Using Urine to Build a Moon Base, Musicians and Audiences Sync Brain Activity, and Why “Size Matters” for Narwhal Tusks

Learn about how astronauts may build the first moon base with help from their own urine; how musicians and audiences synchronize their brain activity; and more than you ever thought you wanted to know about narwhal tusks.

Astronauts may use their own urine to help build the first moon base by Cameron Duke

• Astronaut urine to build moon bases. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/f-sf-aut032720.php
• How to build a Moon base. (2018). Nature.com. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07107-4
• Pilehvar, S., Arnhof, M., Pamies, R., Valentini, L., & Kjøniksen, A.-L. (2020). Utilization of urea as an accessible superplasticizer on the moon for lunar geopolymer mixtures. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247, 119177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119177
• What is Artemis? (2019). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/what-is-artemis

Musicians and their audiences sync their brain activity by Grant Currin

• Young, E. (2020, March 23). Musicians and Their Audiences Show Synchronised Patterns of Brain Activity. Research Digest; British Psychological Society. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2020/03/23/musicians-and-their-audiences-show-synchronised-patterns-of-brain-activity/
• Hou, Y., Song, B., Hu, Y., Pan, Y., & Hu, Y. (2020). The averaged inter-brain coherence between the audience and a violinist predicts the popularity of violin performance. NeuroImage, 211, 116655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116655
• Taylor, J.M. (2016, July 25). Mirror Neurons After a Quarter Century: New light, new cracks. Science in the News. Harvard University. http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/mirror-neurons-quarter-century-new-light-new-cracks/

Why do male narwhals have tusks? Because the ladies love 'em by Grant Currin

• For narwhals, the “unicorn of the seas,” size matters for sexual selection. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/asu-fnt031220.php
• The longer the better: evidence that narwhal tusks are sexually selected | Biology Letters. (2020). Biology Letters. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0950
• Narwhal Tusk Research -- Anatomy and Morphology of the Tusk. (2012). Narwhal.org. https://www.narwhal.org/anatomy.html
• Sexual Selection | Learn Science at Scitable. (2010). Nature.com. https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/sexual-selection-13255240/

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Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/using-urine-to-build-a-moon-base-musicians-and-audiences-sync-brain-activity-and-why-size-matters-for-narwhal-tusks

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