Experimental

Battle of the Sticky Frogs: Who Has the Better Grip?  Episode 54 - by Mary Bates (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) When tree frogs and torrent frogs faced off on a test of sticking ability, torrent frogs came out on top. These little amphibians maintained their grip on steep surfaces and in running water. What’s the secret to their sticky success?  Listen to the Podcast to learn more! Youtube video - Torrent frog defies gravity: Further Reading: Endlein T., Barnes, W. J. P., Samuel, D. S., Crawford, N. A., Biaw, A. B., and Grafe, U. (2013) Sticking under Wet Conditions: The Remarkable Attachment Abilities of the Torrent Frog, Staurois guttatus. PLoS ONE 8(9): e73810.  Mary Bates is a freelance science writer living in Boston. She has a Ph.D. in psychology from Brown University where she studied bat echolocation. You can visit her website at www.marybateswriter.com and follow her on Twitter at @mebwriter.

Bat-Eared Foxes Share Parental Duties - TEAMWORK! Episode 53 - by Mary Bates (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) It’s not often that you find a mammal in which the father takes equal part in raising the kids, let alone a case where he performs most of the parental care. But bat-eared foxes are unique. Researchers have discovered that bat-eared foxes are dedicated dads that demonstrate several unusual parental care behaviors — including teaching cubs about their prey and providing them with dung. Listen to the Podcast to learn more! For more information: Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon Megalotis) le Roux, A., Beishuizen, R., Brekelmans, W., Ganswindt, A., Paris, M., and Dalerum, F. (2013). Innovative parental care in a myrmecophagous mammal. Acta Ethologica July 2013. doi: 10.1007/s10211-013-0157-1 Mary Bates is a freelance science writer living in Boston. She has a Ph.D. in psychology from Brown University where she studied bat echolocation. You can visit her website at www.marybateswriter.com and follow her on Twitter at @mebwriter.

Terrifying Dolphin SEX! Episode 52 by Scott Unger (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Dolphins are cute, docile, graceful creatures and we love to watch them gliding through the water… But they’ve got a darker side that most don’t know about - their sexual habits would be enough to make your grandmother faint! Listen to the podcast to learn more about the horn-dogs of the sea! Find out more information: Morisaka et al. “Spontaneous Ejaculation in a Wild Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)” PLoS ONE, 2013. A Dolphin Gets ‘Spontaneous’ Dolphin Sexuality - Why shrink from sharks: Is it love, infatuation, or cheating? Scott Unger is the producer / director of Experimental.  He’s also a career science communicator with a background in Microbiology, and spent seven years working in a series of laboratories before moving into science writing.  He is an alumni of the Banff Science Communications Program. Learn more about Scott from his LinkedIn résumé. You can also follow Scott on Twitter @scottu487.

Human Yawning Makes Dogs Yawn Too! Episode 51 - by Mary Bates (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Our dogs happily catch whatever toy we throw for them — but did you know they can also catch our yawns? Dogs are just as susceptible as people to the mysterious phenomenon of contagious yawning. New research suggests the reason could be related to the special relationship dogs have with their owners. Empathy, not sleepiness, could explain contagious yawning by dogs in response to humans. Yawning, it seems, truly is gone to the dogs. Listen to the Podcast to learn more! Further Reading: Goldman, J. (2012). Contagious Yawning: Evidence of Empathy? The Thoughtful Animal. Joly-Mascheroni, R. M., Senju, A., and Shepherd, A. J. (2008). Dogs catch human yawns. Biology Letters 4(5): 446-448. Madsen, E. A. and Persson, T. (2013). Contagious yawning in domestic dog puppies (Canis familiaris): the effect of ontogeny and emotional closeness on low-level imitation in dogs. Animal Cognition 16(2): 233-240. Romero T., Konno A., and Hasegawa T. (2013). Familiarity bias and physiological responses in contagious yawning by dogs support link to empathy. PLOS ONE 8(8): e71365. Mary Bates is a freelance science writer living in Boston. She has a Ph.D. in psychology from Brown University where she studied bat echolocation. You can visit her website at www.marybateswriter.com and follow her on Twitter at @mebwriter.

RePOOPulate: Fecal Transplants without the GROSS POO! Episode 50 by Scott Unger (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Fecal transplants - literally taking poo from one person and putting it into another person. It may sound incredibly gross (and it is) but it’s a valid and tested treatment for a number of diseases where the gut microbes become compromised, like in Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections where use of a broad spectrum antibiotic has wiped out your natural microbes and allows C. diff to thrive. Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe, a researcher in the University of Guelph’s Molecular and Cell Biology department, has been working to take the Poo out of fecal transplants using a robotic gut in the lab to produce a cleaned up microbial ecosystem called RePOOPulate that can be used in place of a fecal transplant. Listen to the podcast to learn more… Also - check out some of these references: Elaine O Petrof1, Gregory B Gloor, Stephen J Vanner, Scott J Weese, David Carter, Michelle C Daigneault, Eric M Brown, Kathleen Schroeter and Emma Allen-Vercoe. 2013. Stool substitute transplant therapy for the eradication of Clostridium difficile infection: ‘RePOOPulating’ the gut. Microbiome. 1(3). RePOOPulate: How Fake Poop Can Cure Patients’ Stomach Ailments (Fast Co.) Fake Fecal Transplants for Gut RePOOPulation (Scientific American 60s science podcast) Artificial Poop, RePOOPulate, May Lead To Synthetic Fecal Transplants (Huffington Post) Scott Unger is the producer / director of Experimental.  He’s also a career science communicator with a background in Microbiology, and spent seven years working in a series of laboratories before moving into science writing.  He is an alumni of the Banff Science Communications Program. Learn more about Scott from his LinkedIn résumé. You can also follow Scott on Twitter @scottu487.

Clothing with Technology - Fashion that’s Too Smart for the Runway Episode 49 - by Lisa Willemse (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) The clothing of the future is more likely to be loved for its function than its fashion. We’re already seeing accessories such as Google-Glass, the wearable computer glasses, but researchers are also busy weaving technology into the very fabric of the clothes we wear. Take, for example, underwear that monitors your health, or a shirt that can charge your smart phone. How about jeans that clean air pollution? These, and many other smart textiles may soon be coming to a department store near you.  Listen to the Podcast to learn more! Further reading: He, R., Day, T. D., Krishnamurthi, M., Sparks, J. R., Sazio, P. J. A., Gopalan, V. and Badding, J. V. (2013), Silicon p-i-n Junction Fibers. Adv. Mater., 25: 1461–1467. David Szondy. (2012) “New type of optical fiber could be used in photovoltaic fabrics” in Gizmag Jacob Bush. (2010) “Biosensors in Briefs” in Highlights in Chemical Technology Catalytic Clothing Lisa Willemse is a science communicator with an interest in the science found in our everyday lives. She has worked as a journalist, photographer and was once encouraged to take a job in sales (she lasted one day). She is an alumni of the Banff Science Communications Program and currently works for the Stem Cell Network in Ottawa.

Infecting Patients with Parasites to Treat Disease Episode 48 - by Stefanie Vogt (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Going to the doctor, you might expect to receive a vaccination, a prescription for medicine, maybe a referral for therapy or surgery. But there’s one new experimental treatment gaining acceptance that you certainly wouldn’t expect – prescription parasites! Recent studies from the labs of Drs. Joel Weinstock and P’ng Loke have shown that parasitic worms may be a safe and effective treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.  But after centuries of medicine dedicated to wiping out parasites, the question is, why would infecting ourselves be beneficial? Listen to the podcast to learn more. Sources:  Graham A.W. Rook. (2012) A Darwinian view of the Hygiene or “Old Friends” Hypothesis. Jon Hamilton. (2010) Eat Your Worms: The Upside of Parasites. Ferris Jabr. (2010) For the good of the gut: can parasitic worms treat autoimmune diseases? D.E. Elliott and J.V. Weinstock. (2012) Where are we on worms? Curr Opin Gastroenterol 28:551-556. Stefanie Vogt is a PhD student studying microbiology at the University of Alberta and an alumna of the 2012 Banff Science Communications Program.  She has shared her love of science with thousands of kids by organizing science competitions, science activities in rural Alberta, and a science-themed Harry Potter Day.  Follow her on Twitter: @StefanieVogt.

TRAPPED! Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Lid Closes on Prey! REPLAY Episode 18 by Niki Wilson (Click here to directly access the MP3) Nepenthes is a genus of carnivorous pitcher plants that use special leaves to capture prey. These extraordinary leaves are, as the name suggests, pitcher-shaped, and partially filled with a sticky, syrup-like digestive fluid. Insects fall inside and can’t escape due to a slippery, waxy substance that lines the inner walls and rim of the pitcher. Hovering over the rim is a lid that protects the pitcher from being flooded by rain. But for the species Nepenthes gracilis, a recent study has discovered that the lid is much, much more. In this species of pitcher plants, the lid acts as another trapping mechanism, allowing the plant to catch insects in varied weather conditions. N. gracilis is different from others in it’s genus because like the inside of the pitcher, the underside of its lid is also lined with a waxy surface. This surface less slippery than the inside walls, and allows insects to walk around on it and feed on nectar under dry conditions.  Increased nectar secretions make the lower lid more attractive, and insects hang out there longer. But the lid is a false safe haven. Researchers have found that the impact of heavy raindrops caused insects like ants to fall from the lower lid surface into the pitcher. The presence of the waxy surface appears to cause the insects to detach more easily with sudden impact. In essence, a flick of the lid helped ensure the plant’s next meal. Results of the study suggest that N. gracilis has evolved special morphological adaptations to capture prey with their pitcher lid. These discoveries highlight why pitcher plants have recently emerged as what researchers describe as “a model system for studying the evolution of functional traits in plants.” Little Shop of Horrors? Probably not. But these plants once again demonstrate the power and ingenuity of evolution. Listen to the Podcast for more… Research article on this subject: With a Flick of the Lid: A Novel Trapping Mechanism in Nepenthes gracilis Pitcher Plants Niki Wilson is a science writer living in Jasper. She hails from an environmental science and biology background, but traded the field for the computer screen. She writes a regular column, On Science, for the Jasper Fitzhugh, and podcasts for Parks Canada and Experimental. She has freelanced for the Canadian Science Media Center, and is an affiliate of the Banff Centre Science Communications Program. See more of her writing at www.nikiwilson.com.

Dealing with Climate Change and Solving the Global Energy Crisis Replay Episode 17 by Scott Unger (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Global climate change brought on by the consumption of an ever dwindling supply of fossil fuels is having tremendous and far reaching negative impacts on the environment we humans depend on.  A solution to the on-coming global energy crisis is desperately needed, and this is what the Waterloo Global Science Initiative Equinox Summit proposed - a blueprint on how we as a society can constructively move to eliminate carbon based fuels from our energy grids over the next fifty years, and ensure that all the people of earth have access to abundant and affordable electricity. Learn more Waterloo Global Science Initiative website Read the Equinox Blueprint: Energy 2030 CNET: MIT flow battery breaks mold for cheap storage Integral Fast Reactors - Fast Neutron Reactors Thorium Accelerator Driven Reactors - Accelerator-Driven Nuclear Energy Scott Unger is the producer / director of Experimental.  He’s also a career science communicator with a background in Microbiology, and spent seven years working in a series of laboratories before moving into science writing.  He is an alumni of the Banff Science Communications Program. Learn more about Scott from his LinkedIn résumé.

Disease Sniffing Super Dogs! Episode 47 - by Agatha Jassem (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Think you only look bad when you’re sick? Well it turns out you stink too. That distinctive sick smell, however, could just save your life. Medical detection dogs are a new breed of canine workers, with Cliff the C. diff sniffing dog being the latest pioneer. Listen to the podcast to learn more.   For more info: Dog Sniffs Out Deadly C. diff Infection - Web MD Dr Dog: How beagle Cliff can sniff C. Diff - The Independant Agatha Jassem (shown here with her pups Motley and Misiu) is a scientist that currently oversees and helps develop molecular-based diagnostic tests at the Vancouver General Hospital Medical Microbiology Lab. When not at the bench, this 2012 alumna of the Banff Science Communications Program can be found talking about science through various outreach initiatives. Follow her on twitter @agathajassem.

Finding Aliens on Other Planets REPLAY Episode 16 - by John Rennie (click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the Full Text transcript) Interplanetary probes and space telescopes have been seeking evidence of life elsewhere in the universe for decades. But would we necessarily know alien life if we encountered it? The biochemistry of any organisms that evolve on inhospitable worlds might turn out to be unrecognizably different from anything ever seen on Earth.  On the other hand, discoveries involving meteorites hint that we shouldn’t be surprised if some aliens also turn out to have deep similarities to terrestrial life. Listen to learn more…. More information about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life: Rennie, J. “Invisible aliens: life as we don’t know it — yet.” The Savvy Scientist column (April 17, 2012). SmartPlanet.com. National Research Council. The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press (2007). Benner, S.A.; Ricardo, A.; Carrigan, M.A. “Is there a common chemical model for life in the universe?" Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. (2004 Dec.); 8(6):672-89. McKay, C.P; Smith, H.D. “Possibilities for methanogenic life in liquid methane on the surface of Titan.” Icarus (2005 Nov.); 178(1):274-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2005.05.018 John Rennie (www.johnrennie.net, @tvjrennie) is a science writer, editor and lecturer based in New York City. For 15 years he served as editor in chief of Scientific American. Currently, he writes “The Gleaming Retort” for the PLoS Blogs science blogging network and “The Savvy Scientist" column for SmartPlanet.com, among other projects. He is on the faculty of the Banff Centre Science Communications Program and of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University.

Frogs Spreading Deadly Disease! REPLAY Episode 14 - by Niki Wilson (Click here to directly access the mp3) (Access the Full Text transcript) Pacific Chorus frogs may be helping to spread a deadly infectious disease responsible for the extinction of over 200 amphibian species world wide. The disease, known as chytridiomycosis, is caused by a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd. The fungus attacks amphibian’s skin, disrupting the absorption of water and important electrolytes like sodium. The condition eventually results in heart failure. Listen to the podcast to learn more… Niki Wilson is a multi-media science communicator living in Jasper, Alberta. Her articles have appeared in the Jasper Fitzhugh, Canmore’s Highline Magazine and The Wild Lands Advocate. She has produced podcasts for Friends in High Places, and Parks Canada, and has collaborated with the Foothills Research Institute and Parks Canada on several regional public exhibits.  In 2009, Wilson was accepted into the Banff Centre Science Communications Program, and has since become an affiliate. She is a member of the Canadian Science Writer’s Association, and  holds a Master of Environmental Design Degree in Environmental Science. More of her projects can be found at nikiwilson.com. Tweet with her at: twitter.com/niki_wilson

Robots on DRUGS! REPLAY Episode 13 - by Lisa Willemse (Click here to directly access the MP3) It’s the perfect marriage between robotics, chemistry, statistics and biology. It’s the latest tool in the arsenal of study against disease. It’s known as high throughput screening, or HTS. Developed by the pharmaceutical industry in the late 1980s, research scientists around the globe are now using it to find new uses for old drugs and if current progress is any indication, it will be responsible for hundreds of new therapies in the near future. See an HTS robot in action:   Lisa Willemse is a science communicator with an interest in the science found in our everyday lives. She has worked as a journalist, photographer and was once encouraged to take a job in sales (she lasted one day). She is an alumni of the Banff Science Communications Program and currently works for the Stem Cell Network in Ottawa.

Dinosaurs Having SEX! REPLAY Episode 10 - by Sarah Chow (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full transcript) Dinosaur mating has long puzzled scientists. However with the help of dinosaur descendants like birds and crocodiles, scientists can better visualize these prehistoric beasts behind closed bushes. Listen to the Podcast to learn more about doin’ it DINO-Style! Check out this great link from the Smithsonian on Dinosaur Tracking Sarah Chow is a recent graduate of the Banff Science Communication program and enjoys bringing the humour into science one podcast at a time. When not writing in her blog or frantically running around the lab doing experiments, you can find Sarah running the trails along the West Coast of British Columbia. You can visit Sarah’s blog www.sschow.com or follow her on twitter @sswchow.

Frogs that can SEE out of their BUTTS! Episode 46 - by Scott Unger (Click here to directly access the MP3) (Access the full text transcript) Scientists at Tufts University graft an eye onto the tail of a tadpole and discover that without any direct connection to the brain, the tadpoles can still see! No ifs, ands or BUTTS about it, this is an amazing finding that has tremendous impact on research into replacing sensory organs in humans. Listen to the podcast for more on this amazing study! For more info: Tadpoles see with extra eyes - from The Scientist Blackiston, D. J. and M. Levin. 2013. Ectopic eyes outside the head in Xenopus tadpoles provide sensory data for light-mediated learning. Journal of Experimental Biology. 216, 1031-1040. doi: 10.1242/​jeb.074963 Beazley, L D. 1975. Developent of intertectal neuronal connections in Xenopus, the effects of contralateral transposition of the eye and eye removal. Exp Brain research 23 505-518   Scott Unger is the producer / director of Experimental. He’s also a career science communicator with a background in Microbiology, and spent seven years working in a series of laboratories before moving into science writing. Scott is an alumni of the Banff Science Communications Program. Learn more about Scott from his LinkedIn résumé.