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Dare to Know

165 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -

Dare to Know is a podcast published by David Morton Rintoul offering feature stories aimed at those who find meaning in understanding our universe, our place in nature and our humanity.

Natural Sciences Science
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Episodes

Milky Way’s Origins Revealed Using Gaia Observatory

March 23, 2024 17:55 - 6 minutes - 11.5 MB

The Milky Way’s origins have puzzled scientists since we first realized its one of countless galaxies in our universe. Find out how scientists have applied information from the Gaia Space Observatory and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to uncover two of our galaxy’s earliest star streams. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Memory Depends on ‘Spacing Effect’ and Variation

March 15, 2024 21:46 - 6 minutes - 12.6 MB

Memory has puzzled scholars since the dawn of civilization. Find out how new research shows that spacing out study periods, along with varying the context of the item we’re trying to remember, improves our memories. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Bumblebee Hives Can Progress Through Shared Learning

March 08, 2024 22:35 - 6 minutes - 12 MB

Bumblebee hives can provide fascinating insights into animal behaviour in groups. Find out how a new study suggests that bees can learn complex, multi-step tasks through social interaction. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Odysseus Lunar Lander Completes Mission Despite Setbacks

March 06, 2024 00:48 - 6 minutes - 11.8 MB

Odysseus is the name of the first American spacecraft to land on the moon in 52 years. Find out how its missions succeeded despite enduring and overcoming some demanding challenges and setbacks. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Robots With AI Also Need Physical Intelligence

February 24, 2024 03:18 - 7 minutes - 13.6 MB

Robots with AI (artificial intelligence) are emerging as developers combine large language models (LLMS) with autonomous devices. Find out why they’re discovering that it takes far more than linguistic skills to replicate basic human abilities. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Migratory Species Face Risk of Extinction

February 17, 2024 01:07 - 7 minutes - 14.7 MB

Migratory species are the subject of a new report presented at the United Nations this week. Find out why populations of migratory animals are declining, and what scientists recommend to conserve and sustain these threatened species and their habitats. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Black Holes and Galaxies Coexisted in the Early Universe

February 10, 2024 00:54 - 6 minutes - 11.9 MB

Black holes and galaxies existed together during the first one percent of our universe’s existence. Find out why this upends conventional thinking on how stars, galaxies and black holes formed after the Big Bang. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Brain Cells Organize Using Unexpectedly Simple Principles

February 03, 2024 00:55 - 7 minutes - 13.7 MB

Brain cells have a remarkable capacity to organize themselves. Find out how a new study explains the strikingly simple networking processes behind these vital connections. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

WHITE RHINO EXTINCTION AVOIDABLE THROUGH EMBRYO TRANSFER

January 28, 2024 23:48 - 7 minutes - 13.1 MB

White rhino extinction has reached the point where there are only two of the animals left on Earth. Find out how a team of veterinarians and conservationists has found a way to rescue this species using in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Artemis II Lunar Mission Postponed by NASA

January 22, 2024 23:08 - 7 minutes - 14.5 MB

Artemis II is NASA's planned, crewed mission to return to the moon. Find out why NASA has rescheduled the space flight and the delay’s implications for an eventual crewed lunar landing. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Cultural Evolution May Be Blocking Ecological Solutions

January 19, 2024 03:34 - 7 minutes - 14.3 MB

Cultural evolution refers to the way humans create tools and social systems to adapt to and shape their environments. Find out how the tension between our cooperative and competitive natures may be preventing us from solving the ecological crisis humanity faces. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Photosynthesis Evolution Clarified by Studying Bacteria Fossils

January 18, 2024 04:20 - 6 minutes - 11.2 MB

Photosynthesis evolution remains a mystery to biologists. Find out how a new study sheds light on our understanding of this critical organic process by pushing the timeline of its origins back by over a billion years. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Military Space Plane Launch Risks International Conflict

December 30, 2023 23:01 - 8 minutes - 15.7 MB

A military space plane called the Boeing X-37B blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center this week. Find out more about its secretive mission, and why it creates unnecessary tension between the United States and China. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Prehistoric Herders More Sophisticated Than Scientists Realized

December 24, 2023 16:41 - 7 minutes - 13.5 MB

Prehistoric herders in the high mountains kept small, diverse animal herds. Find how a new study reveals that their animal husbandry practices were far more sophisticated than previously thought. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

COP 28 Results: Accomplishments, Failures and Controversy

December 17, 2023 02:39 - 6 minutes - 11.9 MB

COP 28 was a UN conference on climate change that wrapped up this week. Find out why many observers believe the results don’t go far enough and that the parties’ commitments are too vague to seriously address the climate crisis. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Heaviest Chemical Elements Created by Ancient Stars

December 09, 2023 22:52 - 7 minutes - 13.3 MB

The heaviest chemical elements in the universe come from neutron stars. Find out how a new study shows that this process creates heavier atoms than anything we experience on Earth.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Sense of Smell Predicted by Artificial Intelligence

December 02, 2023 02:07 - 6 minutes - 11.7 MB

Our sense of smell is often overlooked when we consider the tidal wave of artificial intelligence applications. Find out how a new machine-learning model can predict how a new chemical compound will smell without involving humans. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

COP 28: Frustration, Scepticism, Faint Trace of Hope

November 25, 2023 03:08 - 7 minutes - 14.1 MB

COP 28 is the upcoming UN conference on climate change. Find out why the mood leading into this global gathering is a blend of frustration, scepticism and just a faint trace of wary hope. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Blobs in Earth's Interior From Ancient Planet

November 18, 2023 03:14 - 6 minutes - 12.6 MB

Blobs in the Earth’s interior mantle have been puzzling geologists for decades. Find out how a new study solves the mystery by linking them to an ancient planet that collided with Earth to form the Moon. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

REMEMBRANCE DAY REFLECTIONS ON PAST AND FUTURE

November 12, 2023 02:11 - 6 minutes - 11.4 MB

Remembrance Day in Canada commemorates the veterans who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, Korea and Afghanistan. Find out the topics on which I found myself reflecting during this annual moment of silence. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Carbon Budget Dwindling – Climate Goals at Risk

November 05, 2023 00:40 - 7 minutes - 13.8 MB

The carbon budget estimates how much more C02 we can emit into the atmosphere and still keep global warming below 1.5˚ C. Find out why a new study found that we only have a 50% change of meeting our climate targets. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Space Junk Particles Detected in Earth's Atmosphere

October 29, 2023 01:16 - 7 minutes - 13.4 MB

Space junk is the debris left behind from spent rocket stages and defunct satellites. Find out why the discovery of space junk particles in the stratosphere has implications for our environment and climate. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Gaza Crisis, Human Rights and International Law

October 21, 2023 19:15 - 9 minutes - 17.1 MB

The Gaza crisis has captured everyone’s attention over the past couple of weeks. Find out why the roots of the conflict, and its solutions, lie in all parties understanding and respecting universal human rights. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Survival of the Boring Doesn't Drive Evolution

October 13, 2023 22:23 - 6 minutes - 11.5 MB

“Survival of the boring” describes a traditional view that evolution favours unremarkable, generalist species over innovation. Find out how a new study challenges that assumption by showing that diversity and innovation often drive evolutionary success. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Orion Nebula Contains Pairs of Unexplained Objects

October 08, 2023 01:14 - 6 minutes - 11.2 MB

The Orion Nebula is one of the most studied areas of star formation in the galaxy. Find out how the new James Webb Space Telescope has revealed previously unknown objects that defy our understanding of how stars and planets form. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Indonesian Hunter Gatherers Sing Their Traditional Language

October 01, 2023 01:13 - 7 minutes - 13.2 MB

The Indonesian hunter gatherers known as the Punan Batu have their own, secretive language that they sing instead of speaking. Find out how this trait, combined with their unique genetic background, gained them official recognition and legal rights as Indigenous peoples. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Earth Species Project Talks to Animals Using AI

September 23, 2023 20:45 - 6 minutes - 11.3 MB

The Earth Species Project is using artificial intelligence (AI) to understand how animals communicate. Find out how learning to “talk to the animals” could boost animal conservation and welfare around the world. Check out the Dare to Know Website at daretoknow.ca --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

NASA APPOINTS DIRECTOR OF UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RESEARCH

September 17, 2023 16:45 - 6 minutes - 11.3 MB

NASA appointed a new director of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) research this week. Find out what this new role entails and what NASA hopes to contribute by studying these anomalies. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Music is Humanity's Universal Language, Study Shows

September 10, 2023 21:27 - 6 minutes - 12.8 MB

“Music is the universal language,” we often hear, but how true is that maxim? Find out how a new study shows that people from diverse cultures can recognize the emotions expressed in songs. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Carbon Offsets Aren't Working and Need Reforms

September 02, 2023 23:29 - 6 minutes - 12 MB

Carbon offsets allow businesses and wealthy individuals to buy credits to compensate for failing to meet their carbon emission targets. Find out why the system isn’t helping the planet, and the reforms needed to make this emerging marketplace effective. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Lunar Missions: Stories of Triumph and Disaster

August 27, 2023 02:01 - 6 minutes - 13 MB

Lunar missions made the news twice this week, but for very different reasons. Find out why India is celebrating a technological triumph, while Russia is downplaying a catastrophic failure. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Climate Justice: Global Warming Threatens Human Rights

August 20, 2023 00:54 - 7 minutes - 13.5 MB

Climate Justice is the name of a movement recognizing the climate crisis as a threat to social justice. Find out why human rights group Amnesty International has issued a detailed policy briefing on global warming. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

HYDROTHERMAL VENTS REVEAL UNIQUE, UNEXPECTED MARINE ECOSYSTEM

August 12, 2023 23:16 - 6 minutes - 12.7 MB

Hydrothermal vents are underwater springs that form on the ocean floor. Find out how an international scientific expedition surprised even themselves when they uncovered a new kind of ecosystem beneath one of these formations. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Giant Exoplanet Helps Explain Solar System Formation

August 05, 2023 23:49 - 7 minutes - 13.7 MB

A giant exoplanet has been discovered orbiting a low-mass star. Find out why this finding challenges our understanding of planet formation and helps scientists decipher the origins of solar systems, including our own. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Violates International Law

July 29, 2023 21:17 - 7 minutes - 6.65 MB

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to investigations of  genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. Find out why the International Criminal Court and  UN Independent Commission of Inquiry are working to hold Russian authorities accountable. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Galaxy Without Dark Matter Challenges Current Science

July 23, 2023 01:31 - 6 minutes - 9.39 MB

A galaxy without dark matter has come to light in the constellation Perseus. Find out why this poses a puzzle for astronomers and challenges cosmology’s explanation of how our universe began. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

CREATIVE PEOPLE MORE ENGAGED DURING IDLE TIME

July 18, 2023 00:11 - 6 minutes - 8.51 MB

Creative people enjoy their idle time, and it’s often when fresh ideas inspire them. Find out how a new study shows we need to find time to relax with our thoughts in this hectic, digital age. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

ANIMAL ORIGINS REVEALED BY RETHINKING FOSSIL RECORD

July 17, 2023 23:48 - 6 minutes - 9.29 MB

Animal origins have puzzled biologists ever since Darwin documented the process of natural selection. Find out how a new study of how fossils form helps scientists establish when animal life first arose on Earth. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

EUCLID SPACE TELESCOPE WILL EXPLORE DARK ENERGY

July 17, 2023 22:19 - 7 minutes - 6.6 MB

The Euclid Space Telescope’s mission is to explore the composition and evolution of dark energy. Find out how its observations of over a billion galaxies aim to solve what scientists call cosmology’s greatest mystery. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

GENIUS: IS IT REAL? WHAT IS IT?

July 17, 2023 21:45 - 7 minutes - 6.56 MB

Genius is an idea that humanity has accepted since the dawn of civilization. Find out why some scholars question the validity and value of the concept, with some even viewing it as a potential danger for society. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

ANTHROPOCENE REPRESENTED BY MILTON ONTARIO’S CRAWFORD LAKE

July 16, 2023 00:09 - 6 minutes - 8.54 MB

“Anthropocene epoch” is the term for a proposed geological era to represent the influence modern humanity has on our planet. Find out why a picturesque lake near Milton, Ontario is the chosen site to represent this new epoch. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Wildfire Season in Canada and Climate Change

June 10, 2023 23:52 - 5 minutes - 5.27 MB

Wildfire season in Canada runs every year from May through October. Find out why climate change is making this year’s forest fires the most intense and destructive ever recorded. Also available as a text blog at daretoknow.ca/2023/06/10/wildfire-season-in-canada-and-climate-change/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Dying Brains May Experience Surge of Consciousness

May 30, 2023 22:10 - 5 minutes - 8.17 MB

Dying brains of some animals and humans show some remarkable brain wave activity. Find out why researchers want to find out  if these readings indicate some form of near death experience or hidden consciousness connected to the end of life. Also available as a text blob at http://daretoknow.ca/2023/05/27/dying-brains-may-experience-surge-of-consciousness/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Dying Patients May Experience Surge of Consciousness

May 30, 2023 21:04 - 5 minutes - 8.2 MB

Dying brains of some animals and humans show some remarkable brain wave activity. Find out why researchers want to find out  if these readings indicate some form of near death experience or hidden consciousness connected to the end of life. Also available as a text blog at http://daretoknow.ca/2023/05/27/dying-brains-may-experience-surge-of-consciousness/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Environmental DNA Poses Scientific and Ethical Dilemmas

May 21, 2023 17:38 - 6 minutes - 9.56 MB

Environmental DNA (eDNA) comes from the traces of genetic material organisms shed as they go about their lives. Find out how our ability to analyze human eDNA samples is a mixed blessing for the fields of ecology and forensics. Also available as a blog at http://daretoknow.ca/2023/05/20/environmental-dna-poses-scientific-and-ethical-dilemmas/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

MARS EXPLORATION NEWS: A MONTH OF DISCOVERY

May 13, 2023 15:13 - 6 minutes - 2.97 MB

Mars exploration was in the headlines for several reasons during the month of April. Find out the latest exploits of NASA’s Ingenuity, Curiosity and Insight rover missions on the Red Planet. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Brain Scans Enable Scientists to Read Minds 

May 09, 2023 00:15 - 7 minutes - 2.56 MB

Brain scans from a recent study enabled scientists to decode what people were thinking. Find out how the researchers used artificial intelligence to read minds, and how this new technology might help people who can’t speak or even change how we all communicate. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2023/05/08/brain-scans-enable-scientists-to-read-minds/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Quasar Origins Explained by Studying Distant Galaxies

April 29, 2023 23:11 - 5 minutes - 1.89 MB

Quasar origins have been a mystery to astrophysicists since they discovered these quasi-stellar radio sources sixty years ago. Find out how a team of researchers discovered that quasars ignite when galaxies collide. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2023/04/29/quasar-origins-explained-by-studying-distant-galaxies/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Dismal Progress Reports Cause Earth Day Frustrations

April 22, 2023 22:49 - 5 minutes - 1.99 MB

Dismal progress reports from Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development and the UN Secretary-General tarnished Earth Day festivities this year. Find out why the status of climate change and mass extinctions is nothing to celebrate. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2023/04/22/dismal-progress-reports-cause-earth-day-frustrations/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message

Amnesty International – State of World’s Human Rights

April 15, 2023 21:25 - 5 minutes - 1.92 MB

Amnesty International has just released its annual report on the state of the world’s human rights. Find out how it assesses human rights in 156 countries, including Canada.  This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2023/04/15/amnesty-international-state-of-worlds-human-rights/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-morton-rintoul/message