Let's Science

A fungus that turns ants into zombies? Australia's latest discovery stirs big questions about nature, culture, and collaboration. With Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle. The post Zombie Ants, Smart Fungi & Ancient Science appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Could your next housemate be a robot? The team talks Neo Gamma, the AI-powered humanoid assistant from X1. Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle weigh the promise—and pitfalls—of a future with home-helping bots. The post Can AI Handle the Housework? appeared first on StarQuest Media.

A creepy-cool fungus turns spiders into zombies—then eats them! Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle unpack how this eerie phenomenon may help us fight antibiotic resistance. Nature gets weird, but maybe even helpful. The post Zombie Spiders, Killer Fungi, and the Secret to New Antibiotics? appeared first on StarQuest Media.

A brain turned to glass? Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle reveal how a victim of Mount Vesuvius was preserved in a shocking state—and what it tells us about ancient Rome, volcanic fury, and the science behind vitrification. The post Buried by Fire: The Enigma of the Glass Brain appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Ancient Roman concrete: what made it so strong? Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle break down new discoveries on its self-healing properties, Vitruvius' architectural wisdom, and why modern engineers are taking notes. Science, history, and a little fun! The post Roman Concrete Strikes Back: The Secret to Its Eternal Strength! appeared first on StarQuest Media.

AI-designed proteins could revolutionize medicine! A new glowing molecule, ESM GFP, was created in days—something evolution would take 500 million years to do. Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle break down what this means for biotech, genetics, and even sci-fi possibilities! The post Glowing Proteins and the Future of Biotech appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Spacecraft are pushing boundaries! Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss NASA's Parker Solar Probe's fiery feat, Mercury's latest close-up, private moon landers, and major rocket breakthroughs from SpaceX and Blue Origin. Science is on the move! The post Racing the Sun: Parker Probe, Mercury Flybys, and the Future of Space Travel appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Celebrate the Christmas spirit with Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle as they uncover how the holiday season affects your brain! From festive joy boosting happy hormones to the science behind holiday stress—and even a real-life “Christmas spirit” brain study—you'll be amazed! The post Christmas In Your Brain appeared first on StarQuest Media.

StarQuest needs your support to continue our mission of bringing faith and culture together in ways that educate, inspire, and entertain with all of our shows. The post A Special Advent Message appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Why do dogs and other furry animals shake to dry off? Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss new research that has discovered specialized touch receptors in animal skin that trigger this behavior and could lead to treatments for hypersensitive skin in humans and animals. The post Why Wet Dogs Shake and Cats Don’t appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Jimmy Akin invites you to join him in Italy in 2025 for the Holy Year for a once-in a lifetime, 12-day pilgrimage to the mysterious shrines and holy sites of Rome, Assisi, and more. The post Join Jimmy and Dom for Livestream Event on 12/12/24 appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Scientists have discovered a giant dinosaur-era trapdoor spider fossil in Australia. Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle discuss the find's evolutionary history which offers insights into ancient ecosystems, and the important environmental role of spiders in controlling pests. The post The Giant Trapdoor Spider That Time Forgot! appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The octopus is a fascinating, intelligent creature and Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss recent discoveries that some octopi will team up with, coax, and even punch fish as they work together to locate and capture prey, suggesting that octopuses may have a complex, social intelligence previously unrecognized in cephalopod behavior. The post Pugilist Octopi Shepherds appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Are there vast oceans of water underground on Mars? Caroline Knight and Lindsay Sant discuss recent data from NASA's InSight lander that indicate the water might be there and what it could mean for the future of space exploration and life on Mars. The post Mars’ Hidden Oceans appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Nuclear fusion shows great promise as a nearly unlimited power source. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss the unexpected connection between fusion and mayonnaise, which scientists are using to model instabilities in inertial confinement fusion. The post Nuclear Fusion Mayonnaise appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Ancient Egyptian scribes suffered from osteoarthritis, a condition still common today. Caroline Knight and Lindsay Sant discuss how the daily rigors of the scribes mirror modern office worker's health challenges and how study of the scribes can help people today. The post Egyptian Scribes and Osteoarthritis appeared first on StarQuest Media.

This tiny fork fern has the largest known genome of any organism. Caroline Knight tells Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle about its discovery and the biological implications of large genomes, such as slower growth and reduced efficiency. The post Tiny Fern, Big DNA appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Go is one of the most difficult strategy board games to master for humans and AI alike. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss a documentary about Google's DeepMind's 2016 match against human Go master and its significance for how it could tackle real-world challenges. The post AlphaGo vs. the Champions appeared first on StarQuest Media.

StarQuest CEO Dom Bettinelli has a special message for all listeners and supporters of StarQuest's shows. The post A Special Message from StarQuest appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Researchers have discovered a new prehistoric giant goose-like bird in South Australia, and Caroline Knight and Lindsay Sant discuss the unique creature, its environment, and the other mega-fauna it would have co-existed with. Plus more on observing ants and SpaceX's Starship launch! The post Australia’s Prehistoric Giga-Goose appeared first on StarQuest Media.

What would you be willing to do for science? Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss a researcher who stepped on deadly snakes 40,000 times to better predict snake bites on behalf of the 5 million people bitten by snakes annually. The post Stepping into Danger: The Scientist Who Danced with Deadly Snakes to Save Lives appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Consider the lowly ant. Caroline Knight tells Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle about the desert ant and how they use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. A recent study found their surprisingly adaptable brains changed due to altered magnetic fields. What does this mean for other animals? The post Amazing Magnetic Ants! appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Japan plans to launch a satellite to test space-based solar power in 2025. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss the technical aspects, scalability, and environmental concerns, balancing enthusiasm for its potential with realism about challenges and costs. The post Beam Solar Power from Space appeared first on StarQuest Media.

A coalition of countries are creating a standardized Lunar time zone, and Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss why this is important to the future of space travel; how mass and gravity affect timekeeping; and the challenges to keeping time beyond Earth. The post Living on Moon Time appeared first on StarQuest Media.

With a large part of the US getting a chance to see a total solar eclipse this week, Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle discuss eclipse science and viewing tips for those lucky enough to be in the path. The post 2024 Total Solar Eclipse appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Baboons in ancient Egypt held special significance, even providing the form of one of their gods. Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle discuss how recent DNA finds trace their origins to the land of Punt and reveal insights into ancient trade routes and more. The post Surprising Egyptian Baboons appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The Moon is indeed shrinking. Caroline Knight explains to Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle how the Moon is contracting and cooling over time, causing moonquakes, shrinking about 150 feet every few hundred million years, and potentially affecting future Artemis lunar missions. The post The Shrinking Moon appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Plant-animal hybrids may only exist in the Pikmin game, but Caroline Knight tells Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle that there are also real-life photosynthetic animals that convert sunlight to energy, and discusses how all that works. The post Pikman and Plants appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The little penguins of Phillip Island, Australia, are a unique avian population. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss their unique characteristics and life cycle and the role of ecotourism in habitat protection as a testament to effect conservation efforts. The post Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Explore the science of Christmas trees with Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle, including traditional trees from Europe and North America, but also some native Australian trees that would make great living Christmas trees. The post Australian Christmas Trees appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Dive into the world of bizarre starfish facts! Caroline Knight tells Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle about their unique biology, complex genetics, distinctive radial symmetry, and that their whole body is a head. Reflect with us on our enduring curiosity about nature and the critical need to preserve the rich tapestry of life on Earth. The post Starfish Are Just Heads appeared first on StarQuest Media.

StarQuest CEO Dom Bettinelli has a special message for listeners as we approach the Christmas season. We need to hear from you this Advent and Christmas at sqpn.com/give The post A special message from StarQuest CEO Dom Bettinelli appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Isotopes in an Alaskan woolly mammoth's tusk have helped scientists track the probable journey of this extinct creature. Caroline Knight shares the fascinating life of Kick the Mammoth with Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle. The post Tracking Woolly Mammoth appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Space probes have begun returning samples of asteroids to Earth so Caroline Knight shares with Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle the exciting news about the asteroids Bennu and Ryugu from US and Japanese space agencies. The post Asteroid Samples appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The Vesuvius Challenge is a scientific competition to unravel the text on burned papyri from the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss the first milestone in which AI was used to read a word on a scroll which can never be unrolled and what comes next. The post The Vesuvius Challenge appeared first on StarQuest Media.

A new study challenges the conventional theory that an asteroid killed the dinosaurs. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss the idea that massive volcanic eruptions were responsible, the scientific evidence for the theory, and more. The post A Volcano Killed the Dinosaurs? appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Imagine a tiny robot that can fly through the air, powered by light, and able to change its shape. Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle discuss the latest experimental robots that move through the air by snapping into new shapes, allowing for sophisticated mass dispersal of sensors. The post Origami Robots appeared first on StarQuest Media.

We need your help to continue to produce our great Catholic shows that explore the intersection of faith and modern culture and look at the world from a uniquely Catholic perspective. The post A message from Dom Bettinelli of Starquest appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Dive into a wild ride as Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle unravel the mystery of magpie swooping in springtime—attacking, singing, and all. Don't miss the laughs and insights, and discover how to befriend these feathered friends! The post Swooping Magpies appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Explore the wonders of exoplanets with Caroline Knight, Lindsay Sant, and Lino Saubolle as they discuss fascinating exoplanets like the egg-shaped WASP-12b, the blue-hued HD 189733B, and the temperature-swings of HD 80606B. Uncover the mysteries beyond our solar system. The post Exotic Exoplanets appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The world is experiencing scorching heat waves, with Europe facing record-breaking temperatures. Caroline Knight tells Lindsay Sant and Lino Saubolle that rising global temperatures and El Nino are contributing to the intensity of these heat waves; Wildfires causing damage in Spain and Canada. Climate change is altering seasons, and urgent action is required to mitigate further damage. The post The Science of Heatwaves appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The Sun's surface is a fascinating place and Caroline tells Lindsay and Lino about new discoveries of 'shooting stars' in the Sun's corona in spectacular plasma displays known as coronal rain. The post Shooting Stars on the Sun appeared first on StarQuest Media.