Episode 204 - Parasite Preserves

That's right, take one bite out of me and we'll turn your whole family into pies!

00:00: 00 - People love to focus on gigantic and impressive fossils, but tiny fossils of tiny parasites can also teach us a lot about our history of living with those critters that would take advantage of us. We begin the show with some  Schistosomiasis eggs found around the stomach region of a fossil human from Mesopotamia. Next up is a tick in amber with something that looks a whole lot like the bacteria for lyme disease inside of it, which you can vaccinate your dog for but not yourself.

00:26:40 - While blood may be appetizing for a tick, we humans prefer other sorts of beverages. Kelly is not yet off the  wagon, due to her status as a mammalian mother, so she enjoys a decaf latte with a cookie. A special cookie, but not the kind of special you might be thinking. This cookie is going to support a pretty great cause. Namely Project Sedna, helping to fund the exploration of our fast melting arctic via encouraging both native peoples and young women to take an active role in documenting ice loss. Ben has an Ice Capp from Tim Hortons. It's a thing up there, don't ask too many questions. Ryan explains a new favorite style of his, the Berliner Weisse, which he enjoys in the form of a Hopfentea from Perennial Artisan Ales.

00:26:40 - While they may munch on us from time to time, how often do we get back at parasites by eating them? Carl Zimmer collects some examples of our culinary relationship with parasites, including a favorite dish of former U.S. President George Washington. Have you ever eaten a parasite? Tell us about it in the comments!

00:57:51 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like parasites. They have a complex life cycle and can be quite draining over time. Just kidding, they're always a boost! Kelly presents a donation from Jesse O. Thanks for keeping the show going, Jesse! Ryan reads an e-mail from Joel S. in response to the weird ABV labeling of Panamanian beers in comparison to China and other exotic lands with strange labeling practices. And Ben finishes us off with a tweet from Arvind about whether or not U.S. scientists prefer the metric system or silly imperial units?

Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts!

Music for this week's show:

Tick of Time - The Kooks

Java Jive - The Ink Spots

Eat It - Weird Al Yankovic

Image Credit: Louisa Chu