Episode 16 Season 7: Giant Sloths, Swimming Robots, and Science Whiz Liz on Measles!
Description
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 humans
• Engineers created an amphibious robot that mimics dogs' swimming motion rather than reptiles or insects
• The dog-inspired robot achieves better transition between land and water with superior stability
And our guest:
• Dr. Elizabeth Marnick explains that measles causes "immune amnesia," erasing the body's memory of other infections
• The MMR vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles infection with two doses
• One in four measles cases requires hospitalization, with potentially severe complications
• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis can appear 7-10 years after measles infection and is 100% fatal
• Science communicators face significant challenges combating misinformation on social media
Dr. Marnick's Links
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