave there will be consequences. The UK will lose its currently prominent, even dominant role on forming science policy in the EU.   Scientific discovery drives industry and health care. If the UK leaves then they’l

Opening Word After last weekend's horrible news - another mass murder perpetrated by one man with a legally purchased weapon of war - it makes this website and podcast seem a little silly. We have a wonderful time doing this, but I cannot help but think of the many funerals, the suffering, and the plight of the survivors. For purely political reasons the Centers for Disease Control are forbidden from doing epidemiological research on gun violence in the United States. Science is a powerful weapon and those who favor unfettered trade in weapons of war have fought to keep one weapon, science, away from us all. No amount of prayer, moments of silence, or hand wringing will bring back the dead or prevent future victims from being cut down. The only thing that can reduce the carnage is brave action. Will they forgive us if we do nothing? What The Hell Was That? Camille Corra, a listener from Santiago, Chile, was the first to answer correctly last week's mystery sound. Congratulations. You have earned the undying

Opening Word Amy! It's election day here in California, but the Blue Streak Science Podcast isn't going to be stopped by such trivial matters. No, we are going to have our usual fun time of talking about the latest science stories and playing a few games for good measure. During the recording a neighbor knocked on the door and my dog Amy went ballistic! So thankful for the editing capabilities of Adobe Audition. She's a good pup, but damn, it's just the neighbor. Relax. It was another fun episode and we hope you enjoy it. What The Hell Was That? Karen Ha, a listener from Vancouver, British Columbia,  was the first to answer correctly last week's mystery sound. Congratulations. You have earned the undying admiration of the Blue Streak Science team. Also, congratulations to host Ivy Shih for also getting the correct answer! And that answer is...what? You think I'm going to tell you here? Stop it. You're killin' me! No way! You have to listen to the podcast for that! Blue Streak Science News Universe exp

Blue Streak Science News Cloud-seeding surprise could improve climate predictions The cooling effect of pollution may have been exaggerated. Fossil fuel burning spews sulfuric acid into the air, where it can form airborne particles that seed clouds and cool Earth’s climate. But that’s not the only way these airborne particles can form, three new studies suggest. Tree vapors can turn into cooling airborne particles, too. The discovery means these particles were more abundant before the Industrial Revolution than previously thought. Climate scientists have therefore overestimated cooling caused by air pollution, says atmospheric chemist Urs Baltensperger, who coauthored the three studies. Simulating unpolluted air in a cloud chamber, Baltensperger and colleagues created microscopic particles from vapors released by trees. In the real world, cosmic rays whizzing into the atmosphere foster the development of these particles, the researchers propose in the May 26 Nature. Once formed, the particles can grow large

What The Hell Was That? Today’s mystery sound, or rather, a “WHO the Hell Was That?” stumped the panel and the audience! However, word has it that Sophie knew it all along. What? You know who it is? Then you should have emailed us with your answer to have your name and website announced on the podcast. Not to worry, you can try again with this week’s mystery sound. And if you have any idea what the answer is, or even if you don’t, email your answer/guess. Who knows…maybe you’ll get it right! Oh, and it’s not a cephalopod. Cephalopods misbehaving Blue Streak Science News U.S. reviews plan to infect mosquitos with bacteria to stop disease Strange sea-dwelling reptile fossil hints at rapid evolution after mass extinction Cephalopod opulations on the rise as our oceans change False Positive, the science game with the scary name! This weeks winner is Ivy. Does she know her cephalopods or what?! This episode of Blue Streak Science Podcast comes to you from Atlanta, Georgia; Santa Rosa, California; and Sydney,

Uh, that's a big spider! Golden Orb Weaver What The Hell Was That? (pssst...it's not a spider) Reid Nicewonder, a listener from Blab live video streaming platform was the first to answer correctly last week’s mystery sound. Congratulations. You have earned the undying admiration of the Blue Streak Science team. Oh, but that is so last week. In today’s episode we have a new mystery sound. Do you think you can figure out what it is? If you do then contact us at bluestreakscience@gmail.com or leave us a voice message on Speakpipe, the orange tab on the right side of this page (Send Voicemail). Blue Streak Science News How spider webs stay tense A second Zika-spreading species of mosquito? Newly discovered microbe without mitochondria           False Positive, the science game with the scary name! This weeks winner is Sophie, proving that even a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day! Harsh? This episode of Blue Streak Science Podcast comes to you from Sydney, Australia;Cambridge, England;

Announcements Diagonal banded sweetlip. Great barrier reef. Queensland On Monday morning, 9 May we launched the Science Café on the Blab live streaming platform. Three days per week I’m going to cam up on Blab with a cup of coffee and the most recent copies of science magazines and journals and talk about the latest news in the world of science. Essentially, the Science Café has 3 parts: keep the audience up to date on what’s going on with the Blue Streak Streak Science Podcast share science news and to decide which stories would be a good fit for the next episode play the What The Hell Was That game with a live audience Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays at 7:00AM Pacific What The Hell Was That? BovineBob from Bristol, England got the answer correct! And he wasn't the only one, but he was the first one. Congratulations, BovineBob! How did our crack team of science professionals do? Let's not talk about that, okay? :) Great Barrier Reef, Whitsundays Australia Blue Streak Science News Rainwater can

Sharon Stiteler is living the dream. She's getting paid to do what she loves. Birding. She travels the world as a birding field trip guide. She's also a birding consultant, keynote speaker, and a bird bander. She has written several books including "1,001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know". Sharon is #32 on the "Geek-a-Week" trading card set! In the birdbath with Sharon Stiteler You'd think that Sharon wouldn't have time for anything else, but she is a full-time (!) ranger for the National Park Service at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. She has been on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and the NBC Nightly News answering bird questions. Sharon and her husband Non-birding Bill are hosts of the best birding podcast on the planet, the Birdchick Podcast. If you're a birder then you must check out this podcast. If you're not a birder I still recommend it because it's that good. And they don't limit themselves to the topic of birding. Birding news, great humor, witty repartee, an

What The Hell Was That? Chris Cowans, a listener from Sydney, Australia was the first listener to get last week's What The Hell Was That correct. Congratulations, Chris! Blue Streak Science News Australia to destroy alien carp by releasing herpes into rivers The teenager who can't help speaking in a French accent Three Earth-like Planets discovered False Positive, the science game with the scary name! JD stumps the Blue Streak brain trust once again! Do you have what it takes? This episode of Blue Streak Science Podcast comes to you from Santa Rosa, California; Sydney, Australia; and Atlanta, Georgia.

What The Hell Was That? Nobody was able to guess what this week's sound was! Can you, smarty pants? Blue Streak Science News Prions in Plants? Cassini's fiery plunge into oblivion Why super-gonorrhoea is spreading and may soon be untreatable False Positive, the science game with the scary name! None of our team of brilliant scientists were able to answer this correctly, either! Am I being too tough on them? Oh, you think YOU can do better? This episode of Blue Streak Science Podcast comes to you from Cambridge, England; Santa Rosa, California; and Atlanta, Georgia.

What The Hell Was That? Alexzander Samuelsson, a listener from Toronto got last week's What The Hell right when he answered with (classified: top secret). Blue Streak Science News Minimalist cell whittled down to 473 genes Potential mechanism found for 'brain shock' therapy Explosive road rage-like anger linked to parasite spread by cats False Positive, the science game with the scary name! This weeks winner is Sophie! Have a listen to see if YOU get the right answer! This episode of Blue Streak Science Podcast comes to you from Sydney, Australia; Cambridge, England; and Santa Rosa, California.

Conversation with Alexa Erdogan Alexa’s scientific background includes experience as a molecular and cellular biologist and training as a molecular neuroscientist. During her time as an undergraduate researcher, she worked to contribute to a better understanding of the role that microglial cells play in ischemic preconditioning. Now, as a Master’s student in Space Studies, she is actively combining her experience in neuroscience with the realm of outer space to better understand the impacts of long term spaceflight on neurological systems. Outside of academia, she writes and produces the Synapse Science Podcast, which has recently wrapped up its first season. Thanks to positive feedback and support for the show, the podcast is gearing up for a second season in the near future. More of her science communication work can be found on her online portfolio. In this episode Alexa and I discussed her studies in neuroscience and space studies, and how she has applied them to science communication. We talked about the

Talking Peer Review with Dr. Peter Chahales Peter is a newly minted Ph.D. from the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Stony Brook University. Peter is an enthusiastic and skilled science communicator and loves everything science. Our topic today was peer review. We talked about what peer review is and how it works, and why it is fundamental to science.  List of Peter's publications   What The Hell Was That? Leon Letkeman, a listener from Islamabad, Pakistan got last week's What The Hell right when he answered with "earthquake". In this case, the sound was the horrific earthquake that devastated Fukushima, Japan. The sound was captured on a hydrophone in the Pacific 1,500 kilometers away in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Vents Program at Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Oregon State University recorded the temblor using the U.S. Navy’s Sound Surveillance System. This portion of the recording was 16 times normal speed. The

What The Hell Was That? Gabriel Owen of Los Angeles, California answered correctly with "red fox". Shockingly to everyone, including herself, our esteemed host Sophie McManus answered correctly (guessed) as well! She received a smattering of applause while Gabe received a nod of approval. Next week's sound? Listen to the podcast or tune in to "Science Sunday" on Blab.im for a live replay of the What The Hell Was That sound! Don't miss it. Common Vole, Microtus arvalis Blue Streak Science News Forgetful male voles are more likely to wander from mate Headbanging Aussie bee takes a heavy metal approach to pollination Ground control to Major Tim (Peake) Prodigal gas cloud was born in Milky Way and is crashing back in Update on Zika disease: virus linked to rare birth defect COP21 agreement reached! A$$**** of the Week Martin Shkreli is at it again! Remember him? He’s the asshole who bumped up the price of a 62 year old drug against toxoplasmosis from $13.50 per pill to $750. He once again has plans to shar

What The Hell was That? Kaitlyn Thomas of Cape Town, South Africa correctly answered last week's WTHWT challenge with the answer of: bald eagle Blue Streak Science News Round up of the COP21 Summit Hundreds of giant dinosaur footprints found in Scottish lagoon A$$#*\& of the Week Coca-Cola’s top scientist is stepping down after it was revealed that the company was funding scientific research that minimized the role of their products in the spread of obesity. Coke’s chief science and health officer, Dr. Rhonda Applebaum, created a group called the Global Energy Balance Network. This group consisted of university scientists, and they encouraged the public to focus on exercise and not so much about how what we eat and drink contributes to the epidemic of obesity. Coca-Cola spent $1.5 million last year to support the group, which included a $1 million grant to the University of Colorado medical school, where the nonprofit group’s president, James O. Hill, a prominent obesity researcher, is a professor. Coke

What The Hell was That? Cody White correctly answered last week's WTHWT challenge with the answer of: baby alligator Blue Streak Science News African Grey Parrot 'Gene drive' mosquitoes engineered to fight malaria NIH to retire all research chimpanzees New "superbug" gene found in animals and people in China African grey parrot numbers plummet in Ghana Blue Origin Succeeds in Landing Spent Rocket Back on Earth Having parasites can boost fertility Snakebite antivenom development stuck in 19th century A$$#*(& of the Week Our A$$#*(& of the Week is Jenny McCarthy.