Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe Listener Questions #14
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Jul 15, 2025 Dive into the fascinating world where quantum fields meet everyday bananas! Discover how colds mutate and the complex relationship between particles, fields, and matter. The hosts tackle the concepts of energy and mass, even pondering if data has weight. Enjoy humorous stories about babies in spacesuits and the challenges of teaching science to kids. With a connection to philosophical ideas, this lively discussion makes intricate science both engaging and accessible.
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Girl Scout Questions Reproduction In Space
- Kelly was nervous presenting to a Girl Scout troop about reproduction in space.
- A girl asked about the practicality of making spacesuits for babies, which turned into an engineering discussion.
How Cold Viruses Replicate and Mutate
- Cold viruses inject genetic material into host cells to replicate.
- Viruses hijack cellular machinery but don’t correct replication errors, causing mutations.
Common Cold Mutation Rate Details
- Cold viruses mutate roughly one nucleotide per genome replication.
- Most mutations do not change proteins meaningfully, so initial virus and offspring are very similar.