Curiosity Killed the Rat

Space Debris (ft. Benji Metha)

Space debris: What is it? Is it dangerous? How can we get rid of it? This week, we are joined by friend of the show Benji Metha to talk about space junk! Stay tuned to the end of the episode where we also tackle a listener question about eel junk.

If you liked what Benji had to say and want to find more of him, you can find him on Instagram (@benjaminmetha). And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com

We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.

Space Debris References:

https://youtu.be/PIfRPTIgXuw?t=40

https://youtu.be/dtJ6KWPnPxo

http://stephenwilkins.co.uk/WebbPiracy/

https://twitter.com/astro_timpeake/status/730746160944717825?s=20

Listener Q References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923712/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/25/where-do-eels-come-from

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2081008-how-are-baby-eels-made-we-still-dont-know/

https://nautil.us/issue/88/love--sex/eels-dont-have-sex-until-the-last-year-of-their-life

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1447763

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1984.tb04792.x

https://brill.com/view/journals/ab/55/3/article-p203_1.xml

https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1178120

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.12609

https://www-publish-csiro-au.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/mf/pdf/MF17137

Flamingos

This episode, Kate and Matt chat about a wonderfully majestic and strange-looking creature: the flamingo! A large brightly coloured bird, the flamingo begs many interesting questions. Why are they bright pink? How do they eat and why do their tongues look like something out of a horror film? What do their social structures look like? And of course… why do they stand on one leg? This episode tackles a listener question about problematic substance use… what exactly is the difference between “addiction”, “dependence”, and “abuse”? As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Sources: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0948 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/zoo.20266 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1965.tb04067.x https://theconversation.com/how-planet-earths-ice-skating-flamingos-collectively-get-in-the-mood-for-sex-68784 https://theconversation.com/scientists-balanced-a-dead-flamingo-on-one-leg-to-unlock-the-birds-standing-secret-78231 https://youtu.be/asOctYi8a-k https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajplegacy.1964.207.2.457

Learning Science (ft. Janine Jaramillo)

In a slightly different style of episode to usual, we’re joined by Janine Jaramillo for a chat full of reflections about science. We chat about our experiences studying and researching science, why science is so important and relevant to EVERYONE (whether you want to be a scientist or not), and some science-related life hacks to do with stress, drinking, and social media that we wish we’d known in high school! We also tackle a fun listener question about the brain – does it using it burn calories!? As always, you can find and follow us on social media! We are @curiosityrat on twitter and instagram, we have a facebook page, and you can send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Listener question references: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18725427/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11495663/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15041139/

Video Games (feat. Meg Pusey)

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by the amazing Meg Pusey to talk all about video games. Meg introduces us to a wildly cool concept: using video games to do SCIENCE! We learn about a whole category of video games out there being used to do either data collection or data analysis for real scientific research. We talk about some super cool examples you can go play yourself, such as Fold it (https://fold.it/) or Eye Wire (https://eyewire.org/explore), and about science mini-games embedded into big, popular, commercial games. We also chat about educational games: do they work? Why aren’t they more of a thing? As always, we also answer a listener question! This episode we talk about sensing magnetic fields. Can animals do this? Can HUMANS? If you liked what Meg had to say and want to find more of her, you can find her on Twitter @scienceninjagal (https://twitter.com/scienceninjagal). And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Listener Question References: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/20/448449.full.pdf https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/can-humans-sense-the-magnetic-field--65611 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00359-005-0627-7 https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn1745 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1742-9994-10-80 https://peerj.com/articles/6117/?fbclid=IwAR0GzUtEXZBhCAnxYzY3-l5sscwOt_HrgV1TY5PGHkLuEpQv7ooUeFuy3mo https://youtu.be/tdXb_4EkYtU

Colour

This episode we take a deep dive into the science of colour! From the physics to the biology to the psychology, Kate and Matt chat all about what exactly “colour” is, and how we’re able to perceive it. What are the physical properties of colour? How do fluorescent colours work? Why are the primary colours of paint and light different, and why do they mix differently? How are our eyes, and our brains, able to discriminate between different colours? We cover all this and so much more. We also tackle a listener question about forensics… how exactly do scientists figure out time of death? As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. This Is Not Yellow vSauce: https://youtu.be/R3unPcJDbCc Episode References: http://people.atmos.ucla.edu/fovell/AS3/theory_of_color.html http://psychexamreview.com/color-vision-trichromatic-and-opponent-process-theories/ https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2094 https://youtu.be/af78RPi6ayE https://youtu.be/TWhGmwUojBE Sensation and Perception by Steven Yantis and Richard A. Abrams (2016, psychology textbook) Listener Q: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/PL00007713 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21644987/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/livor-mortis

Artificial Pancreas (ft. Jasmine Schipp)

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by the lovely Jasmine Schipp. Jasmine is a PhD candidate researching the experiences of people with type 1 diabetes who are using open-source technology to manage their condition. We chat briefly about what diabetes is, the different types of diabetes, the role of the pancreas… and how people are taking matters into their own hands to create artificial pancreases! We then take a deep dive into how this amazing technology, and the current trials and tribulations associated with it, are impacting the people behind the diagnoses. We also tackle a listener question about phantom limbs… what are they, and can they be “cured”? If you liked what Jasmine had to say and want to find more of her, you can find her on Twitter @JasmineSchipp (https://twitter.com/JasmineSchipp). And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Jasmine’s paper: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/dia.2020.0652 Language Statement: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Language-position-statement-2016.pdf Additional Diabetes Resources: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/what-is-diabetes/ https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/myths-facts/ Listener Q References: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pmrj.12556 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811920304298 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474442202000741 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prt/2011/864605/ https://content.iospress.com/articles/neurorehabilitation/nre1447 Books: The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks Limbless Association Podcast referenced in Listener Q: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/phantom-limb-pain/id1552006252?i=1000517118053&fbclid=IwAR3BcybpBzrvsHxBUGvl6C3LsJGFCSiuzld-7mv2PrZGoIyq-B47vFZPTLs

Assisted Reproduction (ft. Jarrod McKenna)

This episode, Kate is joined by reproductive biologist and science communicator Jarrod McKenna about some of the cool research going on in the world of assisted reproduction. How does a cute little animal like the Egyptian Spiny Mouse help us study reproduction? What are some of the cool techniques that exist to assist with reproduction? We also tackle a listener question about yawning. Why do we do it? And why does looking at other people yawning make us yawn? If you liked what Jarrod had to say and want to find more of him, you can find him on Twitter @jarrod_mckenna (https://twitter.com/jarrod_mckenna). And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Listener Q References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763417303500 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938419302665 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008217300035 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3678674/ https://www.albany.edu/news/pdf_files/Yawning_Report_Gallup_May_2007.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3534187/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23982621/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2780782/ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-020-01462-4 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938419302665

Pint of Science Special: Gravitational Waves (ft. Chayan Chatterjee)

We’re once again teaming up with the wonderful crew from Pint of Science to bring you a super interesting episode featuring UWA physics PhD Candidate Chayan Chatterjee. Chayan teaches Kate and Matt all about gravitational waves: what they are, what we can learn from them, and how we go about using cool tech like AI to detect them! We’re also back with a listener question this week: why is milk the go-to solution for reducing spice, and are there better alternatives? If you liked what our guest had to say today and want to find more of him, you can follow Chayan on facebook via https://www.facebook.com/Chayan15 If you want to find more Pint of Science content you can check out #PintAU21 and @pintofscienceAU And as always, you can follow us on twitter, instagram and facebook @CuriosityRat, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com ! And you can now become a Curiosity Killed the Rat patron! If you love what we do and want to help support us and the content we make, find us at www.patreon.com/CuriosityRat Listener Question References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938419301453 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2975745/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4898060/

Pint of Science Special (ft. Amanda Krause, Emily Scicluna, & Brooke Farrugia)

Kate and Matt are once again partnered up with Pint of science to bring you a very special episode with not 1, not 2, but 3 guests! In this episode we delve into three uniquely different topics: music psychology, the Fat Tailed Dunnart (an adorable tiny carnivorous marsupial!), and the use of Sugar Polymers in bioengineering!  

If you liked what our guests had to say today and want to find more of them, you can check them out on twitter @StudyListening @SciclunaEmily @brookefarrugia

If you want to find more Pint of Science content you can check out #PintAU21 and @pintofscienceAU

And as always, you can follow us on twitter, insta and facebook @CuriosityRat

And you can now become a Curiosity Killed the Rat patron! If you love what we do and want to help support us and the content we make, find us at www.patreon.com/CuriosityRat

Graphite (ft. Declan Burke)

This episode, Kate and Matt are once again joined by the Chemical Cowboy Declan Burke. This time he is here to chat all about graphite. Which, believe it or not, is more exciting than just pencils! We learn all about some of graphite’s incredible physical properties, the difference between natural and synthetic graphite, and some of the wildly cool uses for this amazing material! All this, and so much more. We also have a listener question about that dangly thing at the back of our throats… what is it for? The Slow Mo Guys video referenced in the episode: https://youtu.be/HWgfFYCAsX8 If you liked Declan had to say and want to find more of him, you can find him on Instagram (@mf_goon_). And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Listener Q References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1408233/ https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/what-is-the-uvula-and-what-does-it-do.html https://www.etymonline.com/word/uvula https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2273.2004.00886.x https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00016489950180685 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2782743/