Episode 233 - Clothed as a Jaybird
I still have no idea how animals manage being naked ALL THE TIME. Seriously, someone explain it.
00:00:00 - Something strange is happening to the scrub jays of Santa Cruz Island. One scientist proposes that they might be splitting into two separate species on one little island, which is actually kind of a big deal. But how cut and dry is this whole speciation concept? Turns out not very. Listen as Joe learns more. 00:26:46 - You could probably map the history of beverages to something like a phylogenetic tree, but why bother when you can just enjoy the imbibing? Ryan is trying out a Hopvine Cider with honey and hops from Millstone Cellars in Maryland. It's weird. Joe is checking out some Sioux City Sarsaparilla (which basically just tastes like root beer), while Patrick starts the new year with some Coke Zero (which basically just tastes like coke). Ryan shares a recipe for some sassafras tea (which may be carcinogenic, FYI).
00:32:31 - It's winter. You need a coat. Have you considered wrapping yourself up in a bunch of spiderwebs? Probably not, but soon you'll at least have the option thanks to The North Face and Spiber, who've teamed up to make a synthetic spider-silk coat. It looks pretty slick, but will it scale up to mass market production? Is this the best use of spider-silk? How much would you pay for the coat or a vest with airbags? These concerns and more are discussed. Plus the usual tangents like the best ways to cook and eat insects.
00:50:09 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like spider-silk; incredibly strong but difficult to produce on an industrial scale. Joe begins with a donation from Catherine Q. Thanks Catherine! Ryan is up next with an e-mail from Mike H. who found some humor in how often folks think that archeologists study dinosaurs or even aliens. The joke cuts both ways, it turns out, and Ryan also promotes one of his favorite science songs. Finally, Patrick is taken to task by Logan S. for a continued lack of statistical guests on the show. Even though we've had John Allen Paulos and the folks of the Floating Sheep Blog it probably is time for more, fingers crossed we can get Rev. Bayes on the line. In the meantime, Ryan recommends a book of pretty graphs, because statistics is all about the data, after all.
Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts!
Music for this week's show:
Bluejays and Cardinals - The Mountain Goats
Honey Honey - Feist
Short Skirt/Long Jacket - Cake
Still Searching - The Kinks
Image credit: uvlng
