Mad cow, 'zombie deer disease' and the science and spread of prions

Could probiotics save coral reefs?: Pollution, disease, and climate change are pushing the limits of what coral reefs can withstand. But, despite those harsh conditions, some corals are thriving. Scientists are trying to understand how that's possible, and what they're learning could... by Tiny Matters

25 min listen

Bioterrorism: Weaponizing science isn’t new: Science, when it falls into the wrong hands, can do a whole lot more harm than good. This episode is about the historical use of biological agents, the science behind what makes them dangerous, and how researchers are developing drugs to save people... by Tiny Matters

26 min listen

Body farms: Learning from life after death: When it comes to human decomposition, scientists have a pretty good understanding of what happens shortly after you die. But what happens months or years later is mostly a mystery, and that makes it hard for law enforcement to figure out how a person... by Tiny Matters

34 min listen

Typhoid Mary was not the end of typhoid fever: Typhoid fever is a disease that, in the United States, is synonymous with Mary Mallon—a woman better known as Typhoid Mary, who infected New Yorkers with typhoid in the early 1900s. But typhoid is not just a thing of the past. Across the globe every... by Tiny Matters

22 min listen

Tiny Matters: A new science podcast launching in 2022: Tiny Matters is a science podcast about things small in size but big in impact. Every other Wednesday, join hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti as they unpack the little stuff that makes the big stuff in our world (both good and bad)... by Tiny Matters

1 min listen

Why don't we have an HIV vaccine?: We had a vaccine for COVID-19 within a year of identifying the virus that causes it, yet still don’t have one for HIV after 40 years of research. Why is that? On this week’s episode, Sam and Deboki cover HIV’s history and spread, how it causes... by Tiny Matters

23 min listen

What is a memory?: Have you ever had such a clear memory of something and then found out it never happened? We tend to think of a memory as a photo in an album that we can open up and access whenever we want. But it’s more like the pieces of a photo scattered in a... by Tiny Matters

24 min listen

If the Milky Way could talk...: Sam and Deboki chat with astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier about her new book, The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy. It’s a fascinating read about our galaxy’s past and future, what scientists have uncovered about it, and what... by Tiny Matters

46 min listen

Regenerating a new limb or, you know, entire body: Regeneration is a hot topic in the sciences, and for good reason. We humans are not known for being great at regenerating, but if we could understand how other organisms do it so easily we might be able to heal a spinal cord injury or damaged organs... by Tiny Matters

28 min listen

A deadly smog in London: Air pollution pt. 1: On December 5, 1952, the city of London was engulfed in a lethal black haze that killed thousands of people. This event, now known as the Great Smog, altered how London and much of the world viewed air pollution, and led to environmental policies that... by Tiny Matters

27 min listen

A fungal pandemic is unlikely in humans. That’s not true for other species.: A few months ago, we did a bonus Q&A about the HBO series The Last of Us, a show about a pandemic caused by a fungus that turned people into terrifying zombies. After that bonus episode aired, we received emails from people who wanted to learn... by Tiny Matters

25 min listen

Dinosaur fossils: Inspiring Jurassic Park and helping us predict Earth's future: This week on Tiny Matters, we’re talking about dinosaurs: the ancient beasts that died off 65 million years ago but whose remains still captivate us today. Fossils are helping scientists piece together how dinos and other extinct creatures looked... by Tiny Matters

23 min listen

Bonus! Q&A with hosts Deboki and Sam: Bonus, bonus! This week on Tiny Matters, get ready to learn a bit about hosts Sam and Deboki. Who are they? Why do they love talking about science so much? Who are their science writing idols? Are they self-conscious about what their voices sound... by Tiny Matters

50 min listen

We’ve only eradicated one human infectious disease. Why?: On May 8, 1980, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox—a highly-deadly disease in humans—had been eradicated. Today it’s still the only one we’ve completely wiped out. So, how’d we do it? And why haven’t we done it for the... by Tiny Matters

27 min listen

What happened to Zika virus?: In 2016, Zika virus dominated the news, but today it seems to have dropped out of public consciousness. Zika is still out there and thousands of children and their families continue to be impacted by its devastating effects. In this episode, you’ll... by Tiny Matters

38 min listen

What's your microbiome? And does it deserve such hype?: The ‘microbiome’ is very trendy right now. Maybe you’ve seen supplements marketed on social media or on store shelves that supposedly “support a healthy gut microbiome.” But what exactly is a microbiome? What does it have to do with your... by Tiny Matters

28 min listen

It's spooky season: The myths and science behind the undead: Halloween is right around the corner, and what’s Halloween without the undead?! In this episode, Sam and Deboki cover the mythology surrounding vampires and the possible scientific and medical connections to that mythology. Plus: how you could use... by Tiny Matters

29 min listen

The 9/11 attacks: Air pollution pt. 2: On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people died, many of whom were first responders. Today, World Trade Center first responders who are still alive are being diagnosed with illnesses like lung disease and cancer more often than the general population.... by Tiny Matters

25 min listen

Why you should care about sharks (and why Sharknado wasn't totally wrong): Marine conservation biologist David Shiffman joins Tiny Matters to chat about sharks and his new book Why Sharks Matter. We talk weird physiology, misconceptions, cinematic jump scares, Sharknado easter eggs, and science-backed activism. Check out Why... by Tiny Matters

30 min listen

The curious evolution of lactose intolerance: Sam was an avid eater of greasy, cheesy pizza until her early 20s. Now, dairy has her running to the bathroom (tmi). Why is that the case for so many people all over the world? This week’s episode covers what causes lactose intolerance, why it’s... by Tiny Matters

26 min listen

What does it mean to 'age'? And will science ever stop us from aging?: What is aging, exactly? Is it days on a calendar? The number of wrinkle lines on your forehead? And what causes aging? In this episode of Tiny Matters, Sam and Deboki tackle those questions plus if any of those ‘fountain of youth’ products on your... by Tiny Matters

28 min listen

Sugar: The addiction debate and an ancient mutation that’s killing us today: We humans eat a heck of a lot of sugar. So, how do our bodies process it? And why is eating so much of it so bad? In this episode, we tackle those questions, plus the ‘is sugar addictive?’ debate, and talk about how a DNA mutation that helped our... by Tiny Matters

33 min listen

Algae transformed Earth. Next stop: Mars?: Since the very beginning of the space age, people have been wondering if algae could provide a life support system beyond our planet. From dozens of studies over the last 60 years, we’ve figured out that algae probably can thrive for up to a year in... by Tiny Matters

31 min listen

Vacation show & tell: Finding science in Greece and Norway: Sam and Deboki went on vacations to Greece and Norway and (not so shockingly) found science along the way. Get ready to hear all about the northern lights, ancient skull surgery, lava bombs, and more! by Tiny Matters

34 min listen

Preservatives: From honey-covered berries to plastic-wrapped Twinkies: Humans have been finding ways of preserving food for thousands of years—long before the invention of silica gel packs that absorb moisture or chemicals that keep away bacteria and mold. This week’s Tiny Matters is about the evolution of food... by Tiny Matters

27 min listen

Dreaming: Why we hallucinate while asleep (and do spiders do it too?): A recent study looking at sleeping spiders left Sam and Deboki with a lot of questions, namely, “Do spiders dream? And why do we humans dream?” In this episode of Tiny Matters, you’ll hear all about dreaming and its connection to sleep, and... by Tiny Matters

27 min listen

Shipworms, sponges and snail venoms: The search for marine medicine: For millennia, humans have looked to the sea to find medicine. Today, medical treatments that come from the ocean have been clinically approved for pain, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease, and over a dozen more are in clinical trials. In this episode... by Tiny Matters

29 min listen

The hunt for a rare micoorganism: For centuries, scientists have looked through microscopes to witness the worlds of tiny creatures and cells that exist all around us. In this episode, Sam and Deboki learn what it takes to hunt down a rare microbe and why it matters for how we... by Tiny Matters

27 min listen

Tracking disease using wastewater: When you wash your dishes, take a shower, or flush a toilet you send a bunch of waste into your local sewer. But wastewater isn’t just filled with things like food scraps, soap, and feces—it also contains microbes, like viruses. During the... by Tiny Matters

26 min listen

Combating misinformation in a crisis: Lessons from Deepwater Horizon: On April 20, 2010, a drilling rig called Deepwater Horizon exploded, capsizing 36 hours later. Eleven workers were killed and, over the next 87 days, more than 100 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in what the EPA has called the... by Tiny Matters

29 min listen

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Mad cow, 'zombie deer disease' and the science and spread of prions

Mad cow, 'zombie deer disease' and the science and spread of prions

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