Tiny Matters

For decades, coal miners relied on canaries to warn them about deadly carbon monoxide underground. Canaries were retired from that work at the end of the 20th century, but today scientists still rely on certain organisms, referred to as sentinels, to reveal hidden environmental threats. In this episode, we trace the history of the canary in the coal mine to today and explore how researchers use songbirds, mussels, and oysters to mo...

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener asks why maternal mortality rates in countries like the U.S. and Canada have risen while many other wealthy nations have seen them plateau or even decrease. We talk about postpartum health, racial disparities, access to care, and why support after birth can be just as important as care during pregnancy and delivery. Then we switch gears and discuss how we know the colors of some ...

Cheetahs carry the genetic scars of an Ice Age bottleneck, red wolves are so rare that every egg matters, and harlequin frogs need their natural toxins restored before they can thrive in the wild again. But avoiding extinction requires far more than protecting habitat alone. In this episode, we talk with scientists at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to explore cutting-edge science helping these animals...

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we first discuss funnel-web spiders, who are among the most venomous spiders on Earth. Maybe somewhat paradoxically, their toxins are being studied to treat human disease and chronic pain. Then we talk with historian Claire Aubin about J. Willard Gibbs’ grave at Yale, where she’s a professor. Gibbs was a quiet scientific genius whose work transformed chemistry. He was also seemi...

Biofilms are everywhere: your teeth, your kitchen sponge, and even medical implants. Scientists are uncovering how these highly organized microbial communities protect bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system, and how understanding their hidden lives could help us fight some of the scariest infections, particularly those that disproportionately impact people with cystic fibrosis.

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In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore the fascinating history of embalming, from ancient mummies to arsenic-laced funeral practices (that weren’t all that long ago!). Then we chat about cadaver dissection, the importance of Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings, and whether virtual reality could someday replace anatomy labs. Plus, what's the real story behind those creepy iron cages found above burial plots i...

In this special bonus episode, we join American Medieval with host Matthew Gabriele, a professor of medieval studies and who knows about a LOT of history that we don’t. We're there to chat with Matt about some new science research surrounding the Turin Shroud — a cloth that many Christians believe was used to wrap Jesus after he was killed. The debates over this artifact are fascinating and the science only adds to it! ...

Single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera may be microscopic, but they've had a massive impact on life on Earth. They also leave behind intricate shells that have become part of a fossil record stretching back more than 500 million years. Today, they're one of the most powerful tools scientists have for reconstructing Earth's past climates, helping us put the current (alarming) state of our warming planet into context.

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In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we discuss new blood tests and research into blood biomarkers that could make diagnosing endometriosis faster and less invasive. Next, we unpack subsynchronous resonance, a phenomenon that can damage power infrastructure, and is gaining new attention with so many AI data centers being built across the country. Then we hear from guest Emily Schneider who shares some delicious (maybe? You be ...

Scientists spent decades searching for viruses by filtering out anything too large to be one. That strategy seemed to work well... until it didn't. When researchers discovered a microbe living inside an amoeba that looked like a bacterium but behaved like something else entirely, they uncovered a hidden world of giant viruses with massive genomes, unusual genes, and even their own viral parasites. In this episode, we dive into the ...

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore how scientists are using evolutionary methods to reconstruct the history of folktales like Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Jack and the Beanstalk. Then guest Matt Gabriele, professor of medieval studies and host of the podcast American Medieval, shares his fascination with Greenland sharks, leading us into the science of radiocarbon dating, longevity genetics, a...

Before modern blood transfusions, doctors tried some odd alternatives, including cow's milk. In this episode, we trace the fascinating history of blood transfusions, from risky animal experiments and failed milk injections to the discovery of blood types and disease screening. You'll hear how blood transfusions became one of medicine's safest procedures, why researchers are still debating exactly when patients need them, and what i...

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we dive into the surprisingly elaborate world of occlupanids: the humble plastic bread bag clips that have inspired an entire taxonomy complete with Latin names, species classifications, and a community of collectors. Then, we investigate a strange power outage in central Texas, where power poles caught fire after a light drizzle. We unpack the science behind pole-top fires, the "Goldilocks...

A sugar pill shouldn't work as well as a real drug ... except sometimes it does. In this episode, we explore the fascinating science of the placebo effect and how expectations can shape biological outcomes. From open-label placebos and AI healthcare chatbots to the nocebo effect, we unpack what scientists know, what they still don't understand, and why the placebo response is still largely mysterious. 

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In this episode of Tiny Matters, a listener who works in a pathology lab explains how even the ickiest specimens become ho-hum with time, sending Sam and Deboki down a rabbit hole of pathology history and the bizarre life of Rudolf Virchow, the “father of pathology” who was also rumored to have brought worm-filled sausages to a duel. Then, a listener's sourdough experiments spark a conversation about yeast and how these...

In medieval Europe, people who worked with early cannons and gunpowder were viewed as untrustworthy, boorish outsiders. But just a few centuries later, as they began creating elaborate fireworks displays for royalty, they went from outcasts to artists. From black powder to modern low-smoke pyrotechnics, in this episode of Tiny Matters we look at the chemistry, engineering, and artistry behind one of humanity's favorite forms of cel...

This week on Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener introduces us to "FARTs" — a silly acronym for galactic gas outflows — and sends us down a rabbit hole of dying stars and recycled cosmic gas in the early universe. Then we discuss the decades-long search for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that can target many HIV strains at once. One bNAb that looks promising is in clinical trials right now! 

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We tend to think of space as vast and mostly empty, yet the region just above Earth is far from it. In this episode, we explore the surprising congestion of low Earth orbit, where tens of thousands of satellites and millions of pieces of debris are hurtling around at incredible speeds. From a major satellite collision in 2009 to the looming threat of the Kessler Effect — where Earth’s orbit becomes so densely packed tha...

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we unpack a tragic NASA accident in 1981 when technicians, preparing for the maiden voyage of Space Shuttle Columbia, were accidentally poisoned by nitrogen gas. Then guest Mischa Stanton takes us deep inside the human ear. We talk about how vibrations turn into thoughts via the cochlea and basilar membrane and dive into the fascinating world of logarithmic perception.

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