Life's Little Mysteries: Recent Episodes
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The Science Podcast From Live Science
The world can be a pretty mysterious place and we at Live Science love to ask and answer questions about mysteries big and small: about ancient civilizations, our planet and our solar system, the plants and animals that live alongside us, our bodies and how they work, and the technologies that we use every day.
Join us on this exciting voyage of discovery and downright weirdness as we solve… Life’s Little Mysteries.
Is bacteria helpful our harmful? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy explore the mysteries of bacteria.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Could humans live without bacteria?
- There are trillions of bacteria are swarming over your skin and through your body
- The number of bacterial cells in the body is commonly estimated at 10 times the number of human cells
INTERVIEW: Live Science reporter Yasemin Saplakoglu chats to Ehab Abouheif, a Professor of Biology at McGill University in Montreal about the symbiotic relationship between Carpenter ants and Blochmannia bacteria that goes back 51 million years. Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Theme music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Track Science and Medicine by AfterInfity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Why do some people hate the taste of beer? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy track the mysteries of one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Why do some people hate the taste of beer?
- This could all fall to genetics
- People who are sensitive to bitter tastes have more taste receptors in their mouths
INTERVIEW: Live Science Staff Writer, Brandon Specktor, talks to microbiologist Ronen Hazan from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel about how a remarkable experiment where beer has been made using 5000 year old yeast from Ancient Egypt.
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Egypt Music theme credited to Free Music TV
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the final instalment in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on August 13th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Is every single Elephant a village wrecking booze hound? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy track the mysteries of one of the world’s most fascinating land mammals. Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Is every single Elephant a village wrecking booze hound?
INTERVIEW with Joshua Plotnik, assistant professor of psychology at Hunter College, The City University of New York, discussing the ways we can understand elephant behaviour and prevent human-elephant conflict. Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the latest in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on August 6th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the latest in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on July 30th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Could evolution ever bring back the Dinosaurs? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy take a look back at the history of evolution and question how it might affect us in the future.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery:Could Evolution Ever Bring Back the Dinosaurs?
- In 2015, after a 7 year long experiment, scientists managed to turn chicken beaks into dino snouts!
INTERVIEW with Nicoletta Lanese, a staff writer at Live Science, about how researchers recently and unexpectedly discovered a type of natural selection that doesn't rely on the organism's DNA.. Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too.
Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the latest in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on July 23rd and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the latest in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on July 16th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Just how were the Egyptian pyramids built? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy dig away some of their favourite archaeological mysteries and discoveries that continue to puzzle archaeologists.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?
INTERVIEW with Jay Haigler and Steve Lubkemann about underwater archaeology and how it’s helping historians put together missing pieces of a grim chapter in human history — the trans-Atlantic slave trade era.
Steve Lubkemann is a maritime archaeologist and the co-founder and International Coordinator of the Slave Wrecks Project and Jay Haigler is dive training coordinator for the Slave Wrecks Project, and the lead instructor and safety dive officer for the marine archaeology nonprofit Diving With a Purpose.
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the latest in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on July 9th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the latest in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on July 2nd and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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From unicorns, dragons and mermaids to the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot; our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy, explore the history and "evidence" of mythical creatures.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Bigfoot: Man-Monster or Myth?
The legend of Bigfoot has been around for just 50 years and is described to be a huge ape-like beast said to roam Pacific Northwest.
INTERVIEW with Tia Gose, Live Science’s Assistant Managing Editor on the story: Why Earth's Largest Ape Went Extinct
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on June 25th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on June 18th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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How will the Universe end? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy take a step into the mysteries workings of the universe.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: How Will the Universe End?
Cosmotologists have narrowed the likelihood of this down to three scenarios: Heat Death, The Big Crunch and The Big Rip. Listen to find out more.
INTERVIEW with Rafi Letzter, Live Science reporter on the story: Flickers of light in a giant, underground tank of water in Japan could explain the entire universe
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the sixteenth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on June 11th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the fifteenth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on June 4th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Is it safe to hold in a sneeze? What happens when you sneeze in Space? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy take a peek up our noses as they unpick this week's mystery.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Is it safe to hold in a sneeze? * In ancient times, sneezes were thought of as bad omens and warnings from Gods. * Pope Gregory the Great in 590 thought it was an early sign of the plague that was wreaking havoc on Roman Empire.
INTERVIEW with Chelsea Gohd, staff writer at Space.com discussing what happens when you sneeze in space!
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the fourteenth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on May 28thand features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the thirteenth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on May 22nd and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Can you turn off a nightmare? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy take a step into the subconscious to unpick this week’s mystery.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Can you ‘turn off’ a nightmare?
- Nightmares affect everyone, but not everybody remembers what they dream about
- Some medications like beta blockers are linked with frequent nightmares
INTERVIEW with Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a Harvard dream researcher and author of “The Committee of Sleep”
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the twelfth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on May 14th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the eleventh in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on May 7th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Are Daddy Longlegs really the most venomous spiders in the world? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy delve into the mysterious world of spiders.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Are Daddy Longlegs Really the Most Venomous Spiders In the World?
- There are 6,000-10,000 species of Daddy Longlegs
- They live worldwide with the most diversity occurring in Southeast Asia
INTERVIEW with Kimberley Hickok, reference editor for Live Science and for our sister site, Space.com: You're Not Seeing Things, These Spider Butts Look Like Faces
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the tenth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on April 30th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the ninth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on April 23rd and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Are big brains smarter? We humans like to think we’re pretty smart - but does brain size really make a difference? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy pick away at the mysteries of grey matter. Below you can find links to further reading on the topic discussed in this episode.
Mystery: Are Big Brains Smarter?
* The human brain on average weighs 2.7 pounds * An elephant brain weighs 10.5 pounds, but that’s only 1/10 of 1% of its body weight
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Sponsor The Great Courses Plus Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the eighth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on April 16thand features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Black Holes are awesome but why are their names so boring? Our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy deep dive into the mysteries of black holes.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Black Holes Are Awesome. Why Are Their Names Usually So Boring?
- For any space object's name to be officially recognized by astronomers around the world, needs approval by the International Astronomical Union (IAU)
NEWS UPDATE with Tia Ghose, Assistant Managing Editor at Live Science on The Biggest Black Hole Findings of 2019
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the seventh in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on April 9th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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How do animals breathe underwater? How long do Tardigrades live - and what's the biggest animal that a snake can swallow? All these animal superpower related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: How Do Animals Breathe Underwater?
- The world's water dwellers have evolved several methods for accessing oxygen in water
- Jellyfish absorb the oxygen in water directly through their skin
Interview with Nick Caruso of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, co author of the spectacularly gross book Believe It Or Snot: The Definitive Field Guide to Earth's Slimy Creatures
Mystery #2: How Long Do Tardigrades Live?
- Tardigrades are microscopic organisms that are impossibly cute!
- They are the toughest, most indestructible creatures on Earth
NEWS UPDATE with Live Science reporter, Nicoletta Lanese on Game Over: These Monkeys Just Crushed Humans on a Computer Game
Mystery #3: What's The Biggest Animal That a Snake Can Swallow?
- A common belief is that snakes are able to unhinge or dislocate their jaws
- In 2018, a Burmese python in Florida that weighed about 32 lbs. (14 kg) swallowed a young white-tailed deer weighing 35 lbs.
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the sixth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on April 2nd and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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How do Scientists search for extraterrestrial life? If we discover aliens, what's our protocol for making contact? And if we do find them..will ET look like us? All these extraterrestrial related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: How Do Scientists Search for Extraterrestrial Life?
- Astronomers use sophisticated equipment to listen farther and peer deeper into the universe than ever before
- For an alien-seeking scientist, "life" means any living form including microbes on distant exoplanet
Mystery #2: If We Discover Aliens, What's Our Protocol for Making Contact?
- Life could theoretically exist on Mars, or on Europa, a moon of Jupiter,
- The first reported flying saucer sighting was in 1947,
Interview with Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer and Institute Fellow with the SETI Institute on the story: Is It Time To Rethink How We Search for Alien Life?
NEWS UPDATE with Live Science reporter Stephanie Pappas: Could E.T. Have Bugged a Space Rock to Listen In on Earthlings?
Mystery #3: Will ET Look Like Us?
- Depictions of Aliens in popular culture have often been very humanlike in their appearance
- In England references to little green men or children dates back to the 12th century green children of Woolpit.
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Sponsors The Great Courses Plus Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the fifth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage
This episode was recorded on March 26th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live. New updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook
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Why is it so hard to land on the moon? How much trash is on the moon? And how many humans could the world support? All these moon related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: Why Is It So Hard to Land on the Moon?
- Recent moon missions by Israel and India were unsuccessful and their landers crashed during entry
- During Apollo missions, human eyes and reflexes helped make for successful landings
Interview with Ariel Deutsch, a Phd candidate at Brown University in Rhode Island and a NASA graduate fellow
Mystery #2: How Many Humans Could the Moon Support?
- The moon is our closest celestial body
- Temperatures swing from super hot 273 F (134 C) to bone-chilling
NEWS UPDATE with Mike Wall, senior writer for Space.com: Chinese moon rover peers beneath surface of mysterious lunar far side
Mystery #3: How Much Trash Is on the Moon?
- Humans first started sending spacecraft to the moon in the 1960s
- The are reported to be every day items such as pairs of boots and - specifically - 2 golf balls on the moon
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
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Mindy and Jeanna introduce the fourth in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on March 19th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Why does coffee make you poop? Why do some animals eat their own poop? And just how much do you poop in your lifetime? All these poop related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: Why Does Coffee Make You Poop?
- Research from the 1990s found that when some people drink coffee they experience a response in the gastrointestinal system just minutes later
Interview with Metin Eren, assistant professor at Kent State University in Ohio, and co-director of the University's Eren Laboratory of Experimental Archaeology:What a Waste! Frozen Poop Knives Are Crappy Cutters
Mystery #2: Why Do Some Animals Eat Their Own Poop?
- This is called coprophagia and common in the animal kingdom
- For many animals it helps them digest more nutrients
NEWS UPDATE with Live Science staff writer Yasemin Saplakoglu: New coronavirus may spread through poop
Mystery #3: How Much Do You Poop in Your Lifetime?
- The number can vary due to age, dietary habits, exercise and other factors
- On average both men and women move their bowels about once a day and produce about 14 to 17 ounces of feces
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the third in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on March 13th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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How do we know that the Earth is round? What would happen if the Earth was really flat - and why don’t we fall off the planet? All these Earth, Space and conspiracy theory related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: How do we know the Earth is round?
- Scientists have been explaining how we know the Earth is round for more than 2,000 years
- Who can forget the iconic "Blue marble" Earth photo taken December 7, 1972, from a distance of over 18,000 miles from the surface by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft traveling to the Moon
Interview with Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Associate Professor in Social and Organizational Psychology, Vrije University Amsterdam on the psychology behind why people believe in conspiracy theories.
Mystery #2: How do Flat-Earthers explain lunar eclipses, equinoxes and why we don't fall off the planet?
- A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth's shadow blocks the sun's light, which otherwise reflects off the moon.
- While Flat Earthers believe our planet is flat, they agree that the sun and moon are spherical
NEWS UPDATE with Brandon Specktor, Senior Writer at Live Science on the sad news that ‘Mad’ Mike Hughes Dies In Rocket Crash
Mystery #3: What If the Earth Was Flat?
- There would be no atmosphere, because gravity is what keeps the Earth in place
- There would also be no Moon because it is linked to Earth by gravity
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Sponsors The Great Courses Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Mindy and Jeanna introduce the second in a series of special reports from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on March 6th and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus.
If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook.
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Are Birds Dinosaurs? What were the world's biggest and smallest dinosaurs? and Is It Possible to Clone a Dinosaur? All these prehistoric related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: Are Birds Dinosaurs?
- Ancestors of modern birds were theropod dinosaurs
- The earliest birds are reported to share much in common with their theropod relatives, including feathers and egg-laying
Interview with Dr. Holly Woodward on her article: 6-Foot-Tall T. Rex Skeletons Not a New Pygmy Species, Just Teenagers.
Mystery #2: What were the world's biggest and smallest dinosaurs?
- Weight estimates of The Argentinosaurus - a type of titanosaur - range from 77 tons (70 metric tons) up to 110 tons (100 metric tons)
- The Micropachycephalosaurus, a thick-headed plant-eater, measured 2 feet (70 cm) in length
Guest editor report with Live Science’s associate editor, Laura Geggel: Reaper of death,' newfound cousin of T. rex, discovered in Canada
Mystery #3: Is It Possible to Clone a Dinosaur?
- Another long-gone animal that some scientists have thought about “bringing back” through cloning is the woolly mammoth
- Conservationists argue that resources should be spent on currently threatened or endangered animals
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Sponsors
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Your questions answered..
Mindy and Jeanna interrupt our usual schedule to bring you a special report from Life's Little Mysteries with Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of Live Science’s coronavirus coverage.
This episode was recorded on February 27 and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus update and Q&A on Facebook Live.
You can find all the Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our website, at livescience.com/topics/coronavirus. If you have questions about coronavirus or COVID-19, you can post them on our Live Science forums and on Facebook. Nicoletta will host our next coronavirus Q&A on March 2 at 12pm ET.
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Is it safe to drink blood? What would happen if you ate an entire Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Chili Pepper? And why do delicious french fries taste so bad when they’re cold? All these food and drink related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode. Mystery #1: Why Do French Fries Taste So Bad When They're Cold? Interview with Denise Tieman of the Plant Innovation Center at University of Florida in Gainesville, discusses her research aimed at creating a more flavorful tomato. Mystery #2: What If You Eat an Entire Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Chili Pepper?
- Chili peppers have their very own rating scale: the Scoville scale, which indicates amount of capsaicin is present..and how hot they are!
- A Ghost pepper is among hottest and has 1 million Scoville units!
Guest editor report with Live Science senior writer, Rachel Rettner: How a Piece of Popcorn Stuck in a Man's Teeth Led to Open-Heart Surgery
Mystery #3: Is It Safe to Drink Blood?
- Blood drinking or eating congealed blood, usually combined with meat, is common in cultures around the world
- Drinking cattle blood is part of the traditional Maasai diet in Kenya and Tanzania
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
How do scientists know when a volcano is about to erupt? What would happen if Yellowstone’s supervolcano erupted? And what would happen if every volcano on earth erupted at once? All these questions (and a whole lot more)are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode. Mystery #1: How Do Scientists Know a Volcano Is About to Erupt?
- Warning signs can begin weeks or months before an eruption
- Some of the many signs a volcanologist will look for include seismographic detection of earthquakes and tremors and analyzing cracking patterns in the ground in close proximity to the volcano
Guest editor report with space.com reporter Chelsea Gohd:An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Then, a volcano helped life flourish. Mystery #2: What Would Happen If Yellowstone's Supervolcano Erupted?
- Yellowstone National Park is made up of three overlapping calderas
- Calderas are bowl-shaped craters that were formed after three giant eruptions occured 2.1 million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago.
Interview with volcanologist Dr. Jessica Ball, you can find out more about her work on her blog, Magma Cum Laude, and by following her on Twitter, Mystery #3: What If Every Volcano on Earth Erupted at Once?
- Worldwide 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, around 500 of which have erupted during recorded human history.
- That number excluded the amount of volcanoes on the seafloor.
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
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How did dogs get to be dogs? What do our four legged friends dream about? And - most importantly - are dogs really smiling at us when we think they are? All these questions (and a whole lot more)are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode. Mystery #1: How Did Dogs Get to Be Dogs?
- Dogs diverged from wolves — Canis lupus — at least 20,000 and perhaps as long as 40,000 years ago
- A 14,700-year-old jawbone is the oldest undisputed fossil from a domesticated dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
Mystery #2: What Do Dogs Dream About?
- In 1977, scientists studied 6 pointer dogs, studied electrical brain activity for 24 hours: They spent 44% of time awake; 21% drowsy; 12% in REM sleep; and 23% in the deepest stage of non-REM sleep (slow-wave sleep).
- For whatever reason, the size of the dog may determine the size of the dream. Smaller dogs have more frequent but shorter dream periods; large dogs have less frequent but longer dreams.
Guest editor report with Rafi Letzer:Tibetan Mastiffs Bred with Mountain Wolves to Survive at Super-High Altitudes
Mystery #3: Are Dogs Really Smiling at Us?
- We have a special bond with our dogs and when humans and dogs stare into each other's eyes, both experience a rise in levels of oxytocin
- Very few other animals in the world actually make eye contact with humans
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com. Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Why do cats like boxes? Why do they wiggle their butts before they pounce and does cat nip really make cats high? All these questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy. Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: Why Do Cats Like Boxes?
- A 2014 study in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science with shelter cats with and without hiding boxes to see if boxes could reduce stress
- When cats are just lying around not expending energy, their ideal temperature is 86 to 100 degrees F (30 to 38 degrees C), according to a study published in 2016 in the Scientific World Journal
Mystery #2: Why Do Cats Wiggle Their Butts Before They Pounce?
Guest editor report with Laura Gegel: Inside Ancient Egyptian Cat Mummy, Archaeologists Find the Remains of 3 Cats
Mystery #3: Does Catnip Really Make Cats 'High'?
- Its scientific name is Nepeta cataria. And it belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae
- Most cats — or maybe even all — are affected by catnip to some degree
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
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Why is the sea salty? Could Earth’s oceans ever boil away? And just how much whale pee is in the ocean? All these questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
Mystery #1: Why is the Ocean salty?
- Oceans on the young Earth were probably only slightly salty, but over time the mineral deposits became more concentrated, causing varying degrees of saltiness.
- Osmoconformers - animal's "environment" on the inside matches its environment on the outside. Osmoregulators - have body structures that filter or secrete excess salt.
Mystery #2: Could Earth’s oceans ever boil away?
- It’s an almost unimaginable amount of water: The US Geological Survey estimated more than 300 million cubic miles of it.
Guest editor report: Underwater Volcano Creates Bubbles More Than a Quarter-Mile Across.
Mystery #3: How much of the ocean is whale pee… and worse!
- A study published in 2003 found some numbers: the sei whale expels 166 gallons (627 litres) of urine a day.
- The fin whale expels 257 gallons (974 litres) a day!
Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.
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Join Mindy Weisberger and Jeanna Bryner as they guide you on an exciting voyage of discovery and downright weirdness in a quest to solve… Life’s Little Mysteries.
Have you ever wondered why the sea is salty, why we hiccup, or even why cats wiggle their butts before they pounce? Then this is the science podcast for you.
Subscribe now and don't forget to join in the conversation by asking your own questions about this mysterious world we live in on our forums at forums.livescience.com.
Visit our main site at www.livescience.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/LiveScience
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