Forget fake vampires and ghouls, here’s a real life zombie story from nature; The moon’s a wetter place than we thought, and that could be critical for exploration; How remora 'sucker fish' use physics to surf on their whale hosts; An argument for ‘evidence-based hope’ to help fight the environmental crisis; How have supercontinents affected the Earth’s rotation?

The diabolical ironclad beetle’s super-tough shell can even resist being run over by a car; How birds and mammals got their evolutionary edge by getting their legs under them; How 'forever chemicals' have come to contaminate even the remotest parts of Canada; How a Canadian vet took on the challenge of saving the world's great apes.

The coronavirus could be messing with your pain perception — and that could help it spread; A NASA probe with Canadian content will touch an asteroid next week; Which forest fires spew out the most CO2? It's the soil that matters, not the trees; Female moles are intersex — they have testicle-like tissue that helps them grow big and tough; Angry Weather: the science of blaming droughts, hurricanes and wildfires on climate change; Which trees provide the most oxygen over the course of a year, deciduous or evergreen?

Jennifer Doudna on her Nobel win, the ethics of gene editing, and CRISPR’s full potential; Decoy sea turtle eggs with GPS crack illegal egg trafficking; An 'awakening' moment: a sleeping pill restores function to a brain-injured patient; A new class of 'forever chemicals' is an emerging threat to our health and environment.

Here’s how Canada’s grizzlies are faring during Fat Bear week; DNA testing confirms singing dogs aren’t extinct in the wild after all; A wasp’s gruesome egg-laying organ inspires a new medical tool; Too much information: a new book explores the paradox of the information age; Is a planet full of exhaling humans contributing to global warming?

Oil sands tailings ponds are toxic. Canadian-made nanotech could help fix that. Male baboons make friends with females for just one reason: a longer life. Less than a teaspoon of dirt could hold the history of an entire landscape. Tickling rats to improve animal - and scientists’ - welfare. Five ways the universe might die - including one that could happen at any time

In lethally violent ‘woodpecker wars’ some birds fight, and some just come for the show. Unlocking the secrets of jumbo squid hibernation might improve human medicine. Short, dark and southern — many Vikings aren't who you thought they were. Fast, effective and ethically distributed — what we need from a COVID vaccine

Fisheries biologist copes with the shutdown by drafting his kids as research assistants. A stranded plastic pollution researcher maps COVID litter in her own backyard. Studying sparrows - and launching a movement in support of Black scientists. Dangerous, difficult and disgusting — Tracking cougar kills gives insights into the big cats

Quirks & Quarks is on hiatus for the summer. Our podcast will resume with new programs in September. In the meantime, you can dig deep into the feed for programs you missed, or visit our website to listen to our archives online. Have a great summer

Another episode of the always fascinating, always fabulous, Quirks & Quarks listener Question Show. We're answering questions like: do viruses have predators? What do animals taste? How do you weigh the earth, and how do bacteria eat plastic?