Recent Paper Decent Puzzle

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Recent Paper Decent Puzzle is a podcast with two parts: First, I pick apart a recent scientific journal article in enough detail that a non-expert listener would be able to speak intelligently about it. Then I present a decent puzzle, so the listener has something fun to work on until the answer is…

Dan Riskin


    • May 7, 2017 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 13m AVG DURATION
    • 41 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Recent Paper Decent Puzzle

    Eyes Before Flippers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2017 15:57


    A recent paper about how eyes got creatures onto land, and a puzzle about a disease called Stinky Stink. Note: This will be our last episode of the season - see you in September! (music: Bensound)

    Amazon: Floodplains and Uplands

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2017 18:41


    Guest host Shelby Riskin:  A recent paper about forests in the Amazon and how they dry out, and puzzle about finding phosphorus. Music: Bensound

    Kangaroo Rats Keep Their Cool

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2017 18:48


    A recent paper about kangaroo rats staying stealthy around heat-seeking rattlesnakes, and a decent puzzle about cereal boxes Music: Bensound

    Flying Mosquitoes

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2017 15:05


    A recent paper about mosquito flight that might even make you stop hating them for a second, and a decent puzzle about a martini. Music by Bensound

    Laughing Parrots

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2017 12:33


    A recent paper about why laugh tracks would be good for parrot sitcoms, and a decent puzzle about a pentagon. music: Bensound

    Neanderthals With Food In Their Teeth

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2017 10:59


    A recent paper about Neanderthal dental hygiene, and a puzzle comparing American coffee consumption to the flow of the Thames. Music: Bensound

    Beetles Pretending to be Ants

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2017 13:04


    A recent paper about beetles pretending to be ants, and a romantic puzzle about Andy and Maria.   music: bensound.com

    "I'm not left-handed either!"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2017 13:27


    A recent paper about left/right handedness in fish, of all things, and a decent puzzle about ten gloves.   Music: Bensound

    Can Dark Feathers Protect Birds from Pollution?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2017 14:16


    A recent paper about how birds deal with heavy metal pollution, and a decent puzzle about two trees. Music: Bensound

    Why do Seals have Whiskers?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2017 10:56


    A recent paper about why harbour seals have whiskers, and a decent puzzle about your cow's new shed. Music: Bensound

    Madagascar's Most Mysterious Bat

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2017 16:54


    A recent paper on the mystery of Madagascar's male microbats, and a decent puzzle about a cow, some grass, and a shed. Music: Bensound

    Does Seeing the Poor Make People More Generous?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2017 14:21


    A recent paper showing that exposure to the poor makes people less supportive of them, and a decent puzzle about birthdays. Music by bensound

    Surprisingly Popular!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2017 14:58


    A surprisingly popular paper about harnessing wisdom from crowds, and a decent puzzle about rolling a six. Music: Bensound.

    Fish Can Take a Vote Without Counting

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2017 16:37


    A recent paper about fish schools democratically choosing where to go, and a decent puzzle about the province of Saskatchewan.   Music: Bensound

    Cockroaches Divide Without Counting

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2017 13:55


    A recent paper about how cockroaches can evenly share two hiding places without counting, and a puzzle about nails and string. Music: Bensound

    The Devil Drinks with its Skin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2016 11:40


    A recent paper about Australian lizards that use the cracks in their skin as drinking straws to their mouths. Also, a four-ball puzzle. Music: Bensound.com

    Balls Under Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2016 13:15


    A recent paper about why buoyant balls held just under the surface launch further out of the water than those from deeper down. Also, a five-ball puzzle. Music by Bensound.com

    Bats and Wind Turbines

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2016 13:58


    A recent paper about wind turbines killing bats, and a decent puzzle about what it's like at the tip of a turbine blade. Sound by Bensound.com

    Diving Birds Don't Break Their Necks

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2016 16:27


    A recent paper about seabirds plunge-diving without breaking their necks, and a puzzle about throwing a baseball at the water. Music by Bensound.com

    Neurohacking Dogs

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2016 13:48


    A recent paper about why drugs given to your dog can show up in your body, and a puzzle about clay and paint.   Music: bensound.com

    Inevitability of Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2016 14:03


    A recent paper deflating your hopes of living forever, and a puzzle about a tall building.   music: bensound.com

    Sex to Die For

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2016 9:38


    A recent paper about spiders that automatically die after sex, and a puzzle about a rectangular moat. music: bensound.com

    Stick it to the Man by Eating Well.mp3

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2016 13:29


    A recent paper about making teens think differently about eating choices, and a decent puzzle about bats, cats, and rats.   music: bensound.com

    Ten things you didn't know about Rosetta

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2016 15:52


    Dan takes a break from making a TV show about Rosetta to tell us 10 things about Rosetta we might not know. Also, a cometary puzzle. Music: Bensound.com

    Nerds, Birds, and Convergent Evolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2016 15:29


    A recent paper about birds that get worse at flying when they move to islands, and a decent puzzle about balls in a bucket. Music: Bensound.com

    The Botfly

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2016 9:14


    My friend Sherri lets us listen in while she has a botfly removed from her ankle. Also, there's a puzzle about a five-pointed star. music: bensound.com

    I Scream You Scream

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2016 10:47


    We announce the final results of our citizen science experiment about ice cream, some puzzle answers, and an Indiana Jones-themed Puzzle. music: bensound.com

    Please Eat Ice Cream for Science

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2016 10:11


    We're doing an experiment this summer, and want your data. Music: bensound.com

    A Hurricane's Name makes it Deadlier

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2016 12:56


    A recent paper about how a hurricane's name can determine how many people it kills, and a puzzle about a long rope.   Music: bensound.com

    Mice from Hell

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2016 15:35


    A recent paper about mice on Gough Island, and a coin-tossing game that will shatter your understanding of probabilities.   music: www.bensound.com

    Carnivorous Bats

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2016 15:52


    A recent paper about carnivorous bats, and a puzzle about a cube you break in the desert.   music: www.bensound.com

    City Lizard, Country Lizard

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2016 9:24


    A recent paper about lizard evolution, and a puzzle about edgy dice.   music: www.bensound.com

    A Solar System with Rhythm

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2016 12:03


    A recent paper about a solar system that's in sync, and a puzzle about a year in space. music: bensound.com

    Air Rage and Class Warfare

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2016 11:07


    A recent paper about how the mere sight of first class sends people in economy into fits of rage, and a puzzle about cutting a post. music: bensound.com

    Adapting to Chernobyl

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2016 13:49


    A recent paper about whether animals are adapting in Chernobyl and a decent puzzle about the corners of a cube. music: bensound.com

    Long-necked Dinos

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2016 16:29


    A recent paper about dinosaur necks, and a decent puzzle about rolling dice.   music: bensound.com

    Bats are Springs with Wings

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2016 16:11


    A recent paper about bat flapping, and a decent puzzle about hollow cubes.   music: bensound.com

    This Mite be a Little Fast

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2016 11:20


    Out of the way, cheetah. A mite is the world's new fastest animal. Believe it. Music: bensound.com

    Kick-ass Birds

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2016 12:47


    A recent paper about birds that kick venomous snakes in the face, and a puzzle about a very big chessboard.   Music: bensound.com

    Gravitational Waves

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2016 13:46


    A recent paper announcing that gravitational waves are real, and a decent puzzle about your $100,000 inheritance. Music: bensound.com

    New 9th Planet

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2016 8:37


    Episode 1: A recent paper suggesting that there's a huge 9th planet out there past Pluto, and a decent puzzle about three coins. Music: www.bensound.com 

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