Quirks and Quarks - CBC - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Nobel laureates share their winning science Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

We talk to two of this year’s newest Nobel Laureates, Dr. Karl Deisseroth and Peter Hegemann, about their discoveries in optogenetics, a technique that has transformed what we know about the brain — all thanks to a light-detecting algal protein.

Also today:

Gut microbes can encourage fever after vaccination
Weather forecasters are less confident in their predictions these days. Here’s why
What raccoons and other wild brains can teach us about ourselves

Quirks & Quarks has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote for us here.

For more information about today’s episode, visit cbc.ca/quirks.

How feasting black holes time their burps Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Black holes are voracious eaters, but they’re also quite messy, and often after devouring a star, they’ll let out a big burp, launching jets of high energy particles through space. Now, in a recent study, a team of astrophysicists has figured out the formula behind the timing of these burps.

Also today:

Skiing, hiking and roads are taking a toll on wolverines
The buzzy, chirpy sounds of the Jurassic forest
A notorious invasive species has been here a lot longer than we thought. Does that matter?
Anomalies suggest King Tut’s tomb may conceal hidden chambers

Quirks & Quarks has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote for us here.

For more information about today’s episode, visit cbc.ca/quirks.

How corals tell us climate change is supersizing El Niño Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

The El Niño underway in the Pacific Ocean is a natural climate phenomenon but its warming effects are being boosted by climate change. Researchers recently used corals growing around the Galapagos Islands to create a local temperature record of the ocean going back 1,000 years.

Also today:

Massive study redraws bat family tree and uncovers genetic oddities
How the Surinam toad uses star-shaped fingertip lobes to ‘see’ its prey
T. rex tooth enamel reveals these dinosaurs were warm-blooded
Why great white sharks are converging on the East Coast

Quirks & Quarks has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote for us here.

For more information about today’s episode, visit cbc.ca/quirks.

A feather found in dino poop and more... Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

It’s long been a mystery why one particular avian dinosaur was the only kind to survive mass extinction, but the recent discovery of a perfectly preserved fossilized feather, found in a cherry-sized piece of dinosaur poop, offers new clues.

Also today:

Why citizen scientists buried thousands of undies
How climate change tipped the scales on a catastrophic Himalayan avalanche
Why an AI leap has left mathematicians feeling uneasy
Why scientists put teeny-tiny micro-trackers on chimney swifts

Quirks & Quarks has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote for us here.

For more information about today’s episode, visit cbc.ca/quirks.

Summertime and the science isn’t always easy Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Summer is fieldwork time for many scientists. We talk to researchers who have been busy hiking on fresh lava, capturing thousands of ticks, shooing away moose from their study sites, and even spelunking for Neanderthals — all in the ever-important quest for data.

Sweat, comets and dino milk. It’s our summer question show! Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Quirks & Quarks has been taking your burning questions for 50 years. And while we thought we might have answered every question there is, our listeners proved there are always more science questions for us to tackle. Including:

What does the black hole orbit?
What do you sweat out in a sauna?
Why are robins' eggs blue?
What if we no longer had a moon?
Did dinosaurs produce milk?
Were there ever giant humans?

How to battle climate apathy, and more stories about humans Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

From doubting our doubts to sleuthing out scientific fraud, this week we revisit some of our favourite stories about humans.

Celebrating 50 years of Quirks & Quarks! Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

For our 50th anniversary celebration last October, we spoke with some of Canada's top scientists about their predictions for the future. We revisit our conversations with:

Evan Fraser, director of Arrell Food Institute and professor of geography at the University of Guelph
Katie Mack, Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Luke Stark, assistant professor in the faculty of information and media studies at Western University
Laura Tozer, assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of Toronto
Ana Luisa Trejos, professor in the department electrical and computer engineering and the school of biomedical engineering and Canada Research Chair in wearable mechatronics at Western University in London, Ont.
Yvonne Bombard, professor at the University of Toronto and scientist and Canada Research Chair in Genomics Health Services and Policy