@sciencemug

the podcast of sciencemug.com, a blog about science which thinks to be the ‘79 world champ of cheese-rolling. Each episode tells you a research science paper in a clear, accurate and (hopefully) funny way. sciencemug: sip science & laugh! (www.sciencemug.com)

Comin' semi-soon or so!

Let's see if PiPs and the gang make it this time...

10-08
01:24

News 2: of mammoths' bones' circles, fluffy exoplanets, cats' music & more!

Hello dear listener! I read a lot of science stuff in the past months, and now I’m gonna tell you 9 science stories that I’ve already translated into mini-posts and related cartoons for the blog side of my silly self (you can find the links below). Sooo, dear listener, here we go! 1(of woodpeckers’ super skull)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/02/the-true-reason-why-woodpeckers-dont.html 2(of rats’ genome & New York)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/03/the-true-reason-why-brown-rats-genome.html 3(of mammoths’ bones’ circles)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/03/the-true-reason-why-ice-age-mammoth.html 4(of cats music)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/04/the-true-nature-of-cats-specific-music.html 5(of flamingos' social life)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/04/the-truth-about-flamingos-social-life.html 6(of American robins' earlier migrations)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/04/the-true-reason-why-american-robins.html 7(of dingoes & the Tube Man)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/10/the-true-reason-why-dingoes-flee-from.html 8(of the fluffy exoplanet)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/01/the-true-reason-why-wasp-107b-newly.html 9(of the orange bats)- https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/02/the-true-reason-why-new-bat-species-is.html

08-07
16:38

Of plastics & human placenta: meet the plasticenta! Pt 4/4 - Plastic pollution -

Hellooo, dear listener! In this fourth and last part of the episode, I finish telling you the story of a group of Italian researchers who, for the first time ever, find plastics in human placentas of healthy women. Listening to this episode, you'll find out how bad is global plastic pollution, and how dangerous plastics are to living things in general, and to humans and human fetuses in particular. And there's also a brief interview to Dr. Ragusa, the leading investigator of this research! Aaand there's a also funny+unsettling fake commercial too... Ciao! Find the script (plus all the references & credits) here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/05/of-plastics-human-placenta-meet.html

06-15
35:45

Of plastics & human placenta: meet the "plasticenta" (Pt3/4 - The way in)

Hellooo, dear listener! In the third (of four) part of this episode, I keep telling you the story of a bunch of Italian researchers who are the first to find pieces of plastics smaller than 0.5 cm in human placentas of healthy women. Here you'll discover how the darn microplastics manage to sneak into the human body. Aaand there's also a GPS for bugs and antigens story... Ciao! Find the script (plus all the references & credits) here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/04/of-plastics-human-placenta-meet.html

04-21
19:12

Of food production in urban areas: meet the urban horticulture! (Pt 1/2)

Hellooo, dear listener! In this episode I'll tell you a story about urban horticulture, more precisely the story of how a bunch or researchers proved that a city (specifically Sheffield, England, UK) could potentially feed a big chunk of its own people with veggies and fruits grown in the city itself (on green spaces and even roofs)! And there's a very funny fake commercial about the green thumb too. Ciao! Find the script (plus all the references & credits) here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/03/of-food-production-in-urban-areas-meet.html

03-21
23:57

Of plastics & human placenta: meet the "plasticenta" (Pt2/4 - Guess the plastics)

Hellooo, dear listener! In this second part of this multi-part episode, I go on telling you the story of a group of smarty smart Italian researchers who, for the first time ever, finds man-made stuff, specifically microplastics, in human placentas. In this episode you'll find how the scientists understand that what they found is actually plastics, what kind of plastics this things are precisely, and, above other things, how much plastic has been made - I mean ever - and how much plastic garbage ended up in the environment so far. Aaand there's also a conspiracy theory about 1I/2017 U1 aka ʻOumuamua and some nanoprobes...  Ciao! Find the script (plus all the references & credits) here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/02/of-plastics-human-placenta-meet.html

02-23
17:46

Of plastics & human placenta: meet the "plasticenta" (Pt1/4)

Hellooo, dear listener. In this multi-part episode I tell you the story of a bunch of Italian researchers who, for the first time ever, find pieces of plastic in human placentas (those of four healthy women who had smooth pregnancies and deliveries). In this very part 1 you'll hear how the resourceful scientists from the boot-shaped country collect the samples they need for their study, and what technique they use to analyze them. Aaand there's also a joke about a horse, a gamma ray burst and a banana split... Ciaz! Find the script (plus all the references & credits) here:  https://www.sciencemug.com/2021/01/of-plastics-human-placenta-meet.html

01-18
19:08

Of Santa Claus, children naughtiness, and virus: a Christmas tale

Ho-ho-hoooo... Hello, dear listener, welcome to this Xmas episode! I'll tell you two stories this time. One  is about how the popular belief according to which Santa doesn't visit naughty children may be or may be not (listen and find out) actually  true. The other story, given the year is 2020, is about what would be the consequences of Santa Claus doing his worldwide tour on Christmas Eve while infected by a highly contagious virus. Here's the script (with the bibliography): https://tinyurl.com/y784b9e3. Enjoy&Merry Xmas&peaceful holidays! @sciencemug

12-21
19:48

É arrivato il nuovo podcast in italiano: @sciencemug ITALIA!

Ooooooh, caro auscultatore e cara auscultatrice, sono lieto di dirti che è arrivato @sciencemug ITALIA, il podcast dove potrai ascoltare tuuuti i nuovi episodi (e un po’ alla volta anche quelli vecchi) in italiano! @sciencemug ITALIA è già su iTunes, Spotify, Anchor, Castbox, e presto sarà disponibile anche su altre piattaforme. Benone, oh voi del quelli che il podcast sì ma solo in italiano, la notizia ve l’ho data, adesso vi saluto, che devo tornare a inseguire il bianconiglio... Ciaz! SM

04-23
01:33

News 1: climate change & bumblebees extinction, wolves & blueberries, and dimming super stars!

Oooh hallo dear listener, in this sort-of episode I tell you three science news (about climate change & biology, wildlife & ethology, and astronomy) and related infos that I've told in these weeks in my blog-self side via mini-micro post and cartoons. Next regular episode is on its way, it'll be 'bout food and cities... Enjoy! SM Links to the news: 1) Climate change & bumblebees extinction: https://tinyurl.com/yalgtyvh 2) Wolves & blueberries: https://tinyurl.com/y9woy6ot 3) Dimming super stars: https://tinyurl.com/y7ytj9gc

04-21
14:10

Of why people are less generous on Xmas than the rest of the year! (Pt2/2)

Hello dear listener, here it comes the second part of a story about the fact that, at Xmas time, people, especially those usually inclined to generosity, donate less often and less money to charity than the rest of the year. And the reason of that is explained here (nope dude, it's not something related to the Grinch, nor to bad eggnog hangovers, and yes, it's quite absurd to publish the second part of a Xmas episode closer to Valentine's day than to Christmas itself...). Here's the script: https://www.sciencemug.com/2020/01/of-charity-experimental-economics.html Ciaz&enjoy!

01-30
16:01

Of why people are less generous on Xmas than the rest of the year! (Pt1/2)

Ho-ho-hoooo... Hello, dear listener! After Halloween, the Black Friday aaand the Cyber Monday here it's coming a new credit card holiday: Christmas! Sooo, to fit the Xmas spirit of nowadays, here's for you a Xmas episode that tells you a science story that’s all about... MONEY! Aaand a bit of charity too. The script is here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2019/12/of-charity-experimental-economics.html Enjoy&Merry Christmas!

12-19
17:47

Weird patent series (N°1): "The Bird Diaper"!

Oh hallo dear listener, this is the first episode of the "Weird patent series", a space, as the name suggests, dedicated to the most absurd things you humans have patented, invented, thought. An episode like this will be published every once in a while. In this very one, I'm telling you not one, but two patents filed to cover the invention of a diaper for birds. Yeah, you read it right, you're not hallucinating. Aren't you humans something? Find the script here&enjoy! https://www.sciencemug.com/2019/11/weird-patent-series-n1-oh-man-bird.html

11-15
14:09

The yum-yum bugs

Hello dear listener, here we go with a delicious story about environment, food and... bugs. Basically: "wanna help saving the world? Eat bugs!". Ahhh, who doesn't dream a juicy meal worm burger? Can you see a future when there is a new giant, in the business of fast food: McCricket? Well, apparently someone can, more or less. But, hey, jokes aside, there's solid science on the plate (uh, pun!). The script is here (scroll down the page): https://www.sciencemug.com/2013/02/gli-insetti-gnam-gnam-e-limpatto.html Enjoy&Ciao!

11-06
15:00

The explosive story of dynamite & the Nobel Prize!

Hallo dear listener, today October 21st, in 1833, Alfred Nobel is born. He's famous 'cause, in the XIX the century, he was the guy everybody wanted at their parties since he was a blast, had always explosive pieces of gossip and told hilarious cracking jokes. Oh, he's also the dude who invented dynamite. And he who created a prize you may have heard of. Here the script of the episode about Nobel's life, inventions and prize: https://www.sciencemug.com/2019/10/happy-birthday-alfred-nobel-aka-mr.html Ciaz&enjoy!

10-20
16:10

The Rogue Planet: a science "crime" story

A vast universe, a wandering entity with a secret identity, three cosmic cops. And a dumb podcast to tell their story... Find the script here&enjoy! https://www.sciencemug.com/2013/03/the-rogue-planet.html

10-13
10:15

Pollution on high

Hello dear listener, in this episode I'll tell you the scary story of what three researchers find there is inside the water that falls down from the sky... Clue one: it is not a piece of rainbow. Clue two: it is not the answer to your prayers. For clue three press #. The script is here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2019/09/pollution-on-high.html Ciao!

09-27
16:42

BACTERIA vs HUMAN CELLS (PT3 of 3)

Ooh hello dear listener, in this episode I'll tell you the 3d and final part of the story about three scientists who put at sleep the legend according to which there are 10 bugs in/on humans for each human cell. You'll get to know how the story ends (no spoiler here) and why those three researchers decided to investigate this particular topic instead something else, like, well, the physics behind a certain president haircut... The script (plus the micro-interview to one of the researchers, Dr. Fuchs) is here: https://www.sciencemug.com/2016/07/bacteria-vs-human-cells-1-to-1-final.html Ciao!

09-03
15:31

Happy b-day Aspirin!

Ooooh, hello dear listener, this is the story of Aspirin's creation! It's a mix of chemistry, mystery, history, suspense, a guilty butler with a beaker in the laboratory, Nazism, smuggled drugs aaaaaand the usual nonsense coming from the dumb pseudo-brain of this podcast. Enjoy! (Ok, ok, the butler was too much... But the rest is there!) The post is here: https://tinyurl.com/y3lk3prm

08-09
12:58

BACTERIA vs HUMAN CELLS (PT2 of 3)

Ooh hello dear listener, in this episode I'll tell you the 2nd part (total 3) of the story about the debunking of the myth that there are 10 bugs in/on humans for each human cell. In this part you'll find out how many human cells actually form the human body, and which cells are the most numerous (spoiler: they are the favorites of vampires...). Read the post here: https://tinyurl.com/y4jhzef2 Ciaz&Enjoy!

07-27
22:31

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