Quirks and Quarks
CBC
Kategorier: Vetenskap och medicin
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What the dinosaurs left behind tells the story of their rise to dominance
Bones 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 mobility
Scientists 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 attacks
Sharks 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 ago
Preserved 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 better
Human 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.
Tidigare avsnitt
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637 - Exploring the limits of human longevity, and more Fri, 29 Nov 2024
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636 - A brain ‘car wash’ could prevent neurological diseases and more… Fri, 22 Nov 2024
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635 - An environmental historian looks at our symbiosis with trees and more… Fri, 15 Nov 2024
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634 - New fishing technology could save endangered Right whales and more… Fri, 08 Nov 2024
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633 - The science of art appreciation, and more Fri, 01 Nov 2024
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632 - The amazing, brilliant, fascinating world of spiders and more Fri, 25 Oct 2024
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631 - Can we dump antacids in the ocean to soak up carbon dioxide? And more. Fri, 18 Oct 2024
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630 - Quirks & Quarks presents Galactic Trailblazers: Renegade Women Wed, 16 Oct 2024
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629 - A Nobel for microRNA and more Fri, 11 Oct 2024
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628 - The FBI's chief explosives scientist deconstructs bomb forensic investigations and more... Fri, 04 Oct 2024
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627 - Plastic: We need to understand the problem and the solutions, and more Fri, 27 Sep 2024
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626 - An astronaut takes a birds-eye view of migration and more Fri, 20 Sep 2024
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625 - Science in the Field special. Catching up on the sights and sounds of what Canadian researchers did this summer Fri, 13 Sep 2024
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624 - Overheated Bonus Podcast -- a hostful behind-the-scenes chat Mon, 09 Sep 2024
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623 - Overheated - a Quirks & Quarks special about urban heat Fri, 06 Sep 2024
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622 - Quirks & Quarks is on hiatus for the summer. New podcasts will appear in September Fri, 28 Jun 2024
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621 - Listener Question show Fri, 21 Jun 2024
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620 - The age of monotremes, Third thumb, bird dream sounds, astronaut health database, aging and exercise, and sound perception Fri, 14 Jun 2024
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619 - The pursuit of gravity, and more… Fri, 07 Jun 2024