Podcasts about Current Biology

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Umwandlung von Zellen für Befruchtung gelungen +++ Yoga kann bei Senioren zu Stürzen führen +++ Paradiesvögel tanzen sportlich zur Paarung +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Induction of experimental cell division, Nature Communications, 30. September 2025The effect of an Iyengar yoga-based exercise programme on falls, The Lancet, 23. September 2025Dancing male riflebirds create a dynamic sensory trajectory, Current Biology, 29. September 2025Neue Chance für den Feldhamster in Sachsen, 1. Oktober 2025Adaptations in wing morphology, eLife, 30. September 2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

The guys are back in the field with our good friend Dr. Jason Dombroskie from the Cornell University Insect Collection!Listen in as Jason leads us through fields and forests, trusty butterfly net in hand, filling us in on the so-called “Insect Apocalypse.” Are insect populations really collapsing worldwide? What do the numbers say? How bad is it, and — most importantly — what can we do about it?In this part, we head out on the trail with Jason. He introduces us to some insects we find along the way and schools us on why insects are so important, and in part two – he delves into the details of the insect apocalypse – what we know and what we don't know. And since we feel bad that you can't see what we got to see – we bring back a little trick we had in our last episodes with Jason – each time we find a critter listen for the sound of a camera shutter. That's the signal to visit this episode's page on our website – thefieldguidespodcast.com - we'll have photos there timestamped so you can see what we're looking at, along with some extra info. Enjoy…This episode was recorded on August 21, 2025 at Rattlesnake Hill Wildlife Management Area in Dalton, NY.. Episode NotesSteve said he heard that there are more species of just weevils than there are of fish. Is that true? At one point in the episode Steve mentioned he'd heard there are more species of weevils than there are of fish. I looked it up, and he's right! Scientists have described around 60–70,000 weevil species, with the real total likely over 100,000, while all the fish in the world come in at about 35,000 species. So as surprising as it sounds, Steve's claim checks out—the humble weevil family really does outnumber all the fish.It was also mentioned that some insects are only known from a single specimen in a collection and have never been seen again in the wild. We looked for a study and found a large one from 2018 that looked at more than 800,000 insect species – it found that about one in five—around 19%—are described from a single specimen and never collected again (Lim et al., Current Biology, 2018). It really shows how much of insect diversity is still barely known.Pollard Walk - During the episode Bill asked about something called a Pollard Walk. That's actually a standard insect survey method. The idea is simple: you walk a fixed route—usually the same path each time—at a steady pace and record every insect you see within a certain distance, often about 2.5 meters on each side. It's kind of like a birding “point count,” but moving. The method, named after Eric Pollard who developed it in the 1970s for butterfly monitoring, is still one of the most widely used ways scientists track insect populations over time.Visit thefieldguidespodcast.com for full episode notes, links, and works cited.

The gang discusses two papers that deal with fossil brains. The first paper looks at a fossil arthropod from the Cambrian and uses neurological characters to determine its phylogenetic placement. The second paper looks at a synapsid braincase and tries to infer why this one species has lost its parietal eye when other members of the species have he eye. Meanwhile, Curt invents some new sponsors, Amanda has plans for James, and James discusses some personal growth.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition) The friends talk about two papers that look at very old brains in animals that are long gone. The first paper is the brain of animal from a very long time ago that would grow by taking off its skin when it needs to get bigger and is made of many small bits stuck together. This animal was really weird for a long time, but the people who wrote this paper found one of them that had its brains still in it. They looked at the brains and they looked at the brains of other animals from the past and animals around today and they saw that this brain looked a lot like the brains of a group around today that some of the animals make things to catch food and live in out of their bottom. So the people who wrote the paper say this could mean that is maybe a very very very old animal from that group or close to it. The second paper looks at the hard bits that hold the brain in for an animal that is close to the animals today that have hair and are warm. This animal may not have had hair and may not have been warm, but what the people who wrote the paper are looking at is the spaces in the hard bits that hold the brain. In animals that do not have hair and are cold, there is a space at the top of the head for an eye that can see light and dark. In animals that are warm, they lose this eye. The old animal they are looking at has some animals in the group that have that eye who live in cold places. The animal they are looking at does not have this eye, and so the question is why? They look at everything and they think that it is because the animal without the eye lives in places that are always warm and where day and night don't change that much. This would mean they would not need this light dark eye as much.   References: Strausfeld, Nicholas J., David R. Andrew, and Frank Hirth. "Cambrian origin of the arachnid brain." Current Biology 35.15 (2025): 3777-3785. Benoit, Julien, and Jaganmoy Jodder. "The palaeoneurology of a new specimen of the Middle Triassic dicynodont synapsid Kombuisia frerensis." Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 70.2 (2025): 369-374.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Lage eines Landes entscheidet mit über den Klang der Hymne +++ KI versteht keinen Wortwitz +++ Antidiskriminierungsbeauftragte ist ein "Wortgetüm" +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:The emotional geography of National anthems, Scientific Reports, 2.7.2025“What do you call a dog that is incontrovertibly true? Dogma”: Testing LLM Generalization through Humor, ACL Anthology, Juli 2025Fatal accidents in neonatal pterosaurs and selective sampling in the Solnhofen fossil assemblag, Current Biology, 5.9.2025Spill the tea, honey: Gossiping predicts well-being in same- and different-gender couples, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30.8.2025Stable single-site organonickel catalyst preferentially hydrogenolyses branched polyolefin C–C bonds, Nature Chemistry, 2.9.2025Wortgetüm des Jahres"Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

The gang discusses two papers about skin preservation in fossil tetrapods. The first paper describes skin impressions from a Permian synapsid, and the second paper identifies feather-like structures in an early Triassic diapsid. Meanwhile, James considers the horse, Amanda shames extinct animals, and Curt quotes “philosophy”.   Up-Goer Five (Amanda Edition): Today our friends talk about things that are sort of close to things with hair but not that close to things with hair. They are closer to things with hair than to things with dry skin with no hair or long many-part skin things. Anyway for a long time we did not know what the skin of the animals that are sort of close to things with hair looked like. Did they have dry skin with no hair like the things today? Or did they maybe have hair? We didn't know, but now we have found marks in the ground that show that they had dry skin with no hair, but it looks different than the animals with dry skin and no hair today. So hair comes around after the dry skin with no hair does. Then our friends talk about a very weird little animal that is sort of somewhere close to animals with dry skin and no hair, but it has these really weird things that come off of its back that look kind of like the many-part skin things on the most flying animals that are around today. But it's really not the same many-part skin things, because all the parts are not really same. And also there is only one of them and not one on each side. So it might be that many-part skin things come earlier than people thought they might have.   References: Marchetti, Lorenzo, et al. "Early Permian synapsid impressions illuminate the origin of epidermal scales and aggregation behavior." Current Biology 35.11 (2025): 2752-2759. Spiekman, Stephan NF, et al. "Triassic diapsid shows early diversification of skin appendages in reptiles." Nature (2025): 1-7.

Ein Vortrag der Primaten- und Kognitionsforscherin Julia FischerModeration: Katrin Ohlendorf**********Je älter wir werden, desto klarer wird, dass Alterung uns betrifft. Was können wir in Bezug auf das Altern von unseren Artverwandten, den Affen, lernen? Ein Vortrag der Primaten- und Kognitionsforscherin Julia Fischer.Julia Fischer leitet die Abteilung Kognitive Ethologie am Deutschen Primatenzentrum und ist Professorin für Primatenkognition an der Universität Göttingen. Ihr Forschungsinteresse gilt dem Sozialverhalten, der Kommunikation und der Kognition nichtmenschlicher Primaten.Im Jahr 2025 hat sie die Johannes Gutenberg-Stiftungsprofessur an der Universität Mainz übernommen. In diesem Rahmen hielt sie eine Studium-Generale-Vorlesungsreihe mit dem Titel "Der Mensch im Spiegel des Affen – Zur Evolution von Sozialverhalten, Kommunikation und Intelligenz bei Primaten". Ihr Vortrag "Kommunikation – Wie Affen kommunizieren und was uns das über den Sprachursprung verrät" wurde am 20. Mai 2025 aufgezeichnet.**********Schlagworte: +++ Wissenschaft +++ Primaten +++ Kognitionsforschung +++ Evolution +++ Affe +++ Mensch +++ Schimpansen +++ Meerkatzen +++ Paviane +++ Tiere +++ Afrika +++ Forschung +++ Altern +++ Alter +++ Demographischer Wandel +++ Sozialleben +++ Alleinsein +++ Einsamkeit +++ Lebensplanung +++ Bucketlist +++ Alterung +++**********Quellen aus der Folge:Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54(3), 165–181.Almeling, L., Hammerschmidt, K., Sennhenn-Reulen, H., Freund, A. M., Fischer, J. (2016). Motivational Shifts in Aging Monkeys and the Origins of Social Selectivity. Current Biology, 26.13 (2016), pp. 1744–49.Rathke E.-M., Fischer J. Social aging in male and female Barbary macaques. Am J Primatol. 2021 Nov; 83(11).Rathke E.-M., Fischer J. (2020): Differential ageing trajectories in motivation, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2020 Nov 9. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0617 Bosshard, T., Roger, M. & Julia, F. (2024). Ecological risk-taking across age in Barbary macaques. (Preprint)**********Mehr zum Thema bei Deutschlandfunk Nova:Primatenforschung: Vorsicht, Leopard! Wie Affen sich verständigenLebenserwartung: Die Biologie des AlternsPopulationsgenetik: Menschheitsgeschichte in den Genen ablesen**********Den Artikel zum Stück findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Lapsuuden haitalliset kokemukset, kuten väkivalta, laiminlyönti tai perheen vakavat ristiriidat, voivat horjuttaa lapsen turvallisuuden tunnetta ja heikentää stressinsäätelykykyä. Ne voivat haitata lapsen kokonaiskehitystä, kuten tunnesäätelyä, oppimista ja sosiaalisia taitoja. Pitkittynyt turvattomuus lisää riskiä mielenterveyden ongelmiin, kuten masennukseen, ahdistukseen ja tunteiden säätelyn vaikeuksiin.Psykologi Nina Lyytisen asiantuntijavieraana on Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitoksen tutkimusprofessori, psykologian tohtori Taina Laajasalo. Nina ja Taina keskustelevat siitä, miten lapsuuden ajan haitalliset kokemukset voivat vaikuttaa meihin aikuisena. Tainan tutkimuksen erityisalueena ovat haavoittuvassa asemassa olevat lapset ja nuoret.Tässä jaksossa kuulet muun muassa: - Mitkä ovat yleisimpiä haitallisia lapsuuden kokemuksia? - Miten lapsuuden haitallisia kokemuksia ja niiden vaikutuksia tutkitaan? - Millaisia pitkäaikaisia vaikutuksia lapsuuden haitallisilla kokemuksilla voi olla ihmiselle?. - Miten yhteiskunnassa ennaltaehkäistä haitallisten kokemusten vaikutuksia? - Voiko toipumista tapahtua aikuisena ja mistä eheyttävä kokemus rakentuu?Lisätietoja:Taina Laajasalon esittely THL:n sivuilla.Tainan jaksossa mainitsemia tutkimuksia ja muuta tietoaACElife-tutkimusprojektin verkkosivut. ACE-kokemukset suomalaislapsilla: Laajasalo, T., Ellonen, N., Aaltonen, M., & Martikainen, P. (2025). Haitallisten lapsuusajan kokemusten yhteydet nuorten koulutuspolkuihin, mielenterveyteen ja väkivaltarikollisuuteen. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 90(3), 217-229.Luotettavan läsnäolevan aikuisen merkityksestä:Bellis, M. A., Hardcastle, K., Ford, K., Hughes, K., Ashton, K., Quigg, Z., & Butler, N. (2017). Does continuous trusted adult support in childhood impart life-course resilience against adverse childhood experiences-a retrospective study on adult health-harming behaviours and mental well-being. BMC psychiatry, 17(1), 110.Väkivaltaisessa ympäristössä kasvaneiden lasten aivokuvantamistutkimuksessa havaituista muutoksista:McCrory, E. J., De Brito, S. A., Sebastian, C. L., Mechelli, A., Bird, G., Kelly, P. A., & Viding, E. (2011). Heightened neural reactivity to threat in child victims of family violence. Current Biology, 21(23), R947-R948.David Finkelhorin tutkimus:Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., & LaSelva, D. (2021). Receipt of behavioral health services among US children and youth with adverse childhood experiences or mental health symptoms. JAMA network open, 4(3), e211435-e211435.ACE-THL mittari: Lapsuuskokemuksia-kyselylomakkeen kehittäminen - tutkimus (THL)-----Haluatko antaa palautetta? Vinkata aiheita tai vieraita? Tee se täällä: psykopodiaa.fi/palaute tai suoraan Spotify-sovelluksessa, jos tätä sitä kautta kuuntelet.Jos pidit tästä jaksosta olisin kiitollinen, jos jaat sen somessa kavereillesi ja jos jätät arvion siinä palvelussa missä tätä kuunteletkin! Muista myös tilata Psykopodiaa, niin et missaa uusia jaksoja!Haluatko antaa palautetta? Vinkata aiheita tai vieraita? Tee se täällä.Psykologi- ja koulutuspalvelut Nina Lyytinen OyAutan ihmisiä ja organisaatioita vahvistamaan psykologista turvallisuutta, hyvinvointia ja resilienssiä.Rohkenen tarttua myös vaikeisiin ja haastaviin tilanteisiin aina arvostavasti ja rakentavasti.Etsittekö organisaatiolle kokenutta puhujaa tai psykologivalmentajaa tiimille tai yksilöille?

¡Volvimos con una nueva mini serie sobre biocomunicación! En este primer episodio exploramos las generalidades de cómo se comunican los seres vivos e iniciamos con una de las formas de comunicar más llamativas: la bioacústica.Desde cantos complejos de aves y ballenas, hasta el chirriar y vibraciones casi imperceptibles de algunos artrópodos.Hablamos de qué es la comunicación acústica, cómo funciona, qué ventajas y desventajas tiene. Compartimos algunos ejemplos sorprendentes que muestran que la naturaleza está lejos de ser silenciosa.ReferenciasBarker, A. J. (2023). Acoustic communication: Deer mice join the chorus. Current Biology, 33(R259–R282). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982223001604Burns-Cusato, M., Cusato, B., & Glueck, A. C. (2013). Barbados green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) recognize ancestral alarm calls after 350 years of isolation. Behavioural Processes, 100, 197–199. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037663571300212XCaldwell, M. S., Johnston, G. R., McDaniel, J. G., & Warkentin, K. M. (2010). Vibrational signaling in the agonistic interactions of red-eyed treefrogs. Current Biology, 20(11), 1012–1017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982210004458Hauser, M. D. (1997). The evolution of communication. MIT Press.Mathevon, N. (2023). The voices of nature: How and why animals communicate. Princeton University Press.Muñoz-Duque, S., López-Casas, S., Rivera-Gutiérrez, H., & Jiménez-Segura, L. (2021). Bioacoustic characterization of mating calls of a freshwater fish (Prochilodus magdalenae) for passive acoustic monitoring. Biota Colombiana, 22(1), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.21068/c2021.v22n01a07Nieder, A., & Mooney, R. (2019). The neurobiology of innate, volitional and learned vocalizations in mammals and birds. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375(20190054). https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstb.2019.0054Robert, D. (2023). Plant bioacoustics: The sound expression of stress. Cell, 186. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867423002222Son, J.-S., Jang, S., Mathevon, N., & Ryu, C.-M. (2024). Is plant acoustic communication fact or fiction? New Phytologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19648Veits, M., Khait, I., Obolski, U., Zinger, E., Boonman, A., Goldshtein, A., Saban, K., Seltzer, R., Ben-Dor, U., Estlein, P., Kabat, A., Peretz, D., Ratzersdorfer, I., Krylov, S., Chamovitz, D., Sapir, Y., Yovel, Y., & Hadany, L. (2019). Flowers respond to pollinator sound within minutes by increasing nectar sugar concentration. Ecology Letters, 22, 1483–1492. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.13331Witzany, G. (2018). Communication as the main characteristic of life. En T. Hölsle (Ed.), Handbook of astrobiology (pp. 91–105). CRC Press.

Un estudio liderado por Nicholas Strausfeld, de la Universidad de Arizona, y publicado en la prestigiosa revista Current Biology, ha revolucionado por completo esta visión. Strausfeld, en efecto, junto a un equipo de investigadores de Estados Unidos y Reino Unido, ha llevado a cabo un análisis exhaustivo de las características fosilizadas del cerebro y el sistema nervioso central de Mollisonia Symmetrica. Y lo que ha encontrado es sencillamente asombroso.

Whether you love spiders or can't be within 10 feet of them, you probably think of them crawling around on land. Historically, most researchers would probably say the same thing: Based on the fossil record, they've thought the earliest arachnid ancestors existed around 450 million years ago, living and diversifying exclusively on land. But a new study out this week in the journal Current Biology suggests arachnid brains may have originated much earlier in the ocean. Want to hear more stories about the history of animals on Earth? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Most of us know the feeling: the alarm rings and you either spring out of bed ready to face the day, or you groggily fumble for the snooze button. But why does waking up feel so different from day to day? New research published in the journal Current Biology has revealed what's happening inside the brain during those first few seconds of waking up. Using high-density EEG (electroencephalography) to record over 1,000 awakenings, they discovered a consistent pattern of brain activity that helps explain why we feel alert or not after sleep. The researchers found that waking up is not like flipping a switch. Instead, it's more like a wave rippling through the brain, with certain regions turning on before others. The found that: The front of your brain (prefrontal cortex) wakes up first. This area is responsible for decision-making and attention. The back of your brain (visual and sensory areas) lags behind by a few seconds. If you're waking from deep (NREM) sleep, your brain shows a brief burst of slow brain waves (delta waves), a kind of transition signal before ramping up to faster, more alert-like activity. Waking from REM sleep, by contrast, skips the slow-wave burst and jumps straight into high-frequency activity. The team also found that this order was consistent across different types of awakenings, whether spontaneous or caused by an alarm. Participants who had a strong slow-wave signal (linked to a type of brain wave called a K-complex) just before waking were less sleepy once awake. It seems that a little bit of “sleep-like” brain activity right before you wake up might help you feel more alert. These waves seem to act like a “reset” signal that prepares your brain for the shift into wakefulness. But too much of another type of slow brain activity (called “type II” slow waves) right before or after waking? That was linked to feeling groggier. In short: Helpful slow waves (type I): Lead to more alert wake-ups. Unhelpful slow waves (type II): Make you feel sluggish. So, how can you apply these findings to your own mornings? Here is what the research found: 1. Wake Up at the Right Sleep Stage Use a sleep tracker or app that wakes you up during light sleep (N2 stage) if possible. Waking during REM or deep sleep increases the chance of grogginess. 2. Use Gradual Alarm Sounds Loud, jarring alarms can skip over the natural slow-wave transition, especially in REM sleep. Try gentle sounds or wake-up lights that simulate sunrise to help your brain transition naturally. 3. Consistency is Key Stick to a regular sleep schedule. The more your brain is in sync with your circadian rhythm, the more likely it will initiate a healthy wake-up sequence. 4. Get Moving Quickly Since your brain finishes “waking up” from front to back, physical movement (even just sitting up or stretching) can help speed up the rest of the brain's activation. 5. Don't Snooze Too Much Snoozing might send your brain back into deeper sleep stages, increasing the odds of waking up groggy when the alarm rings again. One solid wake-up is better than several mini ones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gang discusses two papers about the ecology of sauropods. The first paper investigates the biomechanics of the Plateosaurus tail, and the second paper looks at direct evidence of sauropod diet from gut contents. Meanwhile, James “makes it interesting”, Amanda may have recorded on the wrong microphone, Curt makes a bold rebrand, and everyone vaguely remembers “Denver: The Last Dinosaur”.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends talk about two papers that look at animals with along necks from a long time ago that kids love and were in a movie where one of them called Little Foot went to a great low place between big places. The first paper looks at one of the oldest groups of animals with long necks that had really long things coming out of their bottoms. Some animals use these long things to match how heavy and long their necks are, but some use these long things to hit other animals. Since this group did not have a lot of things to hit other animals that may try to eat them, it would make sense that maybe they used their long things off their bottom to do it. They look at other animals from today and the past to see if this animal could use its long thing from its bottom to hit other animals. And they find that it could. The second paper looks at what one of these long neck animals would eat. They find some parts of one of these animals that died when it was eating, and the bits that it ate were still in its body when it died. They find bits and pieces of things that can make their own food, and they also find that the animal was not very good at breaking up its food in its mouth.   References: Poropat, Stephen F., et al. "Fossilized gut contents elucidate the feeding habits of sauropod dinosaurs." Current Biology 35.11 (2025): 2597-2613. Filek, Thomas, et al. "Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies." Royal Society Open Science 12.5 (2025): 250325.

The gang continues “Wet Hot Archosaur Summer” with a discussion about pterosaur trace fossils. The first paper tests a method for assigning pterosaur traces to potential trace makers, and the second paper is a case study of actually assigning traces to a species. Meanwhile, Amanda herds cats (figuratively and literally), James can only accomplish three things, Curt keeps it light, and everyone upholds their “journalistic integrity”.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends talk about two papers that look at the marks that animals leave on the ground. These marks are made by animals that fly from a long time ago and are no longer around today. The first paper is asking if we can look at these marks and try to better figure out what kinds of these animals could have made those marks. They do a lot of work to look at the marks and some parts of these animals that we have that are really good in order to see if there are parts of the animal that would also be the same as these marks, and then they use numbers like how long these parts are on the marks and the animal parts are to try and see if we can put the marks into groups of animals. They find that maybe we can, and that there are some places where it might be best to see how well this works. The second paper is one of those places where we can go see if this thing the first paper did works. They have these marks and there are two different types of marks. This place also has parts from two different groups of these animals, and those animals are in the same beds so they can be pretty sure that the animals were in the same spot as the marks at around the same time. They look at the numbers and how these marks look and they are able to point to each of these marks and say which of the two animals they have would have made those marks.   References: Smyth, Robert SH, et al. "Identifying pterosaur trackmakers provides critical insights into mid-Mesozoic ground invasion." Current Biology 35.10 (2025): 2337-2353. Li, Yang, et al. "First deciphering of large pterosaur footprints and their trackmaker in the Junggar Basin, China." Cretaceous Research 167 (2025): 106036.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Fischerei lässt Dorsche kleiner werden +++ Viele schädliche Metalle in E-Zigaretten +++ Orang-Utans machen Nickerchen +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Genomic evidence for fisheries-induced evolution in Eastern Baltic cod, Science Advances, 25.06. 25Elevated Toxic Element Emissions from Popular Disposable E-Cigarettes: Sources, Life Cycle, and Health Risks, ACS Central Science, 25.06. 25Wild orangutans maintain sleep homeostasis through napping, counterbalancing socio-ecological factors that interfere with their sleep, Current Biology, 25.06. 25Sleeping With the Enemy: Partners' Heterogamy by Political Preferences and Union Dissolution. Evidence From the United Kingdom, Demography, 11.06. 25Traversing the Kuroshio: Paleolithic migration across one of the world's strongest ocean currents, Science Advances, 25.06. 25Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++Orcas machen zusammen Algen-Peeling +++ Krank im Urlaub hat eigenen Namen +++ Plastikmüll wird zu Paracetamol +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales. Current Biology, 23.6.2025Dimensions underlying the representational alignment of deep neural networks with humans. Studie Max Planck-Institut Leibzig, 23.6.2025Leisure Sickness: Erschöpft statt erholt. Studie IU, 2025A biocompatible Lossen rearrangement in Escherichia coli. Nature Chemistry, 23.6.2025Artificial selection for adult predation survival affects life history and morphology in guppies. Science Advances 20 Juni 2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Getting babies to sleep is big business, and a major source of stress for parents. There are many theories and methods: rock them, sing, let them cry it out. But now science has come to the rescue and we can finally put this question to bed. Hopefully.  According to a study published in September 2022 in Current Biology, “approximately 20%–30% of infants cry excessively and exhibit sleep difficulties for no apparent reason” which of course can be exhausting for most people but can become more serious in some cases. As the study points out, it causes “parental stress and even triggering impulsive child maltreatment in a small number of cases.” So finding a way to sooth babies is important. What did the scientists discover? How did they come to these conclusions? So how do you get the baby to sleep? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: ⁠Can you train your brain like a muscle?⁠ ⁠How often should you wash your jeans?⁠ ⁠Should I walk 10000 steps a day?⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Amber Minogue. First broadcast : 10/11/2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nous commencerons par une conversation sur quelques sujets d'actualité. Tout d'abord, nous commenterons les évènements qui se sont déroulés aux États-Unis samedi dernier. La parade militaire à Washington et les manifestations « No Kings » qui ont eu lieu dans tout le pays ont fait débat. Nous poursuivrons en parlant de la mise en garde de l'Institut international de recherche sur la paix de Stockholm (SIPRI) : il a averti que l'ère du désarmement nucléaire pourrait être remplacée par une course aux armements. Dans notre section scientifique, nous nous intéresserons ensuite à une étude publiée dans la revue Current Biology. Elle a découvert que les schémas d'inspirations et d'expirations étaient propres à chaque individu et pourraient être utilisés pour les identifier. Et pour conclure la première partie de l'émission, nous évoquerons une nouvelle tendance : le temps de travail hebdomadaire diminue en Europe.   Le reste de l'émission d'aujourd'hui sera consacré à la langue française et à la culture françaises. Le premier dialogue contiendra des exemples illustrant la leçon de la semaine : The Possessive Adjectives. Et dans notre dernière discussion, nos auditeurs verront comment utiliser l'expression française « prendre le taureau par les cornes ». - Malgré les manifestations, le président Trump organise le défilé militaire dont il rêvait - L'ère du désarmement nucléaire pourrait être remplacée par une course aux armements - Des scientifiques découvrent que l'homme a « une empreinte respiratoire » - Le temps de travail hebdomadaire a diminué en Europe - Les jeunes Français passent le bac - Vers l'interdiction des réseaux sociaux aux moins de 15 ans?

Inizieremo la puntata di oggi con una conversazione su alcuni degli argomenti più importanti di attualità. Parleremo, innanzitutto, di ciò che è accaduto sabato scorso negli Stati Uniti. Si discute molto della parata militare a Washington e delle proteste “No Kings” che si sono svolte in tutto il Paese. Continueremo con un avvertimento lanciato dall'Istituto Internazionale di Ricerca sulla Pace di Stoccolma (SIPRI), secondo cui l'era del disarmo nucleare potrebbe lasciare il posto a una nuova corsa agli armamenti. Nella sezione scientifica parleremo di uno studio pubblicato sulla rivista Current Biology. Secondo questa ricerca, i modelli di respirazione nasale possono essere utilizzati per identificare in modo univoco ogni individuo. E per concludere la prima parte del programma, discuteremo di una nuova tendenza che vede la settimana lavorativa media in calo in tutta Europa.    Il resto dell'episodio di oggi sarà dedicato alla lingua e alla cultura italiana. La prima conversazione conterrà diversi esempi legati all'argomento grammaticale della settimana: The Trapassato Remoto and Conjunctions of Time. E nell'ultimo dialogo i nostri ascoltatori impareranno a conoscere il significato di un'altra espressione italiana molto usata: Prendere qualcosa o qualcuno sul serio. - Tra le proteste, il Presidente Trump realizza il suo desiderio di una parata militare - L'era del disarmo nucleare potrebbe lasciare il posto a una nuova corsa agli armamenti - Gli scienziati scoprono le impronte digitali respiratorie nasali negli esseri umani - La settimana lavorativa media è in calo in tutta Europa - Il voto che cambiò l'Italia - Cartelli a Roma: quando l'ospitalità stona con il paesaggio

Comenzaremos el programa de hoy discutiendo parte de la actualidad. Primero hablaremos de los acontecimientos que ocurrieron el pasado sábado en EE. UU. Se está hablando mucho del desfile militar en Washington, y de las protestas que, bajo el lema “Reyes no”, tuvieron lugar en todo el país. Continuaremos con la advertencia del Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) de que la era del desarme nuclear podría verse reemplazada por una carrera armamentística. En la sección de ciencia, hablaremos de un estudio publicado en la revista Current Biology. Según el estudio, los patrones respiratorios a través de la nariz pueden servir como identificadores únicos para las personas. Y, para acabar la primera parte del programa, hablaremos de una nueva tendencia, según la cual la semana laboral promedio se está reduciendo en toda Europa. El resto del episodio de hoy lo dedicaremos a la lengua y la cultura españolas. La primera conversación incluirá ejemplos del tema de gramática de la semana, Relative pronouns - Donde, Cuanto, and Cuantos. Y, en nuestra última conversación, los oyentes encontrarán buenos ejemplos del uso de una nueva expresión española, Vísteme despacio que tengo prisa. Entre las protestas, el presidente Trump cumple su deseo de celebrar un desfile militar La era del desarme nuclear podría ser reemplazada por una carrera armamentística Los científicos descubren huellas dactilares respiratorias en los seres humanos La semana promedio de trabajo se ha estado reduciendo en toda Europa Los diez lugares de España donde mejor se come, según ChatGPT Iniciativas slow en España

En Las Mañanas de RNE con Josep Cuní, nos fijamos, en la noticia científica, en los análisis que han llevado a cabo un equipo de investigadores del área de neurobiología del Instituto Weizmann, en un estudio que publican en Current Biology. Después de analizar las constantes respiratorias durante 24 horas de un grupo de voluntarios, en dos ocasiones distintas, confirman que las personas tendríamos una manera particular y única de respirar, similar a la huella dactilar. No solo eso, los autores establecen una relación entre la forma de respirar y factores como la masa corporal, los patrones del sueño y la salud mental.En Las Mañanas de RNE, hemos charlado con el neurocientífico José Ramón Alonso, catedrático de Neurobiología de la Universidad de Salamanca, que valora positivamente el hallazgo. "Hay un perfil individual y lo que este estudio cuenta, es que ese perfil propio de cada persona, también se ve en la respiración. Uno de los detalles interesantes de este estudio, es que nos puede ayudar en el diagnóstico de algunos trastornos o enfermedades, porque cambia la respiración".Escuchar audio

What if your next medical test involved breathing into a tube instead of drawing blood? A new study out this week published in the journal Current Biology has discovered that every human has a way of breathing through their nose that is so unique to them, it can be used to identify individuals with incredible accuracy. These personal "nasal respiratory fingerprints" may even hold powerful clues about your health, your mood, and even how your brain works. We often take our breath for granted. But behind every inhale and exhale is a complex web of brain networks working quietly in the background. The researchers attached tiny wearable device placed in a nasal cannula (like a mini oxygen tube) for 24-hour recordings on 100 volunteers. They found that a computer could identify individuals from their breathing patterns with up to 97 percent accuracy and this pattern remained stable for nearly two years. The researchers found that these unique breathing patterns, could predict a person's Body Mass Index (BMI), arousal state, and even levels of anxiety, depression, and traits related to autism. They found that: People with higher anxiety levels tended to take shorter inhales during sleep. Higher depression scores were linked to stronger nasal airflow and longer pauses after breathing out. And people with higher autism traits showed longer pauses between breaths and more variability in how they inhaled. All this was measured passively, just from how air flows in and out of the nose. The nose is more than just a smell detector, it's closely linked to the brain's emotional and cognitive circuits. Previous research has even shown that the rhythm of nasal breathing can sync up with brain waves and influence memory, attention, and emotion. This study supports the idea that breathing, especially through the nose, is more than a life-sustaining reflex. It's a mirror of our inner world. The potential of this new discovery is huge! If nasal breathing patterns can reflect not only who we are but also how we feel and function, then this non-invasive technique could become a powerful tool in health monitoring, mental wellness, and neuroscience. Instead of detecting early signs of depression or anxiety with a questionnaire, you could potentially diagnose in just a day's worth of breath. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Take a big inhale through your nose. Now, exhale. Breathing may seem simple, but it's controlled by a complex brain network. Each inhale gives the human brain information about the external world. And now, a new research paper in the journal Current Biology suggests that humans have unique breathing patterns, almost like nasal "fingerprints." Not only that: These unique breathing patterns seem to say a lot about people's physical and mental health.Questions about the science behind your brain and body? Email us at shortwave@npr.org – we'd love to hear your ideas!Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ E-Autobatterien: Lithiumabbau kommt nicht hinterher +++ Koalitionen mit Populisten im Schnitt weniger stabil +++ Ließen sich Römer gepanschten Wein unterjubeln? +++ **********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Update ErdeLong on expectations, short on supply: Regional lithium imbalances and the effects of trade allocations by China, the EU, and the USA/ Cell Report Sustainability, 12.06.2025Friendly foes or enemies within? Assessing the (in)stability of coalition governments with populists in Europe/ Parliamentary Affairs, 19.05.2025A metre-scale vertical origami hydrogel panel for atmospheric water harvesting in Death Valley/ Nature Water, 11.06.2025Humans have nasal respiratory fingerprints/ Current Biology, 12.06.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Schlafmangel kann den Zähnen schaden +++ schädliche Skincare-Routine +++ Zikade sorgt für Gummi-Kartoffeln +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Sleep deficiency exacerbates periodontal inflammation via trigeminal TRPV1 neurons, PNAS, 09.06.2025.Pediatric Skin Care Regimens on TikTok, Pediatrics, 09.06.2025Global health and climate benefits from walking and cycling infrastructure, PNAS, 09.06.2025Fossilized gut contents elucidate the feeding habits of sauropod dinosaurs, Current Biology, 09.06.2025The daily relations between workplace anger, coping strategies, work outcomes, and workplace affiliation, Frontiers in Psychology, 28.02.2025**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Studie stellt Anti-Aging-Wirkung von Taurin infrage +++ Tiktok-Videos zu Darmerkrankungen oft ungenau +++ Kriminologen klären fast 700 Jahre alten Cold Case auf +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Is taurine an aging biomarker?, Science, 05.06.2025Inflammatory Bowel Disease on TikTok - Utilizing the Platform for Information on Ostomies, Advocacy, and Disease Management, Gastroenterology Nursing, 05/06(2025)Towering behavior and collective dispersal in Caenorhabditis nematodes, Current Biology, 05.06.2025Wasserwende im Wohnungsbau, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar et al., 05.06.2025Spatial dynamics of homicide in medieval English cities: the Medieval Murder Map project, Criminal Law Forum, 06.06.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ In Sydney haben Kakadus gelernt, Trinkwasser-Spender zu nutzen +++ Rekordmenge an Stinke-Algen an Karibikstränden +++ Schönheit ist nicht überall auf der Welt von Vorteil +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Emergence of a novel drinking innovation in an urban population of sulphur-crested cockatoos, Cacatua galerita. biology Letters, 04.06.2025Is bin-opening in cockatoos leading to an innovation arms race with humans? Current Biology, 12.09.2022Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea. Bericht von der University of South Florida, 31.05.2025Cultural differences in the beauty premium. Scientific Reports, 21.05.2025Meta and Constellation Partner on Clean Energy Project. Presseinformation von Meta, 03.06.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

We begin with the HHS announcement that Covid shots will no longer be recommended to healthy children and pregnant women. What does healthy mean? And what are the conditions that provide release from liability for vaccine makers? Then, a discussion of kinds of immunity, and how vaccines are best delivered depending on how disease is transmitted. We compare what was claimed about the shots (they stop transmission!), and what Pfizer later admitted (that they did not know if the shots stopped transmission—but they had to move at the “speed of science”!). Also, a discussion of how to kill your pathogens by crossing ecological borders…and how to get rid of a botfly with a steak, or with ivermectin. Then: why are young male capuchin monkeys abducting baby howler monkeys on an island off the coast of Panama? Finally: a discussion of transhumanism, our future, our embodied selves, how we live on, what we owe our children, what our beloved dead would make of now, and how we, and the LLMs, could know.*****Our sponsors:Brain.fm: intense music that boosts productivity. Unlock your brain's full potential free for 30 days by going to http://brain.fm/DARKHORSEPique's Nandaka: delicious mushroom, tea, and chocolate drink that provides all day energy. Get 20% off plus free frother+beaker at http://www.Piquelife.com/DARKHORSEJolie: Beautiful showerheads that filter out the garbage without reducing water pressure. Go to http://jolieskinco.com/DarkHorse to get free shipping; free returns within 60 days.*****Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.comHeather's newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.comOur book, A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org*****Mentioned in this episode:Kennedy, Bhattacharya and Makary on changing vax recommendations: https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/1927368440811008138Dr. Lon Jones on mucosal immunity (on DHP): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w99CQVaOK0ERob Roos forcing truth from Pfizer: https://x.com/Rob_Roos/status/1579759795225198593Heather on killing your pathogens: https://open.substack.com/pub/naturalselections/p/kill-your-pathogensForrest Maready on polio (on DHP): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7wYUnQUESUGoldsborough et al 2025. Rise and spread of a social tradition of interspecies abduction. Current Biology 35(10): R375-R376: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00372-0Bret on transhumanism: https://x.com/BretWeinstein/status/1927043640813138102Support the show

Chimpanzees lay down mad beats to communicateApart from their rich vocal palette, chimpanzees drum on trees to communicate over long distances. A new interdisciplinary study, led in part by PhD student Vesta Eleuteri and primatologist Cat Hobaiter from the University of St. Andrews, has explored the details of the rhythms they used, and found that different populations drum with rhythms which are similar to the beats in human music. The research was published in the journal Current Biology.An exciting new fossil of an early ancestor of modern birds gives insight into evolutionArchaeopteryx, a 150 million year-old bird-like dinosaur, is known from about a dozen fossils found in Germany. A new one that has been studied at Chicago's Field Museum may be the best preserved yet, and is giving researchers like paleontologist Jingmai O'Connor new insights into how the ancient animal moved around the Jurassic landscape. The research was published in the journal Nature.A house with good bones — in more ways than oneInspired by the structure of bone, researchers have created limestone-like biomineralized construction materials using a fungal-scaffold that they seeded with bacteria. Montana State University's Chelsea Heveran said they demonstrated they could mold it into specific shapes that had internal properties similar to bone, and that it remained alive for a month. It's early days yet, but she envisions a day when they can grow living structural material on site that may even be able heal themselves. The study is in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. A different kind of emotional band-aidScientists have created a clever combination of physical sensors and computer technology to produce a flexible band-aid like device that can accurately read emotions when it is stuck to the face. It's not quite mind reading, but could give physicians better insight into the emotional state of their patients. Huanyu Cheng of Penn State led the work, which was published in the journal Nano Letters.A scientist explores what it takes to live a longer, better lifeDo you want to live forever? As he noticed himself showing signs of age, immunologist John Tregoning decided to find out what he could do to make that possible. So he explored the investigations that scientists are doing into why we age and die — and tried a few experiments on himself. Bob speaks with him about his new book Live Forever? A Curious Scientists' Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death. Tregoning dutifully documents everything he discovers as he undergoes testing for his heart, gets his genes sequenced, has a bronchoscopy, and follows an extreme diet, among other experiments. But he comes to the conclusion that “when it comes to improving life outcomes, exercise considerably trumps nearly everything I am planning to do whilst writing this book.”

The gang tries to discuss two papers that look at the evolutionary impacts of the K-Pg mass extinction. Specifically, they look at one paper that estimates sampling probability throughout the late Cretaceous to determine if record bias influences our understanding of the extinction, and another paper that looks at species area relationships to investigate ecological shifts in response to the event. However, the gang gets completely lost and sidetracked throughout. They starting talking about the papers around 18 minutes in… and very quickly lose track again. It's going to be one of those podcasts.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends do a real bad job of talking about two papers that look at what happened when a big rock fell from the sky a long time ago. The first paper looks at the rocks we have from that time and tries to see how well we know what was happening and what was going on with the animals that were around at that time. Given the rocks we have, how sure are we that we know where animals were and how many of those things were around. It turns out that just before the big rock hit, we do not have a good idea of what things were around and where they were. The second paper looks at how the places where things were living in the past changed before and after the big rock hit. The idea is that some animals may have done well because they could go to all of the places when things get bad because they do well when things go bad. This paper says that this is not happening and that there is way more going on with these groups that were doing well after the big rock hit.   References: Close, Roger Adam, and Bouwe Rutger Reijenga. "Tetrapod species–area relationships across the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122.13 (2025): e2419052122. Dean, Christopher D., et al. "The structure of the end-Cretaceous dinosaur fossil record in North America." Current Biology (2025).

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Manche Chilisorten enthalten auch Stoffe, die Schärfe abmildern +++ Durstige Pflanzenwurzeln ignorieren die Schwerkraft +++ Roboter löst Rubik's Cube in Weltrekord-Zeit +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Foraging for water by MIZ1-mediated antagonism between root gravitropism and hydrotropism, PNAS, 15.05.2025Identification of Chili Pepper Compounds That Suppress Pungency Perception, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 14.05.2025Thermal asymmetry in the Moon's mantle inferred from monthly tidal response, Nature, 14.05.2025Molecular and genetic characterization of sex-linked orange coat color in the domestic cat, Current Biology, 15.05.2025The gender gap in carbon footprints: determinants and implications, London School of Economics and Political Science, 14.05.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Une scène aussi surprenante que cocasse a récemment été filmée dans le parc national de Cantanhez, en Guinée-Bissau : des chimpanzés en train de partager des fruits fermentés, riches en sucre… et en alcool. Non, ce n'est pas un montage viral ou une publicité décalée, mais bien le sujet d'une étude scientifique sérieuse, publiée par des chercheurs de l'Université d'Exeter dans la revue Current Biology.Des “apéros” qui durent depuis 2015Depuis près de dix ans, les primatologues observent chez ces chimpanzés sauvages un comportement inhabituel : ils consomment régulièrement des fruits fermentés tombés au sol, qui contiennent un faible taux d'éthanol. Mais au-delà de l'ingestion d'alcool, c'est le rituel collectif qui intrigue les chercheurs. Dans plusieurs vidéos partagées sur les réseaux sociaux, on voit clairement les primates se rassembler pour ce moment, parfois même se passer les fruits, comme on partagerait un verre.Un plaisir… ou un outil social ?Chez l'humain, consommer de l'alcool active les circuits de la dopamine et des endorphines, favorisant le bien-être et la cohésion sociale. L'autrice principale de l'étude, Anna Bowland, s'interroge : « Et si les chimpanzés obtenaient les mêmes effets que nous ? Et si cette habitude avait une fonction sociale ? »En effet, contrairement à d'autres aliments, les chimpanzés ne partagent pas systématiquement leur nourriture. Or ici, ils semblent volontairement se réunir pour consommer ensemble des produits fermentés. De quoi suggérer que cette pratique pourrait renforcer les liens sociaux ou jouer un rôle dans la hiérarchie du groupe.Peu d'alcool, mais beaucoup d'intérêtPrécision importante : les quantités d'alcool ingérées restent faibles. Les chimpanzés ne cherchent pas à se saouler, ce qui irait à l'encontre de leur instinct de survie. Il ne s'agirait donc pas de simples comportements hédonistes, mais d'un rituel social ancien, potentiellement hérité d'un ancêtre commun aux singes et aux humains.Vers une origine ancestrale de l'apéro ?Ce que cette étude suggère, c'est que l'acte de boire ensemble, codifié chez l'humain en apéritif, barbecue ou pot de départ, pourrait plonger ses racines dans une histoire évolutive profonde. Peut-être que bien avant les verres de rosé et les cacahuètes, nos ancêtres partageaient déjà… un fruit un peu trop mûr.Prochaine étape pour les chercheurs : comprendre les effets physiologiques de ces "apéros" sur le comportement des chimpanzés, et confirmer si cette tradition, en apparence légère, est en fait un pilier ancestral de la sociabilité. Santé ! ? Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Schimpansen trommeln im Rhythmus +++ Long Covid und CFS/ME haben hohe gesellschaftliche Kosten +++ KI baut Lego +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Chimpanzee drumming shows rhythmicity and subspecies variation/ Current Biology, 09.05.2025Long Covid und ME/CFS kosten die Gesellschaft jährlich 60 Milliarden Euro/ Spiegel Online, 10.05.2025Tracing the evolutionary history of the CCR5delta32 deletion via ancient and modern genomes/ Cell, 05.05.2025Ungleiche Teilhabemöglichkeiten für Kinder und Jugendliche in Deutschland/ Berlin-Institut für Bevölkerung und Entwicklung, 12.05.2025A cryptic role for reciprocal helping in a cooperatively breeding bird/ Nature, 07.05.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

durée : 00:05:24 - Avec sciences - par : Alexandre Morales - Le règne des dinosaures a-t-il commencé à décliner avant la chute de la fameuse météorite ? D'après un article de la revue Current Biology, ils auraient continué à dominer la planète sans ce grand cataclysme.

How a helpless baby bird protects itself from hungry huntersThere's not a more vulnerable creature in nature than a baby bird. Tiny and immobile, they're easy pickings for predators. But the chicks of the white-necked jacobin hummingbird have evolved a unique defence. They disguise themselves as poisonous caterpillars to discourage those that might eat them. Jay Falk, an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado and Scott Taylor, director of the Mountain Research Station and associate professor at the University of Colorado, studied these birds in Panama. Their research was published in the journal Ecology.Seals have a sense of their oxygen levels, which makes them better diversSeals can dive at length to tremendous depth thanks to some remarkable adaptations, like the ability to collapse their lungs, and radically lower their heart rate. Chris McKnight, a senior research fellow at the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit in Scotland, led a study looking to see if tweaking oxygen and C02 levels changed the seals' dive times. The researchers discovered that the seals have the unique ability to measure the oxygen levels in their tissues, so they can anticipate when they need to return to the surface before they get into trouble. The research was published in the journal Science.Fruit flies can show a playful sideAs the joke goes, time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. Researchers recently demonstrated that fruit flies enjoy more than just aged produce. Using a custom carousel built to fly scale, scientists found that some, but not all, of their fruit flies would play on it, enjoying an activity that had nothing to do with the necessities of life. This brings up the possibility  of variability in personality for fruit flies. Wolf Hütteroth is an associate professor at Northumbria  University, Newcastle and was part of the team, whose research was published in the journal Current Biology.Scaring krill with a dose of penguin pooKrill, the small, shrimp-like creatures that swarm the world's oceans and are particularly abundant in southern oceans, play a big role in marine food webs, connecting microscopic organisms with many of the oceans' larger animal species. Researchers in Australia investigated how krill respond to predator cues, like the smell of their feces. Nicole Hellessey, from the University of Tasmania, said the mere whiff of penguin feces affects the Antarctic krills' feeding behaviour and causes them to take frantic evasive action. The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Fossils tell us what dinosaurs were. How do we know what they did? Dinosaur bones can tell amazing stories about these prehistoric beasts, but how do we piece together how they behaved? A new book dives into the many lines of evidence that can shed light on the behaviour of these extinct creatures. From fossils, to tracks they left behind, to their modern day descendents, paleontologist David Hone from Queen Mary University of London explores how scientists develop robust theories about how dinosaurs lived in his new book, Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know.

A tree has evolved to attract lightning strikes — to eliminate the competitionScientists working in Panama noticed that a particular tropical tree species was frequently struck by lightning, but was infrequently killed by the strikes. Forest ecologist Evan Gora found that Dipteryx oleifera trees were often the last ones standing after a lightning strike, which can kill over 100 trees with a single bolt. His team discovered the giant trees were more electrically conductive than other species, which allows them to not only survive strikes, but also channel lightning into parasitic vines and competing trees around them. The research was published in the journal New Phytologist.Anti-anxiety drugs we pee out could be affecting wild salmonOur bodies only process some of the pharmaceuticals we take, which means when we pee, we're releasing traces of drugs into the ecosystem. A study of the impact of trace amounts of anti-anxiety drugs on juvenile salmon suggests they might become too brave for their own survival.  Jack Brand is a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and led the research published in the journal Science.Fossil discovery gives new insight into the mysterious DenisovansA jawbone pulled up by fishers off the coast of Taiwan in 2008 has proven to be a unique discovery. Analysis of preserved protein in the fossil has proved it is from a male Denisovan — a mysterious species of ancient human known from only fragmentary bones and ancient DNA. This gives new insight into how widespread this mysterious branch of humanity was. The research was led by a team including Takumi Tsutaya and Enrico Cappellini at the University of Copenhagen, and published in the journal Science.Earth's inner core is a lot more dynamic and smushy than we previously thoughtScientists used to think the inner core of our planet was a solid sphere of metal, but a new study in Nature Geoscience suggests its softer outer layers shift and deform over time. The researchers used pairs of earthquakes from the same location as X-rays to peer inside Earth to gauge what the inner core is doing; much like a stop-motion film. John Vidale, from the University of Southern California, said this insight can shed light on how a planet like ours evolves. Human noise has an impact on wildlife — here are two unique examplesTraffic, aircraft, industry, construction. Our world is saturated with artificial noise. We know noise impacts us and other animals, but new research is shedding light on how past experiences factor into the ways wildlife adapt to our noise pollution. Researchers in one study in Animal Behaviour found that yellow warblers in the Galapagos Islands that live closer to traffic become aggressive when defending their territory in noisy conditions compared to birds in quieter areas. Çağlar Akçay, from Anglia Ruskin University, said the birds exposed to more traffic have learned their warning calls aren't as effective when things get too noisy; and they resort to physical violence. Another study in Current Biology shows how spiders that are exposed to loud noises construct their webs differently in ways that could affect their ability to sense vibrations from prey or a potential mate. Brandi Pessman, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, found that spiders tune their webs in noisy environments like a volume dial: city spiders turn their web volume down whereas country spiders turn it up.

The gang discusses two papers that look at preserved skin/external tissues. The first paper shows a unique record of Cambrian molting, and the second paper looks at the first preserved samples of plesiosaur skin. Meanwhile, Amanda commits an "own goal”, Curt shares some old internet fun, and James has opinions about fins.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends talk about two papers that look at skin that is very very very old. The first paper looks at animals from a long time ago that lose their skin when they get too big for it when then grow. They found these parts on the skin that are hard and most of the time there are two but some of them have four, and that these ones that have four are because they are growing new skin under the old skin. The second paper looks at an animal from a long time ago that breathes air but lives in the water and is close to things today that have harder skin. Other animals like this animal have some skin that we know about, but for this group of animal we did not know a lot about their skin. In the other animals that move into water, their skin gets soft, but this group shows that some of their skin is hard like the animals that are on land. This might be because how these animals live.   References: Yu, Chiyang, Deng Wang, and Jian Han. "Cambrian palaeoscolecidomorph Cricocosmia caught in the act of moulting." Historical Biology 37.3 (2025): 643-649. Marx, Miguel, et al. "Skin, scales, and cells in a Jurassic plesiosaur." Current Biology (2025).

Since plants have to mate and produce offspring while rooted to the spot, they have to be pollinated – by wind, water, or animals – most commonly insects. They use a surprising array of tricks to attract pollinators: striking colours, iridescent light effects, and enticing scents, to name but a few. Insects, on the other hand, do not seek to pollinate plants – they are looking for food; so plants make sure it's worth their while. Insects are also remarkably sophisticated in their ability to find, recognise and find their way inside flowers. So pollination has evolved as a complex dance between plants and pollinators that is essential for life on earth to continue. With Beverley Glover, Director of the Cambridge University Botanic GardenJane Memmott, Professor of Ecology at the University of BristolAndLars Chittka, Professor of Sensory and Behavioural Ecology at Queen Mary, University of London.Producer: Eliane GlaserReading list:Stephen L Buchmann and Gary Paul Nabhan, The Forgotten Pollinators (Island Press, 1997)Lars Chittka, The Mind of a Bee (Princeton University Press, 2023)Steven Falk, Field Guide to the Bees of Britain and Ireland (British Wildlife Publishing, 2015)Francis S. Gilbert (illustrated by Steven J. Falk), Hoverflies: Naturalists' Handbooks vol. 5 (Pelagic Publishing, 2015)Dave Goulson, A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees (Vintage, 2014)Edwige Moyroud and Beverley J. Glover, ‘The evolution of diverse floral morphologies' (Current Biology vol 11, 2017)Jeff Ollerton, Birds and Flowers: An Intimate 50 Million Year Relationship (Pelagic Publishing, 2024) Alan E. Stubbs and Steven J. Falk, British Hoverflies (‎British Entomological & Natural History Society, 2002)Timothy Walker, Pollination: The Enduring Relationship Between Plant and Pollinator (Princeton University Press, 2020)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

durée : 00:05:33 - Avec sciences - par : Alexandre Morales - Une publication parue dans Current Biology, et qui a été beaucoup relayée dans des médias plus généralistes, postule que les mâles pieuvre à anneaux bleus envenimeraient les femelles au moment de l'accouplement pour éviter de finir en casse-croûte. Mais est-ce bien vrai ?

In this week's episode, we discuss wheat and gluten; MAGA, Trump, Elon, and Massie; and elephants. First: the end to the first round of Bret's European wheat experiment: what does it mean that he can eat European wheat, but not American wheat? Then: does Trump misunderstand the coalition that brought him to the presidency a second time? Will going after Thomas Massie be a strong move, or a bad move? Does Elon have too much power, and is he misusing it? How does masculinity manifest in this administration? Finally: elephants and their love of showers.*****Our sponsors:CrowdHealth: Pay for healthcare with crowdfunding instead of insurance. It's way better. Use code DarkHorse at http://JoinCrowdHealth.com to get 1st 3 months for $99/month.Pique's Nandaka: delicious mushroom, tea, and chocolate drink that provides all day energy. Get 20% off plus free frother+beaker at http://www.Piquelife.com/DARKHORSESundays: Dog food so tasty and healthy, even husbands swear by it. Go to http://www.sundaysfordogs.com/DARKHORSE to receive 35% off your first order.*****Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.comHeather's newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.comOur book, A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org*****Mentioned in this episode:Bret stands with Thomas Massie: https://x.com/BretWeinstein/status/1899320001955541268County Highway on this moment in time: https://countyhighway.com/archive/volume-2/issue-5/the-front-porchThe three tribes of MAGA men: https://unherd.com/2025/03/the-three-tribes-of-maga-men/Urban et al 2025. Water-hose tool use and showering behavior by Asian elephants. Current Biology 34(23): 5602 - 5606.e1: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)01371-XTurtle pronouns from a mental health advisor in Oregon: https://x.com/DaniFlyingFree/status/1899464252764610889Support the show

Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour !Faut-il encore présenter Pompéi ? Cette cité antique est ultra célèbre depuis des décennies, et ce n'est pas pour rien ! Elle fascine par son histoire tragique : détruite lors d'une éruption volcanique à l'automne 79, figée à tout jamais par les cendres qui l'ont recouvertes, elle offre aujourd'hui une fenêtre immortelle sur la civilisation romaine de son époque. Et chaque année, on a une nouvelle fournée de découvertes provenant des fouilles archéologiques qui ont encore lieu sur le site… Eh oui, Pompéi n'a pas encore fini de nous livrer tous ses secrets ! Mais parfois, ce sont d'anciennes découvertes que les nouvelles technologies parviennent à faire parler. C'est par exemple le cas d'une étude publiée en novembre 2024 dans "Current Biology," dont les résultats réécrivent des hypothèses de longues dates en étudiant l'ADN obtenu à partir des moulages des victimes de Pompéi. Alors pour en savoir un peu plus, j'ai été à la rencontre d'Emmanuel Botte, un spécialiste du sujet !Bonne écoute !➤ Un grand merci à Emmanuel Botte d'avoir accepté de répondre à mes questions ! Découvrez le catalogue d'exposition "Vins, huiles et parfums : voyage archéologique autour de la Méditerranée antique, qu'il a dirigé avec Jean-Pierre Brun, Matthieu Poux et Julien Auber de Lapierre : https://www.college-de-france.fr/fr/editions/catalogues-exposition/vins-huiles-parfums-9782722607743 Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Is your windshield accumulating less bug splatter? Insects, the most numerous animals on Earth, are becoming scarcer, and that's not good news. They're essential, and not just for their service as pollinators. We ask what's causing the decrease in insect populations, and how can it be reversed .  Also, the story of how California's early citrus crops came under attack – a problem that was solved by turning Nature on itself. And how chimpanzee “doctors” use insects to treat wounds. We investigate the small and the many on “The Latest Buzz.” Guests: Martin Kernan – Historian and journalist. His article, “The Bug That Saved California,” appeared in the January-February 2022 issue of the Smithsonian Alessandra Mascaro – Evolutionary  Biologist, currently working at the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project, co-author of the Current Biology paper, “Application of insects to wounds of self and others by chimpanzees in the wild” Lara Southern – Doctoral student at the University of Osnabruck, co-author of the Current Biology paper, “Application of insects to wounds of self and others by chimpanzees in the wild” Oliver Milman – Environment correspondent for The Guardian in the U.S. and author of “The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires that Run the World” Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Originally aired March 28, 2022 Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gang discusses two papers that look at some exceptional soft-tissue preservation during the Silurian. The first paper potentially identifies a unique type of pterobranch, and the second paper looks at some early molluscs. Meanwhile, James has seen some movies, Amanda has a skibidi day, and Curt's soul dies.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends talk about two animals from a long time ago that are only found as soft parts and that makes it hard to find the parts of them that were in the ground a long long time ago. The first paper looks at an animal that is not well known in the past but is close to another animal that is better known. These soft parts are weird and people did not know what they were for a long while. This paper makes the case for this being one of this group of animals that all live in long empty round things together. They also say that this one may have lived moving in the water even though the ones today all sit at the bottom of the water on the ground. The second paper looks at another group of animals that many today have a hard part on them and some of them turn their body when they grow. The animals that they are looking at do not do these things. They have hair and are long. These are animals are from a group that we think might be close to what the early animals in this group today would have looked like. The friends talk about this paper because they gave the animals funny names.   References: Briggs, Derek EG, and Nicolás Mongiardino Koch. "A Silurian pseudocolonial pterobranch." Current Biology 33.23 (2023): 5225-5232. Sutton, Mark D., et al. "New Silurian aculiferan fossils reveal complex early history of Mollusca." Nature (2025): 1-6.

A little bit of scratching can do some good, but too much can hurtScratching an itch can feel great, so scientists decided to dig into why that is the case since we know too much scratching isn't good for us. Dr. Dan Kaplan, a professor of dermatology and immunology at the University of Pittsburgh, said they found that scratching drives inflammation to the skin, which, in light moderation, helps to fight bacterial skin infections. But he warns that continual or excessive scratching can prolong an itch and potentially damage the skin. Their study is in the journal Science. Bear hazing goes high-tech with dronesA wildlife manager in the US has found that drones can be a safe and effective way to discourage problem bears from troubling human habitation and livestock. Wesley Sarmento started working in the prairies of Montana to prevent bear-human conflicts, but found the usual tricks of the trade were not as effective as he wanted them to be. Previously he tried to use noisemakers, dogs, trucks, and firearms, but buzzing bears with flying robots turned out to work much better. Now a PhD student at the University of Montana, he published an article about his hazing research in Frontiers in Conservation Science.Ants can remember and hold grudges against those who trouble themWhen ants fight with those from another nearby colony, it makes an impression. A new study has found the insects can remember the chemical signature of the aggressors, and will respond more vigorously and violently the next time they cross paths. Dr. Volker Nehring, a researcher at the University of Freiburg, Germany, describes the phenomenon as “the nasty neighbour" where ants are most aggressive to ant colonies closest to them, and says this is due to resource protection. Dr Nehring and his team's research was published in the journal Current Biology.Scientists on the front line of permafrost thaw describe changes in the Arctic The acceleration of change in the Arctic due to global warming is transforming the landscape on a year-to-year basis, often in surprising ways. That's according to scientists who've been studying the effects of climate change in the North. One study found that lakes in Western Greenland shifted from pristine blue to dirty brown from one year to the next due to increased permafrost melting and runoff. Jasmine Saros, a lake ecologist from the University of Maine, said they were astonished by the magnitude of change they saw in all 10 lakes they studied and how quickly it happened. That study was published in the journal PNAS. We also speak with William Quinton, a permafrost hydrologist from Wilfred Laurier University and the director of the Scotty Creek Research Station in southern Northwest Territories, an area he describes as “the frontline of permafrost thaw.” Quinton was part of a research team, led by Anna Virkkala from the Woodwell Climate Research Centre, that found that 34 per cent of the Arctic Boreal Zone — a region where carbon was safely locked up in the permafrost for thousands of years — has now become a carbon source. That study is in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Reintroducing Hawaii's sacred crow to the wildThe world's most endangered crow, the Hawaiian crow or or ʻalalā, is making tentative steps towards a comeback. After going extinct in the wild, only 120 birds remain in captivity, in two facilities operated by the San Diego Zoo. Over the years, researchers have attempted reintroductions in the bird's native habitat on the Big Island of Hawaii, but those efforts have all been unsuccessful. Recently, the team tried something different - reintroducing the birds to a different island than their native home. The initial release happened in October and so far, the team, including Bryce Masuda, has high hopes and positive signs from their latest attempt.Lasers tell us about the pterosaur's unique tailThe great flying reptiles of the dawn of the age of dinosaurs, the pterosaurs, took flight with delicate but flexible internal tail structure that allowed it to work like a kite. Scientists used recently developed technology to enable them to see a lattice-like structure in the soft tissue in the early pterosaur soft tissue that was otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Natalia Jagielska, a paleontologist at the Lyme Regis Museum in Dorset, England, said their kite-like tail vane would have stood upright and could have functioned as a display and to help them in flight. The study was published in the eLife journal, Evolutionary Biology. How gophers help re-seed volcanic landscape with lifeAfter Mt. St. Helens exploded in 1980 it left a shattered, ash-covered, barren landscape behind. But the one-time reintroduction of gophers to one area led to a remarkably fast recovery of plants and other fauna. Forty-years later, changes to the environment are still being documented by  Dr. Mia Maltz, assistant professor of Microbial Ecology and Soil Earth at the University of Connecticut, and her team. They published their research in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes.Desert ants' magnetic navigationDesert ants that navigate the endless sands of the Sahara use the Earth's magnetic field to find their way, which is not unusual. But unlike other animals like birds and turtles they don't appear to have an internal compass that aligns north and south. Instead they are unique in that they  use a more subtle cue – the polarity of the magnetic field. A study looking at this led by Dr. Pauline Fleischmann, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oldenburg in Germany  was published in the journal Current Biology. Celestial body mysteries: dark comets and meteorites from young asteroid families The thousands of small celestial bodies in our solar system are now a bit less mysterious, thanks to several recent discoveries. One group of astronomers have traced back the origins of 84 per cent of all known meteorites that have pummeled Earth to just a few young asteroid families in the asteroid belt. Michaël Marsset, from the European Southern Observatory in Chile, said collisions in the asteroid belt create a collisional cascade that produces fragments, some of which end up raining down on Earth as meteorites. Two of their papers were published in the journal Nature and a third in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Another group of astronomers have identified two populations of stealthy dark comets that are something in between a comet and an asteroid. They've found fourteen of these objects whose orbital motion is comet-like, but which lack a visible tail like regular comets. Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, said they've found two types of these unusual solar system bodies: larger ones in an elliptical orbit out to Jupiter and smaller ones in orbit around Earth. Their study was published in the journal PNAS.

What the dinosaurs left behind tells the story of their rise to dominanceBones aren't the only thing we can use to understand the dinosaurs. A new study of a rich trove of fossilized feces and vomit is telling the story of how dinosaurs diversified and came to dominate the planet starting 230 million years ago. Paleontologist Martin Qvarnström from Uppsala University in Sweden said it appears that the secret to dinosaurs' success is in their ability to adapt to their changing environment. Their research is published in the journal Nature. A new kind of ‘walking' shorts could help with mobilityScientists have incorporated artificial tendons and electric motors into shorts to provide support and assistance to the hip flexor muscles that are critical for walking. In both young and old people the shorts improved performance and so could make a difference for those whose mobility has been compromised. Enrica Tricomi, a visiting researcher at the Technical University of Munich, co-developed this prototype. The study was published in the journal Nature.Shining a bright light on a new way to discourage shark attacksSharks attacks on humans are often a result of mistaken identity, when they mistake a swimming human or a surfboard for a seal or sea lion. Researchers have found that a bright patterns of LED lights can break up the visual pattern of a swimmer so that they look less like a shark's usual prey. Dr. Lucille Chapuis was part of the team that tested various patterns of lights in Seal Island, South Africa. Their research was published in Current Biology.Different species of humans walked side-by-side in Africa millions of years agoPreserved footprints near a lakeshore in Kenya show that two species of early humans, Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, shared the same watering hole 1.5 million years ago. This is the first direct evidence of two species of hominids sharing the same space at the same time.Dr. Kevin Hatala, professor of Biology at Chatham University, and his team's findings are in the journal Science. We no longer know how to make humans live longer – only betterHuman lifespan lengthened amazingly in the 20th century, thanks to reductions in infant mortality, improvements in public health, and successes against infectious disease. But according to a new study by S. Jay Olshansky, those gains have started to flatline in recent years. By looking at the countries with the longest lifespans, Olshansky and his colleagues found that we have traded childhood diseases for age-related diseases like cancers and Alzheimer's, and so we shouldn't expect to make many more gains in human lifespan using our current methods. Instead, he says, we should focus on improving the quality of the extra years we've gained so far. His work was published in the journal Nature Aging.We also speak with William Mair, a Professor of Molecular Metabolism at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is part of a new field of study called Geroscience, which looks at slowing down the process of aging as a whole. In his lab he has been able to extend the lifespan of simpler creatures like nematode worms and mice, and says while we have no proof we can extend a human's maximum lifespan at this time, that doesn't mean it won't be possible in the future. 

Comenzaremos la primera parte del programa hablando de la Cumbre del G20, en la cual se presentó una alianza para combatir el hambre y la pobreza; y de la reforma constitucional en Nicaragua que da más poder al presidente Daniel Ortega. Hablaremos también de un estudio publicado en Current Biology sobre la importancia de jugar para los chimpancés; y por último, de una banana subastada por millones de dólares en Sotheby's.   La segunda parte del programa estará dedicada a otras historias y acontecimientos de América Latina. En esta sección ilustraremos un tema de gramática y una expresión. Hoy nuestro diálogo gramatical estará dedicado a Uses of Estar. Cerraremos la emisión con la frase: Pagar con la misma moneda. - Brasil presenta alianza contra el hambre y la pobreza en el G20 - Nicaragua aprueba reforma que da control absoluto al presidente Ortega - La importancia de jugar para los chimpancés - Sotheby's vende una banana por millones de dólares - Tus canciones favoritas, pero convertidas en música norteña - La primera película de animación de la historia del cine

Canadian bird flu case raises potential pandemic concernsA teen in BC critically ill with H5N1 bird flu has raised concerns about a new pandemic, since it's not clear how they acquired the virus. Researchers are closely monitoring the virus as it spreads, primarily among animals for changes that could indicate it spreading more easily in humans. Matthew Miller, the Canada Research Chair of Viral Pandemics from McMaster University, says the timing of this case is particularly concerning given the potential for influenza viruses to mix now that we're heading into flu season and wild birds are migrating. Sighted and blind people can learn to echolocate equally wellEcholocation — using sound reflections to sense surroundings — is best known among animals like bats and dolphins. But many blind people have also learned to echolocate, and a new study has shown that sighted people can learn to do it just as effectively as those without sight. Dr. Lore Thaler, a professor in psychology and director of the human echolocation lab at Durham University in England, and her team published their findings in the journal Cerebral Cortex. An elephant's shower shows sophisticated tool useAn elephant at the Berlin Zoo has learned to manipulate hoses to wash herself, and is fascinating researchers, including Humboldt University PhD student Lena Kaufmann, who is investigating tool use in non-human animals. In a recent study, published in the journal Current Biology, Kaufmann and colleagues gave Mary the elephant different hoses to test her abilities, and she quickly either adapted to use the hoses to meet her end goal, or got frustrated when the hoses didn't work and bit the hose in anger. What's also interesting is a companion pachyderm that has apparently learned to sabotage these showers by kinking the hose. Pesticides used on farms attract bumblebee queens, not to their benefitResearchers were surprised and disturbed to discover that in tests, young queen bumblebees hibernated in pesticide-contaminated soils. During her PhD studies at the University of Guelph, Dr. Sabrina Rondeau found that bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) queens seemed to prefer soil samples containing pesticides, even when presented with a pesticide free soil option. They're not clear on why the bees would prefer soils with pesticides, but are concerned with the impact this might have on their reproduction and survival. The study is published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.A writer speaks for the trees, and says we have much in common with themThere are about three trillion trees on our planet — about four hundred for each of us. And we literally couldn't live without them. They take in millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, and provide us with oxygen. Saving our forests is a big step toward saving our planet from the challenges from climate change. Dr. Daniel Lewis, an environmental historian at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California writes about just twelve of the the most exotic, important and interesting species we share the Earth with in his book The Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of our Future.

What if the timing of your meals is as crucial as what you're eating? In today's episode, I dive into the powerful connection between meal timing and your body's natural rhythm—and why it matters more than most of us realize. Breaking down the science behind circadian rhythms, I look at how eating earlier in the day supports better digestion, metabolism, and even mental clarity. Studies show that eating late not only disrupts sleep but can also lead to weight gain and a slower metabolism. So, we're going to break down why shifting calories to the first part of the day—following the body's natural peak energy and digestive power—can transform your energy, mood, and long-term wellness. Drawing on ancient wisdom from Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, we see how these systems have always advocated for aligning meal timing with nature's rhythms. Both recognize that eating in sync with your body's energy peaks and dips has the potential to support everything from digestion to balanced energy and stable weight. This episode is a return to basics: respecting the body's natural flow for real, sustainable health.  If you're looking to feel more in tune, support your metabolism, and bring ease to your routine, let's rethink not just what's on the plate, but when it hits the plate. We Also Discuss:   (01:57) — The Science of Meal Timing (05:08) — Circadian Rhythm's Influence on Metabolism and Energy Use (12:36) — Morning Calories for Weight Loss and Metabolic Support (18:23) — Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine on Meal Timing (25:22) —  Breakfast Like a King, Light Dinner for Energy Balance (29:01) — Practical Tips for Aligning Meal Times with Your Natural Rhythms   And more…   Don't forget: You can order now by heading to darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book or order now on Amazon.   Thank You to our Sponsors: Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off   Find more from Darin: Website: https://darinolien.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Darinolien/ Book: https://darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/ Down to Earth: https://darinolien.com/down-to-earth/   Bibliography:   Garaulet, M., Gómez‐Abellán, P., Alburquerque-Béjar, J., Lee, Y., Ordovás, J., & Scheer, F. (2013). Timing of food intake predicts weight loss effectiveness. International Journal of Obesity, 37, 604–611. Link Wehrens, S., Christou, S., Isherwood, C., Middleton, B., Gibbs, M., Archer, S., ... & Johnston, J. (2017). Meal Timing Regulates the Human Circadian System. Current Biology, 27(12), 1768-1775.e3. Link Xiao, Q., Garaulet, M., & Scheer, F. (2018). Meal timing and obesity; interactions with macronutrient intake and chronotype. International journal of obesity (2005), 43, 1701–1711. Link Ravussin, E., Beyl, R., Poggiogalle, E., Hsia, D., & Peterson, C. (2019). Early Time-Restricted Feeding Reduces Appetite and Increases Fat Oxidation but Does Not Affect Energy Expenditure in Humans. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 27(8), 1244-1254. Link Gu, C., Brereton, N., Schweitzer, A., Cotter, M., Børsheim, E., Wolfe, R., & Jun, J. (2019). Effect of Dinner Timing on Nocturnal Metabolism in Healthy Volunteers. Sleep, 36(7), 981–990. Link Bray, M., & Young, M. (2009). The role of cell-specific circadian clocks in metabolism and disease. Obesity Reviews. Link. Mohawk, J., Green, C., & Takahashi, J. (2012). Central and peripheral circadian clocks in mammals. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 35, 445-462. Link. Finger, A.-M., Dibner, C., & Kramer, A. (2020). Coupled network of the circadian clocks: a driving force of rhythmic physiology. FEBS Letters. Link. Petrenko, V., Gosmain, Y., & Dibner, C. (2017). High-resolution recording of the circadian oscillator in primary mouse α- and β-cell culture. Frontiers in Endocrinology. Link. Summa, K. C., & Turek, F. (2014). Chronobiology and obesity: Interactions between circadian rhythms and energy regulation. Advances in Nutrition, 5(3), 312S-319S. Link. Puranik, A., & Patwardhan, B. (2012). Ayurveda and Metabolic Diseases. Link. Yang, S., Yang, H., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Yao-Shan of traditional Chinese medicine: an old story for metabolic health. Frontiers in Pharmacology. Link. Xu, L., Zhao, W., Wang, D., & Ma, X. (2018). Chinese Medicine in the Battle Against Obesity and Metabolic Diseases. Frontiers in Physiology. Link. Takahashi, M., Ozaki, M., & Kang, M. (2018). Effects of Meal Timing on Postprandial Glucose Metabolism and Blood Metabolites in Healthy Adults. Nutrients. Link.  

The company is betting big on nuclear energy to meet increasing power needs of data centers and new technologies like AI. Also, new research into a strange fish known as the sea robin finds that leg-like appendages can “taste” prey buried in the sand.Microsoft Makes Deal To Restart Three Mile IslandThree Mile Island in Pennsylvania has quite a reputation in the world of nuclear energy: One of its reactors suffered a catastrophic partial meltdown in 1979, earning the title of the largest nuclear accident in US history. The failed reactor has been inoperable since the accident, while the other reactor shuttered in 2019.But now, tech giant Microsoft has made a deal with the nuclear site to reopen Three Mile Island, and purchase all of its generating capacity over the next 20 years. As Big Tech bets big on artificial intelligence, the need for electricity to power data centers is increasing tremendously. Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is a large investor in nuclear energy.To help Science Friday celebrate Climate Week NYC, Casey Crownhart, climate reporter for MIT Technology Review joins guest host Anna Rothschild to discuss this and other top climate stories of the week.These Fish Use Their Legs (Yes, Legs) To TasteYour legs may help you get around, but what if they could also help you sniff out a snack? That's a trick achieved by a fish called the sea robin. The fish, which lives on the seafloor, has an unusual appearance, with wing-like fins and leg-like appendages that it uses to walk along the ocean bottom. But in work published this week in the journal Current Biology, researchers report that those legs are also chemical sensing organs that can taste for prey buried under the sand.Dr. Nicholas Bellono, a professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard, first learned of the unusual fish on a visit to the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where he was planning to obtain squid and octopus for another research project. MBL workers showed Bellono and colleagues the sea robin, and explained that they have a reputation for being able to locate hidden prey—to the point that other organisms will follow the sea robin, hoping to get in on the meal. The intrigued researchers brought some sea robins back to the lab, and began a series of experiments to better understand their prey-sniffing abilities.Bellono joins guest host Anna Rothschild to talk about the fish, the genetic adaptations that allow it to sense the world through its legs, and the value of serendipity and curiosity-driven research in the scientific world. Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Chimpanzees are humans' closest living relatives. But does much of their communication resembles ours? According to a new study published earlier this week in the journal Current Biology, chimpanzees gesture back-and-forth in a similar way to how humans take turns speaking. The research presents an intriguing possibility that this style of communication may have evolved before humans split off from great apes, and tells researchers more about how turn-taking evolved. Interested in more science news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy