Quirks and Quarks - CBC - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

A stinky planet full of magma, and more... Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

An unusual hellscape of a planet found 34 light years from Earth has a deep ocean of molten magma surrounded by noxious, hot, rotten egg-type fumes. It just may be the most uninhabitable alien landscape we've ever come across.

PLUS:

Neanderthal DNA can help explain how human faces form
Nearly indestructible teeny tiny tardigrades struggle to survive in Martian dirt
Tiny tags on monarch butterflies allow scientists to track their exact migration route
A weird fish has a big hole in its head. Scientists finally have an idea why.

Bonobo females bully the boys, and more… Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

We used to think that of our primate relatives, chimps were the more aggressive ape and bonobos were more peaceful. A recent study found that bonobos are just as antagonistic as chimps, but it's the females targeting males.

PLUS:

Mission to deflect an asteroid was a smashing success
Low gravity environments can lead to stronger blood clots in astronauts
From fire to galaxy formation, a celebration of friction as a fundamental force
Winter spiders survive subzero temperatures with a potent antifreeze

Filming a black hole in action, and more… Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

You may have seen Black Hole, the image, but have you heard of the upcoming Black Hole, The Movie? This week, astronomers launched a new campaign to capture video footage of the supermassive black hole pulsing at the heart of the M87 galaxy.

PLUS:

Sunlight and fungi inspiration can help recycle plastic waste into vinegar
Ancient kangaroos were hopping giants
How monogamy helps termite colonies number in the millions
Our infant universe's primordial soup was soupy, according to new study

How starfish move their tiny tube feet, and more… Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

Starfish don't have brains, and yet they're able to mobilize hundreds of tiny hydraulic tube feet to get around. Now scientists are getting an understanding of just how they do that.

PLUS:

Atmospheric pollution from an individual rocket re-entry event measured for the first time
How the Earth’s greenhouse age transitioned into a world with frozen poles
What is dark matter? The contenders — from WIMPs to dark matter stars
Quirks Question: why doesn’t flowing water freeze at the same temperature as still water?

(Correction: A previous version of the dark matter story referred to a study published last fall that mapped the distribution of dark matter, but the study was published on Jan. 26, 2026.)

How living on Mars could change humans, and more… Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

From the pressurized space suits to living in underground spaces, it's clear that living on Mars would cause irreversible biological changes to any humans living there, to the point that it may be impossible for them or their descendants to return to Earth. With bigger heads and lighter bodies, might we also end up looking like Martians?

PLUS:

Yellowstone’s predators battle it out, and wolves remain top dog
fossil of the earliest veggie-eater found in Nova Scotia
Covid is disappearing in animals, which is good news for deer but not as good for humans
how genes affect our lifespan more than we thought

The sensitive secrets of elephant whiskers, and more… Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

An elephant’s trunk is incredibly strong and rugged, and yet it is one of the most sensitive touch organs in the animal kingdom. New research reveals that this sensitivity is partly powered by over 1000 whiskers.

PLUS:

A new 'inside out' solar system is making astronomers question planet formation
Paleo-Inuit people in the high Arctic were masterful seafarers, new study shows
Two-month-old babies can categorize objects in their brain
How insects deal with smog or microplastics can impact them and the environment

Belugas swap mates for survival, and more… Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Researchers made the surprising discovery that Alaska beluga whales have swinging sex lives — and that could be their key to survival in the warming Arctic.

Plus:

mission to the 'doomsday' Thwaites glacier in Antarctica ends in disappointment
near-infrared light therapy offers hope to football players with brain injuries
with nuclear power making a comeback, what's changed since the last Atomic Age?

Polar bears are thriving in Svalbard, and more... Jan 30, 2026

Show notes

Scientists spent nearly 25 years studying close to 800 polar bears in the Barents Sea region and discovered that those polar bears seem to be doing just fine, even though melting sea ice is also a major issue.

PLUS:

Sargassum seaweed is becoming such a problem, you can see it from space
Why some people only get mild sniffles with a cold and others get sick
A woolly rhino's DNA found in an ancient wolf’s stomach reveals their quick demise
How to change a memory — one scientist's quest to understand memory permanence

'Gifted' dogs learn from eavesdropping, and more... Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

Some dogs are more adept at learning language than others. Researchers studying these special dogs discovered that, much like toddlers, these smart furry canine companions can pick up words just by eavesdropping on their owners' conversations.

PLUS

Tracking space debris using seismometers
Using nitrogen to boost trees
How Mars shapes our climate
Extracting ice age mammoth RNA and using lichens to find dino bones

The reason chimps can reason, and more… Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

We may share a common ancestor with chimpanzees, but somewhere along the evolutionary line to us, our brains took a major detour. New research suggests that chimpanzees can rationally weigh evidence, a trait that used to be thought as uniquely human.

PLUS:

Why penguin-eating pumas live closer together in Patagonia
Ants sacrifice the strength of individual workers for quantity
Mapping the landmass beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet
How deep sea ocean environments affect fish body shape

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Quirks and Quarks – CBC

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected