Science, Spoken

Latest Episodes:

The World Is Still Producing More Oil Than It Needs. Why? May 04, 2020

Show notes

Today, petroleum producers around the world will start shutting down wells after the Covid-19 pandemic caused demand to plummet. What took them so long?

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Covid-19 Was Here Earlier Than Most Americans Thought. Now What? May 01, 2020

Show notes

Epidemiologists aren't surprised that virus was spreading in the US in early February. But those early days offer lessons for how to catch the next wave.

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The Legacy of Math Luminary John Conway, Lost to Covid-19 Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Conway, who passed away on April 11, was known for his rapid computation, his playful approach, and solving problems with “his own bare hands.”

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A Brain Implant Restored This Man's Motion and Sense of Touch Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

After his accident, Ian Burkhart didn’t think he’d ever be able to move or feel his hand again. A small chip in his brain changed everything.

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Spot the Coronavirus Doctor Robot Dog Will See You Now Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

Boston Dynamics' famously deft robot gets a job screening patients at a hospital. But there's still much that it and other medical robots can't do.

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The Deepwater Horizon Disaster Fueled a Gulf Science Bonanza Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

A decade after the worst oil spill in US history, researchers have turned out a massive data set charting the health of the ecosystem.

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The Real Reason Veterinarians Gave a Tiger a Covid-19 Test Apr 24, 2020

Show notes

It’s hard for humans in New York City to get a test for the coronavirus. So when a Bronx Zoo tiger tested positive for Covid-19, it invited some questions.

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New Covid-19 Antibody Study Results Are In. Are They Right? Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Two preprints of California serosurveys offer surprising estimates about the infection rate, and have caused a Twitter “peer review” uproar.

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The Cold, Hard Work of Delivering Oxygen to Ventilators Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Oxygen is in the air. Getting it to a Covid-19 patient struggling to breathe can be trickier than it seems.

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Africa's Huge Locust Swarms Are Growing at the Worst Time Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

As coronavirus takes hold and farmers plant crops, the continent faces a new wave of locusts 20 times larger than one earlier this year.