Learn about why NASA doesn’t launch rockets in the rain (which is why there was a delay launching the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley); why llamas are so promising for protecting humans against viruses like COVID-19; and why things get cold — when they’re wet, when you’re chewing mint gum, and when you blow air through narrowed lips.

Why NASA doesn’t launch rockets in the rain by Cameron Duke

Analysis of Apollo 12 Lightning Incident. (1970, February). Spaceflight.Nasa.Gov. https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/SignificantIncidents/assets/analysis-of-apollo-12-lightning-incident.pdf
Apollo 12 Launch - CSM Onboard Audio. (2012). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31qt9jgtMMI
Apollo 12 Launch (Lightning Strike) - Onboard Voice Recorder. (2015). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivtpIGrMZpw
Bartels, M. (2020, May 30). NASA and SpaceX eye weather for historic Demo-2 astronaut launch Saturday. Space.Com. https://www.space.com/spacex-demo-2-astronaut-launch-weather-concerns.html
Basics of Space Flight: Rocket Propellants. (2019). Braeunig.Us. http://www.braeunig.us/space/propel.htm
NASA - Lightning and Launches. (2020). Nasa.Gov. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/9-12/features/F_Lightning_and_Launches_9_12.html
Gohd, C. (2019, November 14). 50 Years Ago: NASA’s Apollo 12 Was Struck By Lightning Right After Launch ... Twice! (Video). Space.Com; Space. https://www.space.com/apollo-12-lightning-strike-twice-launch-video.html
Thorbecke, C. (2020, May 27). NASA’s SpaceX launch scrubbed due to weather, next chance on Saturday. ABC News; ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/live-updates-nasa-spacex-launch-astronauts-iss/story?id=70902209
Shira Teitel, A. (2017). What Happened on Board when Apollo 12 was Struck by Lightning [YouTube Video]. In The Vintage Space. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6yD2c2Jho

Why llamas are so promising for human virus protection by Cameron Duke

Leslie, M. (2018, May 10). Mini-antibodies discovered in sharks and camels could lead to drugs for cancer and other diseases. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/mini-antibodies-discovered-sharks-and-camels-could-lead-drugs-cancer-and-other-diseases#
Brulliard, K. and Johnson, C.Y. (2020, May 6). The urgent quest for a coronavirus treatment involves door-to-door blood collection and a llama named Winter. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/05/06/urgent-quest-coronavirus-treatment-involves-door-to-door-blood-collection-llama-named-winter/
Dr. Francis Collins. (2018, November 13). Looking to Llamas for New Ways to Fight the Flu. NIH Director’s Blog. https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2018/11/13/looking-to-llamas-for-new-ways-to-fight-the-flu/
Hamers-Casterman, C., Atarhouch, T., Muyldermans, S., Robinson, G., Hammers, C., Songa, E. B., Bendahman, N., & Hammers, R. (1993). Naturally occurring antibodies devoid of light chains. Nature, 363(6428), 446–448. https://doi.org/10.1038/363446a0
Wrapp, Daniel, et al. (2020). Structural Basis for Potent Neutralization of Betacoronaviruses by Single-Domain Camelid Antibodies. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.04.031
Zimmer, C. (2018, November 1). How to Turbocharge Flu Protection (Llamas Required). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/science/flu-vaccinations.html

Three questions about cold by Ashley Hamer (Listener questions from Joshua, Brescia, and Likith)

Bautista, D. M., Siemens, J., Glazer, J. M., Tsuruda, P. R., Basbaum, A. I., Stucky, C. L., Jordt, S.-E., & Julius, D. (2007). The menthol receptor TRPM8 is the principal detector of environmental cold. Nature, 448(7150), 204–208. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05910
Lecklitner, I. (2016, November 9). Why Does My Mouth Freeze When I Drink Water After Chewing... Dollar Shave Club Original Content; Dollar Shave Club Original Content. https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/content/story/why-does-my-mouth-freeze-when-i-drink-water-after-chewing-gum
WIRED Staff. (2010, September 22). Why Does Spicy Food Taste Hot? WIRED; WIRED. https://www.wired.com/2010/09/why-does-spicy-food-taste-hot/
Chicago Tribune. (2011, August 9). Ask Tom why: Why does wet skin feel cold? Chicagotribune.com. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-08-09-ct-wea-0809-asktom-20110809-story.html
Heat of Vaporization. (2013, October 2). Chemistry LibreTexts. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Thermodynamics/Energies_and_Potentials/Enthalpy/Heat_of_Vaporization
Fluid or Air Entrainment. (2020). Lanecc.Edu. https://media.lanecc.edu/users/driscolln/RT112/Air_Flow_Fluidics/Air_Flow_Fluidics7.html

Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/fighting-coronavirus-with-llamas-why-rain-stops-rocket-launches-and-listener-questions-about-cold-things

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fastbreak Breakfast S3 Ep. 25 "Bosnian Beast vs. Megalodon"