7.24.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Radioized Diary of Science and Nature. The reader's
Kelly Taylor. I've got some articles on the topics of
science and nature. But first a reminder. RADIOI is a
reading service intended for people who are blind or have
other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
We're going to start with an article from Wired magazine,

(00:24):
and this one is from July twenty First, the headline
animals are the original wellness influencer. In the early twenty tens,
researchers in Mexico City noticed that sparrows and finches at

(00:45):
the National University were lacing their nests with cigarette butts.
The birds would collect the butts, mostly smoked, carefully remove
the outer paper layer, and weave five from the filters
into their homes among the twigs and grass. This sort

(01:05):
of dubious yet intriguing lifestyle choice will be familiar to
anyone who follows health trends. It seems weird, but does
it make some kind of backward sense? In this case,
the birds were vindicated. The more cigarette filter fibers the
nests had, the fewer parasites they harbored, probably because nicotine

(01:26):
repels bugs. There are drawbacks though chicks raised in butt
nests are more likely to develop blood cell abnormalities. Again familiar.
While we may not want to follow this particular lead,
animals are the original wellness influencers. Quote, healers and shamans

(01:52):
have looked at animals for thousands of years, says biologist
Yap De Rude, author of the recent books by Nature.
Some of these discoveries have trickled up Osha root, which,
as Indigenous Americans have long observed bears like to chew
up and rub on their fur, is available in many

(02:15):
natural medicine stores for various uses, including pain relief. Other
animal wellness trends may not be quite as copyable, sadly
for our species. Parasites are a top concern for animals
and have inspired waves of evolutionary creativity. Some parasite infected

(02:35):
sea slugs shed their entire bodies then regenerate from the head,
But more common is what Derude calls animal medication. Animals
are considered to medicate when they eat or apply an
external substance that they normally wouldn't and it helps them

(02:57):
quote by preventing or clearing infection or reducing disease symptoms.
He says. Over the past few decades, more studies have
focused on animal medication in a particular group insects. When
wooly bear caterpillars are infected with fly maggots, they begin

(03:19):
to eat more alkaloid heavy, parasite killing plants with no
nutritional value. Research has shown that infection changes the caterpillar's
buds so that the bitter plants taste really good. De
Rudi says, perhaps like a saltine when you're finally kicking
a neurovirus, wood ants fill their nests with foraged spruce resin,

(03:44):
which has antibacterial and antifungal effects. We can learn a
lot from burg bug herbalists. De Rudi says the chemical
mixes found in resins and plants may help other animals
avoid the drug ug resistance humans run into with single
cell medicine or single chemical medicines. My fault and many

(04:09):
insects invest in community and intergenerational health, practicing what some
researchers call social medication. For instance, parasite infected monarch butterfly
moms lay their eggs on more medicinally powerful milk weed
species so their offspring won't have to suffer like they do.

(04:32):
Closeness can help in more direct ways. Social animals, especially primates,
also share wellness tricks with one another. Capuchin monkeys will
rub themselves with extruded millipede toxin, which serves as a
bug repellent and also gets them mildly. High clusters of

(04:54):
capuchins will pass around a potent centipede. Great apes get
wisdom from others through a behavior called peering. That's pe
e r i n G, says primatologist Isabelle Lawmer. When
one ape is doing something, another will come close and

(05:15):
watch them intently. Peering and other ways of teaching and
learning have led primate groups to develop specific wellness cultures. Chimpanzees, gorillas,
and bonobos deal with parasitic infections by gulping down hairy leaves,
a practice so widespread it's known as leaf swallowing. As

(05:36):
the leaves pass through the digestive tract, the leaf fuzz
grabs parasitic worms and ferries them out. Different ape societies
have different leaf swallowing preferences, their equivalent of family chicken
soup recipes. Also, innovation is a constant for both human
and animal wellness research that Lamer and other published in

(06:00):
twenty twenty four describes how an orangutan named Raycus made
a poultice out of a chewed up plant and applied
it to a big gash on his face. The plant
is known to be anti inflammatory, antibacterial, anti viral, anti fungal,
and pain relieving. Lahmer says Racus turned it into a bandage,

(06:23):
a behavior never seen before, meaning he may be an
innovator in the orangutan wound care space. Will it become
the new leaf swallowing virality? Virality is notoriously hard to predict,
but who knows it has a shot. Of course, wellness
shouldn't just be in response to sickness. It can be

(06:46):
proactive and even fun. Here we can take inspiration from
whales in their inventive exfoliation routines. Ocean water is thick
with viruses and bacteria, and whales must shed continuously to
maintain healthy skin and get rid of barnacles. Says marine
ecologist Olaf Manike. This is challenging for animals with such

(07:11):
short limbs, so they have gotten creative. Bowhead whales in
the Arctic rub themselves against craggy rocks, and orcas in
the Antarctic do the same with icebergs. Another orca population,
the northern residents of British Columbia have perfected a technique

(07:32):
called beech rubbing, where they gather to drag their bellies
across smooth pebbles. A summer twenty twenty six TikTok trend
anyone in Australia and elsewhere, groups of humpbacks drop down
to sandy areas of the seabed and roll sending sand

(07:53):
and skin flying around everywhere, says Minikee, who was the
first to film them performing this behavior. The fish flocked
to eat the nutritious skin flakes. Maybe he muses it
was a spa. Humpbacks even supplement their sand treatments with kelping,
playing around and rubbing themselves with the seaweed, which has

(08:15):
antibacterial properties. Whales may go to the spa with their friends.
For other animals, the spies is their friends. Social grooming,
when community members lick each other, comb each other's fur
with their fingers, etc. Is a top activity for critters,
ranging from field mice who flirt through grooming and cows

(08:38):
who prefer to groom their twins, to female vampire bats
who will try to nibble off tracking devices that researchers
place on their friends. Grooming helps animals stay clean, but
there are additional benefits. It can reduce stress for both
participants by slaking a thirst for interaction as so, says

(09:00):
animal behaviorist Gerald Carter. Having someone's teeth and claws so
near also requires a level of tolerance and trust, he adds,
laying the groundwork for higher stakes cooperation. This is especially
apparent with female vampire bats, where grooming relationships can graduate

(09:21):
into food sharing ones. If a bat doesn't hunt successfully,
our comrades will regurgitate blood into her mouth, potentially saving
her life. In one of Carter's experiments, vampire bats consistently
spent about four percent of their waking time grooming each other,
whether they really needed it or not, strengthening those bonds

(09:42):
for when it matters. People can learn from this. Most
measures of human health are correlated with the quality and
the quantity of your social relationships. Carter says, well, we
may not demonstrate closeness by regurgitating blood or even low
key mutue ual scratching. Strong friendships mean better health. Well,

(10:06):
now let's go to Smithsonian and we have an article
that's headlined scientists will melt the world's oldest ice to
reveal its secrets and uncover a climate record of one
and a half million years. This is from July twenty third.
Researchers in the United Kingdom plan to melt ancient ice

(10:30):
cores from Antarctica to uncover climate history. The cylinders of
ice were recovered earlier this year from up to two thousand,
eight hundred meters more than nine thousand feet deep in
the Antarctic plateau and have now made it to a
freezer room at the British Antarctic Survey. Scientists expect the

(10:52):
cores from the oldest ice ever recovered will contain a
record of the climate as far back as one and
a half million years ago. Quote. This is a really
exciting project to work on because we really are exploring
a completely unknown time in our history, and what we're
hoping is we're going to unlock all these amazing secrets,

(11:14):
says Liz Thomas, a paleoclimatologist and head of the ice
corpse team at the British Antarctic Survey. Over seven weeks,
Thomas and her team will slowly melt the ice and
measure the released particles, including dust, algae, and ash, along
with chemical elements and isotopic data. The results will paint

(11:37):
a picture of the prehistoric Earth using a specialized technique
called continuous flow analysis, and the team's lab is one
of the only places in the world that can do
this work. The unlocked materials will be able to tell
the scientists about past wind patterns, temperature, and sea levels.

(11:57):
Air Bubbles trapped in the ice will all so offer
snapshots of prehistoric atmospheric conditions. Quote there is no other
place on Earth that retains such a long record of
the past atmosphere as Antarctica, Thomas says it's our best
hope to understand the fundamental drivers of Earth's climate shifts.

(12:21):
The team is hoping to answer long held questions about
greenhouse gases between eight hundred thousand and one point two
million years ago, during a time known as the mid
Pleistocene transition, when the Earth's glacial cycles suddenly shifted. Before then,
evidence suggests the planet experienced glacial periods roughly every forty

(12:43):
one thousand years, but that cycle slowed down to one
hundred thousand years in the mid Plaistocene. Scientists still don't
know why this shift happened, though Various studies have offered hypotheses,
including changes in atmospheric CO two conditions or Earth's orbit

(13:05):
around the Sun. Now, the ice cores could offer the
most direct information to date about greenhouse gas composition during
this period. Quote. Our climate system has been through so
many different changes that we really need to be able
to go back in time to understand these different processes
and different tipping points, says Thomas. The research will also

(13:31):
allow scientists to better understand the impacts of current climate change.
During the mid Placosseme quote, the ice sheets were actually smaller,
sea levels were potentially higher, and CO two similar to today,
Thomas said, so having information about that era could help
researchers model responses to climate change. For our next article,

(13:56):
we go to Popular Science and this one from July
twenty third is headline how germy is the public pool
on not summer days. Few things are more refreshing than
a dip in the pool. But have you ever wondered
if the pool is as clean as that crystal blue
water appears. As an immunologist and infectious disease specialist, I

(14:20):
study how germs spread in public spaces and how to
prevent the spread by the way. This article was written
by Lisa Kuchara. I even teach a course called the
Infections of Leisure, where we explore the risks tied to

(14:41):
recreational activities and discuss precautions, while also taking care not
to turn students into germophobes. Swimming, especially in public pools
and water parks, comes with its own unique set of risks,
from minor skin irritations to gastro intestinal infections, but thing
also has a plethora of physical, social, and mental health benefits.

(15:04):
With some knowledge and a little vigilance, you can enjoy
the water without worrying about what might be lurking beneath
the surface. Summer news headlines and social media posts often
spotlight the ick factor of communal swimming spaces. These concerns
do have some merit. The good news is that chlorine,

(15:25):
which is widely used in pools, is effective at killing
many pathogens. The not so good news is that chlorine
does not work instantly, and it doesn't kill everything. Every summer,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues alerts about
swimming related outbreaks of illness caused by exposure to germs
in public pools and water parks. In twenty twenty three,

(15:49):
a CDC report tracked over two hundred pool associated outbreaks
from twenty fifteen to twenty nineteen across the US, affecting
more than thirty six people. These outbreaks included skin infections,
respiratory issues, ear infections, and gastro intestinal distress. Many of

(16:10):
the outcomes from such infections are mild, but some can
be serious. Even in a pool that's properly treated with chlorine,
some pathogens can linger for minutes to days. One of
the most common culprits is cryptosporidium, a microscopic germ that
causes watery diarrhea. This single celled parasite has a tough

(16:32):
outer shell that allows it to survive in chlorine treated
water for up to ten days. It spreads when fecal matter,
often from someone with diarrhea, enters the water and is
swallowed by another swimmer. Even a tiny amount invisible to
the eye can infect dozens of people. Another common germ
is pseudomonous orogenosa, a bacterium that causes hot tub rash

(16:58):
and swimmers. Ere Viruses like neurovirus and adenovirus can also
linger in pool water and cause illness. Swimmers introduce a
range of bodily residues into the water, including sweat, urine, oils,
and skin cells. These substances, especially sweat and urine, interact

(17:21):
with chlorine to form chemical byproducts called chloramines that may
pose health risks. These byproducts are responsible for that strong
chlorine smell. A clean pool should actually lack a strong
chlorine odor as well as any other smells. Of course,
it is a common myth that a strong chlorine smell

(17:42):
is a good sign of a clean pool. In fact,
it may actually be a red flag that means the opposite,
that the water is contaminated and should perhaps be avoided.
Most pool related risks can be reduced with simple precautions
by both the pool staff and swimmers. And while most
pool related illnesses won't kill you, no one wants to

(18:02):
spend their vacation or a week of beautiful summer days
in the bathroom. These ten tips can help you avoid
germs at the pool. First shower before swimming. Rinsing off
for at least one minute removes most dirt and oils
on the body that reduce chlorine's effectiveness. Avoid the pool

(18:24):
if you're sick, especially if you have diarrhea or an
open wound. Germs can spread quickly in water. Try to
keep water out of your mouth to minimize the risk
of ingesting germs. Don't swim if you have diarrhea or
help prevent the spread of germs. If diagnosed with Cryptospori
sporidiosis often called crypto, wait two weeks after diarrhea stops

(18:50):
before returning to the pool. Take frequent bathroom breaks for
children and adults alike. Regular bathroom breaks help prevent accidents
in the pool. Check diapers hourly and change them away
from the pool to prevent fecal contamination. Dry your ears
thoroughly after swimming to help prevent swimmer's ear. Don't swim

(19:12):
with an open wound, or at least make sure it's
completely covered with the waterproof bandage to protect both you
and others. And finally, shower after swimming to remove germs
from your skin. Now let's go to Smithsonian and we
have an article headlined why Fire Island has seen an

(19:35):
explosion of feral cats from July twenty third. On New
York's Fire Island, a small sand colored shore bird called
the piping plover or plover is fighting for survival after
a scourge of feral felines took over its island home.

(19:55):
Long and narrow and only around one thousand feet wide,
Fire Island runs peril well to the southern coast of
Long Island and helps buffer inland areas from the full
brunt of the sea. Fire Island is connected to the
larger land mass by a pair of bridges, and the
island's beaches and wilderness, including its rare forest of American

(20:18):
holly trees, draw numerous tourists every year. We have the
only federally designated wilderness area in the state of New York,
says Jordan Raphael, National Park Service ranger and biologists on
Fire Island, we have unique habitats that are relatively pristine,

(20:38):
and you have the island that's so close to New
York City. It's really one of a kind. Despite this,
Fire Island's piping plovers have had a rough couple decades.
In the twenty tens, the species was struggling from the
impacts of increased tourism, development and a series of storms.
Only twenty somethings nesting pairs remained on the island. The

(21:01):
birds largely escaped the wrath of twenty twelve Superstorm Sandy,
even though the storm literally cut their island home into pieces.
But even that already precarious existence took an unexpected turn
in twenty fifteen, when the bird's top predators, red foxes,
were hit by a highly contagious skin disease called sarcoptic mange,

(21:27):
also known as canine scabies. This nasty, mic borne disease
is often lethal for wild canids. Because piping plovers nest
on the ground, foxes often go after their eggs and
their chicks, which Raphael describes as cotton balls on toothpicks. Quote.
I don't want to say we celebrated the decline of

(21:47):
the fox population, but we saw the benefit of that
for the piping plover population, Raphael says. Yet, what might
have been a boon for the birds instead of kicked
off a cascade of ecosystem change with dire consequences. Christy Whales,
a wildlife researcher of Virginia Tech, tracked this transformation as

(22:08):
it unfolded using a network of trail cameras. Whales inner
colleagues watched how the island's ecosystem has evolved over the
past decade and how other predatory species, such as raccoons
and possums, responded to the sudden dearth of foxes. Ultimately,
they found that feral cats were quick to fill the void,

(22:29):
as they do in other places where there is a
sudden power vacuum caused by the loss of top predators.
And now Whales says, piping plovers are being lost to
the claws of cats at a rate that far exceeds
what they suffered in the island's fox era. So how people,
So now people have to figure out what to do

(22:53):
with all those cats. Whales says. The cats probably migrated
to the island by multiple means. Some may have strolled
across the bridges that connect Fire Island to Long Island,
while others possibly crossed in winter when parts of a
nearby bay froze over, or maybe they swam across. But
the most likely explanation, Whales says is that people brought

(23:15):
cats to the island that then escaped into the wild
and spread. While conducting surveys on Fire Island, Wales and
her team encountered cats that had had their ear tips removed.
Animal control officers commonly snip a cat's ear after it's
been part of a trap, neuter and Release program a TNR.

(23:39):
TNR programs helped limit feral cat populations, but Whales says
that effort alone won't be enough to solve Fire Island's
cat problem. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that
TNR operations don't fully prevent cats from going elsewhere, they
don't prevent the spread of diseases, they don't entirely prevent

(24:01):
breeding in the population. She says it's logistically and financially
impossible to catch every single cat and kitten, plus operating
a TNR on federally protected parkland is prohibited realistically, Whales
says the cats have to be removed. Raphael and the
National Park Service mean Wilder trying their best to keep

(24:25):
the feral cats out of Fire Island's prime wilderness areas
while focusing on bolstering plover habitat. The birds benefit most
when they can access open, sparsely vegetated dunes, as that
gives them a good advantage to detect predators and people
who might accidentally disturb their nests. Visitors to Fire Island

(24:47):
might not even notice piping plovers. Small and well camouflaged,
these birds blend easily into the shoreline scenery, but ecologists, conservationists,
and land managers all agree on their importance. Quote for
these beach nesting shorebirds, their presence signifies the health of

(25:08):
the ecosystem, says Michael Stantial, a quantitative ecologist at the
US based Four Peaks Environmental Science and Data Solutions who
has studied the piping plover population in nearby New Jersey.
And when we have these species to visit that are
functioning the way that they're supposed to, she says, that

(25:30):
is good for humans too. And now we have an
article from Vox the government stepped in to clean up
a disaster in North Carolina. Then they created another one
from July twenty third. The small section of forests before me,

(25:50):
and this is written by Benji Jones, looked as though
it was clearcut. The ground was flat and treeless, covered
in a thin layer of jumbled sticks and leaves. This region,
a wetland formed by beavers near the South Carolina border,
was flooded last September by Hurricane Helene. But it wasn't
the storm that raised the forest. It was the machines

(26:11):
that came after. They were part of a hurricane clean
up effort bankrolled by the federal government that many environmental
experts believe went very very wrong. Helene hit North Carolina
late September last year, dumping historic amounts of rain that
damaged thousands of homes, killed more than one hundred people,
and littered rivers with debris, including fallen trees, building fragments,

(26:35):
and cars. In the months since, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency FEMA has sponsored an enormous clean up effort in
western North Carolina. It focused on clearing debris from waterways
for public safety. Storm debris left in rivers and streams
can create jams that make them more likely to flood

(26:56):
in the future. In some parts of the state, however,
or clean up crews contracted by the federal government removed
much more than just dangerous debris. According to several state biologists,
environmental experts, and my own observations, contractors in some regions
cleared live trees still rooted in the ground, logs that

(27:18):
were in place well before the storm, and other natural
features of the habitat that may not have posed a
risk to public safety. These experts also told me that
the Army Corps engineers failed to coordinate with the state
Wildlife Agency to minimize harm to species that are in
danger of extinction. Those included federally endangered freshwater muscles, which

(27:43):
are essential for their role in keeping rivers clean, and hellbenders,
iconic giant salamanders that the government says are imperiled in
some stretches of rivers and streams. The contractors ultimately did
more harm to the environment than the storm itself, health
experts said, Well, that is all for this week's Diary

(28:06):
of Science and Nature. Your reader was Kelly Taylor. Now
stay tuned for the Health Corner on RADIOI