Brain Junk

Welcome to a socially distanced Brain Junk Episode. Hopefully by the time this comes out, Amy and I are back to recording face to face. This was tapped at the end of April and we were each in our own houses recording remotely. Sorry about the less than super sound quality--I hope the content more than makes up for it. How could you not LOVE sharks that like heavy metal music?!?!

Show Notes:

Nature article

From the Independent UK

Discovery Channel Southeast Asia speakers in the water attracting sharks!

If you're stuck in the house social distancing--never fear--we've got the distraction you need. Ask yourself this question: Can snakes breathe while they swallow their food?

Close up YouTube vid of a snake's glottis

Feeling daring? Here's a Gaboon Adder eating a rat. The rat is dead. It's also dinner. See that glottis at work.

This episode was a struggle-and-a-half to get into the world. It was one of the first we recorded remotely because of COVID19 and I (Trace. Me, I did it!) lost the first TWO versions we did due to technical glitches. I'm so happy to bring you Amy's episode about the wonders of the Upside Down Jellyfish! It's a story of mutualism, stinging globs, algae, and the divers who finally studied them.

Images courtesy Wikimedia Commons-https://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/

PopSci Upside Down Jellyfish

SyFy Upside Down Jellyfish (This is my favorite video because you see the cassiosomes at work!)

Nature Upside Down Jellyfish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MWMcBRvNFI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjvNfiNnRl4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DNnapDxf9M

Trace is a self styled CCL and when she combined that with a microphone and her noisy cats, Brain Junk took a deep dive into the weird world of cat vocalizations.

Show Notes:

In 1944 Mildred Moelk published Vocalizing in the House Cat. As a woman doing science in the 1940s she was ridiculed by the scientific community. Her book is interesting and underappreciated.

Thank you Suzanne Schötz for your studies into 'Meowsic'. We highly recommend you check out her website at Lind University.

• Leap sleeping on Haku
• The LOUDEST boi
• No wonder Haku's so grumpy. Everyone uses him as a pillow.

In the interest of science and to protect the health of children who are always sticking things into their mouths; six intrepid doctors swallowed Lego heads and recorded just how long it takes them to pass. Oh yeah. Science is messy folks.

From the Journal of Pediatric and Child Health: Everything is Awesome: Don't forget the Lego.

Might it be possible to teach a pigeon how to "read" a label for a person who can't read? Is there the possibility of a future where pigeon service animals look out for which bottle of medication you need to pick up? There just might.

Here's the actual research paper by Dr. Damian Scarf, Karoline Boy, Anelisie Uber Reinert, Jack Devine, Onur Güntürkün, and Michael Colombo

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/09/13/1607870113.full

Bees like sugary nectar. Turns out, it's their own buzzing that makes flowers sweeter.

Epaulette sharks--making quick strides in evolution. Get it?!? Strides! Because they can walk. Insert bad sitcom dad-laugh here.

Show Notes:

National Geographic Land Sharks

Science Alert Land Sharks

Say hello to the White Bellbird and his 125 decibels of love.

Show Notes:

You've probably seen a dog sleeping soundly with their legs pedaling. Is Fido really dreaming of chasing a tennis ball? Let's find out.