Learn about the incredible discoveries we’ve made from researching fruit flies with special guest Stephanie Mohr, author of “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery.” You’ll also earn about how the South Atlantic Anomaly is messing with our satellites and other space equipment. Plus: health benefits of white wine you may not know about. Get your copy of “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery” on Amazon: https://amazon.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: The South Atlantic Anomaly Is the Bermuda Triangle of Space — https://curiosity.im/2GuxenF Why Do Reds Get All the Glory? White Wine Has Health Benefits, Too — https://curiosity.im/2GspNgA Additional resources from Stephanie Mohr: “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery” — https://amazon.com Follow Stephanie Mohr on Twitter @smohrfly — https://twitter.com/smohrfly Harvard bio — https://scholar.harvard.edu/smohr If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Learn about the incredible discoveries we’ve made from researching fruit flies with special guest Stephanie Mohr, author of “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery.” You’ll also earn about how the South Atlantic Anomaly is messing with our satellites and other space equipment. Plus: health benefits of white wine you may not know about.
Get your copy of “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery” on Amazon: https://amazon.com
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
Additional resources from Stephanie Mohr:
If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom
Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/new-treatments-via-fruit-flies-w-stephanie-mohr-south-atlantic-anomaly-white-wine-perks
CODY: Hi! We’re here from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about how an anomaly in space is messing with our satellites and other equipment; and, the health benefits of white wine that you may not know about. It’s also the third edition of “Fruit Fly Friday!” This week, you’ll hear about the incredible things we’ve learned from studying fruit flies, from Stephanie Mohr, the author of the book “First in Fly.”
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
The South Atlantic Anomaly Is the Bermuda Triangle of Space — https://curiosity.im/2GuxenF (Ashley)
ASHLEY: Hanging out in Earth’s orbit is no easy task. You already know satellites and structures like the International Space Station have to deal with things like space debris [and cosmic rays / other hazards you know of, Ashley?]. But have you heard of the South Atlantic Anomaly? It’s an area of our planet that has a BIG impact on the delicate electronics we send into space. I’ll get into that in a minute, but first, let’s back up and talk about the radiation belts that actually protect our planet. The Earth is surrounded by two donut-shaped masses of high-energy particles called the Van Allen Belts. Those particles are leftovers of cosmic rays shooting in from outside our solar system that become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. They exist in that belt configuration because the magnetic field follows a telltale pattern, one you know if you've ever seen iron filings sprinkled around a magnet. The high-energy particles would be dangerous on their own, but when they're trapped in the Van Allen Belts, they actually shield the Earth from any other dangerous particles that might elbow their way in. Thanks for protecting us, Van Allen Belts!
...Actually, don't be too grateful just yet. The poles of Earth's magnetic field don't line up perfectly with its poles of rotation; they're actually tilted by 11 degrees. That means the Van Allen Belts are tilted too. And THAT means that the inner donut-shaped mass of deadly high-energy particles dips dangerously low to the Earth's surface — as close as 124 miles, or 200 kilometers, at some points over the South Atlantic and Brazil. That dip, which is called the South Atlantic Anomaly, well below the path of a lot of satellites, which are forced to pass through the belt and get pummeled by protons. And we're talking pummeled: Every square centimeter is hit 3-thousand times per second. That abuse can cause all sorts of problems, from data glitches to electronic damage. Engineers actually tell their satellites to power down whenever they pass through the anomaly because they hope that’ll protect their data. Yeah — it’s pretty intense. Anyway, the South Atlantic Anomaly could be a symptom of the Earth’s magnetic fields changing, and you can read more about that in our full write-up on this. But suffice it to say, if you’re heading into space any time soon, make sure you check your map to make sure you won’t be passing through the South Atlantic Anomaly, or you’re gonna have a bad time.
Interview Clip 3 - What we’ve learned from fruit flies (Both)
CODY: In our “Fruit Fly Friday” mini-series, we’ve touched on the fact that researchers have been looking at fruit flies for decades to learn lots of different things. And today we’re going to zero in on the specific things we now understand thanks to fruit fly research, plus what we’re hoping to learn next. Our guest is Stephanie Mohr, a lecturer on genetics at Harvard Medical School and the author of the book “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery.” Here’s what she says fruit fly research has taught us about developmental biology, diseases like cancer, and developing new treatment strategies.
[CLIP 3:00]
ASHLEY: Again, Stephanie Mohr is a lecturer on genetics at Harvard Medical School and the author of the book “First in Fly: Drosophila Research and Biological Discovery.” You can find links to the book and more in today’s show notes, and next Friday, she’ll be back to wrap up our series with some fun facts about what fruit flies are up to OUTSIDE of laboratories.
[NHTSA]
CODY: Today’s episode is paid for by NIT-suh.
ASHLEY: It can be a little frustrating, especially if you’re in a hurry or running late, to find yourself at a railway crossing, waiting for a train. And if the signals are going and the train’s not even there yet, you can feel a bit tempted to try and sneak across the tracks.
CODY: Well, don’t. Ever. Trains are often going a lot faster than you expect them to be. And they can’t stop. Even if the engineer hits the brakes right away, it can take a train over a mile to stop. By that time, what used to be your car is just a crushed hunk of metal.
ASHLEY: And what used to be you? Well... better not to think about that. The point is, you can’t know how quickly the train will arrive. The train can’t stop even if it sees you. The result is disaster. If the signals are on, the train is on its way. And you... just need to remember one thing… Stop. Trains can’t.
Why Do Reds Get All the Glory? White Wine Has Health Benefits, Too — https://curiosity.im/2GspNgA (from Saturday) (Cody)
If you’re of legal drinking age and you’re planning on heading out with friends this weekend, you might be thinking about having a glass of wine at dinner time. And you might be biased towards red wines, because as a lot of us have been told, red wine has benefits for heart health. Well, today we want to reveal some research on white wine, because whites have health benefits, too! As long as they’re consumed in moderation, of course. [ad lib]
CODY: When I talk about health benefits, I’m talking about the fact that moderate red wine consumption has been shown to help prevent heart attacks, increase the amount of HDL "good" cholesterol, and decrease the chances of blood clotting. The stuff also has anti-inflammatory properties, and flavonoids — the antioxidant found in red wine — can help protect against cancer. But white wines have some redeeming qualities, too, thank you very much! In a 2015 study, researchers found that both red and white wine can provide heart- and metabolism-related improvements. And according to a 2014 study, white wine can help improve cholesterol levels just as much as red wine can. But where white wine really gets an edge is in keeping your lungs healthy. Research from the University of Buffalo conducted in 2002 suggests that the nutrients in white wine can have a positive effect on lung function, and a 1999 study from the University of Barcelona showed that white wines may have a higher antioxidant capacity than red wines. Just keep in mind that whites do typically have more sugar than reds. But as long as you drink in moderation, you shouldn’t feel bad if the pinot you reach for this weekend is a grigio, not a noir.
ASHLEY: That’s all for today, but you can keep learning all weekend on curiosity-dot-com. This weekend, you’ll learn about how electrostimulation can make 70-year-olds remember things like they’re 20;
A science experiment to help you make green wildfire like in Game of Thrones;
5 of the most amazing cases in neuroscience history;
The most influential scientist you’ve never heard of;
And more!
CODY: If there’s something ELSE you’re curious about, send us your question! You can find our contact info and links to everything we do on our podcast website, curiosity-daily-dot-com.
ASHLEY: Come hang out with us again Sunday on the award-winning Curiosity Daily and learn something new in just a few minutes. I’m Ashley Hamer.
CODY: And I’m Cody Gough. Have a great weekend!
ASHLEY: And stay curious!