Radio/Quirks & Quarks

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s blog Chimps apply engineering skills to select tools with the right characteristic for hunting termites. This can teach us more about how ancient humans learned to use tools. Chimps apply engineering skills to select tools with the right characteristic for hunting termites Bob McDonald · CBCContinue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s Blog A tense situation among members of an isolated base in Antarctica could foretell conflicts among astronauts on a long distance journey to Mars. Conflict among people living in extreme isolation and confined quarters is a concern for Mars Mission planners Bob McDonald · CBC RadioContinue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Q&A Scientific evidence is painting an unsettling picture: COVID infections, even if mild or asymptomatic, may be causing long-term cellular and organ damage, as well as increasing your risk of developing long COVID. Even if you think you’re done with COVID, COVID might not be done with youContinue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Q&A New measurements of a certain type of supernova seems to indicate that our expanding universe isn’t accelerating at all, negating any need to invoke a mysterious ‘dark energy’ to explain supernovae observations. Recent observations from 1,550 supernovae fit the new ‘timescape’ model Sonya Buyting · CBC RadioContinue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s blog British Paralympian John McFall has formally completed his astronaut training, and is now on the waiting list for a spot to fly to the International Space Station, which would make him the first disabled person to reach orbit. John McFall formally completed his astronaut training,Continue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s blog Using code that was thought to be lost for nearly 60 years, scientists brought the world’s first chatbot back to life for anyone to try. The original programmer designed it to give the illusion of talking to a therapist through a computer Bob McDonald ·Continue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s blog To celebrate the 100-year Edwin Hubble discovery that Andromeda was a galaxy outside our own, astronomers release the most detailed Andromeda Galaxy image ever. Astronomers released a photo mosaic to commemorate 100 years since Hubble discovered a galaxy outside our own Bob McDonald · CBCContinue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s blog The larger moons of Pluto and Earth likely formed through a collisional process with Charon and our moon, respectively, rather than by gravitationally capturing them. Due to Pluto and Charon’s rocky, icy nature, their collision was more of a gentle short-lived kiss. Scientists think theContinue Reading

Quirks and Quarks·Analysis: Bob’s blog New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope back up previous findings from the Hubble telescope that contradict theoretical predictions, suggesting the standard model theorists work from needs a revisit. Discrepancy between observations and theory suggest our understanding of the universe is incomplete Bob McDonald ·Continue Reading