Jul 5: Using oceans to soak up excess CO2, and more...
Lizard bubble breathing, ancient puberty, zapping an asteroid, and fish walk on fingers
On this week's episode of the Best of Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald:
Semi-aquatic lizards in the western rainforests of Central America have the ability to hide from predators underwater by breathing from a bubble of air they form over their heads. In a new study in the journal Biology Letters ecologist Lindsey Swierk, from New York State University at Binghamton, found that the lizards with this bubble-breathing trick could stay underwater for 30 per cent longer than the lizards that were prevented from forming a bubble.
A new analysis of the bones of teenagers from 25,000 years ago shows they experienced puberty in much the same way as teens today. An international team of researchers including Paleolithic archeologist April Nowell analyzed the bones of 13 teens found across Europe, and by looking at particular markers in the bones, they were able to see which stage of puberty the teens were in when they died. The researchers could not only infer things like whether their voices were breaking, but by doing muscle analysis, they found that the teens were healthy and active, and likely involved in hunting and fishing. The research was published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
A new experiment using the world's most powerful radiation source has shown the way to deflecting asteroids with X-rays. The X-rays were used to vaporize some of the surface of a model asteroid, creating a rocket-like effect. Nathan Moore, a physicist at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, says it's a proof of principle for the concept of deflecting a real asteroid using X-rays generated by a powerful nuclear explosion. The study was published in the journal Nature Physics.
The sea robin is a strange fish with wing-like fins and finger-like bony structures that it uses to prop itself up as it roams the ocean floor. New research from a team of scientists from Harvard and Stanford Universities, including Nick Bellono, looked at how these bizarre creatures use their legs to hone in on their prey. It turns out these funny finny fingers can also taste food in the sediment of the sea bottom. The research was published in the journal Current Biology.
We've released 1.5 trillion tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. We may slow our emissions, but the CO2 we've already released will warm our planet for thousands of years. Which is why scientists are now trying to understand how we might safely attempt to remove it on a vast scale. Journalist Moira Donovan explores research into marine carbon dioxide removal, and how scientists are trying to understand if we can fix a problem they'd hoped we'd never face. Moira speaks with:
- Will Burt – Chief Ocean Scientist, Planetary Technologies
- Katja Fennel – Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax
- Kai Schulz, Biological Oceanographer, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Australia
- Ruth Musgrave – Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax