Tag: protein

• Human Growth Plants and Zen and the Art of Lying

  In an effort to combat global hunger, scientists are attempting to create crops with a higher yield without enlarging their footprint. Researchers have even transferred a human protein into plants to supersize them, with results that are surprising even them. Jeff and Anthony discuss this bizarre and promising method and what it might mean for the world. Then, how do we know when someone is lying? A new study shows that our instincts for determining the honesty in other might be completely skewed. Anthony and Jeff lie to each other to find out. [more]

  September 10, 2021Episodes

• 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

• Why Are You Crying?

  We can cry out of sadness, fear, frustration, anger, or even joy. But why do streams of liquid leave our eyes? The truth is no one really knows for sure. In a scientific sense, we’re the only organisms who tear up due to our emotions. Other creatures do so merely to remove irritants from their eyes. Another interesting find is that tears formed from different emotions actually contain different chemical makeups. Jeff and Anthony have a candid discussion about this phenomenon they have no first hand experience with. [more]

  February 16, 2018Episodes

• Retro Virus

  Inside the brain, proteins don’t stick around longer than a few minutes. And yet, our memories can hang on for our entire lifetime. Recently, an international collaboration of researchers discovered something strange about a protein called Arc. This is essential to long-term memory formation. What they found was that it has very similar properties to how a virus infects its host. Jeff and Anthony consider what life could have been like without the ability to remember. [more]

  February 5, 2018Episodes