Tool-Wielding Whales, Earth’s New Ring, And Wow! Signal Solved?

IFLScience - Break It Down

#Science #News Talk #Podcasting Education #News #iflsciencebreakitdown

35:00

The healing power of fitness goes far beyond physical benefits—for today’s guest, it’s a form of self-expression and a celebration of what the body can do. In this episode, host Nora McInerny sits down with fitness personality Ivylis Rivera, who shares her deeply personal journey of navigating life with Chronic Migraine while holding onto her passion for movement. Ivylis opens up about the struggle of staying active while facing the fear of triggering a headache or migraine attack and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward—a resilience that carried her through the challenging journey of finding a Chronic Migraine treatment plan that worked for her. Join Nora and Ivylis as they explore the concept of “soft living,” a philosophy Ivylis embraces—staying active, listening to your body, and building trust in oneself. Click here for Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, or visit https://abbv.ie/prescribing_info See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

about a year ago 32:56

MP3•Episode home

This week on Break It Down: Earth has a snazzy new radiation belt, the Wow! signal finally has an explanation and spoiler: it’s still not aliens, whales have joined the list of animals using tools (but do bubbles really count?), a universal flu vaccine is one step closer to reality thanks to some ferrets, the Rift Valley might not be the cradle of humankind after all, and why supermassive black holes are more a part of daily life on Earth than we realized.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

Links:

Earth's New Ring: https://www.iflscience.com/this-springs-massive-aurora-sparking-solar-storm-has-given-earth-a-new-ring-75617

Wow! Signal: https://www.iflscience.com/iconic-wow-signal-may-finally-have-an-explanation-its-still-not-aliens-75619

Whales Using Tools: https://www.iflscience.com/humpback-whales-revealed-to-be-tool-users-catching-krill-with-amazing-skill-75637

Universal Flu Vaccine: https://www.iflscience.com/universal-flu-vaccine-could-enter-human-trials-in-1-3-years-after-more-positive-results-75653

Rift Valley: https://www.iflscience.com/why-the-rift-valley-may-not-be-the-cradle-of-humankind-after-all-75620

Supermassive Black Holes: https://www.iflscience.com/this-is-how-you-are-using-supermassive-black-holes-every-day-without-even-knowing-75659
The Big Questions Podcast: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-how-will-the-solar-system-end-75652
Curious Magazine: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine
Mine Spiders Video: https://www.iflscience.com/how-large-are-mine-spiders-75629

65 episodes

Tool-Wielding Whales, Earth’s New Ring, And Wow! Signal Solved?

IFLScience - Break It Down

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Links:

Earth's New Ring: https://www.iflscience.com/this-springs-massive-aurora-sparking-solar-storm-has-given-earth-a-new-ring-75617

Wow! Signal: https://www.iflscience.com/iconic-wow-signal-may-finally-have-an-explanation-its-still-not-aliens-75619

Whales Using Tools: https://www.iflscience.com/humpback-whales-revealed-to-be-tool-users-catching-krill-with-amazing-skill-75637

Universal Flu Vaccine: https://www.iflscience.com/universal-flu-vaccine-could-enter-human-trials-in-1-3-years-after-more-positive-results-75653

Rift Valley: https://www.iflscience.com/why-the-rift-valley-may-not-be-the-cradle-of-humankind-after-all-75620

65 episodes

#Science #News Talk #Podcasting Education #News #iflsciencebreakitdown

All episodes

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Oldest Fingerprint, AI Decoding Wolf Language, And Injecting Life On Other Worlds? 42:53

1 day ago42:53

42:53

This week on Break It Down: The oldest fingerprint in the world might be left by a Neanderthal hoping to complete a face, scientists propose seeding life on Enceladus to see what would happen, we’re starting to understand more about the Incas’ mysterious string writing system, bioacoustics research could pave the way for us to chat to wolves in Yellowstone, prions prove they are just as scary as we always thought when they take over a woman's brain after 50 years, and we explore just how much memory humans really have in these big old noggins of ours. Links: Neanderthal fingerprints Injecting life Inca string writing system Language of wolves Prions Memory capacity of the brain Papahānaumokuākea Trawling impact Kilauea CURIOUS Magazine…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Capuchin Kidnappers, Spinosaurus Daddy, And A New Member Of The Solar System 37:49

8 days ago37:49

37:49

This week on Break It Down: the Solar System just got a new member, capuchins have started stealing howler monkey babies on a remote island, the US ran a solar storm emergency drill and it didn’t go so well, stunning new fossil evidence reveals never-before-seen feathers that indicate Archaeopteryx could fly, a deep dive into Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA turns up six alleged relatives, and what Walking With Dinosaurs has to say about Spinosaurus’s parenting skills and T. rex’s nocturnal hunting. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: CURIOUS Live : Subscription 30% off with code VE30* New member of the solar system Capuchin kidnappers US solar emergency drill The Big Questions Archaeopteryx could fly Leo’s long lost “relatives” Walking With Dinosaurs Spinosaurus: great dad? Where is life most likely to be in the Solar System? Antarctic ozone hole We Have Questions CURIOUS Live – The uncanny valley – First human-to-human transplant *Terms and Conditions: 30% OFF PROMO CODE: VE30 offer for 1 billing period of an All Access Subscription : Annual, 2-Year, or Monthly paid subscriptions only on iflscience.com. Valid from May 1, 2025, until May 24, 2025, 12:00 am EST. To apply the promo code, you must enter it prior to completing checkout. Your credit card will be automatically charged upon checkout completion, and your subscription will continue until you cancel auto-renew. You can cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, and you will not be charged upon renewal. If you choose to renew, no action is required, and the full amount will be billed at the start of the renewed term. Taxes may apply. Promo codes are not transferable/redeemable for cash or credit. Membership paid subscriptions are only available in Canada, USA, United Kingdom, and Australia. Our standard terms & conditions apply.…

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T. Rex Leather, Glow-In-The-Dark Gas Clouds, And Musical Sea Lions 32:48

29 days ago32:48

32:48

This week on Break It Down: a new kind of leather is borrowing its foundations from fossil T. rex collagen, we’ve just discovered an enormous glow-in-the-dark gas cloud surprisingly close to Earth, a musical sea lion has shown it can keep beat better than some humans, a new-to-science embalming technique has been discovered in Austria, man who let himself be envenomated by all the snakes inspires an antivenom not thought possible, and do scientists have a responsibility to fight misinformation about their subjects? We asked them. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: T. rex leather Glow-in-the-dark gas cloud Get 30% off with code VE30 * Ronan the rhythmic sea lion New embalming tekkers What happens to eyes during the mummification process? Novel route to snake antivenom Scientists VS misinformation 5 kinds of headaches Ballymacombs More Woman *Terms and Conditions: 30% OFF PROMO CODE: VE30 offer for 1 billing period of an All Access Subscription : Annual, 2-Year, or Monthly paid subscriptions only on iflscience.com. Valid from May 1, 2025, until May 24, 2025, 12:00 am EST. To apply the promo code, you must enter it prior to completing checkout. Your credit card will be automatically charged upon checkout completion, and your subscription will continue until you cancel auto-renew. You can cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, and you will not be charged upon renewal. If you choose to renew, no action is required, and the full amount will be billed at the start of the renewed term. Taxes may apply. Promo codes are not transferable/redeemable for cash or credit. Membership paid subscriptions are only available in Canada, USA, United Kingdom, and Australia. Our standard terms & conditions apply.…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Tattooed Tardigrades, Doomed Lava Planet, And Meet The “Bone Collector” 36:06

5 weeks ago36:06

36:06

This week, on Break It Down: a planet with a very rare tail is being boiled apart, the first physical evidence of a gladiator fighting a lion discovered in Britain, scientists are tattooing tardigrades (for science), what’s happening in your brain during a mind blank, the grim fashion of “bone collector” caterpillars, and five health risks associated with tobacco use that don’t include lung cancer. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Boiled-apart planet Gladiator VS lion Tattooed tardigrades Mind blanks Bone collector caterpillars Tobacco effects CURIOUS magazine Subscribe for CURIOUS Live Whale earwax Should you crack your knuckles?…

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Dire Wolves, Intersex Whales, And That Dangerous Asteroid’s Unusual Origin 39:01

7 weeks ago39:01

39:01

This week on Break It Down: old skin samples have revealed the first-ever evidence for an intersex Southern right whale, a dangerous asteroid that might hit the Moon has an unusual origin, what dire wolf “de-extinction” really means and how it’s helping red wolves, a mushroom that contains one of the most bitter compounds known to humans, a promising new candidate to topple debilitating long COVID, and is time an illusion? So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Intersex whale Dangerous asteroid Dire wolves and red wolves Should we de-extinct species? Animal cloning as a conservation tool Get 35% off with code POD35 * A very bitter mushroom Long COVID treatment candidate Is time an illusion? Octopus in a bottle Grapefruit and medication The Big Questions We Have Questions *Terms and Conditions: 35% OFF PROMO CODE: POD35 offer for 1 billing period of an All Access Subscription : Annual, 2-Year, or Monthly paid subscriptions only on iflscience.com. Valid from April 4, 2025, until April 30, 2025, 12:00 am EST. To apply the promo code, you must enter it prior to completing checkout. Your credit card will be automatically charged upon checkout completion, and your subscription will continue until you cancel auto-renew. You can cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, and you will not be charged upon renewal. If you choose to renew, no action is required, and the full amount will be billed at the start of the renewed term. Taxes may apply. Promo codes are not transferable/redeemable for cash or credit. Membership paid subscriptions are only available in Canada, USA, United Kingdom, and Australia. Our standard terms & conditions apply.…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Near-Death Experiences, Loch Ness Camera Trap, And Why No Frozen Dinosaurs? 36:23

8 weeks ago36:23

36:23

This week on Break It Down: study uncovers the biological basis of near-death experiences, what a camera trap captured after 55 years in Loch Ness, why it’s taken humans so long to orbit over Earth’s poles, what a sediment core from the “Great Blue Hole” can tell us about the Caribbean’s climatic past and future, why you shouldn’t offer cola to isolated communities, and why are there no frozen dinosaurs? With damn good reason. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Near-death experiences Loch Ness camera trap Loch Ness holograms Loch Ness DNA Subscription offer Orbiting Earth's poles Chundering in space Drilling the great blue hole Don’t offer cola to isolated tribes Why no frozen dinosaurs? How fast to fossil Fossil octopus CURIOUS magazine Keep an eye out for NHM videos Deep sea beasties *Terms and Conditions: 35% OFF PROMO CODE: POD35 offer for 1 billing period of an All Access Subscription : Annual, 2-Year, or Monthly paid subscriptions only on iflscience.com. Offer ends April 30, 2025, 12:00 am EST. To apply the promo code, you must enter it prior to completing checkout. Your credit card will be automatically charged upon checkout completion, and your subscription will continue until you cancel auto-renew. You can cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, and you will not be charged upon renewal. If you choose to renew, no action is required, and the full amount will be billed at the start of the renewed term. Taxes may apply. Promo codes are not transferable/redeemable for cash or credit. Membership paid subscriptions are only available in Canada, USA, United Kingdom, and Australia. Our standard terms & conditions apply.…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Magic Mushroom Medicine, Neptune’s Aurora Confirmed, And First-Ever Shark Sounds 37:09

9 weeks ago37:09

37:09

This week on Break It Down: a new study has become the first to document what sound a shark makes, Neptune has been confirmed to have an aurora thanks to the best telescope ever, a pipeline construction site turned up the terrifying claw of a new species of therizinosaur, why people are trying to prevent measles with Vitamin A (and why it won’t work), 400-million-year-old fossils may belong to a new branch on the tree of life, and the growing role of psilocybin in new medications inspired by magic mushrooms. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Shark sounds Hear a coral reef Sharks existed before Saturn’s rings Neptune’s aurora New therizinosaur Measles and Vitamin A Supplements and liver injury New branch of life? Magic mushroom medicine We Have Questions – How do you rediscover a “lost species”? Videos galore Melanistic penguin CURIOUS magazine…

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Unknown Lifeforms, How To Live To 117, And Handstanding Sauropods? 39:14

10 weeks ago39:14

39:14

This week on Break It Down: An unknown lifeform has been making micro-burrows in the Namibian desert, the secret to living until 117 has been revealed, sauropods were not doing handstands in Texas 100 million years ago (boooo), should we be attempting to de-extinct animals, an Australian man achieves a double world-first with a titanium heart transplant, and would you rather go to space or the deepest part of the ocean? We speak to one of the only people on Earth to do both! So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Unknown lifeform Living to 117 Sauropod footprints Sauropod handstands De-extinction Titanium heart Spacewalks and deep ocean Cougar photo We Have Questions Blood Rain…

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Woolly Mice, 3D-Printed Penises, And The World’s Worst Sting 38:52

12 weeks ago38:52

38:52

This week on Break It Down: Colossal Biosciences creates the “woolly mouse” in their mission to de-extinct the mammoth, scientists 3D-print functional penises (and have the babies to prove their efficacy), that gaping hole in the ozone layer really is repairing, IFLScience asks why so few international organizations have responded to Trump and Musk’s attack on US science, humans have been making bone tools 1 million years longer than we realized, and what’s the most painful bug sting? One brave scientist penned poetic descriptions of their experiences. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Woolly mouse Elephant pluripotent stem cells Vaccine for baby elephants 3D-printed penis Ozone hole recovering Attack on science response Bone tool use 4 worst insect stings Blob-headed fish CURIOUS magazine…

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Rat Sommeliers, Glass Brain, And Internet On Mars 31:58

13 weeks ago31:58

31:58

This week on Break It Down: the curious tale of a lump of glass that turned out to be a human brain, the US sees its first measles death in 10 years, rats make great sommeliers, the evolutionary origins of feathers in dinosaurs, AI bots start speaking a secret language to each other, and could we get internet on Mars? Quite possible. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Brain glass Brain in a bucket Measles death Rat sommeliers Hamsters quaffing wine Dinosaur feathers AI language Twin telepathy Mars internet CURIOUS Polar bear dens More podcasts! Bobbly giraffe…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Most Dangerous Animal, Tomb Discovery, And How To Break Habits 35:30

14 weeks ago35:30

35:30

This week on Break It Down: the first ancient Egyptian royal tomb has been discovered since Tutankhamun over 100 years ago, a brand new ‘dangerous animal’ scale reveals the realistic threat of different creatures, architects are operating on land and at the deepest parts of the ocean (they just don’t look how you imagine), a Paralympian becomes the first astronaut with a disability to be cleared for a space mission, the Moon is getting 4G for the first time ever, and how do you break a habit? We find out. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down … Links: Ancient Egyptian tomb Crespo scale Animal architects Termite mounds Paralympian astronaut Moon internet Breaking habits Intelligent snake We Have Questions Murderous turtles Chia egg…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Dolphin Pee Party, Inside Asteroid Response, And That Ancient Mummy Smell 40:39

15 weeks ago40:39

40:39

This week on Break It Down: Amazon river dolphins are saying it with urine proudly sprayed directly into the air, an inside look at the planetary defense response to asteroid 2024 YR4 (and no, it isn’t too late), find out what mummies smell like thanks to a team of “sniffers”, whale song follows Zipf’s Law, red light therapy – does it actually work? And say hello to kama muta, the emotion we've all felt but probably don’t know the name for. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Dolphin pee Asteroid 2024 YR4 Ancient mummy smell Whale song Blue whale whispers Red light therapy Kama muta We Have Questions Vengeful Valentine’s…

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Science Under Attack, Dino-Era Ducks, And Do We Own Our Bodies? 41:33

16 weeks ago41:33

41:33

This week on Break It Down: the world's oldest runestone might have been carved by a woman in a language that predates the Vikings, asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 2.3 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032 (but we’re not panicking yet), an ancient jawbone might reveal a new branch of the hominid family tree, science in the US is under attack after a slew of executive orders from the Trump administration, a fossil from Antarctica suggests ducks have been swimming around for a lot longer than we thought and we explore whether we actually own our bodies. So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Oldest runestone Asteroid New human relative Why are we the only surviving human species? Science under attack Dino-era ducks Do we own our bodies? Wound Man CURIOUS Magazine Worst diving accident Rescued frogs…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Covid Lab Leak, Mouse With Two Dads, And Are We Living In A Simulation? 44:20

17 weeks ago44:20

44:20

This week on Break It Down: A CIA report says the origins of COVID being a lab leak is “likely” but what does that really mean? The Doomsday Clock ticks closer to humanity's destruction, asteroid Bennu’s sample contains the building blocks of life (but not aliens), the oldest poison arrow dates back 7,000 years, a mouse with two male parents survives to adulthood in a world first, “boomerasking” might be the social snub of 2025, and we enter The Vault to explore why people believe in the Simulation Hypothesis. So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: COVID lab leak Doomsday Clock Bennu samples Bennu lid is stuck Oldest poisoned arrow Mouse with two dads Boomerasking Phubbing Simulation Hypothesis CURIOUS Magazine Science Hoaxes Salamander Toes…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Pompeii’s Worst Day, Peeing Together, And The GOAT Dinosaur Movie? 37:17

18 weeks ago37:17

37:17

This week on Break It Down: a new timeline shows exactly when and how the eruption of Vesuvius spread, chimps have been observed going to the bathroom together all at the same time, trust in science remains high worldwide despite recent global events, sex differences between male and female brains are present as early as newborn babies, and did COVID lockdowns actually affect the temperature on the Moon? Finally, what’s the best dino movie of all time? We asked the experts to find out. So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links Pompeii Trust in science Covid and the Moon Sex differences in brains Chimps pee together Just in case pee Yawning is contagious Best dino movie Fire melanism Rare black king penguin Corals on the move Curious magazine Subscribe to IFLS…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Thylacine De-Extinction, Tattooed Mummies, And A Meteorite World-First 29:43

19 weeks ago29:43

29:43

This week on Break It Down: lasers revealed 1,200-year-old mummies’ sweet tats, the mission to de-extinct the thylacine takes a leap forward, video footage of a meteorite hitting someone’s garden might be a world first, China announces plans to build the solar power station equivalent of “Three Gorges Dam” in space, researchers discover an Iron Age society ruled by women, and how did dinosaurs have sex? We find out from palaeontologist Riley Black what we do (and don’t) know so far. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Tattooed mummies Thylacine de-extinction Meteorite strike Can you keep meteorites you find? Solar power in space Iron Age women Dinosaur sex How did dinosaurs have sex? Podcast Alligators’ penile jack-in-a-box How did the chicken lose its penis? We Have Questions Subscribe Skrunkly crab Sunfish popcorn larva…

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Precious Penis Bone, North America’s Oldest Dino, And The Mystical Metal Of "Atlantis" 28:16

20 weeks ago28:16

28:16

This week on Break It Down : unexpected and unexplained structures have been discovered hiding under the Pacific Ocean, the oldest equatorial dinosaur fossil in the world dates back a whopping 230 million years, a painted dog penis bone has been found in a ritual shaft in England (some puns write themselves), cave art from France could be the oldest 3D map in the world, Nobel Prize winners can go loopy (and start talking to raccoons) after winning, and what was Plato talking about when he described a metal "more precious than anything except gold?” So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down … Links: Unexplained structures Oldest equatorial dinosaur Painted penis bone Oldest 3D map Nobel Disease Orichalcum metal Nobody’s looking for Atlantis How do sunken cities end up underwater CURIOUS magazine More podcasts Wildfires in LA Fish that mates a lot Face-planting frog…

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Saiga Mega Victory, 2025 Predictions, And A Coming Star Explosion 17:08

21 weeks ago17:08

17:08

This week on Break It Down : one of the most significant mammal recoveries ever recorded (and four other wildlife wins), a once-in-a-lifetime event is about to kick off in space, spookily accurate predictions made by a “professor” 100 years ago, an undersea volcano is about to erupt, scientists achieve a world-first embryo milestone on the path to giraffe IVF, and 100 years since Hubble proved the universe is unimaginably vast, we explore how he did it. So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down … Links: Saiga antelope recovery Coronae borealis nova event Spooky 2025 predictions Undersea volcano eruption World-first giraffe embryo breakthrough 100 years since Hubble proved the Universe is massive DNA phenotyping How many ants are there in the world?…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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A New North Pole, Bubble-Butt Turtles, And Testing Ancient Hangover Cures 30:58

23 weeks ago30:58

30:58

This week on Break It Down: Earth’s magnetic pole is in a new position, the second most cited paper to ever be withdrawn is finally retracted, Charlotte the bubble-butted turtle gets a special swimming harness, The Blob’s legacy marks the worst single-species mortality event in modern history, a Roman solution to Mars suggests blood makes for great cement, and we send one of our writers on a mission to test out ancient hangover cures. Anyone for cabbage? Links: Magnetic pole movements Paper retracted Turtle “bubble butt” The Blob mortality event Blood houses on Mars Ancient hangover cures We Have Questions Sign up to receive CURIOUS The Big Questions Pacific sleeper shark…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Deep-Sea Creep, Jupiter's New Ring, And Inter-Hominid Hook-Ups 34:49

24 weeks ago34:49

34:49

This week on Break It Down: fishers discover a mysterious tablet bearing an unknown language, sequencing the oldest human genome reveals when we first bred with Neanderthals, Jupiter’s got a shiny new ring, a new predator captured in the darkest depths of the Atacama Trench, working out the rules to an ancient boardgame, and can donor organs transfer memories? Transplant patients report strange personality changes. So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Mysterious tablet Complaint tablet Sequencing the oldest human genome Jupiter’s new ring Sharks older than Saturn’s rings Deep-sea predator Ancient boardgame The Big Questions Donor organs and memory Piggyback heart transplant Guitarfish True crime We Have Questions Subscribe…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Cannibal Paddington, Glowing Wood, And A New Human Species? 33:59

25 weeks ago33:59

33:59

This week on Break It Down: scientists may have discovered a new ancient relative of humans, collar cameras from Andean bears reveal Paddington may have a taste for cubs, we’ve been paying the salmon tax to dogs for 2,000 years more than thought, new biohybrid wood glows green in the dark, diamond batteries could last for thousands of years, and it turns out spaceports make for remarkably good wildlife sanctuaries. So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: New human species Cannibalistic Paddington Ancient dog friends Sign up to CURIOUS Glowing wood Diamond battery Spaceports and nature The Big Questions Genghis Khan Frosty the orca True Crime: Harold Shipman Wisdom the albatross has laid an egg…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Killer Whale Fashion, Dinosaur Poop, And Pluto’s Birthday 21:56

26 weeks ago21:56

21:56

This week on Break It Down : killer whales have been wearing salmon hats (again) and sucking out the livers of the world’s largest shark, 1.5-million-year-old footprints reveal Homo erectus co-existed with a now-extinct protohuman, fossil dinosaur poop and vomit indicate their rise to power began with plants, we have a date for when Pluto will complete its first orbit since we discovered the non-planet (don’t hold your breath), COVID-19 may hold the key to shrinking tumors, and we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Lucy's discovery, a moment that changed our understanding of human evolution. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down … Links: Killer whale fashion Killer whales eating whale sharks 1.5-million-year-old footprints Dinosaur poop and vomit Pluto’s birthday COVID-19 shrinking tumors Lucy’s legacy True crime: Colin Pitchfork Subscribe CURIOUS magazine…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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World’s Thinnest Spaghetto, Earth’s Frozen Core, And A Shark-Hunting Dog? 29:54

27 weeks ago29:54

29:54

This week on Break It Down, astronomers have taken the first-ever close-up photo of a star outside of the Milky Way, putting weight back on after losing it could be down to your fat cells' “memories”, the mystery surrounding the Earth’s inner core “freezing”, footage shows a “giant” virus infecting a cell for the first time, the world’s thinnest spaghetto is 200 times narrower than a hair, and meet Dadu, a shark-hunting dog who survived alone on a remote island for nearly a year, and then became beloved. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Star outside the Milky Way Fat cell “memories” Earth’s inner core Giant virus Thinnest spaghetti Shark-hunting dog Dog shoving children in the Seine Shipwreck whiskey Largest coral True Crime In Science Subscribe to the newsletter…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Uranus Is Windy, Saber-Toothed Baby, And Is Animal Testing Necessary? 32:29

28 weeks ago32:29

32:29

This week on Break It Down : turns out the one time we saw Uranus it was having an uncharacteristically windy moment, new meanings behind the Amazon’s most incredible rock art, the world’s largest coral found lurking off the Solomon Islands, a ~35,000-year-old saber-toothed baby comes complete with fur, whiskers, and toe beans, and amber found in Antarctica for the first time ever. Plus, can we phase out animal testing? Science is trying. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Uranus was having a bad day Amazon rock art World’s largest coral Saber-toothed cub Antarctic amber Animal testing Disco worm Fire and ice UAP hearing We Have Questions How Many Geese…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
A Murder Solved From The Grave, Chernobyl Frogs, and Cat Physics 31:41

29 weeks ago31:41

31:41

This week in Break It Down: clues inside Pompeii victims' casts reveal they're not who we thought they were, the frogs of Chernobyl are doing just fine, cat physics and a crime of authorship, the North Atlantic is getting saltier and saltier, good news for double jabs, and a DNA scientist who picked up the research that would solve her own murder. So sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down... Links: Pompeii Victims Chernobyl Frogs ⁠ Cat Physics Salty Atlantic Double Jab 1985 Murder We Have Questions How Many Geese Bats On Treadmills Oldest Text Tsunami: Race Against Time…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Quantum Cats, Drunk Monkeys, And Happy Birthday Godzilla 40:18

30 weeks ago40:18

40:18

This week on Break It Down: a quantum cat experiment breaks a record for surviving over 23 minutes, Voyager 1 encountered a glitch but fixed itself with some old school tech, fossils from the Ordovician are a glittering new species, animals are getting drunk more than we thought, though we’re not quite sure why, kyawthuite is the rarest gemstone of them all, and we wish happy birthday to a giant, city-destroying lizard who has much more cultural impact than meets the eye. Links: Quantum Cat Experiment Voyager Phoned Home Fool’s Gold Fossils Drunk Animals Rarest Gemstone Ruby Seed Jade Toughest Natural Mineral Godzilla At 70 Annie Jacobson Curious Live Interview Spooky Season Content Polar Bear Week How Is Climate Change Affecting Polar Bears? Rats Wearing Vests…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Tiniest Dino Eggs, Hungry Black Holes, And Why People Believe In Ghosts 34:07

31 weeks ago34:07

34:07

This week on Break It Down: the discovery of the smallest-ever dinosaur eggs reveals teeny tiny bones, first black hole triple is changing our understanding of giant star death, the longest venomous snake is now four separate species, a rare bit of positive carbon capture news, how a new overdose implant can save lives, and why do people believe in ghosts? We asked an expert. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Smallest known dinosaur eggs Black hole triple How many times could the Earth fit in the Sun? King cobra x 4 Positive carbon capture news Overdose implant Why do people believe in ghosts? Can Fear Be Fun ? CURIOUS October issue Prof. Chris French interview Spooky Season trailer We Have Questions: What’s It Like Working In A Human Tissue Bank The Big Questions: Are Octopuses Sentient? Ricky The Bear…

IFLScience - Break It Down

1
Solar Storm Season, Dolphin Breath, And Resurrecting The Thylacine 34:09

32 weeks ago34:09

34:09

This week on Break It Down: the Sun has entered its solar maximum bringing new auroras and geomagnetic storms, a chance find of a thylacine head in a jar could be the next step in the de-extinction of the species, microplastics have been discovered in the breath of wild dolphins for the first time, why Neanderthals never improved their spear-throwing, how high-potency THC could leave markers on your DNA, and does the page you’re reading this on look blurry? We explore what astigmatism is. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Solar Maximum Thylacine Genome Microplastics In Dolphin Breath High-THC Cannabis And DNA Neanderthals Can't Throw Astigmatism Are Octopuses Sentient?…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Fusing Jellies, Bad Robot Jokes, And Elephants Evolve Before Our Eyes 36:40

33 weeks ago36:40

36:40

This week on Break It Down: two comb jellies become one, how Hurricane Milton grew so intense, superpowered scans reveal COVID’s impact on the brain, a humanlike robot’s jokes fail to impress his friend, Lucy the Australopithecine might have used tools 3.2 million years ago, and Mozambique’s elephants offer modern-day proof of evolution. So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… Links: Comb jellies Hurricane Milton NASA animation NOAA Hurricane Hunters Florida coastline after Milton COVID-19 and the brainstem Robot conversation Lucy’s hands Elephant evolution The Big Questions: What Would A Human On Mars Look Like? Dino Footprints…

IFLScience - Break It Down

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Glowing Crystals, Radioactive Storms, And A “Google Maps” For The Brain 34:59

34 weeks ago34:59