You’re never far from a parasite, no matter where you are. They’re responsible for illnesses like malaria that cause death around much of the world; the word itself is a derogatory term for something freeloading and disgusting.

They’re also very important to the health of ecosystems.

Parasite ecologist and University of Washington associate professor Chelsea Wood makes her case for parasite conservation, and why they’re actually complex forms of life that need to be protected.

This episode originally aired on August 16, 2022.

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No one really knows what dark matter is. We just think it exists. And we believe it makes up 85 per cent of all mass in the universe. So how do you solve the mystery of something that is currently unknowable?

Enter SNOLAB. This underground, clean lab is located in Sudbury, Ontario, and researchers there are running experiments to try to solve this cosmic query. Decibel producer Madeleine White, along with Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk, go two kilometres underground to visit SNOLAB and bring you up to date on the lab’s quest to discover dark matter.

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Curly hair often gets a bad reputation for being too high maintenance but research has shown that it plays an important role in our evolutions – and even our brains.

Dr. Tina Lasisi, a biological anthropologist who focuses on studying the evolution and genetics of human hair and skin, will talk to us about the importance of curly hair.

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The James Webb Space Telescope has been getting some of the most detailed information and images from space since it launched a year and a half ago. And soon, there’s going to be a big boost in research on exoplanets – planets outside of our solar system – particularly ones that might be able to host life.

Dr. Heidi White is an astrophysicist and science communicator with the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montreal, which is one of the groups that will be using the telescope to study exoplanets. She tells us about the bizarre and fascinating planets that have already been discovered, and how close we are to finding life beyond Earth.

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In September 1969, two baby girls were born in a tiny hospital in rural Newfoundland, a few hours apart. A simple accident led to both of their lives being changed forever.

Over 50 years later, the truth serendipitously revealed itself and their lives changed again. Journalist Lindsay Jones unravels the mystery of how these two women were switched at birth.

This episode originally aired on September 26, 2022.

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Western preconceived notions about bears being deadly have led to dire consequences for bears. But the relationship and safety around bears is different with Indigenous communities and wildlife conservation groups, which have long learned how to coexist with the big mammals.

We are joined by Joy SpearChief-Morris, a staff reporter with The Globe and Mail. She’s going to break down bear misconceptions and tell us how to respect bears when you encounter them.

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An ongoing class-action lawsuit against the Calgary Stampede alleges that for decades the organization did not properly protect children from a sexual predator.

Carrie Tait is a reporter for The Globe’s Calgary bureau and she explains what’s behind the case.

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Ticks are awful. They can give you Lyme disease, brain swelling, and can make you allergic to red meat. And as the world warms, they’re steadily creeping further north.

After Dr. Vett Lloyd contracted Lyme disease from a tick, she made it her mission to study these parasites. She tells us where ticks are, what to look out for, and what to do if you find one.

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The ongoing actors and writers strikes in the U.S. are having huge implications for film production – including here in Canada, as productions slow to a trickle. Film unions in B.C. just signed an agreement that some worry could lead to ripple effects in the industry as well – because there aren’t any new stipulations around the use of generative AI.

Josh O’Kane covers the intersection of arts and business for The Globe. Today, he tells us about this agreement in B.C., and why some are worried it could have long term consequences for the film industry.

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The past three weeks on Earth have been the hottest since records began, and the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly deadly as temperatures continue to climb.

The 2021 heat dome in B.C. led to the deaths of 619 people — it’s the deadliest weather event in Canadian history. Temperatures rose to above 40 degrees and stayed high even at night. In June 2022, the province’s coroner service released a report with recommendations to prevent deaths in the future.

Frances Bula is a frequent Globe contributor who reports on urban issues in British Columbia. She’ll explain how the urban landscape contributes to the deaths, what’s being recommended to help cool B.C. buildings and what the rest of Canada can learn from it all.

This episode originally aired June 9, 2022.

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