Tag: story
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The Science of Big Splashes
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When it comes to making a splash, technique tops brute force. While you might think a cannonball will yield the biggest splash in the pool, science has confirmed that a new technique from New Zealand, called Manu jumping, …
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Hummingbirds, Penguins, and Cockatoos, oh my.
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Three stories this week, all concerning birds! Pranksters, scamps, potential saviors of earth? In the first, cockatoos in Australia have learned how to drink from public water fountains. Anthony and Jeff discuss how and why. Next ups, the penguins …
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Tales From the Crypt
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For 60 years, between 1637 and 1697, people who died at the largest hospital in Milan were dropped into a brick-lined crypt. Now, 300 years later, their unearthed remains reveal shocking insights into the lives of the 17th century …
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Snakebites for Science
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Tim Friede has allowed himself to be bitten by venomous snakes more then 200 times. As a result, his blood has helped scientists concoct a new antibody cocktail that could save thousands of lives. Jeff and Anthony discuss how …
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Virtual Nostalgia
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Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have introduced InteRecon, a program that enables users to recapture real-world objects in a mobile app, and then animate them in mixed-reality environments. Jeff and Anthony discuss the notion …
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Speaking Bonobo
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A new study from researchers at the University of Zurich and Harvard University reveals that bonobos, our closest living relatives alongside chimpanzees, use the equivalent of word compounds and phrasings, suggesting that the roots of language predate humans. Anthony …
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Batman’s Cocktail Party Mystery
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Every night, bats emerge out of roosts in massive numbers, creating what scientists have called a ‘cocktail party nightmare’ of clashing echolocations. Nobody knew how bats managed this severe sensorial challenge. Now, scientists have tracked bats within a group …
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Taste This Machine
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Scientists have developed a device, called “e-Taste”, capable of recreating complex flavours of food and drink from five basic building blocks, and plan to use it to enhance virtual reality and augmented reality systems, boosting immersive experiences. Anthony and …
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Move with the Crowd
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Researchers have discovered that dense crowds can spontaneously synchronize into collective oscillations, with hundreds of people moving in coordinated, swirling patterns. How did they do it? By studying the Spanish tradition of running with the bulls. Jeff and Anthony …
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Try to Imagine It
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People with aphantasia lack the ability to summon images in their “mind’s eye.” But a new study suggests that the blueprints for those imaginary images might still be nestled in their brains. As someone with aphantasia himself, Anthony tries …
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