Science Magazine Podcast Stepping on snakes for science, and crows that count out loud
May 23, 2024
Diana Liao, a researcher at the University of Tübingen, discusses teaching crows to count out loud. They explore the complexity of this behavior and how crows have the right vocal skills for it. Other topics include stepping on snakes for science and hunting ice age cave bears.
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Snake Stepping Study
- Brazilian researcher Joe Miguel Alvis Nunez stepped on venomous snakes over 40,000 times for a study.
- He wore protective boots but still got bitten by a rattlesnake in a control study and discovered he's allergic to both snake bites and antivenom.
Snake Bite Factors
- Stepping on snakes helped determine that younger, female snakes are more aggressive, especially in hotter temperatures.
- This supports epidemiological data showing higher bite rates in regions with these conditions, highlighting the need for targeted antivenom distribution.
Cave Bear Hunting
- Researchers studied cave bear bones and found that humans hunted them more intensely starting 40,000 years ago.
- This coincided with the last glacial maximum, when humans may have targeted hibernating bears in caves, potentially contributing to their extinction.