Lockdown Science: Recent Episodes

Eleanor Bladon and Andrew Bladon

What happens when two biologists isolate together? As a break from meticulously studying the behaviour of their cat, Ellie and Andrew will be bringing you a lighthearted round-up of the best science they've found this week - from the groundbreaking and life-changing to the downright weird and wonderful.


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In the last episode of this series, we’re taking tips on Instagram fame from the bird world, finding out about the history of Antarctica from a small green rock, getting sticky with some bacterial nets, traumatising bilbies for the sake of conservation, splashing down with a historic space mission, and deciding whether dolphins deserve their good reputation.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

King et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22668-1

Moseby et al. (2012): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.01.023

Siddoway et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9151

Thömmes and Hayn-Leichsenring (2021): https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695211003585

Pint of Science: https://pintofscience.co.uk/pint21

Climate change and conservation after the COVID-19 pandemic: what’s next?: https://pintofscience.co.uk/event/climate-change-and-conservation-after-the-covid-19-pandemic

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we’re finding out whether our morning espresso is safe from climate change, getting acquainted with a droopy creature that enjoys a cold bath, being dazzled by some high-tech paint, hearing about Geronimo the hero beaver, asking what monkeys can tell us about making friends after the pandemic, and trying not to yawn along with a pride of lions.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

Casetta et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.02.010

Heter et al (1950): https://doi.org/10.2307/3796322

(and a video of the parachuting beavers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrOE-m7sX9E

Li et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c02368

Plumptre et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.626635

Testard et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we’re asking whether octopuses dream of punching fish, finding out how the Amazon rainforest was born, wondering whether we’re heading for a fiery asteroid-generated doom, learning about how major corporations are turning their backs on deep-sea mining, slipping between the pages of an ancient book to find a butterfly, working out what an April fool can tell us about ecological modelling, and getting acquainted with a fearsome new dinosaur.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

Brunk et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109081

Carvalho et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abf1969

Gianechini et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2020.1877151

de Souza Medeiros et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102223

Warren et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13591

Matt Hayes’ guide for iRecord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFbLiPV2UaY

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we’re finding out how the moon is powering cars in the Shetlands, asking if cats value kindness, investigating whether a sperm-filled solar-powered lunar ark is viable, wondering whether sleepiness is to blame for a walrus on the Welsh coast, and learning some social skills from a very sneaky beetle.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

Journal Club

Chijiiwa et al (2021): https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.08.01.03.2021

von Beeren and Tishechkin (2017): https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-016-0010-x

Isolation Recommendations

www.festival.cam.ac.uk/events/battle-beasts

www.earthoptimism.cambridgeconservation.org

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This week we’re finding out whether the magnetic poles flipping killed the Neanderthals, asking how a bird species could hide for 170 years, marvelling at a swarm of tiny robot bees, wondering how two species of sea slugs manage to lose their heads but keep their cool, having a disco party with some glowing sharks, and wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day to the world’s oldest bird mum.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

Bioluminescent sharks:

Mallefet et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.633582

Insect drones:

YuFeng Chen et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2021.3053647 & video: https://news.mit.edu/2021/researchers-introduce-new-generation-tiny-agile-drones-0302

Black-browed babbler:

Akbar et al. (2020): https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c1a9e03f407b482a158da87/t/6034c09a3440914018d3c306/1614071211606/Black-browed-Babbler.pdf

Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event:

Cooper, Turney et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb8677

Autotomising sea slugs:

Mitoh and Yusa (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.014

The Brilliant Abyss:

Helen Scales: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-brilliant-abyss-9781472966865/

Us and STEMM:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/us-and-stemm/id1547268807

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we’re asking what a sarcastic fringehead is, nerding out about Perseverance’s flashy gadgets, finding out how much tyrannical power a naked mole-rat queen has, cooing over an adorable clone, checking if thylacines are back from the dead, and marvelling at Europe’s most active volcano blowing its load.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

Barker et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc6588

Yorzinski (2020): https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0786

Know Your Pollinators: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/f229629c-c0c5-11ea-855a-01aa75ed71a1#

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This week we’re asking whether science can solve one of the world’s greatest conspiracy theories, checking if groundhogs can live forever, delving into Greek myths to find out more about butterflies, being dazzled by a new shade of blue, electrifying ourselves with some genuinely stunning eel research, and finding out what the world’s tiniest chameleon’s rather large secret is.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on @LockdownScience on Twitter and @LockdownSciencePodcast on Instagram.

Bastos et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7121

Gaume and Puzrin (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00081-8

Glaw et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80955-1

O’Mara et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.042

Yang et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SM01230K

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we’re finding out how to make your Burns Night stellar, deciding whether we have what it takes to control a herd of bison, discovering what’s causing sci-fi blue jets visible from the ISS, asking whether Suki can recognise us from voice alone, and working out how much we now need to fear the criminal potential of macaques.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com!

Brumm et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd4648

Leca et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0677

Neubert et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-03122-6

Saito and Shinozuka (2013): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-013-0620-4

Simmons et al. (2021): http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/7249

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we’re finding out just how identical identical twins really are, asking whether the didgeridoo can help us get better sleep, reacquainting ourselves with the mother of palaeontology, listening out for some eery “singing”, investigating what really drives feelings of disgust, and checking out what Sir David Attenborough has been up to lately.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com!

Jonsson et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-020-00755-1

Nord et al. (2020): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.087

Puhan et al. (2006): https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.38705.470590.55

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It’s the last show of 2020, a year when finding non-COVID science news was like searching for a needle in a viral haystack. This week we’ve got a bumper edition of our Science of Week quiz, covering news from the whole year, and we’re introducing a brand new feature - Animal Etymologies!

We’re investigating the liquid properties of cats, finding out how fast space junk flies around the Earth, looking at what lasers can tell us about ancient archaeological remains, asking whether we’ve just made contact with aliens in the next solar system over, stretching the boundaries of animal lengths with siphonophores, and pitching a gritty new sequel to Finding Nemo.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com!

Fardin (2014): https://www.drgoulu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rheology-of-cats.pdf

Sampaio et al (2020): https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3266

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In a pretty un-Christmassy Christmas special, this week we're chatting about what effects crocodiles have on gambling habits, pondering whether dogs can tell that other dogs are indeed dogs, finding out if the Spice Girls predicted upcoming astronomical events, contemplating whether we should follow Vietnamese honeybees and smear poop around our houses, and discovering why Ellie has finally decided that climbing Everest will probably be a bit too much for her.

If you find some fun science that you think deserves its place on the show, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at lockdownsciencepodcast@gmail.com!

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week we're chatting about glowing platypuses, finding out why China is going to the Moon, pondering what "beaver butt juice" tastes like, asking why you'd give an alligator helium to find out about sexual attractiveness, discussing the living legend of physics that is Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and delving into what an understanding of evolution on Earth can tell us about aliens.

For more information on the Museum of Zoology's 12 Days of Christmas, go to museumofzoologyblog.com

To grab a copy of Dr Arik Kershenbaum's book "The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy" head over to https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/314/314542/the-zoologist-s-guide-to-the-galaxy/9780241406793.html

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Lockdown is back and so is Lockdown Science! For our glorious return we're finding out how to tickle a wombat, talking about spying on exoplanets, working out why two extra legs makes all the difference, getting to grips with travelling through a vacuum tube at 1000km/h, and asking whether all icebergs should be measured in units of "Norfolk".

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In this week’s episode we’re “revisiting” the fluid dynamics of penguin poo, checking out some eco-friendly(ish) whiskey, asking what sight has got birdwatchers all a flutter, and finding out how to age your doggo.

First broadcast on 18th July.

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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In this week’s episode we’re chatting about the first astronauts to launch from American soil since 2011, asking whether you should really shoot most of your study animals to monitor their population, celebrating #BlackBirdersWeek, looking back on the life of a very old alligator, and finding out how urban foxes are becoming more like dogs.

First broadcast on 6th June 2020.

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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In this week's episode we're asking whether we should really be trusting Dr Google, marvelling at how bees trick plants into giving them what they want, finding out what's about to swarm in America for the first time in 17 years, getting an update on some very important eggs, checking out the VR tour of the Smithsonian, and more! We'll also finally get some answers to the question that everybody (apparently) has been asking Andrew - "why does that pigeon have so few toes?!".

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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In this episode we're celebrating a big birthday for the Hubble Space Telescope, finding out how you can keep up with some lonely garden eels, discovering a prehistoric "Crazy Beast", getting the low-down on how memes can help conservation, and letting Andrew gush about his love of Christmas tree worms.

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In this episode we're bringing you asteroids, melting ice caps, disintegrating lego pieces, hydrogen-powered cars and an excuse for your sugar cravings. We also celebrate Rosie the Humboldt penguin's big 3-0, and delve into one of the defining pieces of literature of our age: Baldassarre (2020) "What's the Deal with Birds?".


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In this episode we're chatting about the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13, a rediscovered beetle, a tiny dinosaur, some mad Neanderthal skills, and how nightingales will cope with climate change. But most of all, we're asking the important question of "is there really any evidence that parachutes save lives?".

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Welcome to our brand new series, Lockdown Science! What happens when two biologists isolate together? As a break from meticulously studying the behaviour of our cat and dealing with the fact that we can't be in the lab or doing fieldwork, we (Ellie and Andrew) will be bringing you a lighthearted round-up of the best science we've found this week - from the groundbreaking and life-changing to the downright weird and wonderful.

In this episode we're finding out why a herd of mountain goats took over a sleepy seaside town, what it takes to become a NASA astronaut, how you can use atomic bombs to age whale sharks, and what the half-life of a teaspoon is in a work tearoom.

Music credit: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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