Many scientists isolating at home during the pandemic have taken their study subjects with them. The researchers want to keep the plants and animals that they study alive and continue their experiments. Bringing spiders and even sunflower seeds home can have hazards, however. Listen to learn what scientists are doing to protect their study subjects during a health crisis and hear how one scientist’s roommates responded to the unusual critters in the house.
Story Length: 2:20
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April 8, 2020
3:27
What happens to the animals when no one visits the zoo? Though the coronavirus pandemic has shut down many public gathering places and cultural institutions, including zoos, the animals continue to need daily care and feeding. Places like The Cincinnati Zoo depend on a small group of dedicated workers to show up each day to care for their beloved animals. Listen to hear zoo workers describe some of their favorite animals and learn how one baby hippo became an internet star.
Read MoreApril 1, 2020
5:28
The group in charge of emojis is issuing some new designs, and scientists are buzzing. Researchers studying mushrooms, rocks, microbes, and insects enjoy using emojis to represent their work. They are happy to have appropriate images to share on social media, even if the emojis do not represent every scientific detail correctly. Listen to learn which group of animals has the most emojis, which groups are not well represented, and what happened when marine scientists complained about the accuracy of the squid emoji.
Read MoreJuly 18, 2018
3:28
Getting bitten by a tick is never fun, but recent research shows that it can also cause you to become allergic to red meat. As ticks spread, more and more people across the US and even around the globe are becoming allergic to red meat. Scientists believe it may have something to do with alpha-gal, a special sugar only animals produce. Listen to find out more about this increasingly common allergy.
Read MoreAugust 16, 2017
2:19
Animals employ all sorts of techniques to avoid becoming prey. This is a story about one species of spider that have learned to mimic the movement of ants to avoid detection by predators. Listen to learn more about the life of a professional insect impersonator.
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