SoT 314 - Sensitive New Age Gorillas
Channel: Science on Top
Date: 2018-11-15

SoT 314 - Sensitive New Age Gorillas
https://scienceontop.com/314

It's an old computer trick, but a gyroscope on the Hubble Space Telescope has been fixed - with a shake and a reboot. 
The tiny worms in dung beetle brood sacks - which are sexually transmitted - are beneficial for the beetle larvae. 
Polychlorinated biphenyls - better known as PCBs - are industrial chemicals that have been banned in most countries for decades. But their legacy remains and has dramatic consequences for orcas and other marine mammals. 
Humpback whales go quiet, and sometimes even silent, when large boats are around. 
Why do male gorillas seem to enjoy babysitting so much? One possibility is that females choose good carers to mate with.

To help us make the show, please consider donating at https://scienceontop.com/donate

This episode contains traces of Michael J. Fox talking to Alan Alda on the Clear and Vivid podcast.

https://scienceontop.com/314

Chapters:
00:01:11 Hubble telescope fixed by 'jiggling it around' https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/oct/26/hubble-telescope-fixed-by-jiggling-it-around
00:08:22 What a Beetle's Genital Worms Reveal About the Concept of Individuality https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/10/dung-beetles-sexually-transmitted-worms/571804/
00:14:33 The Lingering Curse That's Killing Killer Whales https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/09/pcbs-are-killing-killer-whales/571474/
00:23:38 A Ubiquitous Noise Is Silencing Whale Songs in Japanese Seas https://www.inverse.com/article/50154-humpback-whale-song-silence
00:24:37 Male Gorillas Love Hanging Around With Infants https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/10/male-gorillas-love-hanging-around-infants/572947/
00:31:51 Science on Top https://scienceontop.com