IFLScience - The Big Questions
de IFLScience
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What Actually Is A Fossil?
What Actually Is A Fossil?
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From saving the planet to understanding ourselves, this series will see experts discuss the major topics of our times.
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Os 20 episódios mais recentes de 63
- What Actually Is A Fossil? · 55 min · Episódio 56The fossilization process makes it possible for us to study ancient life that dates back millions – even billions – of years. Like detectives piecing together clues…
- Are Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Safe? · 17 min · Episódio 55We live in an age of large language model artificial intelligence, making it possible to have lengthy conversations with a computer. These systems will discuss anything you want…
- Just How Queer Is The Natural World? · 38 min · Episódio 54Gay penguins and fish that change sex? How about birds engaging in lesbian behavior? We delve into the natural world and its often underreported queer behaviors that have…
- What's The Next Frontier In Dementia Research? · 1 h 11 min · Episódio 53Improving the detection and treatment of dementia is at the forefront of 21st-century neuroscience. As with many gnarly problems, experts are not united on how best to approach…
- How Close Are We To Talking To Animals? · 42 min · Episódio 52Do you ever wish you could talk directly to your pet? Or have the Eliza Thornberry or Dr Dolittle experience for real? Unravelling the mysteries of animal speech might be closer…
- Can AI Be Conscious? · 22 min · Episódio 51Large language models, often called artificial intelligence (AI), are everywhere nowadays. There is potential in the use of this form of AI, but also many drawbacks. Lots of…
- Are "Natural Disasters" On The Rise? · 45 min · Episódio 50As global temperatures continue to rise, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, floods, and storms are becoming more numerous, lasting longer, and affecting places that were never built…
- How Do You Name A New Species? · 32 min · Episódio 49The world of taxonomy is a puzzling one. Some species names are grand, some are funny, some are seemingly unoriginal. Others are a hat tip to Indigenous Peoples or geographical…
- Could AI find A Cure For Cancer? · 38 min · Episódio 48Amid all the recent noise around generative AI, it’s easy to overlook the fact that there are scientists across almost any field you could think of who have been using artificial…
- Should We Send Signals To Aliens? · 25 min · Episódio 47We don’t know if life exists beyond Earth. If it does, we don’t know if these lifeforms have technology like us or maybe even better. Perhaps they could detect us? Despite the…
- Can Magic Be Used As A Tool In Science? · 21 min · Episódio 46What is magic? Rabbits out of hats? Card tricks? Someone in a sparkly outfit getting sawn in half? Well, yes, but it’s also about defying expectations. To psychologist and…
- Searching For Nessie: IFLScience Takes On Cryptozoology · 35 min · Episódio 45In this bonus Halloween special episode of The Big Questions, IFLScience takes on the “mystery” of the Loch Ness Monster. Although it’s been nearly 100 years since Nessie was…
- Why Do People Believe In The Paranormal? · 41 min · Episódio 44Everyone loves a good ghost story. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, there’s something about the eerie and the uncanny that we all enjoy. But for many people, the things…
- What Is Time And How Do We Measure It? · 43 min · Episódio 43Time is everything to us: in terms of physical laws, in how we experience the world, and how society works. Still, its true nature remains beyond us. As scientists search for a…
- Is De-extinction Really Possible? · 41 min · Episódio 42De-extinction. It’s not a word many of us were thinking about just a decade ago, but it’s one that we’re getting ever more familiar with. The de-extinction company Colossal…
- Are We In The Anthropocene? · 44 min · Episódio 41In March 2024, geologists rejected the proposal that we are in a new geological era: the Anthropocene, a time dominated by human activity on the planet. And yet, the evidence of…
- What Will The Fossils Of The Future Look Like? · 35 min · Episódio 40Today’s rubbish may well be the fossils of tomorrow. Plastic bags, old pens, cheap clothing, or even chicken bones are all examples of possible “technofossils”, rapidly…
- Will We Ever Have A Universal Flu Vaccine? · 31 min · Episódio 39Lining up for your seasonal flu shot is an annual ritual, but what if it didn't have to be this way? Wouldn't it be great if we could develop a universal vaccine that could…
- How Has The Internet Changed The Way We Use Language? · 31 min · Episódio 38Language can evolve surprisingly quickly, and nothing has sped it up quite like the invention of the Internet. So, how does it affect how we communicate, not just on our devices…
- How Do Black Holes Shape The Universe? · 25 min · Episódio 37Of all the celestial bodies, none induce awe and fear in equal measure quite like black holes. They are incredible astrophysical objects and there are plenty of reasons why they…
