Quirks & Quarks: Episode Sept 20, 2008
From Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Part of the Quirks & Quarks series | 53:00
Canada's weekly national radio science program.
Mean and Lowly Things.
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, ?To understand the world, we must understand mean and lowly things.? And that's exactly what Canadian scientist Kate Jackson has set out to do. In her case, the mean and lowly things are snakes. While most of us run from these creepy creatures, Dr. Jackson pursues them around the globe. And now she has chronicled her pursuits in a new book called, "Mean and Lowly Things: Snakes, Science and Survival in The Congo". It's a gripping adventure story of her challenging work in one of the world's most inhospitable environments - the flooded rainforests of Central Africa. We'll hear her story and find out how she handles a 2-metre-long venomous viper.
Plus - a picture perfect planet.
Quirks & Quarks: Episode October 11, 2008
From Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Part of the Quirks & Quarks series | 53:02
Canada's weekly national radio science program.
Hubble and Trouble
In the next few months NASA will be launching the fifth and final Space Shuttle mission to service and refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope. This will mark the beginning of the end for one of the most successful space missions ever. The Hubble produced stunning pictures and spectacular science that amazed astronomers and the public. But surprisingly the Hubble telescope's tremendous success was in spite of its long and troubled history, and it looks as if one of the most important lessons we've learned from Hubble is what not to do in the future.
Plus - "And the winners are..." - this week's Nobel prizes.
Quirks & Quarks: Episode Dec 06, 2008
From Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Part of the Quirks & Quarks series | 53:00
Canada's weekly national radio science program.
The Quirks & Quarks Guide to the End of the World.
It seems there hasn't been a lot of good news lately: Parliament is falling apart, the economy is belly up and environmental problems continue to mount. Just how much worse could it get? Well, actually, it could get a whole lot worse: the world could come to an end. So take your mind off of all that trivial bad news, as we show you exactly what real disasters are all about. From giant asteroids to alien invasions, from galactic collapse to mega-volcanos, we'll tell you 10 Ways the World Could End.
Plus - finding the fatal bat-faced fungus.