Koko the Gorilla passes away – so can animals use language? Plus a galaxy that might have no dark matter, and the humans pretending to be AI bots.
The Yanny vs Laurel audio illusion, plumes of water from Europa, the origin of the amphibian-killing fungus, using ice cores to study Ancient Rome’s economy, and clever magpies learn the calls of other birds.
SoT 201: The 2015 Ig Nobel Prizes
- October 7, 2015
- Tagged as: appendicitis, bee stings, bees, bribery, business, business leaders, cancer, ceo, chickens, dinosaurs, disasters, economics, eggs, honeybees, huh, Ig Nobel, Ig Nobels, insect stings, insects, kissing, language, law of urination, linguistics, mathematics, natural disasters, pee, protein folding, reproduction, risk-taking, sex, speed bumps, trauma, urination, urine
The Ig Nobel Prizes honour achievements that first make us laugh, then make us think. We take a look at this year’s winners: from unboiled eggs to painful bee stings!
SoT 137: It’s Just Like College
- March 5, 2014
- Tagged as: Age of the Earth, dogs, language, new species, Vaccines, whales
Warm vaccines, the oldest crystal, counting whales, dogs in fMRI and sex-crazed marsupials!
SoT 117: It’s A Hoax
- September 11, 2013
- Tagged as: babies, brain, brain-to-brain communication, canyon, fish, geology, language, leadership, learning, microbiome, testicles
Brain-to-brain communication, Greenland’s hidden Grand Canyon, in utero bacteria, in utero learning, and fish leadership.
SoT 116: The Baby Disease
- September 5, 2013
- Tagged as: bacteria, bog bodies, earthquakes, fish, fracking, genome, gibbons, language, polio
Fracking-related earthquakes, tiny genomes, gibbon-songs and bog bodies. Plus chronic excreters and fish that eat nuts.
SoT 113: A Brain The Size Of A Pea
- August 7, 2013
- Tagged as: communication, dolphins, evolution, false memories, flatworms, language, mating, memory, peacocks, regeneration, technology
What does a peahen look for in a peacock? Dolphins may use names, but it’s sketchy. Scientists have implanted scary false memories into mice. And the thinnest, imperceptible technology.
SoT 108: Happy Nuts
- July 1, 2013
- Tagged as: cancer, komodo dragon, language, linguistics, myth-busting, naked mole rats, parasites, ring-worm, vegetables, water
Naked mole rats, living salads, language learning, ancient castle poo, and komodo dragon bites. Plus the salty taste of billion-year old water.
SoT 100: Intrauterine Cannibalization
- May 7, 2013
- Tagged as: bacteria, genetic modification, GMO, language, science communication, sharks
Shark babies kill each other before their even born, fishy gestures, misused science words, genetically modified salmon, and the traces of supernovae in bacteria.
SoT 6: Frolicking Death Trap
- April 27, 2011
- Tagged as: ancestors, astronomy, bacteria, binary stars, language, pluto, whales
Language May Have Helped Early Humans Spread Out of Africa Pluto.
Podcast Reviews
- Great Show
September 6, 2012 by Volk613 from AustraliaAlways informative, often entertaining. Great selection of regulars with a variety of interests and expertise. Also great guests with and Australian focus.
- Great science roundup
July 23, 2012 by SB AUST. from AustraliaNice to hear science news from an Aussie perspective and with a good dose of humour. Great work!
- Fun and smartJune 17, 2012 by wertys from Australia
I have enjoyed this podcast b/c it is very funny banter about science stories but there is also a serious edge to the analysis. It's proof that you can be amusing and entertaining as well as giving the science content its due. Highly recommended weekly listening.