DiscoverForward Radio podcastsBench Talk | Woodpecker Concussions? - Volcanoes & Black Death - Black Hole Tale | Dec 15, 2025
Bench Talk | Woodpecker  Concussions? - Volcanoes & Black Death - Black Hole Tale | Dec 15, 2025

Bench Talk | Woodpecker Concussions? - Volcanoes & Black Death - Black Hole Tale | Dec 15, 2025

Update: 2025-12-16
Share

Description

Why don't woodpeckers experience head concussions after all that vigorous pecking on trees with their beaks? Dave Robinson summarizes a November 6th research paper. Leslie Moise reads a poem she wrote about woodpeckers. Then, why does a December 4th paper claim that volcanoes might be responsible for the Black Death pandemic (that killed up to half of the European population in the 14th century)? Finally, Scott Miller narrates a story about the birth of a black hole, written by AI to sound like a fairy tale.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am.

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio

Music (the 'Pineapple Rag' by Scott Joplin ; 1908) is modified from a public domain version performed by Vinheteiro in 2022.
Comments 
loading
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
1.0x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Bench Talk | Woodpecker  Concussions? - Volcanoes & Black Death - Black Hole Tale | Dec 15, 2025

Bench Talk | Woodpecker Concussions? - Volcanoes & Black Death - Black Hole Tale | Dec 15, 2025

Forward Radio