Quirks and Quarks

Hello.This week on Quirks & Quarks.Getting the MOST from Canadian Astronomy.It's small, it's cheap and it's making discoveries that are changing the rules for astronomy. Canada's Microvariability and Oscillation of Stars Telescope, or MOST, as it's more commonly known, has spent almost 2 years now measuring the light coming from distant stars. During that time, it's made some of the most precise measurements of any telescope built, and these have led astronomers to rewrite their theories of star formation and function. Now MOST has turned its eye on the planets and already made some startling discoveries. Maybe it's time for the space observatory once dubbed, 'The Humble Telescope' to get a new nickname.Plus - cannibalistic spiders: where you have your date for dinner.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, with host Bob McDonald, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.This message has been edited by NosyNed, 05-25-2005 02:37 PM

This week on Quirks & Quarks its:The Quirks Question Show - from Saskatoon.Find out why it's easy to balance your bicycle when it's moving, but not when it is standing still; discover whether the Earthquake that caused the Tsunami in Southeast Asia also caused the Earth to wobble, or change its rotation time; and learn why you get dizzy when you look down from a high place.Plus, that all-time favourite * just how do you grow watermelons from a seedless watermelon anyway?It's the Quirks & Quarks Question Roadshow - from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon - with host Bob McDonald. Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This Week on Quirks & Quarks we have a special full edition program:"Where is My Robot Monkey Butler?"An entire show on the present and future of robots.I don't know about you, but by 2005, I fully expected to have my own bevy of robot servants doing my laundry, cleaning my house and bringing me bon-bons - in short, catering to my every whim. So where are they? Well, many of the challenges of building an intelligent and competent robot have proven to be far more difficult than scientists had imagined. But your robot monkey butler may finally be on its way. We may, in fact, be on the verge of a robot revolution, and this week on the program, we'll tell you how we're getting there.You can hear it all on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald
Host

This Week on Quirks & Quarks we ask the question:"Got Milk? Well, Maybe You Shouldn't ...."It's nature's perfect drink, filled with the ideal mix of calcium, protein and nutrients.
And for decades now, doctors, governments and health agencies have been urging us all to drink 3 to 4 glasses of milk everyday. But in recent years, more and more scientific studies have questioned the benefits of milk. And some have even linked it to diseases, ranging from juvenile diabetes
to prostate cancer, even to osteoporosis - the very disease that milk is supposed to prevent.Plus - gliding through space on a solar sail.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonaldThis message has been edited by NosyNed, 06-16-2005 12:25 AM

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This Week we present our season finale of Quirks & Quarks with:"Creating Chimeras: Medical Monster or Modern Miracle?"In ancient Greece, the Chimera was a mythical monster, with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a snake. Today, chimeras are no longer a myth, but a scientific reality. They're in research labs around the world, helping us understand diseases like leukemia, and helping us learn how different human cells work. We have created chickens with brains from quails, and mice with blood from humans. But as technology improves, scientists are getting more ambitious. It may only be a matter of time until we see mice with human brains. And that makes some scientists and ethicists nervous.Plus - a new twist on spider mating: once bitten, twice eaten.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald
Host

This Week on Quirks & Quarks we feature:"The Venus Express Takes Off."Sure, Mars has everyone's attention these days, but what about our other planetary cousin, Venus? With its crushing atmospheric pressures, blast-furnace heat and sulfuric acid rain, it might not be your first choice as a vacation spot, but there's still a lot to learn about our nearest neighbour. That's why a new mission is being launched next week by the European Space Agency, called the Venus Express. It will try to solve the mystery of why a planet so much like Earth became such a hostile place.Plus - Amazon ants and the Devil's Garden ...All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This is available to download from the site by about 11am eastern time. Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC RadioThis Week on Quirks & Quarks our feature item is:"Warped Passages: New Dimensions in Physics".Just when you thought the universe couldn't get any stranger, physicists had to throw us another curve ball. Or perhaps we should say a warped ball. You see, it used to be simple. Three dimensions of length, one dimension of time. Then the string theorists came along, adding dimensions we couldn't even see. It was enough to make Newton roll in his grave. But extra dimensions aren't the half of it. Now physicists are adding entire universes to the picture. And they exist on structures known as branes. If this seems weird, don't worry, it is. But luckily, Harvard physicist Dr. Lisa Randall explains it all in her new book, Warped Passages.Plus - Rodent Rap: Mickey woos Minnie with music ....All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald

This Week on Quirks & Quarks our feature item is"Do We Need Humans in Space"?We call it the Final Frontier. But do we really need humans to explore space? Or could we boldly send robots instead? China has recently sent a man into space, and the US and Europe are planning missions to put a human on Mars. But many scientists maintain that robot space probes are a more efficient, cheaper and safer way to explore space and learn about other planets. The best role for humans may be pressing the "launch" button.Plus - Women in the brewery: uncapping the secrets of an ancient Peruvian culture.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald

(this will be available for mp3 or ogg download by about 2 pm EST -- streamed at noon in each time zone before that)
see Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC RadioThis Week on Quirks & Quarks we search for a "gay gene".It used to be considered a disease, a psychological problem brought on by bad parenting. But today, being gay or lesbian is no longer seen as either a psychological illness or even a choice. Instead, there's a growing body of research that says homosexuality is rooted in our biology. It seems there's a large genetic component that makes a person gay or straight. From fruit flies to sheep to humans, we'll look at the evidence that our sexual preference can be found in our genes.Plus - salamanders pig-out on plates of poop ...All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.Bob McDonald
Host

(this will be available for mp3 or ogg download by about 2 pm EST -- streamed at noon in each time zone before that)
see Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio"On the Way to a Warmer World."This week in Montreal, the United Nations conference on Climate Change got underway. And according to the latest scientific studies, the situation is more troubling than ever. New historical data, going back 650,000 years, has confirmed what scientists have been saying for the past decade: carbon dioxide levels are closely tied to atmospheric temperature. And another new study shows that even wet areas are going to have problems, as water flow patterns change, leading to floods in the spring and droughts in the summer. Even the oceans could be in trouble, as they try to adsorb the carbon dioxide, threatening sea life.But solutions are out there, and we'll look at how some researchers are trying to find ways to capture and store the excess carbon.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.

This is an exciting Week at Quirks & Quarks as we celebrate:"The Q&Q 30th Anniversary Special".It's been 30 years since Quirks & Quarks first went on the air. And over those 3 decades, the world of science has undergone a period of unprecedented change. From biology to palaeontology, from technology to cosmology, our knowledge of the world above, below and inside of us has exploded. And all along, Quirks & Quarks has been there for the ride.So this week, we go back to 1975, to see where scientific knowledge stood at that time, and how it has evolved over the past 30 years.
We've brought together some of Canada's top scientists, as well as Canada's only living Nobel laureate, to guide us on this journey of discovery, and help us understand what it all means. The show was recorded earlier this week before an audience at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.That's Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news, on Radio One.

This Week on Quirks & Quarks it's our annual Holiday Book Show.What do statistics, bonobos, and Neil Armstrong have in common? Well, they're all the subject of new science books that are featured on this week's program. We'll discover how statistics and the rules of probability control our lives, and why the casino always comes out ahead. Then we'll talk with one of the world's leading primatologists, and find out how chimpanzees resolve sexual issues with power, while bonobos resolve power issues with sex. And finally, we'll get an insight into the personality and psyche of Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, from his biographer.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.(Happy Birthday Bear )

This Week on Quirks & Quarks it's our annual Holiday Book Show.What do statistics, bonobos, and Neil Armstrong have in common? Well, they're all the subject of new science books that are featured on this week's program. We'll discover how statistics and the rules of probability control our lives, and why the casino always comes out ahead. Then we'll talk with one of the world's leading primatologists, and find out how chimpanzees resolve sexual issues with power, while bonobos resolve power issues with sex. And finally, we'll get an insight into the personality and psyche of Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, from his biographer.All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.(Happy Birthday Bear )

Saturday December 31 on Quirks & QuarksYou Big Ape.King Kong may currently rule the box office, but a different giant ape ruled in China in ancient times, possibly co-existing with early humans. Also, if your New Year's rsolution is to get in shape, you'll be happier with the results if you're of the male persuasion...All this and more, on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One.