SciShow Tangents

This week, we’re joined by scientist and podcaster Amanda Wacker to talk about DNA, the building blocks of life! A blueprint for building a living thing, even!Webster’s dictionary defines DNA as “any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together by hydrogen bonds.” I define it as the little wiggly guys inside us that make our cells and stuff. We’re both right, in our own way.If you want more Amanda Wacker, check out her podcast, Triplicates! And check her out on Twitter: @AstroAma!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Ask the Science Couch]Gene expression & cell typehttps://www.cirm.ca.gov/our-progress/advanced-how-does-stem-cell-%E2%80%9Cknow%E2%80%9D-what-becomehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26885/https://www.cell.com/trends/cell-biology/fulltext/S0962-8924(20)30059-3https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/our-cells-are-filled-with-junk-dna-heres-why-we-need-ithttps://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05462-w[Butt One More Thing]Pooprintshttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/19/pooprints-brings-in-millions-testing-dog-poop-dna-to-snag-non-scoopers.html

If SciShow Tangents had a smell what would it be? It’s full of knowledge, so maybe a dusty old book? We talk a lot, so maybe all of our nasty breath?  We talk about butts a lot… you know what? Podcasts don’t smell, and maybe that’s for the best. Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Fact Off]Rats smelling conceptshttps://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/uog-tso112520.phphttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201125164455.htmhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.2327https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000628Big cats and perfumeshttps://www.thecut.com/2020/01/big-cats-love-calvin-kleins-obsession-for-men.htmlhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/100624-big-cats-cologne-vin-videohttps://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/youe28099ll-never-guess-how-biologists-lure-jaguars-to-camera-traps/https://www.rsc.org/Merck-Index/monograph/m3604/civetone?q=unauthorizehttps://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Viverricula_indica/[Ask the Science Couch]Smells & memoryhttps://www.livescience.com/why-smells-trigger-memories.htmlhttps://www.discovery.com/science/Why-Smells-Trigger-Such-Vivid-Memorieshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23147501/[Butt One More Thing]Indole smellhttps://io9.gizmodo.com/why-is-a-compound-that-smells-like-feces-put-in-perfume-1717903411

Sticky seems easy, right? You step on gum, it sticks to your shoe, You put glue on paper, it sticks to other paper. It just works! But it turns out stickiness is one of those sneaky, impossible-to-explain science things that involves physics and atoms and stuff!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Fact Off]Exploding ant butts with toxic goohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1A_nAQosWmC5o_jepXNJ0oc3RacjLK5qe1groWg34bL4/edit?usp=sharinghttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/animals-ants-borneo-exploding-defense?loggedin=truehttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/science/exploding-ants.htmlhttps://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=22661Sticky rice mortarhttps://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ar9001944https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11431-008-0317-0https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2010/may/revealing-the-ancient-chinese-secret-of-sticky-rice-mortar.htmlhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/amylopectin[Ask the Science Couch]Frog tongueshttps://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/01/special-spit-is-the-secret-of-uniquely-sticky-frog-tongues-study-revealshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5332565/Picture of finger: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5332565/figure/RSIF20160764F1/[Butt One More Thing]Sucker-bum squidhttps://australian.museum/blog-archive/science/sucker-bum-squid-and-other-intriguing-molluscs

A wiser man than me once said “worms make the dirt and the first makes the Earth.” And that’s true. Join us as we learn about the stuff everything on earth walks, sits, and poops on all day, every day! Thanks, dirt!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Fact Off]Desert of Mainehttps://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/travel/escapes/22down.htmlhttps://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-desert-of-maine-freeport-mainehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-desert-middle-maine-180951555/https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/maine/articles/the-true-story-of-how-maine-got-its-desert/Panic grass in geothermal dirthttps://schaechter.asmblog.org/schaechter/2009/10/all-for-one-and-one-for-all.htmlhttps://www.montana.edu/news/629/yellowstone-plant-reveals-secret-for-tolerating-high-temperatureshttps://science.sciencemag.org/content/315/5811/513https://science.sciencemag.org/content/316/5822/201.1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10583964/https://www.nps.gov/grte/learn/historyculture/upload/JFMeadow_Dissertation-red.pdf[Ask the Science Couch]Rubbing dirt in woundhttps://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/antibacterial-clays-can-kill-antibiotic-resistant-e-coli-and-mrsa/https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/asu-amw051713.php/https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0064068https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200427125205.htmhttps://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/07/16/sports-rub-some-dirt-on-it/87184302/[Butt One More Thing]Pink fairy armadillohttps://www.wired.com/2014/01/absurd-creature-of-the-week-pink-fairy-armadillo-crawls-out-of-the-desert-and-into-our-hearts/

Humans use tools to do work! It’s what separates us from the animals! Except for crows… and honeybees… and dolphins… octopuses… well, regardless, tools are great and so is this episode!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:Chatelaineshttps://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-killer-mobile-device-for-victorian-women/https://toolbelts.com/tool-belt-history/https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/History/cms/historyNew Caledonian crowshttps://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uosa-cck120417.phphttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2015.0278https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uosa-cck120417.php[Ask the Science Couch]Oldest stone toolshttps://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32804177https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14464https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/04/world-s-oldest-stone-tools-discovered-kenyahttps://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/exhibit/oldowan-and-acheulean-stone-tools

Comedian, streamer, and YouTuber Kurtis Conner (@kurtisconner) stops by to talk to us about fish! Don’t be koi… give it a listen!This episode has everything you could want: multiple poop facts, mind-blowing revalations, and a celebrity guest! It's the total package!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsIf you can’t get enough Kurtis Conner, check out his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7zsxKqd5MicTf4VhS9Y74gA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Definition]Fish evolutionhttps://www.npr.org/2010/07/05/127937070/the-human-edge-finding-our-inner-fishhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210205210627.htm[Ask the Science Couch]Smelly fishhttps://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/23/science/q-a-rotten-fish.htmlhttps://nutrition.org/is-fish-smelly/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24086628?seq=1https://www.pnas.org/content/111/12/4461https://cen.acs.org/articles/91/web/2013/09/Source-Fishy-Odors-Identified.htmlhttps://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/trimethylaminuria/[Butt One More Thing]White sand beacheshttps://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sand.html

We're taking a break this week to rest up and work on some exciting things! In the meantime, join us as we talk about fungus and Praise the Drungus! Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Fungal Pesticides:https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/12/522068205/fungal-pesticides-offer-a-growing-alternative-to-traditional-chemicalshttps://agrochemicals.iupac.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=3&sobi2Id=31https://phys.org/news/2019-02-virus-infested-fungus-chemical-pesticides.htmlTinder Fungi:https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail-1345668003610.html?noticiaid=1345754508535Egyptian Medicine:https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/nyregion/secrets-of-the-mummys-medicine-chest.html[Fact Off]Whiskey mold:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18065010https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315285/https://www.wired.com/2011/05/ff-angelsshare/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/78dyqb/kentuckys-whiskey-fungus-problem-is-out-of-controlPlastic-digesting fungus:https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/fungi-research-lifts-lid-shy-organisms-break-down-plastichttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202047https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117300295http://blog.worldagroforestry.org/index.php/2017/09/12/scientists-find-fungus-appetite-plastic-rubbish-dump/[Ask the Science Couch]“Zombie” ants:https://www.pnas.org/content/114/47/12590https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187170https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3204140/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/11/how-the-zombie-fungus-takes-over-ants-bodies-to-control-their-minds/545864/

It’s been said that April showers bring May flowers, but here’s the thing, gang: we couldn’t wait a whole month to talk about the darn things! Stop and smell the roses with us as we sniff out some of the finest flower facts!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Fact Off]Bubble gun pollinationhttps://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(20)30373-4https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/drone-delivered-soap-bubbles-could-help-pollinate-flowershttps://www.sciencenews.org/article/bubble-blowing-drones-may-one-day-aid-artificial-pollinationFungus mimicking flowersImage: https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/1BF8FBA2-1A97-4962-BDF7425878CF9454_source.jpghttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087184520301572https://www.jstor.org/stable/2399434?refreqid=excelsior%3Ab21f9013c26e11394d09411860873d9f&seq=1https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-flower-is-really-a-fungus-in-disguise/https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/insect-color-vision.php[Ask the Science Couch]Carnivorous plants floweringPicture of pitcher plant: http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3639Picture of venus fly trap: https://theconversation.com/friend-or-food-why-venus-flytraps-dont-eat-their-pollinators-91620http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161010-how-insect-eating-plants-persuade-insects-to-pollinate-themhttps://www.nature.com/articles/srep21065[Butt One More Thing]Dead horse lilyPicture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicodiceros#/media/File:Dracunculus_muscivorus.jpghttps://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2003.00802.xhttps://theconversation.com/the-secret-of-the-worlds-smelliest-flower-44439

G'day, mate! This week, we’re taking a trip Down Under (and to South, Central, and North America) to meet our weird mammalian cousins with built-in cargo pockets, the marsupials! Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:Antechinus matinghttps://www.wired.com/story/antechinus-climate-change/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/why-a-little-mammal-has-so-much-sex-that-it-disintegrateshttps://www.livescience.com/51083-photos-antechinus-new-species.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-17/search-for-endangered-antechinus-after-bushfires-on-gold-coast/12564958Alaskan marsupial fossilhttps://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/uoaf-ndm021819.phphttps://phys.org/news/2019-02-ancient-night-marsupial-months-winter.htmlhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2018.1560369https://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app52-217.html  https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/PublicRoom_AK_Dinosaurs-on-NorthSlope_booklet_2018.pdfhttps://www.npca.org/articles/1822-the-only-marsupial-in-u-s-national-parks[Ask the Science Couch]Pouch cleaning https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/science/how-do-female-kangaroos-keep-their-pouches-clean.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/08/05/1168902.htmhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5339227/[Butt One More Thing]Opossums and smelling deadhttps://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544902/facts-about-opossumshttps://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/opossums-so-darn-ugly-theyre-adorable.htm

Strap on your greaves and grab your gauntlets: It's time for the weekly science/comedy deathmatch that is SciShow Tangents!Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsThank you to Patreon Patron Eclectic Bunny for helping make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenIf you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Fact Off]Sugar bacteriahttps://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2019/06/27/found-a-sweet-way-to-make-things-almost-indestructible/https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-06/uovh-fas062719.phphttps://www.pasteur.fr/en/research-journal/news/shedding-light-almost-indestructible-archaeal-piliChiton armor (with embedded eyes)https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(11)00305-8.pdfhttps://science.sciencemag.org/content/350/6263/952?related-urls=yes&legid=sci;350/6263/952Figure of their vision: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/350/6263/952/F3.large.jpghttp://web.mit.edu/cortiz/www/ChitonEyeCommentary.pdfhttps://news.mit.edu/2015/sea-creature-armor-plating-transparent-ceramic-eyes-1119https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/89839/890127373-MIT.pdf?sequence=2[Ask the Science Couch]Tail armor/weaponryhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2017.2299https://eartharchives.org/articles/why-don-t-we-see-more-animals-with-tail-weapons-like-stegosaurus-or-ankylosaurus/index.htmlhttps://news.ncsu.edu/2018/01/arbour-zanno-tail[Butt One More Thing]Snail shellhttps://massivesci.com/articles/butt-escape-beetles-elegans-slugs-land-snails/Hank mentions brahminy blind snakes being eaten and pooped out by frogs, but they are actually being eaten by toads. You can read more about that here:http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170424-there-are-animals-that-can-survive-being-eaten