Tiny Matters

In nature, cannibalism is surprisingly common. Fish eat their offspring, insects consume their siblings, and some tadpoles transform into specialized cannibals with stronger jaws and a tooth. In this episode, we explore how cannibalism can shape entire ecosystems, influencing everything from fish populations to nutrient cycles, and why so many species are cannibalistic despite its costs. We discuss selfishness in nature, filial and sexual cannibalism, and the role of developmental plasticity in evolution.
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The discovery of sex hormones in the 1930s led to the development of female birth control, a widely used class of drugs that reshaped cultural norms surrounding fertility and bodily autonomy. But contraception remains largely the responsibility of women. On today’s episode: the evolution of birth control and the future of male contraception. Listen to Chain Reaction by ACS wherever you get podcasts and at acs.org/chainreaction.
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We’d like to recommend a podcast called It Turns Out, hosted by award-winning journalist Kara Miller. The idea behind the show is that things we assume to be true are often far more complicated and surprising once you look at the research and talk to the experts who study them. We think you'll love it!

Why do humans have red blood, while other animals have green, purple, or even yellow blood? In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore the surprisingly colorful world of animal blood, from Antarctic ice fish with nearly transparent blood to green-blooded skinks and purple-blooded peanut worms. Then we enter tick territory and investigate how a tick bite leaves some people unable to eat red meat and other animal products. The answer involves a condition known as alpha-gal syndrome, where a tick bite can trigger an immune response to the alpha-gal sugar found in many mammals.
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Through a few serendipitous discoveries, antibiotics changed the course of history by turning deadly infections into manageable sicknesses. But it didn’t take long for bacteria to begin outsmarting these wonder drugs. On today’s episode: The fascinating world of antibiotics and the efforts to tackle antibiotic resistance, including using AI to come up with new drugs that will only become more essential. Listen to Chain Reaction by ACS wherever you get podcasts and at acs.org/chainreaction.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.