Quirks and Quarks

This Week on Quirks & Quarks we take a look at:"Stemming a Stem Cell Scandal".The biggest science story of 2005 has now become the biggest science scandal of the past year. Last May, a group of Korean researchers announced they'd solved one of the biggest problems in stem cell research. They said they'd created stem cells without sacrificing embryos, and that the stem cells could be tailored to an individual's own DNA, removing the problems of tissue rejection. The discovery was featured on Quirks, and heralded worldwide as a huge breakthrough in medical research. But just at the end of the year, the whole thing collapsed. The lead scientist was accused of lying about his results.
And just this week, the original paper was withdrawn from the prestigious journal Science. We'll look at the fallout from the controversy, and what it means for the scientists working in the lab, and for the field of stem cell research as a whole.Plus - do gorillas get hot flashes?All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This Week on Quirks & Quarkswe probe the mind with:"A Stimulating Solution to Severe Depression"One in four Canadians will suffer from depression, serious enough to require treatment, over the course of their lifetime. But for a small number of them, no treatment will bring relief from their darkness and anguish. Now a team of Canadian scientists has developed a radical solution for treatment-resistant depression: brain surgery. These researchers have discovered a "sadness centre" in the brain, and by stimulating that area with electrodes, they've been able to bring light into these people's lives for the first time.Plus - Stumble of the Penguins: what stops these wobbly creatures from falling over?All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This Week on Quirks & Quarks we are searching for the Fountain of Youth.As fanciful as living forever sounds, scientists are already preparing the groundwork to make it possible. And one of the leading minds in this field is Dr. Michael Rose, a Canadian scientist working at the University of California. Dr. Rose started out small - trying to extend the lives of fruit flies. Twenty years ago, he succeeded in creating so-called 'Methuselah Flies' that changed our understanding of what leads to aging and death. Now the lessons learned from these tiny insects are being applied to other animals, including ourselves.Plus - Recreating the sound of a crested duck-billed dinosaur.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This Week on Quirks & Quarks we are "Exorcising Exercise Myths".As the February blahs set in, your motivation to get going on that New Year's fitness program is probably at an all-time low. Well, this week, we'll try to work out just what you're getting, and maybe not getting from your fitness regimen. We'll tackle the myths around stretching, look at why exercise might not be making you more fit (but is still good for you anyway), and why high performance and good health aren't necessarily the same thing.Plus - why some primate males get fat when their mates get pregnant.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This Week on Quirks & Quarks our feature item is:"Let's Sleep on it: Hibernation and Humans."The year is 2050. You've decided to vacation on Mars, but the trip takes 8 months to get there. So you decide to splurge and have yourself placed in suspended animation for the trip. Your heart will barely beat, your brain won't register any activity. At the end of the trip, you're revived as healthy as the day you left. It sounds like science fiction, and for humans today, it is. But a similar scenario develops every winter in nature. It's called hibernation. By understanding what happens in animals when they hibernate, we're starting to get clues about how to preserve organs, and even humans, for extended periods of time.Plus - scientists discover T-Rex's great-great-grandad.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

see Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio to download various formats of the show.This Week on Quirks & Quarks we take a different twist on lovemaking:"Headless Males Make Great Lovers."We've all heard about people who lose their heads when they're in love.
Well, for the male praying mantis, it's more than just an expression.
They actually continue mating after the female bites off their head.
Romantic, isn't it? Well, maybe not. But it's just one example of the weird and wild behaviour found in the natural world. Author and biologist Dr. Marty Crump has compiled some of these amazing stories in her new book, "Headless Males Make Great Lovers". From blood-squirting horned lizards to intestine-ejecting sea cucumbers, we'll hear about the strange ways that some animals procreate, protect their offspring and communicate.Plus - crash-landing on Mars.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

The downloads are now available at
Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio

downloadable on Saturday from Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC RadioThis Week on Quirks & Quarks we're:"Searching for Life in All the Right Places."As Carl Sagan used to say, there are billions and billions of stars in the universe. So where do we begin to look if we want to identify the ones that are most likely to harbour intelligent extra-terrestrial life?
Well, an American astronomer thinks she has the answer. She's drawn up a short-list of the 5 stars in our cosmic neighbourhood that are the best candidates for making contact with ET. And the top candidate is a mere
245 trillion kilometres away.Plus - the killer fungus that has frogs croaking.

Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio for downloadable"Sustainable Fossil Fuels?"For decades now, we've heard the warnings that we're rapidly running out of fossil fuels. But what if we aren't? And what if we could use them cleanly and efficiently, without destroying the environment? Could they be part of our future energy supply? Vancouver researcher Dr Mark Jaccard thinks that fossil fuels can be used sustainably and responsibly. And that's a good thing, since we'll need them to satisfy our energy requirements in the future.Plus - Tuning in to loony tunes ...Al this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

got to Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio on saturday to download the show.This Week on Quirks & Quarks:"The Perils of Preemies."Every year, about 25-thousand premature babies, or preemies, will be born in Canada. And with their early entry into the world, they bring agonizing decisions for doctors and parents. Even though advances in medical treatment mean that smaller and younger preemies are being saved, studies show that more are surviving with long-lasting health and developmental problems. Now, some doctors and parents are beginning to ask if the smallest, most at-risk babies should be saved, if they face a life of pain and suffering.Plus - the hummingbird's monster memory in a tiny brain.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio on saturday afternoon. Downloadable from here.This week on Quirks & Quarks:Stardust Memories.How hard is it to catch a comet by the tail? Well, the people responsible for NASA's Stardust probe have managed to do it, and now they know what the comet's tail is actually made of. This week, scientists announced the first results from Stardust - the mission that rocketed out to a comet, sampled its tail, and brought the samples back to earth. And what they found might rewrite the textbooks about how the solar system formed.Plus - the speedy snail that crossed the continents.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald
Host

downloadable on Sat from Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC RadioHello,This Week on Quirks & Quarks we feature:"The Coming Climate Catastrophe."If you're still confused by the science of climate change and what we should do about it, you're probably not alone. But Dr. Tim Flannery is hoping to help. The Australian scientist has written a new book, called The Weather Makers: How we are changing the climate and what it means for life on Earth. And already the book is shaking up the world-wide debate over climate change. Everyone from Tony Blair to the prime minister of Australia has commented on the book, and now you'll get a chance to hear from Dr. Flannery himself, in his first Canadian interview.Plus - how bats get out of the belfry.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald

Downloadable on Saturday from Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC RadioThis Week on Quirks & Quarks:"I Feel Your Pain: The Science of Mirror Neurons."Fifteen years ago, scientists in Italy made a startling discovery, while monitoring the brains of monkeys in a lab. When the monkeys picked up a peanut, a specific group of neurons in their brain lit up. But when the monkeys watched someone else picking up a peanut, the exact same neurons were fired. They named these brain cells "mirror neurons", and their discovery has opened up whole new areas of brain research.
Scientists now believe that mirror neurons might help explain everything from autism to the acquisition of language and culture.Plus - bugs raise a stink when they're hungry ....All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

see Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC RadioThis Week on Quirks & Quarks we feature:"Waiting for the Macaws."The start of the twenty-first century also marked the start of what some are calling the Earth's sixth great extinction. Species are disappearing at an alarming rate, largely because of human activity. But humans have been interacting with the environment for thousands of years, not always with disastrous consequences. In his new book, "Waiting for the Macaws", Canadian conservationist Terry Glavin explores this interaction, and offers some hope for how we can slow down, and maybe reverse the rapid disappearance of the planet's inhabitants.Plus - the improbable flight of the bumblebee.

Download or stream from Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio on SaturdayThis Week on Quirks & Quarks we feature:"Black Holes and Black Robes."Is it true that science and religion don't mix?
Brother Guy Consolmagno couldn't disagree more. He's a Jesuit, and also an accomplished astronomer - in fact, he works for the Vatican Observatory. And for Brother Guy, science and religion aren't in conflict in the least. He sees them as two compatible and complementary ways to seek the truth about the universe. This Easter weekend, Brother Guy tells us how he views the cosmos - both literally and spiritually.Plus - gluing elephants to the ceiling with bacteria ....All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.