logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
12m 7s

Stopping Superbugs, Powerful Pulsar, Hip...

DISCOVERY
About this episode

Today, you’ll learn about new ways to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria, the discovery of the most powerful pulsar we’ve ever seen, and the truth about hippo poop.  

 

Stopping Superbugs  

 

  • “Dangerous ‘superbugs’ are a growing threat, and antibiotics can’t stop their rise. What can?” by Nicoletta Lanese. 2023.  
  • “Retrospective, observational analysis of the first one hundred consecutive cases of personalized bacteriophage therapy of difficult-to-treat infections facilitated by a Belgian consortium.” by Jean-Paul Pirnay, et al. 2023.  
  • “Lysin therapy offers new hope for fighting drug-resistant bacteria.” by Vincent A. Fischetti. 2019.  

 

Powerful Pulsar 

 

 

Hippo Poop 

 


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

Up next
Yesterday
Shark Week Gets Toxic: Forrest Galante Tracks Alien Sharks
Shark Week returns July 20 on Discovery! This episode is the Shark Week audio companion Part 1! Dr. Samantha Yammine dives into the most surprising shark science of 2025, from sharks that make noise to the nano-scale ‘sharkitecture’ inside their skeletons. Sam also interviews For ... Show More
31m 25s
Jul 2
Busting Skincare Myths with Dr. Michelle Wong
The skincare industry is riddled with false advertising, misleading labels, and supposed “miracle cures.” So, as a consumer, how are you meant to know what’s fact and what’s fiction? Today, host Dr. Samantha Yammine explores the science behind skincare, from how the collagen indu ... Show More
28m 18s
Jun 25
The Puzzle of AI Ethics with Dr. Cansu Canca
You’ve heard of the attention economy, but what about the intention economy? Rather than competing for consumers’ attention, our devices are now attempting to predict our purchasing patterns through AI. And who better to discuss that issue than Dr. Cansu Canca, a leading expert i ... Show More
22m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 11
What ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish and Famously Old Tortoises Tell Us about Aging
Animals’ lifespans can be far shorter or much longer than those of humans. Scientists are researching creatures such as “immortal” jellyfish and long-lived tortoises and digging deep into genetic codes to figure out why animals age—and what we can do to improve longevity in human ... Show More
14m 27s
Jun 11
What ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish and Famously Old Tortoises Tell Us about Aging
Animals’ lifespans can be far shorter or much longer than those of humans. Scientists are researching creatures such as “immortal” jellyfish and long-lived tortoises and digging deep into genetic codes to figure out why animals age—and what we can do to improve longevity in human ... Show More
14m 27s
Apr 9
Long-awaited ape genomes give new insights into their evolution — and ours
00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomesResearchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean or ... Show More
29m 48s
Jun 2
Megalodon Diets, Teeth Sensitivity and a Bunch of Vaccine News
The measles outbreak in West Texas is slowing. Health officials think an increase in vaccination rates contributed to the slowdown, but Texas lawmakers have pushed a new bill to make it even quicker and easier for parents to exempt their children from vaccines. The Centers for Di ... Show More
8 m
Aug 2024
Bacteriophages
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most abundant lifeform on Earth: the viruses that 'eat' bacteria. Early in the 20th century, scientists noticed that something in their Petri dishes was making bacteria disappear and they called these bacteriophages, things that eat bacteria. F ... Show More
50m 43s
May 2023
Antibiotic Resistance, Space Launches and the Environment, Phage Therapy. May 5, 2023, Part 2
SpaceX Explosion Damages Environment Around Launch Site Last Thursday, SpaceX’s South Texas facility was awash in noise and fire, as crowds gathered in South Padre Island and Port Isabel to watch Starship’s first orbital launch. It was the largest and most powerful rocket ever ma ... Show More
46m 58s
Oct 2024
Microbes Are Evolving to Eat Cleaning Supplies, and Whooping Cough Is Making a Comeback
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed we’re in the solar maximum, a period of increased solar activity that could lead to more auroras. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a fivefold surge in whooping cough cases ... Show More
9m 13s
Oct 2024
Microbes Are Evolving to Eat Cleaning Supplies, and Whooping Cough Is Making a Comeback
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed we’re in the solar maximum, a period of increased solar activity that could lead to more auroras. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a fivefold surge in whooping cough cases ... Show More
9m 13s
Feb 2025
Hippopotomology (HIPPOS) with Rebecca Lewison
Do they sweat blood? Will one kill you? What are cocaine hippos? Is Moo Deng… okay? Actual real life Hippopotomologist Dr. Rebecca Lewison explains how hippos have some of the best – and worst – PR.  We chat about pet hippos, subspecies, daily diets, the current state of hippo co ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 2024
Viral dark matter
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know anything about the bacteria-eating viruses all around us. (First published in 2021)Guest: Nicola Twilley, host of GastropodFor show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxt ... Show More
25m 56s