Molly Webster appears in the following:
Could Mosquitoes Bring Disease to Galapagos Reptiles?
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Biologists have discovered that mosquitoes on the Galapagos have evolved to pierce the skin of reptiles, including iguanas and endangered tortoises. The mosquitoes daily reptilian snack brings a threat of transferring vector-borne disease to the animals. Leaving scientists to ask the question: how can we keep the Galapagos as pristine as when Darwin first found them? Evolutionary biologist Simon J. Goodman joins The Takeaway with more.
Goodman is co-author of the research article, "Natural colonization and adaptation of a mosquito species in Galapagos and its implications for disease threats to endemic wildlife," which was published in this week's issue of the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Here's a view of Galapagos Wildlife:
Goodman is co-author of the research article, "Natural colonization and adaptation of a mosquito species in Galapagos and its implications for disease threats to endemic wildlife," which was published in this week's issue of the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Here's a view of Galapagos Wildlife:
Teenage Wasteland? How Teen Texting Affects Behavior
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Teenagers send thousands upon thousands of text messages each month (some as many as 24,000!). So researchers are beginning to wonder: what’s the effect of the furious finger work? Reporter Katie Hafner joins The Takeaway with answers.
For more, read Katie's piece on texting and teens in the Science Times section of today's New York Times, Texting may be taking a toll.
For more, read Katie's piece on texting and teens in the Science Times section of today's New York Times, Texting may be taking a toll.
How To Catch A Liar
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Duped. Tricked. Hornswoggled. Deceived. How can you tell if someone is fooling you? According to a new article out in today's Science Times, it's all in how they tell the story. The new focus on interview content grows in part out of a frustration with previous methods that studied behavior — averted eyes, fidgeting, or sweating—and a lack in helpful technological advances. The more important point: How much detail does someone give you when they tell their story? Joining The Takeaway with more on this story is New York Times science reporter Benedict Carey. Listen in, and then try the technique out on a con-artist (or first date) near you.
Benedict Carey's article is part of the Science Times' special Forensics section. Read his article, "Judging Honesty By Words, Not Fidgets," and check out the rest of The New Forensics issue.
Also, if lying appeals to you, listen to Radio Lab's show on Deception.
Beating a polygraph test may not get you in the clear if you're lying. But just in case, watch this video for pointers.
Benedict Carey's article is part of the Science Times' special Forensics section. Read his article, "Judging Honesty By Words, Not Fidgets," and check out the rest of The New Forensics issue.
Also, if lying appeals to you, listen to Radio Lab's show on Deception.
Beating a polygraph test may not get you in the clear if you're lying. But just in case, watch this video for pointers.
I Am The Virus
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Ever since this whole "swine flu" thing erupted it's been nothing but talk about humans, humans, humans. But what's it been like to be a virus these last few weeks? Today, we shrink down to take a look at life from the point of view of one of the world's smallest biological toxins. How, really, do viruses get out of one organism and travel to another? (Warning: It's pretty gross.) What perils face a virus that ventures outside the human body? Our microscopic tour guide is The Takeaway's favorite virus hunter, Dr. Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas School of Public Health and co-author of Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.
If you want to see the view of the body a virus sees, all you have to do is watch Fantastic Voyage, a 1966 classic in which "four men and a beautiful lady" were shrunk down and sent into the bloodstream on a submarine (it was not yellow):
If you want to see the view of the body a virus sees, all you have to do is watch Fantastic Voyage, a 1966 classic in which "four men and a beautiful lady" were shrunk down and sent into the bloodstream on a submarine (it was not yellow):
Hitting harder than a fist: Childhood bullying linked to teen psychosis
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Bullying causes more than tears, according to new research. Scientists reporting in the May issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry say that childhood bullying can lead to teenage psychotic episodes such as delusions and paranoia. Here to tell us more is study co-author Dieter Wolke, a professor of developmental psychology and individual differences at the University of Warwick, England.
To read the study for yourself, click here. To help someone you know is being bullied, check out the website Stop Bullying Now. Are you a target of workplace bullying? Here are some tips to stop bullying at work. For more on why bullies feel the need to target people, read Why Bullies Bully.
For more on the effects that childhood trauma has on our biological development, listen to The Takeaway's February 2009 conversation with Michael Meaney, Keep your hands to yourself: Child abuse affects our genes.
"If they're in a class they're going to pick on every child. Then they're going to hone in on the child that shows a reaction — for example cries or runs away — and has very little support."
—University of Warwick professor Dieter Wolke on bullying among children
—University of Warwick professor Dieter Wolke on bullying among children
To read the study for yourself, click here. To help someone you know is being bullied, check out the website Stop Bullying Now. Are you a target of workplace bullying? Here are some tips to stop bullying at work. For more on why bullies feel the need to target people, read Why Bullies Bully.
For more on the effects that childhood trauma has on our biological development, listen to The Takeaway's February 2009 conversation with Michael Meaney, Keep your hands to yourself: Child abuse affects our genes.
Virus hunters chase down the swine flu
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The world has found a new strain of flu, so now what? Enter the virus hunters. This pack of epidemiologists, virologists, and infectious disease experts (sounds like a fun party) are fast on the bug's tail, looking for answers that may help us control its spread. What are they trying to figure out? How long will it take to rustle up some answers? And when you're an epidemiologist chasing down a flu virus, what do you do in your lab all day? The Takeaway is joined by Dr. Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas School of Public Health and co-author of the book, Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.
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"It's a very bad idea just to go to the doctor's with a mild fever because that's the place to get infected because everybody will go there with their infected kids and their infected older people."
—Dr. Susan Fisher-Hoch on the spread of swine flu
—Dr. Susan Fisher-Hoch on the spread of swine flu
Can we make a vaccine to stop swine flu?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Swine flu is continuing it's spread around the globe, and there's one word on everyone's lips: vaccine. Can researchers create a vaccine that will stop the virus with one quick jab of a needle? How quickly can a vaccine be created? And what can we do to prevent the spread of the flu before a vaccine is created? Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explains.
We were lucky enough to be able to nab Dr. Fauci by phone before he heads to Capitol Hill this afternoon, where he will testify at an emergency Senate meeting about the federal government's response to swine flu.
For more from Dr. Fauci, read his commentary on MSNBC.com, Why there is no AIDS vaccine.
We were lucky enough to be able to nab Dr. Fauci by phone before he heads to Capitol Hill this afternoon, where he will testify at an emergency Senate meeting about the federal government's response to swine flu.
For more from Dr. Fauci, read his commentary on MSNBC.com, Why there is no AIDS vaccine.
Putting swine flu in perspective
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The last few days we've been inundated with numbers and swine flu facts. Eighty deaths in Mexico jumped to 100. Twenty sickened school children in Queens became 40. We know that pork's fine to eat, and that we might not want to travel south of border. But what about some of the contextual facts — are people getting sicker more quickly in this outbreak than they have in others? Will border security stations really help? Here to answer the Big Picture questions is Dr. Richard Wenzel, The Takeaway's go-to swine flu epidemiologist.
Miss President Obama's speech regarding swine flu? Watch it here:
"As the numbers expand and we continue to see mild cases, then we have to turn the focus back to what's different about the patients in Mexico."
—Dr. Richard Wenzel on the cause of swine flu
—Dr. Richard Wenzel on the cause of swine flu
Swine flu: We know it's spreading, but not much else
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
We continue our coverage of the outbreak of swine flu that appears to be spreading rapidly across the globe. While the epicenter of the outbreak is in Mexico, there are 50 confirmed cases of people sickened from swine flu in the U.S., including 28 at one New York City school. Around the world, 6 are confirmed in Canada; 2 are confirmed in Scotland (with 7 suspected); at least 10 are suspected in New Zealand. In Spain, there is one confirmed case and 17 suspected ones; one suspected in France and one suspected in Israel. This may appear to be a fast moving story to us non-scientists, but in the medical community, they are taking things slow. The Takeaway talks to Dr. Michael Edmonds, an epidemiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University to find out why.
Also joining the conversation is Tom Skinner, the spokesperson for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to give us the latest on the outbreak in the United States. We also will get a report from Ioan Grillo, Mexico correspondent for Time Magazine. He joins us from the heart of the outbreak in Mexico City.
RESOURCES
Map: State-by-state swine flu infections (The Takeaway)
Read and listen to more about swine flu (The Takeaway)
Times Topics: Swine Flu (The New York Times)
Q&A: Swine Influenza and You (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Understanding Swine Flu (The New York Times)
Key Facts (CDC)
Swine Flu (CDC)
Swine Flu Alert Map (HealthMap.org)
Consults Blog (The New York Times)
Follow CDCemergency on Twitter
Also joining the conversation is Tom Skinner, the spokesperson for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to give us the latest on the outbreak in the United States. We also will get a report from Ioan Grillo, Mexico correspondent for Time Magazine. He joins us from the heart of the outbreak in Mexico City.
"The best antidote to fear really is information, so we really do want people to be informed about what's going on and know that there really are steps that they can take to protect themselves and others."
—Tom Skinner of the Centers for Disease Control on swine flu protection
—Tom Skinner of the Centers for Disease Control on swine flu protection
Map: State-by-state swine flu infections (The Takeaway)
Read and listen to more about swine flu (The Takeaway)
Times Topics: Swine Flu (The New York Times)
Q&A: Swine Influenza and You (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Understanding Swine Flu (The New York Times)
Key Facts (CDC)
Swine Flu (CDC)
Swine Flu Alert Map (HealthMap.org)
Consults Blog (The New York Times)
Follow CDCemergency on Twitter
Investigation begins into death of 21 horses
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Polo fans and equestrian-lovers watched in horror as seven horses sickened and died in front of their eyes. The horses were meant to take the field for a polo match in Wellington, Florida on Sunday afternoon. Soon seven other horses fell sick. Veterinarians rushed the fields, but were unable to save a single horse. By Monday, 21 horses, all from the same Venezuelan team, had died. Now, investigators are searching for the cause. The Takeaway turns to Brian Haas, a newspaper reporter on the ground in Florida and Dr Celeste Kunz, a horse veterinarian, to try and piece together this equine mystery.
For more, read Brian Haas' article, PBSO and state investigations launched in deaths of 21 horses in Wellington in the Sun Sentinel.
CBS News has this report:
Click through for a transcript
For more, read Brian Haas' article, PBSO and state investigations launched in deaths of 21 horses in Wellington in the Sun Sentinel.
CBS News has this report:
Click through for a transcript
The Clean Coal Tell-All
Monday, April 13, 2009
What have you heard about clean coal? That it involves vats of liquid carbon dioxide annexed away underground? That it's dangerous? That it's never been done before? In an exclusive interview, Scientific American's energy and environmental editor David Biello sits down with The Takeaway to chat about the technology formally known as "carbon capture and sequestration" ("CCS"), carbon balloons, and carbon geysers— the newest Old Faithfuls.
Check out more of what Biello has to say on Scientific American, where he did a week's worth of carbon capture and sequestration coverage.
And for more coverage of what a "new energy economy" will look like, check out The Takeaway's Power Trip clean energy series.
Check out more of what Biello has to say on Scientific American, where he did a week's worth of carbon capture and sequestration coverage.
And for more coverage of what a "new energy economy" will look like, check out The Takeaway's Power Trip clean energy series.
Why does scratching stop us from itching?
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
When we drag our nails across a chalkboard, it's not pleasant. But dragging our nails across our skin often provides us nothing but relief from a prickly, tickly sensation know as The Itch. Just what is it about scratching an itch that causes the itchy sensation to go away? New research out this week in the journal Nature Neuroscience provides an answer. And we're itchin' to tell you about it: Glenn Geisler, one of the scientists involved with the work, joins The Takeaway with more.
Read Geisler's Nature Neuroscience paper here .
And have you ever wondered how deep into the skin a person can scratch? Read Atul Gawande's New Yorker article The Itch to find out. We won't spoil the ending for you, but it's pretty darn deep.
Read Geisler's Nature Neuroscience paper here .
And have you ever wondered how deep into the skin a person can scratch? Read Atul Gawande's New Yorker article The Itch to find out. We won't spoil the ending for you, but it's pretty darn deep.
Saving history: The biologist who protected six million bird-watching notecards
Thursday, April 02, 2009
For nearly 100 years, birds couldn't shake their human paparazzi.
As part of the U.S. government's Bird Migration Program, bird enthusiasts from Kansas to the West Indies tracked down our feathered friends — the Jennifer Anistons of yesteryear — scribbling down notes about their habits: When they came to the area in springtime, where they roosted (and with whom they roosted), and when they flew away for winter.
The note-taking program was first started in 1882 under the leadership of bird expert Wells W. Cook, and it ended in 1970. I spoke with the program's last director, Chandler Robbins, who, at 90, is just three years into his retirement from the United States Geological Survey. Robbins has been protecting the notecards from the incinerator for more than 30 years. He gave us a history of the bird program and told us why it's so important for the two-by-fives to be dusted off and used — before the paper that holds them crumbles away. Click on the LISTEN button below to hear the conversation!
As part of the U.S. government's Bird Migration Program, bird enthusiasts from Kansas to the West Indies tracked down our feathered friends — the Jennifer Anistons of yesteryear — scribbling down notes about their habits: When they came to the area in springtime, where they roosted (and with whom they roosted), and when they flew away for winter.
The note-taking program was first started in 1882 under the leadership of bird expert Wells W. Cook, and it ended in 1970. I spoke with the program's last director, Chandler Robbins, who, at 90, is just three years into his retirement from the United States Geological Survey. Robbins has been protecting the notecards from the incinerator for more than 30 years. He gave us a history of the bird program and told us why it's so important for the two-by-fives to be dusted off and used — before the paper that holds them crumbles away. Click on the LISTEN button below to hear the conversation!
Birding gets a digital upgrade
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Starting in 1882 and continuing for almost a century, the United State's Bird Migration Program collected two-by-five notecards from bird watchers around North America. Today, these long preserved cards — did we mention that there were over six million of them? — are being dusted off, in the hopes that they can tell us something about a bird of a different feather: climate change. Jessica Zelt, coordinator of the newly established North American Bird Phenology Program where she is in charge of digitizing the cards, joins the show to tell us more.
Are you itchin' to get your hands on a little American history? You can transcribe the migration notecards into the digital directory from your very own home. Click here to help! Go on, be a part of bird history.
For more, read Molly Webster's Producer's Note
And before we let you go, we'd like to leave you with a little bird quote from our friends here at the Internet, because really, what's the World Wide Web good for if not to root-out some profound, bird-related witticisms? Ahem: "My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather." ~Loire Hartwould
(c) USGS.gov
(c) USGS.gov
Are you itchin' to get your hands on a little American history? You can transcribe the migration notecards into the digital directory from your very own home. Click here to help! Go on, be a part of bird history.
For more, read Molly Webster's Producer's Note
And before we let you go, we'd like to leave you with a little bird quote from our friends here at the Internet, because really, what's the World Wide Web good for if not to root-out some profound, bird-related witticisms? Ahem: "My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather." ~Loire Hartwould
(c) USGS.gov
(c) USGS.gov
Can the concrete industry go green?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Like the Big Mac or Budweiser beer, concrete is everywhere. But concrete comes with a cost: in creating the ubiquitous building material, tons upon tons of carbon dioxide are emitted annually. In fact, the concrete industry is the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world. Is there a way to green the gray giant? For answers, The Takeaway is joined by the New York Times editor and writer Henry Fountain. Fountain is the author of the today's Science Times article, Concrete is remixed with the environment in mind.
This isn't the first time The Takeaway listeners have heard about the CO2 spewing powers of cement. Check out our interview with Vinod Kholsa, as part of our Power Trip green energy series.
This isn't the first time The Takeaway listeners have heard about the CO2 spewing powers of cement. Check out our interview with Vinod Kholsa, as part of our Power Trip green energy series.
Survivor: Planet Earth
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
There's a polar bear meeting in Norway this week, where politicians are considering how to handle the dire predictions surrounding the fate of our arctic friend. And this meeting got us thinking: in the face of a warming globe, is extinction the only option? Are organisms, along with a little thing called natural selection, finding a way to beat this formidable foe? We hope Warren Allmon, a paleontology professor at Cornell who specializes in macroevolution, can shed some light on our queries. Mr. Allmon is also the director of the Museum of the Earth.
Polar Bear S.O.S. has enlisted children to spread the word about the animal's plight. Hear their message below.
Polar Bear S.O.S. has enlisted children to spread the word about the animal's plight. Hear their message below.
Continent's smallest meat-eating dinosaur discovered!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
When you think of dinosaurs, what comes to mind? Hulking creature? Gargantuan teeth? What about something the size of a small house cat? In a story that everyone's inner child will love, researchers in Canada have found North America's smallest carnivorous dinosaur. Paleontologist Nick Longrich joins The Takeaway to talk dinos and break down what the continent's ecosystem looked like millions of years ago.
Somalis in Minneosota report many cases of autism
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Somali immigrants living in Minneapolis, Minnesota are finding that an increasing number of their children have autism. Is it random coincidence, or evidence of a larger epidemic? New York Times global health reporter Donald McNeil joins The Takeaway to report.
Check out McNeil's story on the cases, An Outbreak of Autism, or a Statistical Fluke? in today's Science Times.
For more, watch this report and follow the story in The Huffington Post and in The MinnPost.
Check out McNeil's story on the cases, An Outbreak of Autism, or a Statistical Fluke? in today's Science Times.
For more, watch this report and follow the story in The Huffington Post and in The MinnPost.
"There are hundreds of theories going around and everyone's terrified, because even the best medical authorities in the country can't answer the question: What gave your child this."
— New York Times reporter Donald McNeil on the rate of autism among Somalis in Minneapolis
— New York Times reporter Donald McNeil on the rate of autism among Somalis in Minneapolis
America's #1 Prescription: PLAY!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Ants do it. (says E.O. Wilson)
Octopuses do it.
Humans...mmmm, not so much.
There's talk going around about the science of P-L-A-Y, and specifically, about what play means, how it lights up our brains, and why we feel like automatrons when we don't play. Today's prescription is written by Dr Stuart Brown, co-author of the new book, "Play," and founder of the National Institute for Play. He joins The Takeaway for a break from the real world.
Octopuses do it.
Humans...mmmm, not so much.
There's talk going around about the science of P-L-A-Y, and specifically, about what play means, how it lights up our brains, and why we feel like automatrons when we don't play. Today's prescription is written by Dr Stuart Brown, co-author of the new book, "Play," and founder of the National Institute for Play. He joins The Takeaway for a break from the real world.
Copenhagen conference's 'last call' for the case of global warming
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
At a science conference in Copenhagen this week, there's a "last call" for scientists who want to present evidence in the case for global warming. American, British and other European scientists will present latest scientific findings on climate change since the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report in 2007. This is in part an attempt to encourage an international climate treaty in December in Copenhagen. Joining The Takeaway from Copenhagen is BBC Environmental Correspondent Matt McGrath.
One topic being addressed at the conference is rising sea levels. Watch the video below for more information.
One topic being addressed at the conference is rising sea levels. Watch the video below for more information.
