This week on radio, Tim Thwaites is talking about dolphin friends; guns around the house; laundry lint; mosquitoes in the rain; and more…
Raising the kids: Do you need good genes or good friends?—The answer appears to be both, at least for dolphins, according to a recent study published by researchers based in Sydney. Female dolphins with relatives and “friends” who have been successful in raising offspring are much better at producing calves.—Australasian Science
A story on this topic can be found in the October 2011 edition of Australasian Science
Humpbacks make a comeback—In 1966, at the end of the commercial whaling era, only about 1400 humpback whales were left in the North Pacific. Now, there are at least 21,000, according to an international team of researchers.—Marine Mammal Science
A Science story on this topic can be found at http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/scienceshot-humpbacks-make-a-com.html?ref=hp
Sceptical climate scientists concede that Earth is warming—A group of American scientists known for their scepticism of climate change has reanalysed about 200 years worth of global temperature records in a new way. And the study gives estimates of warming which are remarkably close to those already published.—New Scientist/Nature
A New Scientist story on this topic can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21074-sceptical-climate-scientists-concede-earth-has-warmed.html
Guns at home are hurting US kids—An American study published this week reveals that about 20,000 children are injured each year in the US by firearms. This is about 30 per cent higher than expected.—New Scientist
A New Scientist story on this topic can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228353.700-guns-kept-at-home-are-hurting-us-kids.html
Overweight? Then change neighbourhoods—US researchers have found that relocating people out of poor neighbourhoods can be as effective as many other forms of treatment in reducing their chances of becoming overweight and developing diabetes.—The New England Journal of Medicine
A Science story on this topic can be found at http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/overweight-change-neighborhoods.html?ref=hp
Laundry lint pollutes the world’s oceans—A study of 18 beaches on six continents, led by an Irish ecologist, found that all were polluted by microscopic plastic fibres that have the potential to harm marine life. Chemical analysis showed that nearly 80 per cent of the fibres were polyester or acrylic, compounds common in clothing.—Environmental Science and Technology
A Science story on this topic can be found at http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/laundry-lint-pollutes-the-worlds.html?ref=hp
Using light to flip a tiny mechanical switch—The feeble force of light can flip a nanometre-sized mechanical switch. The system might one day be used for memory storage in an optical computer, say American electrical engineers.—Nature
A Science story on this topic can be found at http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/using-light-to-flip-a-tiny-mecha.html?ref=hp
Drug addicts switch to inject in economic decline—Drug users are more likely to reach for the needle—as opposed to swallowing or inhaling—in an economic downturn, French researchers have found. The phenomenon may be driven by cost. When injected, less of a drug is needed to achieve a high.—International Journal of Drug Policy
A New Scientist story on this topic can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228353.800-drug-addicts-switch-to-inject-in-economic-decline.html
Mosquitoes versus raindrops—Mosquitoes are unperturbed by rain, even though a raindrop of similar size to their body is about 50 times as heavy. US researchers using high-speed cameras showed that mosquitoes don’t even try to dodge raindrops. Even a direct hit just knocks them briefly off course, from which they very quickly recover.—arxiv.org
A New Scientist story on this topic can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21077-mosquito-vs-raindrop-match-video-settles-urban-myths.html