Tag: birds

• Houdini Birds and the Space Dagger

  Researchers in Australia have been trying to track magpies using tiny, featherweight transmitters, but the birds have banded together to escape the magnetic backpacks that house the signal. This kind of cooperation has never been observed among this species and it raises a whole bunch of new questions. Anthony and Jeff take a look at those wily birds, and what this could mean for their incessant pranks. Then, new analysis of a dagger found in King Tut's tomb reveal that it is made out of iron from a meteorite. Jeff and Anthony step through the incredible process used to make that discovery. [more]

  March 15, 2022Episodes

• Mystery’s Afoot and Selfless Parrots

  When fifteen different severed feet washed up in a section of the Pacific Northwest called the Salish Sea, speculation ran wild of a serial killer, or some other nefarious culprit. But when scientists started to study the are, they discovered an explanation even more incredible. Jeff and Anthony look into the Mystery of the Floating Feet. Then, can birds be selfless? New research into two species of parrot reveals a surprising capacity for generosity. Anthony and Jeff discuss what that means for our understanding of animals. [more]

  April 2, 2021Episodes

• Screw Worms. And Birds. And Junk Journals, Too.

  What's the deal with birds... is a question Anthony and Jeff often ponder, but it's also the title of a new study released in the Scientific Journal of Research and Reviews - which sounds like a legitimate journal, but is actually a repository of mostly useless garbage. Turns out, there are a lot of predatory journals muddying the waters of scientific reporting. Anthony and Jeff take a look at this disturbing trend and try to figure out a way through it. Then, it's time to get concerned about flesh eating worms! Yep, the US government is actually creating tens of millions of them each week, and you'll be amazing at why. Jeff and Anthony discuss the screwworm, and how it is being battled at the Panama-Columbia border. Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s stories were sent in by Jachym Lukes https://irispublishers.com/sjrr/pdf/SJRR.MS.ID.000540.pdf And John Jackson: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/05/flesh-eating-worms-disease-containment-america-panama/611026 If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com, post in on our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeHaveConcerns/ or leave it on the subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/wehaveconcerns [more]

  June 5, 2020Episodes

• How the Sausage is Maid

  A Canadian man finally got the chance to clear his name after 17 years in exile from a hotel in British Columbia. His ordeal began in 2001, involving a flock of seagulls (the animals, not the band) and a suitcase full of pepperoni. Jeff and Anthony discuss the value of a good apology. [more]

  April 30, 2018Episodes

• Magnet Eyes

  Birds can sense Earth’s magnetic field, and this uncanny ability may help them fly home from unfamiliar places or navigate migrations that span tens of thousands of kilometers. Scientists have now pinpointed a possible protein behind this “sixth sense.” Jeff and Anthony consider the bird prankz possibilities. [more]

  April 18, 2018Episodes

• Some Snail a Prey

  Conservationists have been sounding the alarm over invasive species for years, warning of the damage they can cause to habitats and native animals. But in Florida, an invasive snail might be helping an endangered bird species come back from the brink. The Snail Kite, an endangered species of bird that feeds on snails, responded to an invasive species by evolving quickly. Jeff and Anthony swoop in to chew on this tasty story. [more]

  February 21, 2018Episodes