The Science Pawdcast

<p>The Science Pawdcast breaks down the latest science happening in the human world AND the pet world. <br />Each episode will also bring you a guest to enthral you with their area of knowledge.<br />You'll learn, be captivated, and laugh along with host Jason Zackowski. <br />Pets and Science, it's the pawfect mix. <br /><br />You'll also get episodes of PetChat which are the live shows from social audio. <br />PetChat is a live community gathering updates about the animals in our life, but also the animals in the wonderful community that supports us!</p><p><br />Heart and Hope.</p><p>Science and Shenanigans. </p>

Episode 28 Season 7: Bone, Printed While You Wait and The Giving Mood

Send us a text Imagine fixing a fracture with a steady hand and a smart pen. We open the lab door on a handheld “bone printer” that lays down bio‑ink directly at the injury site, promising faster healing, fewer imaging steps, and the chance to customize strength and shape in minutes. If you’ve ever waited days for scans and fabrication, the appeal is obvious: hydroxyapatite to encourage bone growth, PCL as a biocompatible scaffold that melts at low heat, cools fast, and slowly yields to livin...

10-05
21:54

Episode 27 Season 7: Huntington's Disease Hope and Smart Dogs

Send us a text After a two-week hiatus dealing with shipping challenges and postal strikes, Jason and Chris return with exciting scientific breakthroughs and heartwarming pet insights. Their absence was filled with stuffy reshipping adventures and a memorable Comic-Con appearance with their super-dog companions. The episode features a remarkable development in Huntington's disease treatment – a devastating neurodegenerative condition affecting 7 in 100,000 people worldwide. A pioneering gene...

09-27
19:49

Episode 26 Season 7: The Cold-COVID Connection and Chonky Dogs

Send us a text Fascinating new research reveals how catching a common cold may provide surprising protection against COVID-19, reducing infection risk by 50% and viral load by tenfold. We explore the science behind this finding and why children might experience milder COVID symptoms thanks to their frequent colds. • Recent study shows having a cold in the previous month led to 50% lower risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 • Participants with recent colds showed tenfold lower COVID-19 viral loads ...

09-06
24:12

Episode 25 Season 7: Meat Eater Wins, Cat Dementia, and Cydian Kauffman on Water Quality

Send us a text The Science Podcast explores surprising research that challenges conventional wisdom about dietary protein and cancer mortality while also examining how cats with dementia could unlock mysteries of human Alzheimer's disease. Water expert Cydian Kauffman reveals shocking truths about drinking water safety standards and the presence of "forever chemicals" in our water supply. • New study shows animal protein may have a slight protective effect against cancer mortality • Research...

08-29
53:52

Episode 24 Season 7: Ant Apartments and Facility Dogs

Send us a text We explore fascinating examples of mutualism in nature and therapeutic relationships between humans and animals through two distinct scientific studies. • Squamillaria plants in Fiji function as apartment buildings for up to five different ant species • These plants have internal chambers with separate entrances preventing deadly conflicts between rival ant colonies • When chamber walls are broken, ants engage in fatal battles lasting only 30 minutes • The plant benefits from ...

08-15
21:27

Episode 23 Season 7: Megaquake Tsunamis and Hungry Hungry Dog Breeds

Send us a text On this episode we look at the tsunamis that weren't from the Russian megaquake, and which dog breeds are super super hungry all the time. • Earthquake occurred in the Kural Kamchatka subduction zone where the Pacific plate slides under the Okhotsk plate at 75mm per year • Logarithmic earthquake scales mean each magnitude increase represents 10x more energy • Despite the earthquake's strength, the rupture didn't reach the seafloor, limiting tsunami development • Hawaiian and C...

08-02
25:03

Episode 22 Season 7: 10,000 steps, Same Sex Clusters, and Dogs Watching T.V.

Send us a text In this episode we explore scientific findings about optimal daily step counts, genetic predispositions for having children of the same sex, and how dogs perceive and interact with television. • Research shows 7,000 steps per day is the health "sweet spot," not the commonly cited 10,000 • At 7,000 steps, studies found 25% reduced cardiovascular disease risk, 37% lower cancer risk, and 38% decreased dementia-related deaths • Even modest increases from baseline (2,000 steps) sho...

07-25
26:10

Episode 21 Season 7: The Environmental Price of A.I. and Touching Pets

Send us a text We dive into the environmental impact of AI technologies and explore the science behind how pet touch affects human well-being. • Generative AI consumes significant energy with a ChatGPT query using approximately 10 times more energy than a Google search • By 2028, data centers could account for 12% of US energy use, up from 4.4% currently • Companies rarely disclose the true energy costs of training and running AI models • Smaller AI models can achieve similar results with dr...

07-12
32:46

Episode 20 Season 7: Exoplanet Pics, Plastic to Painkillers, and Dogs Detecting Pregnancy

Send us a text We explore groundbreaking science developments from space discovery to environmental innovation and canine intuition. The James Webb Space Telescope has directly imaged an exoplanet for the first time, marking a pivotal moment in our quest to understand distant worlds. • JWST captures first direct image of an exoplanet orbiting star TWA7, 111 light-years away • The Saturn-sized planet orbits 52 astronomical units from its star within a gap in the star's dusty debris disk • Sci...

07-03
23:57

Episode 19 Season 7: Cooling Paints, Anger Management, and Dr. Lori Palen with Data Soap Box

Send us a text Innovations in science are making daily life better through passive cooling paint and insights into pet interactions. In the Science News section we explore technologies that could transform how we maintain comfortable living spaces and manage our emotions at work. • Cement-based cooling paint from Nyang Technological University uses three cooling strategies: radiative cooling, evaporative cooling, and solar reflection • The specialized paint maintains effectiveness afte...

06-21
59:17

Episode 18 Season 7: Big Splash, Pain Meds, and Crappy Dogs

Send us a text We explore the physics behind making the biggest splash in pool jumping and examine a promising new non-opioid painkiller that could revolutionize pain management without addiction risks. Our investigation into canine health reveals which dog breeds are most prone to diarrhea—with some surprising findings for particular designer breeds. • The science of Manu jumping reveals a precise 45-degree entry angle with V-shaped body posture creates the biggest pool splash • Under...

06-13
29:41

Episode 17 Season 7: Bye Bye Earth, Singing to Babies, and Crafty Cockatoos

Send us a text The cosmic dance of our solar system is more precarious than we realize, with rogue stars potentially disrupting Earth's orbit and sending us hurling into space—though the probability is a reassuring 0.2% over 5 billion years. Recent research reveals singing to babies significantly improves their overall mood, highlighting the universal evolutionary importance of lullabies as emotional regulation tools across cultures. Oh and Cockatoos have taught themselves how to dr...

06-06
25:36

Episode 16 Season 7: Giant Sloths, Swimming Robots, and Science Whiz Liz on Measles!

Send us a text We dive into the fascinating world of extinct giant sloths, explore how dogs are inspiring better swimming robots, and discuss the alarming resurgence of measles with immunologist Dr. Elisabeth Marnick. • Ancient sloths evolved wide body size diversity based primarily on their habitat preference • Tree-dwelling sloths evolved to be smaller while ground-dwelling species became massive • The largest ground sloths were predated by enormous short-faced bears and likely hunted by h...

05-30
54:12

Episode 15 Season 7: Fungal Apocalypse, Dinosaur Digs, and The Orange Cat Gene!

Send us a text We explore the science behind HBO's "The Last of Us," investigating whether a fungal apocalypse could happen in real life and if a vaccine for fungal infections is possible. The Royal Tyrrell Museum's new "Breakthroughs" exhibit showcases five groundbreaking fossil discoveries that revolutionized our understanding of prehistoric life. Lastly we look at the cause of the orange color in orange cats! • Fungal infections like cordyceps jumping to humans is extremely unlikely...

05-23
33:38

Episode 14 Season 7: Chilly Dips, Flatfaced Pets, and Extending Dog Lifespan with Celine Halioua

Send us a text We explore the cutting-edge science of extending dog lifespan through innovative drug development with Loyal founder and CEO Celine Halioua, who shares the company's groundbreaking approach to canine longevity and health. In Science News: • Cold water immersion after exercise shows no benefits for women despite its popularity among fitness influencers In Pet Science: • Brachycephalic dog and cat breeds now resemble each other more than their wild ancestors due to selective b...

05-16
56:21

Episode 13 Season 7: The Science of Fluoride, Fancy Cats, and guest Dr. Katie Burnette

Send us a text On this show we explore the contentious debate around fluoride in municipal water, the science behind pedigree cat adoptions, and innovative approaches to teaching science to non-science majors. • Examination of the fluoride controversy using Calgary, Alberta as a case study • Discussion of how fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and prevents acid damage • Review of research showing increased tooth decay rates in children after fluoride was removed from Calgary's water • Analysi...

05-08
51:45

Episode 12 Season 7: Autism Rates, Dire Wolves, and Puppy Training

Send us a text This week we look to deunk myths about rising autism rates and explain the genetic and environmental factors at play, while exploring the resurrection of dire wolves through genetic engineering and how puppy cognition predicts adult dog behavior. • CDC data shows autism diagnoses increased from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2022 • Approximately 80% of autism cases stem from inherited genetic variations with 200+ genes linked to early brain development • Better screen...

04-24
29:58

Episode 11 Season 7: Alien Life, Sleep Deprivation, and Public Health with guest Sabina Vorah-Miller

Send us a text In this episode we explore potential signs of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b and discuss how pets impact our sleep quality, while special guest Dr. Sabina Vorah-Miller provides expert insights on vaccine misinformation and avian flu safety. • Bunsen's recovery from a UTI and continued mobility improvements • Recent James Webb Space Telescope findings detected dimethyl sulfide on exoplanet K2-18b • Why scientists remain cautiously optimistic but skeptical about alien life evide...

04-19
01:01:12

Episode 10 Season 7: Lightning Trees, Space Miso, and Fostering Cats

Send us a text On this week's episode we dive deep into nature's most shocking survival strategy exploring how the Alamendro tree has evolved to harness lightning strikes as a competitive advantage. We also examine the fascinating results of fermenting miso in space and discuss the challenges and rewards of cat fostering programs. • Lightning-resistant Alamendro trees have 100% survival rate after strikes while 56% of neighboring trees die • These trees grow wider crowns that attract lightni...

04-12
28:49

Episode 9 Season 7: Shingles, Dog Context, and The Immune System with Dr. Mohseni

Send us a text On this week's show we dive into the hidden connections between shingles vaccines and decreased dementia risk, while exploring how humans often misinterpret their pets' emotions based on environmental context rather than actual animal behavior. Our guest, Dr. Yasmin Mohseni blows us away with the inner workings of the immune system. Some highlights: • Shingles vaccine study reveals a 20% reduction in dementia risk, particularly among women • The protective effect may be ...

04-05
01:07:08

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