Latest from Amanda Buckiewicz
Q&A
This spider scientist wants us to appreciate the world's 8-legged wonders
They scuba dive, they fly through the air, they can solve puzzles. Spiders don't deserve all the hate, says Australian scientist James O'Hanlon — and in his new book, he makes the case for us to love and appreciate these eight-legged wonders.
Q&A
Nobel Prize winner hopes his discovery can help fight disease and even detect alien life
Gary Ruvkun says microRNA, which are molecules that control how genes form our cells, could be the key to improving how humans fight diseases, and finding extraterrestrial signs of life.
The 'godfather' of microplastics research says we need to move faster to solve our plastic problem
A new study by the scientist who discovered microplastics is looking back on 20 years of research and looking forward to what we need to solve the problem, once and for all.
OVERHEATED: A Quirks & Quarks Special — Audio and Transcript
The methods and materials we use to build our urban landscapes capture and amplify heat. In a warming world, we’re going to have to learn to do things differently.
Q&A
How failure helps this theoretical physicist grasp the mysteries of gravity
In a new book, theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham details her life mission to poke and prod at gravity’s limits by diving deep in the Indian Ocean, soaring over waterfalls in an airplane, applying to become an astronaut, and through her work in theoretical physics.
Killer whales are ramming boats for fun, scientists say. A new report offers ways to protect mariners
The consensus among an international group of killer whale experts is that these whales are just playing a game and having fun, and the best way to avoid an attack is to keep on moving.
Wild 'superpigs' from Canada could soon invade some U.S. states, study suggests
Destructive and invasive wild pigs are a problem in the southern United States, with an estimated six million pigs in at least 35 states. Population numbers in Canada are unknown, but scientists working to document their range say that they are expanding.
Q&A
An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet
In a new book, Indigenous ecologist Jennifer Grenz talks about how a moment of "ecological angst" led her to incorporate more of her Indigenous worldview into her traditional Western science work.
Q&A
COVID infections are causing drops in IQ and years of brain aging, studies suggest
Researchers are trying to understand the profound effects of COVID-19 on the brain, looking at how it disrupts the blood-brain barrier, how it affects brain volume, and showing that even a mild case of COVID can lead to the equivalent of seven years of brain aging.
All eyes are on the future of fresh water after a winter of record heat
From mountaintops to deep underground, researchers are monitoring how the world’s freshwater supply is being hit hard by climate change and direct human pressures — and they're also learning what we need to change in order to protect this vital resource before it's too late.