Tiny Matters

[BONUS] Colorful blood in nature and how a tick bite causes a meat allergy: Tiny Show and Tell Us #59

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

Introducing It Turns Out

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 oft

[CHAIN REACTION] The Antibiotics Boom, Bust, and Search for What's Next: The Drugs That Shape Us, Episode 1

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  b

Next week: 'The Drugs That Shape Us,' from Chain Reaction

We'll be publishing a 4-episode miniseries from our sister podcast Chain Reaction over the course of the next 4 weeks! Where Tiny Matters episode span all the scientific

Secrets in the peat: Ghost lights, bog bodies, and life built on death

For centuries, ghostly lights floating over bogs have appeared in folklore. Known by names including will-o'-the-wisp, corpse candles, and ‘Lantern Jack,’ they’ve inspire

[BONUS] The ‘Tyrant Lizard Queen’ and how evolution shaped our anxious brains: Tiny Show and Tell Us #58

Why does your brain sometimes react to a stressful meeting or traffic jam like you’re being hunted by a lion on the savannah? In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we

The canaries in the coal mine: How sentinel species monitor our world

For decades, coal miners relied on canaries to warn them about deadly carbon monoxide underground. Canaries were retired from that work at the end of the 20th century, bu

[BONUS] Decoding dinosaur colors and the failure of postpartum care: Tiny Show and Tell Us #57

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener asks why maternal mortality rates in countries like the U.S. and Canada have risen while many other wealthy nations h

How do you save a species?: Breakthroughs from cheetahs, red wolves, and 'spicy' toads

Cheetahs carry the genetic scars of an Ice Age bottleneck, red wolves are so rare that every egg matters, and harlequin frogs need their natural toxins restored before th

Introducing What Could Go Right?

We'd like to recommend a podcast called What Could Go Right, from the Progress Network. It's a refreshingly different perspective on the news and issues like sustainabili

[BONUS] Milking spiders and why this scientist’s grave is covered in gifts: Tiny Show and Tell Us #56

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we first discuss funnel-web spiders, who are among the most venomous spiders on Earth. Maybe somewhat paradoxically, their toxin

Biofilms: The sticky, slimy communities behind some of medicine's toughest infections

Biofilms are everywhere: your teeth, your kitchen sponge, and even medical implants. Scientists are uncovering how these highly organized microbial communities protect ba

[BONUS] ‘Drinking Grandma,’ digital cadavers and debunking a grave robbing myth: Tiny Show and Tell Us #55

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore the fascinating history of embalming, from ancient mummies to arsenic-laced funeral practices (that weren’t all that

The Shroud of Turin: American Medieval x Tiny Matters crossover episode

In this special bonus episode, we join American Medieval with host Matthew Gabriele, a professor of medieval studies and who knows about a LOT of history that we don’t. W

Foraminifera: The one-celled predators that shaped our planet (and kept the receipts)

Single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera may be microscopic, but they've had a massive impact on life on Earth. They also leave behind intricate shells that hav

[BONUS] Dangerously tiny frequencies, endometriosis tests, and cookies made from ... plastic?: Tiny Show and Tell Us #54

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we discuss new blood tests and research into blood biomarkers that could make diagnosing endometriosis faster and less invasive.

Giant viruses: How these amoeba-infecting behemoths are rewriting the rules of virology

Scientists spent decades searching for viruses by filtering out anything too large to be one. That strategy seemed to work well... until it didn't. When researchers disco

[BONUS] Fairy tale evolution and the 400(ish) year old elusive Greenland shark: Tiny Show and Tell Us #53

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore how scientists are using evolutionary methods to reconstruct the history of folktales like Little Red Riding Hood, Be

From cow’s milk to blood banks: The surprising evolution of blood transfusions

Before modern blood transfusions, doctors tried some odd alternatives, including cow's milk. In this episode, we trace the fascinating history of blood transfusions, from

Introducing What Could Go Right?

We'd like to recommend a podcast called What Could Go Right, from the Progress Network. It's a refreshingly different perspective on the news and issues like sustainabili