Science Friday

Latest Episodes:

Venomous Or Poisonous, Crayfish Clones, Immune System Cancer Injection. Feb 9, 2018, Part 2 Feb 09, 2018

Show notes

Do you know the difference between a poisonous creature and a venomous one? One distinction is that poisons are often ingested or absorbed by the skin, while venoms have to be injected through a wound. Mandë Holford tells us more about her research studying these dangerous creatures.

25 years ago, all-female crayfish species originated from a hobbyist tank in Germany. In the wild, the crustacean developed a mutation that allowed it to pick up a third set of chromosomes and reproduce clonally. Since then, the cloning crayfish have proliferated—invading waters all around the world. What do the neurons of this clonal creature tell us about its ability to adapt to different environments?

It's known that the immune system can fight cancer—and there have been heavy investments in the search for a drug that will boost our own body’s ability to combat cancer. Now, researchers at Stanford University may have discovered a treatment that’s not only quick, but also doesn’t send the body’s immune system into overdrive.

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Frankenstein Goodbye, Chocolate And Bugs, Ozone Problems. Feb 9, 2018, Part 1 Feb 09, 2018

Show notes

The Science Friday Book Club nerds out about ‘Frankenstein’ one last time.

A menagerie of insects thrive among cacao trees—and that biodiversity might help boost yields.

While the ozone layer above the poles is on the mend, the health of the layer in middle latitudes is less clear.

SpaceX successfully launched the Heavy Falcon rocket with two of the three boosters safely landing back onto the launch pad.

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Egyptian Dinosaurs, Leaking Data, Huntington’s Research, Mole Rats. Feb 2, 2018, Part 2 Feb 02, 2018

Show notes

Dinosaurs existed all over the world—fossils have been found on every continent. Africa is no exception, but far fewer fossils have been found there from the late Cretaceous era—the period before the dinosaurs went extinct. But a new discovery in Egypt could provide clues about the evolution of dinosaurs in Africa. Click here to learn more.

Last weekend, an Australian researcher pointed out on Twitter that a “heat map” of popular running locations released by the fitness app Strava could be used to help identify the locations of military installations in deserted areas. Is big data revealing more than you know—or want other people to know?

New research shows that decades before outward signs of the neurological illness show, Huntington’s disease will affect the development of an embryo.

What the naked mole rat lacks in conventual cuteness it makes up for with some superpower-like qualities—including an aversion to cancer and the ability to defy the laws of aging. Ira digs into the data to find out what else we could learn from these, well, interesting-looking creatures.

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Agricultural Bees, China’s Energy Future, Frankenstein In Class. Feb 2, 2018, Part 1 Feb 02, 2018

Show notes

China's thirst for energy is rising. But to save its cities from suffocating pollution, leaders are looking to carbon-free energy sources and electric vehicles. Click here for more information about China's energy future.

We need domestic bees. But what happens to wild bees when they share a space? We discuss the good and the bad in the latest installment of Good Thing, Bad Thing.

Plus, Ira checks in with the SciFri Book Club. This week, the club receives a call for help and discuss how Frankenstein is still relevant to today’s high school students.

And Maggie Koerth-Baker of Five Thirty Eight gives Ira a tour of this week's science headlines in our weekly News Round-up.

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