Quirks and Quarks

How AI is transforming science, and more...


Listen Later

As soon as the last ice age glaciers melted, Indigenous people occupied this site

A recently discovered archaeological site in Saskatchewan, dated to just less than 11,000 years ago is the oldest settlement in the region by about 1,500 years. It also is evidence that Indigenous people settled there as soon as the environment could support them after the glaciers disappeared. Glenn Stuart, from the University of Saskatchewan, is one of the archaeologists working along with local Indigenous community members to preserve and study the site.


Just the right magnetic field will make sea turtles do a ‘happy dance’

Researchers investigating how sea turtles navigate the vast and trackless ocean have discovered just how sensitive the reptiles’ magnetic sense is, as they can even use it to identify the location of food resources. While feeding the loggerhead turtles in the lab, Kayla Goforth, a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A&M University noticed that the turtles would perform a ‘happy dance’ when they recognized the right magnetic signature. She led this research that was published in the journal Nature.


Intense exercise causes our bodies to belch out DNA that may reduce inflammation

Scientists were surprised to discover that the more intensely you exercise, the more certain immune cells belch out fragments of DNA that can form webs to trap pathogens, and lead to fewer pro-inflammatory immune cells circulating in our blood. Canadian researcher Stephen Montgomery, a professor of pathology at Stanford University, said their findings suggest that circulating cell-free DNA may play a role in how exercise lowers inflammation in the body. The study was published in the journal PNAS. 


An ancient Antarctic duck lived at the time of T-Rex

Birds are the last surviving lineage of dinosaurs, but modern birds are surprisingly ancient – dating to before the extinction of the rest of their family. An extremely rare, nearly intact bird skull found in Antarctica and dated to about 69 million years ago confirms this. This waterfowl had similarities to ducks and loons. Chris Torres is an assistant professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton California and was part of the team that analyzed this fossil. Their research was published in the journal Nature.


Science is being transformed by the AI revolution

The stunning advances in artificial intelligence that we see with internet AI apps are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to science. Researchers from almost every field are experimenting with this powerful new tool to diagnose disease, understand climate change, develop strategies for conservation and discover new kinds of materials. And AI is on the threshold of being able to make discoveries all by itself. Will it put scientists out of a job?


Producer Amanda Buckiewicz spoke with:

Jeff Clune, a professor of computer science at the University of British Columbia, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute, and a senior research advisor to DeepMind. He’s also a co-author of The AI Scientist.

Allison Noble, a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford and a Foreign Secretary at the Royal Society, and chair of the Science in the Age of AI working group.

Elissa Strome, executive director of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy at CIFAR.

Cong Lu, postdoctoral research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia and the Vector Institute, and a co-author of The AI Scientist.

Fred Morstatter, a research assistant professor at the University of Southern California, and a principal scientist at USC's Information Sciences Institute.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Quirks and QuarksBy CBC

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

303 ratings


More shows like Quirks and Quarks

View all
As It Happens by CBC

As It Happens

393 Listeners

Ideas by CBC

Ideas

366 Listeners

The Current by CBC

The Current

221 Listeners

The Sunday Magazine by CBC

The Sunday Magazine

71 Listeners

White Coat, Black Art by CBC

White Coat, Black Art

120 Listeners

Cross Country Checkup by CBC

Cross Country Checkup

26 Listeners

Laugh Out Loud by CBC

Laugh Out Loud

163 Listeners

Day 6 by CBC

Day 6

54 Listeners

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly by Apostrophe Podcast Network

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

814 Listeners

Because News by CBC

Because News

178 Listeners

2050: Degrees of Change by CBC

2050: Degrees of Change

20 Listeners

The Fridge Light by CBC

The Fridge Light

166 Listeners

The Debaters by CBC

The Debaters

189 Listeners

The Secret Life of Canada by CBC

The Secret Life of Canada

247 Listeners

Muddied Water by CBC

Muddied Water

6 Listeners

Killers: J pod on the brink by CBC Radio

Killers: J pod on the brink

16 Listeners

Cost of Living by CBC

Cost of Living

37 Listeners

More with Anna Maria Tremonti by CBC

More with Anna Maria Tremonti

11 Listeners

The Dose by CBC

The Dose

90 Listeners

Inappropriate Questions by CBC

Inappropriate Questions

347 Listeners

We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast by Apostrophe Podcast Network

We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast

144 Listeners

They & Us by CBC

They & Us

8 Listeners

World on Fire by CBC

World on Fire

4 Listeners

What On Earth by CBC

What On Earth

20 Listeners

Recall: How to Start a Revolution by CBC

Recall: How to Start a Revolution

64 Listeners

Unforked by CBC

Unforked

4 Listeners

Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe by Apostrophe Podcast Network

Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe

265 Listeners

10 Minutes to Save the Planet by CBC

10 Minutes to Save the Planet

5 Listeners

Just Asking by CBC

Just Asking

0 Listeners