(S02E08) Justin and Darci discuss the latest COVID research into babies, AI and 'common humanity', as well as some kids' science stories that share a nautical theme (cuttlefish, sea slugs, surfboards, pirates). Plus ...bee butts?   

NB: It is not legal to sell breast milk in Australia.   

Support Neptune Today on Patreon: https://patreon.com/neptunetoday   Paypal: https://paypal.me/neptunetoday    

COVID stories in this episode:   

1. University of Washington, "Helpful behavior during pandemic tied to recognizing common humanity." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/uow-hbd031021.php     

2. Johns Hopkins Medicine, "Dynamic Tool Accurately Predicts Risk of COVID-19 Progressing to Severe Disease or Death." https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/covid-19-story-tip-dynamic-tool-accurately-predicts-risk-of-covid-19-progressing-to-severe-disease-or-death    

3. University of Cambridge, "Use of AI to fight COVID-19 risks harming 'disadvantaged groups', experts warn." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/uoc-uoa031521.php   

4. University of Rochester, "Breast feeding mothers do not transfer COVID through milk: A recent study shows evidence that breast milk does not transfer COVID, but does produce COVID-fighting antibodies." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/uorm-bfm031021.php    

5. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, "Vulnerable newborns being separated from their mothers in COVID-19 pandemic: Healthcare workers caring for world's small and sick newborns are stressed by fear for their own health, lack of PPE and resources including oxygen." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/lsoh-vnb031521.php    

Other stories in this episode:   

1. Science Daily, "Fast-learning cuttlefish pass the 'marshmallow test': Cuttlefish can delay gratification, and those that can wait longest also do better in a learning test, scientists have discovered." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210302212001.htm    

2. Science News, "Bee larvae drum with their butts, which may confuse predatory wasps: The grub-like larvae use calluses to tap their cocoons in a curious chorus inside a plant stem."https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bee-larva-drum-butts-percussion-wasp-biology   

3. ABC News, "'Nudi nerds' turn out for annual sea-slug count and find a blaze of underwater colour." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-14/nudi-nerds-turn-out-for-sea-slug-census-in-exmouth/13224974     

4. ABC News, "Lost surfboard found after 4 years and 2,700km journey." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-15/surfboard-found-after-16-months-at-sea/13248454   

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.