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Episode 5: What are Gene Drives and How Do They Work?
Gene drives and Mosquitoes: A new technology could save us from the deadliest parasite in the world today, but we aren't using it. Here's why.
The episode thumbnail image this month is a microscope image of human blood cells infected by Plasmodium falciparum the parasite that kills millions. Its transmission could possibly be stopped by a gene drive system but their release is halted to ensure that the technology is safe and desired by the public.
This weeks scientific paper describing the creation of these gene drive mosquitoes was headed by Dr. Anthony James. He did an interview on the National Academy of Sciences Podcast talking about his work and the challenges of being a mixed race scientist. He also was a guest on the NPR radio show All Things Considered.
The Technology Review wrote a news article on genetic modification and its use in forced extinctions.
The music for this podcast is by http://www.bensound.com/badass
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Agoraphobia 5
19:55|Happy Halloween everyone!! And welcome to the Tiny Vampires Agoraphobia special. Every year I put together a story written from an insect’s perspective. This year is a horror story from the deadliest war in history and even though it is obviously a work of fiction, the facts are true. So even though we’re just having a little festive fun, you’ll still get your dose of insect science you come to count on from Tiny Vampires.
45. Episode 45: Our shared history with leeches
18:57||Ep. 45For thousands of years Egypt, India, China, the Middle East, Europe, and the US, one after another all saw leeches as the answer to their problems. They were exercisers of demons, relievers of pain, bringers of balance, and a source of income.
44. Episode 44: Poison of the Past
25:24||Ep. 44Anyone growing up in the United States during the 1950s or 60s has memories of chasing trucks down the road as they doused the neighborhood in a mosquito-killing fog. The story of that fog is part of the broader epic of the insecticide DDT. With a cast ranging from Dr. Suess, the entire population of Naples, peregrine falcons, to a trendy shade of green.
43. Episode 43: Unexpected Vampires
23:01||Ep. 43Blood is vital, transporting hormones, nutrients, and oxygen, and removing waste products but for all its complexity some animals see it simply as food. While we grow up learning to protect our precious fluid from blood-suckers like vampire bats, leeches, and bed bugs they don’t have a monopoly on their gory craving. Unexpected animals from snails to birds to moths have come to join the feast.
Invitation: Intelligent Speech Conference -online-
01:07|Join me and more than 40 of your other favorite independent podcasters at the Intelligent Speech Conference. Get 10% off your ticket price when you use the offer code
42. Episode 42: Malaria Islands
35:01||Ep. 42When we call mosquitoes “the deadliest animals on earth” we aren’t just talking about human deaths. Mosquitoes have played a major role in Hawaii’s infamous designation as the endangered species capital of the world.
Halloween Special: Gutted
21:53|We all believe that we have the capacity to completely change ourselves, but at what cost?
Halloween Special: The Passenger
16:56|We’ll kick-off this Halloween special with “The Passenger” a tale of control, desire, and the monster within.