IFLScience - Break It Down

Tossing Puffins, Python Vs Python, And Homeopathy. Is. Not. Science.

This week on Break It Down, “dangerous” asteroid Apophis has a slightly increased risk of hitting Earth, a pig in Hong Kong undergoes an operation by a team in Switzerland, people in Iceland are throwing puffins off cliffs, an asteroid impact over the Philippines just made history, a python somehow managed to ingest another python, and we take a closer look at why homeopathy isn’t all it's cracked up to be.

 

So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

 

Links:

 

Asteroid Apophis: https://www.iflscience.com/the-chance-of-asteroid-apophis-hitting-earth-may-be-slightly-higher-than-we-thought-75797

 

Pig Surgery: https://www.iflscience.com/a-pig-just-had-surgery-by-a-team-operating-9000-kilometers-away-75803

 

Pufflings: https://www.iflscience.com/why-are-people-in-iceland-throwing-baby-puffins-off-of-cliffs-75820

 

Asteroid in the Philippines: https://www.iflscience.com/meteor-that-burned-up-over-philippines-is-just-ninth-ever-detected-before-earth-impact-75836

 

Python eating python: https://www.iflscience.com/in-world-first-burmese-python-is-found-eating-reticulated-python-75787

 

Homeopathy isn't real: https://www.iflscience.com/how-we-know-homeopathy-isnt-real-science-75811

 

How Did Dinosaurs Have Sex?: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-how-did-dinosaurs-have-sex-75489

Killer Whale Pirates, Hunting Aliens, And Flying Spaghetti Monsters

This week on Break It Down: orcas disable another boat as a new theory is put forward for the behavior, bacteria pass “memories” of perturbed genes to descendants, SETI scans 2,880 galaxies for advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, what you need to know about human parvovirus B19, flying spaghetti monsters sighted on a sea mount expedition, and how to avoid the nonsense that plagues the wellness industry.

So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

Links:

Killer whale pirates: https://www.iflscience.com/orcas-strike-a-boat-in-spain-as-a-new-theory-arises-to-explain-the-destruction-75750

Bacteria memories: https://www.iflscience.com/bacteria-pass-memories-of-perturbed-genes-to-their-descendants-75733

Hunting aliens: https://www.iflscience.com/seti-starts-looking-for-highly-advanced-extragalactic-civilizations-in-2880-galaxies-75751

Human parvovirus B19: https://www.iflscience.com/human-parvovirus-b19-is-increasing-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-75695

Flying spaghetti monsters: https://www.iflscience.com/flying-spaghetti-monsters-and-20-potential-new-species-spotted-at-sea-mounts-75696

Long stringy thingy: https://www.iflscience.com/the-curious-case-of-the-long-stringy-thingy-spotted-in-australia-55635

Wellness nonsense: https://www.iflscience.com/theres-a-lot-of-misinformation-and-pseudoscience-in-the-wellness-industry-heres-how-to-avoid-it-75723

The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions

Gymnastic springtails: https://www.iflscience.com/watch-springtails-backflip-more-than-60-times-their-body-height-into-the-air-75748

Join our Instagram broadcast: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbYsC7WjVRHwwaW-/

Join our WhatsApp broadcast: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWag6qBVJl3scy4n83H

Tool-Wielding Whales, Earth’s New Ring, And Wow! Signal Solved?

This week on Break It Down: Earth has a snazzy new radiation belt, the Wow! signal finally has an explanation and spoiler: it’s still not aliens, whales have joined the list of animals using tools (but do bubbles really count?), a universal flu vaccine is one step closer to reality thanks to some ferrets, the Rift Valley might not be the cradle of humankind after all, and why supermassive black holes are more a part of daily life on Earth than we realized.

So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

Links:

Earth's New Ring: https://www.iflscience.com/this-springs-massive-aurora-sparking-solar-storm-has-given-earth-a-new-ring-75617

Wow! Signal: https://www.iflscience.com/iconic-wow-signal-may-finally-have-an-explanation-its-still-not-aliens-75619

Whales Using Tools: https://www.iflscience.com/humpback-whales-revealed-to-be-tool-users-catching-krill-with-amazing-skill-75637

Universal Flu Vaccine: https://www.iflscience.com/universal-flu-vaccine-could-enter-human-trials-in-1-3-years-after-more-positive-results-75653

Rift Valley: https://www.iflscience.com/why-the-rift-valley-may-not-be-the-cradle-of-humankind-after-all-75620

Supermassive Black Holes: https://www.iflscience.com/this-is-how-you-are-using-supermassive-black-holes-every-day-without-even-knowing-75659

The Big Questions Podcast: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-how-will-the-solar-system-end-75652

Curious Magazine: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine

Mine Spiders Video: https://www.iflscience.com/how-large-are-mine-spiders-75629

Earth Sausage, Pompeii Panic, And The Disco Planet

This week on Break It Down: two new victims discovered at the site of Pompeii tell a vivid story, Stonehenge’s altar stone reveals a surprising point of origin, plans to terraform Mars with “glitter”, ancient environments exposed in a kilometer-long Earth sausage, we may know where the dinosaur-killing asteroid came from, and a brief history of humans’ long history of burying the dead.

So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

Links:

Pompeii victims: https://www.iflscience.com/two-new-pompeii-victims-found-clutching-coins-and-jewelry-as-they-met-their-doom-75519

Corpse casts: https://www.iflscience.com/the-stone-bodies-of-pompeii-arent-what-you-think-68838

Stonehenge altar stone: https://www.iflscience.com/stonehenges-famous-altar-stone-may-be-from-scotland-over-700-kilometers-away-75554

The disco planet: https://www.iflscience.com/humanity-could-use-glitter-to-terraform-mars-and-add-a-little-razzle-dazzle-75547

Earth sausage: https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-drill-1268-metres-deep-under-the-atlantic-ocean-scooping-out-huge-piece-of-earths-mantle-75569

Chicxulub’s origins story: https://www.iflscience.com/dinosaur-killing-impactor-was-probably-a-rare-asteroid-from-beyond-jupiter-75567

Oldest human burial: https://www.iflscience.com/whats-the-oldest-human-burial-in-the-world-75584

How will the Solar System end? The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions

Some of Dr Alfredo Carpineti’s space scoops: https://www.iflscience.com/superflares-are-released-by-sunlike-stars-can-the-sun-create-these-events-75577

https://www.iflscience.com/jwst-confirms-more-bright-galaxies-found-in-the-early-universe-than-expected-75574

Space Archaeology, Titanium Hearts, And The Russian Sleep Experiment

This week on Break It Down, the first archaeological study takes place outside of Earth, the oldest calendar might show a comet impact, a new study thinks the ancient Egyptians were using hydraulic tech to build the pyramids (others disagree), what a rock on Mars could tell us about potential life in the Solar System, a titanium heart is something straight out of sci-fi, and why we get taken in by urban legends like the Russian sleep experiment.

So, sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down...

Links:

Space Archaeology: https://www.iflscience.com/first-ever-archaeological-survey-in-space-carried-out-on-the-iss-75454

Oldest Calendar: https://www.iflscience.com/worlds-oldest-calendar-may-depict-catastrophic-comet-impact-13000-years-ago-75458

Egyptian Hydraulic Lift: https://www.iflscience.com/did-the-egyptians-really-build-their-oldest-pyramid-with-a-hydraulic-lift-75417

Biosignature On Mars: https://www.iflscience.com/why-people-are-so-excited-about-perseverances-possible-biosignature-discovery-75445

Titanium Heart Transplant: https://www.iflscience.com/world-first-implantation-of-titanium-heart-harnessing-maglev-technology-75411

Russian Sleep Experiment: https://www.iflscience.com/the-russian-sleep-experiment-and-why-we-believe-in-urban-legends-75452

Can Dogs Live Longer: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-can-we-make-dogs-live-longer-75450

Curious Magazine: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine

Wonky Giraffe, Hamster Vaccines, And Wildlife Rock Art

This week on Break It Down: a wonky-necked giraffe is somehow still alive, an extraordinary fossil find shows a tyrannosaur with a stubby snout, a vaccine to stop COVID transmission is a success (at least, in hamsters), ancient stars are not where we expect them to be, 12,500-year-old rock art is a wildlife masterpiece, and we debunk some cortisol-based misinformation.

So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

Links:

Wonky giraffe: https://www.iflscience.com/wonky-necked-giraffe-spotted-in-south-africa-is-somehow-still-alive-75382

New tyrannosaur: https://www.iflscience.com/new-species-of-69-million-year-old-tyrannosaur-identified-in-awesome-fossils-75343

Hamster vaccines: https://www.iflscience.com/covid-19-vaccine-nasal-drops-could-stop-viral-transmission-75386

Ancient stars: https://www.iflscience.com/ancient-stars-found-in-unlikely-region-of-the-milky-way-75377

Wildlife rock art: https://www.iflscience.com/rock-art-shows-early-humans-in-south-americas-contact-with-new-worlds-animals-75312

Cortisol lies: https://www.iflscience.com/cortisol-is-the-stress-hormone-really-the-health-villain-its-made-out-to-be-75242

Gregorian calendar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Moxf1yy_5Q

The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions

Singing Elephants, Animal Olympics, and A Popcorn-Covered Neanderthal

This week on Break It Down: deep-sea potatoes just shook foundational ideas about life on Earth, NASA plans to launch an artificial star, elephants sing “let’s go” like a barbershop quartet, the most complete Neanderthal skeleton has sprouted cave popcorn, the record for hottest day ever gets smashed twice in one week, and who would win in the animal Olympics?

So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…

Links:

Deep-sea potatoes: https://www.iflscience.com/natural-batteries-on-the-deep-ocean-floor-appear-to-be-making-dark-oxygen-75206

Artificial star: https://www.iflscience.com/nasa-will-soon-launch-an-artificial-star-into-orbit-over-the-usa-75197

Barbershop elephants: https://www.iflscience.com/barbershop-elephants-first-ever-lets-go-recordings-reveal-incredible-harmonies-75193

Cave popcorn: https://www.iflscience.com/the-most-complete-neanderthal-skeleton-ever-found-still-cant-be-excavated-75199

Hottest day: https://www.iflscience.com/sundays-hottest-ever-day-record-has-been-broken-already-75259

Animal Olympics: https://www.iflscience.com/if-animals-could-compete-in-the-olympics-which-events-would-they-win-75252

Read CURIOUS: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine

Jurassic garden:  https://www.iflscience.com/how-to-create-a-jurassic-garden-75255

Yellowstone goes boom: https://www.iflscience.com/watch-as-surprise-yellowstone-eruption-sends-rocks-flying-and-visitors-fleeing-75229

The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-is-evolutionary-biology-sexist-75243

$44 Million Stegosaurus, Air Butter, And Life On Venus?

This week on Break It Down: why Venus just got very exciting as a potential site of extra-terrestrial life, how you make butter out of thin air, a Stegosaurus on sale for $44 million, the discovery of the first Moon cave, why Earth just landed itself a new microcontinent, and pseudoscience Vs anti-science – what the differences are and how to tackle them.

So sit back, relax, and let’s Break it Down…

Links:

Phosphine on Venus: https://www.iflscience.com/new-detection-of-phosphine-deeper-in-venuss-atmosphere-and-possibly-ammonia-too-75139

Air butter: https://www.iflscience.com/lab-made-butter-created-from-co2-tastes-like-the-real-thing-says-bill-gates-75144

$44 million stegosaurus: https://www.iflscience.com/stegosaurus-fossil-fetches-record-breaking-446-million-at-auction-75151

Moon caves: https://www.iflscience.com/the-first-cave-has-been-found-on-the-moon-is-it-ready-for-occupation-75103

Microcontinent: https://www.iflscience.com/new-microcontinent-discovered-between-greenland-and-canada-75135

Pseudoscience VS anti-science: https://www.iflscience.com/pseudoscience-vs-anti-science-how-to-tell-the-difference-and-fight-both-75082

Interview with Prof Jim Al-Khalili: https://youtu.be/6cBV1fnp7E4?si=IEhqrdq7bCy4Et7v

The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions

Dinosaur casts: https://www.iflscience.com/are-dinosaur-skeletons-in-museums-the-real-thing-75146