Quirks and Quarks

In a study inspired by a field of dandelions, researchers wanted to know why, when you blow on a dandelion seed head, only the seeds closest to you take flight. They found that a dimple in the seed heads where the seed attaches is larger on one side than the other, and that the seeds consistently broke off from the smaller side of that dimple. Once they take flight, each dandelion seed uses its unique shape to catch a ride on the wind.

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Infrasound, not ghosts, may be why old buildings give us the heebie-jeebies
These arms are made for lovin'. How male octopuses find their mates
From the archives: Donald Johanson on the discovery of 'Lucy,' our missing link
Virtual hearts help doctors fix patients’ life-threatening irregular heart beats
Quirks Question: What’s the benefit for trees being evergreen?

On the morning of August 10, 2025, a landslide in a fjord along the southern Alaskan coast triggered a mega tsunami. It generated the second highest wave ever recorded that reached up to 481 metres above sea level. A new study suggests that catastrophic events like this are more likely to occur as our climate warms and glaciers melt.

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The hantavirus at the centre of the outbreak struck Argentina in 2018. What did we learn?
Raccoons enjoy solving puzzles, just for the fun of it
What animal parents and distant humans can teach us about caregiving
From the archives: face to face with the man who killed Pluto
Quirks Question: why do my car windows make a ‘wha wha wha’ sound?

Cocaine and many other chemicals and drugs are found in many waterways, but especially around wastewater treatment plants. Scientists exposed wild juvenile Atlantic salmon to cocaine and its byproduct to see how it impacted their behaviour in the wild. As a result, the fish swam twice as far, which could put them in more danger.

IDEAS, hosted by Nahlah Ayed is a weekday podcast that explores how ideas shape our world.

“One of your tribe is enough.” That’s what Margaret Rossiter was told when she said she wanted to study female scientists in the ‘70s. Nevertheless, Rossiter persisted. She found and documented hundreds of women whose contributions to science had been overlooked, under-credited and misappropriated. Then she made history herself by coining the term “The Matilda Effect” to describe why those women failed to get the credit they deserved.

Who is Matilda? Matilda Joslyn Gage was a suffragist erased from history. She was known as being too radical for Susan B. Anthony. This episode of IDEAS shares her story.

You can find more episodes of IDEAS wherever you get your podcasts, and here: https://link.mgln.ai/IDEASxQQ

Seabird poop plays a surprising role in bringing life to barren islands, spreading nutrients throughout the ocean, and even creating wealth for an ancient human empire.

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The precursors of written language go back a lot earlier than we thought
Dolphins exposed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill also more likely to be hit by boats
From the archives: Canadian astronomer spots a supernova visible to the naked eye
Quirks Question: How do beavers choose their trees?
Mapping the universe in three dimensions