Daily Tech News Show The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog - DTNSB Weekend Edition
Jun 21, 2025
Carly Ann York, the author of 'The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog,' dives into the extraordinary ways playful experiments lead to significant scientific revelations. She discusses innovative solutions for salmon migration and the captivating science behind levitating frogs. The conversation highlights how lighthearted research enriches our understanding of serious issues, showcasing examples like ferrets detecting landmines. York emphasizes the importance of curiosity-driven studies and their role in shaping future technologies inspired by nature.
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Value of Curiosity-Driven Research
- Curiosity-driven research often faces skepticism as 'wasteful' but fuels important discoveries.
- Basic science leads to most medical advances and stimulates significant economic contributions.
Small Animals Inspire Robotics
- The biomechanics of small animals inspire advanced robotics like search and rescue robots.
- Cockroaches' smooshable shells and snakes' locomotion inform robot design for tough terrains.
Felicia the Ferret Saves CERN
- CERN's particle accelerator failed due to metal shards left in tubing.
- A ferret named Felicia was trained to clean the tubes and saved the project.