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CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks covers the quirks of the expanding universe to the quarks within a single atom... and everything in between.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Science news and curiosities • animal behavior and evolution • paleontology and ancient DNA • space/astronomy and planetary science • climate, oceans, and environmental change • human biology, health, and neuroscience • listener Q&A and science booksThis podcast is a weekly science show that ranges from the largest scales of the universe to the smallest workings of living cells, with an emphasis on explaining recent research and the questions driving it. Across these episodes, the content often centers on biology and ecology, including animal behavior, sensory abilities, communication, migration, reproduction, cognition, and predator–prey dynamics in places such as the Arctic, oceans, and major terrestrial ecosystems. It also frequently explores paleontology and ancient life, from new dinosaur and marine reptile discoveries to what fossils, preserved DNA, and unusual traces like burrows or coprolites can reveal about past environments.
Earth and environmental science is another recurring thread, covering climate-linked hazards (such as landslides, tsunamis, sea level rise, and changing ice), pollution and chemicals in ecosystems, and how nutrients cycle through landscapes and oceans. Human health and biomedical research appears through topics like immune function, brain and memory science, sleep, injury treatment, and efforts to reduce or replace animal testing.
Space and physics stories add an astrophysical dimension, including black holes, dark matter, planetary formation, lunar exploration, asteroid deflection, and the challenges of living beyond Earth. Alongside reported studies, the show regularly includes listener question segments and archival features that revisit notable scientific moments and figures, plus occasional episodes focused on science books and how science is communicated and practiced in society.
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Monkeys swallow soil to eat more junk food, and other summery science 2026-Jul-31 54 minutes |
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Using ants to make yogurt, and other producer picks 2026-Jul-24 54 minutes |
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Whales, sex and rocks — it's our book show! 2026-Jul-17 54 minutes |
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Pumas vs. penguins, and other clever carnivores 2026-Jul-10 54 minutes |
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Summer Science Spectacular 2026-Jul-03 54 minutes |
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Sweat, comets and dino milk. It’s our summer question show! 2026-Jun-26 54 minutes |
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Great white sharks in hot water, and more… 2026-Jun-19 54 minutes |
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Fossilized squirrel poop full of ancient animals, and more… 2026-Jun-12 54 minutes |
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Humans and animals love the same sounds, and more... 2026-Jun-05 54 minutes |
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A terrifying T. rex of the sea, and more… 2026-May-29 54 minutes |
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Listening in on fish grunts, and more… 2026-May-22 54 minutes |
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How dandelion seeds take flight, and more… 2026-May-15 54 minutes |
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A CN Tower-sized mega tsunami, and more… 2026-May-08 54 minutes |
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Cocaine in waterways makes salmon roam further, and more… 2026-May-01 54 minutes |
Introducing IDEAS | How a historian found the lost women of science2026-Apr-28 55 minutes |
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Seabird poop does whaaat? And more… 2026-Apr-24 54 minutes |
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Why this biologist loves unpopular animals, and more… 2026-Apr-17 54 minutes |
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Moving beyond animal testing, and more… 2026-Apr-10 54 minutes |
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What we hope to see on the far side of the moon, and more… 2026-Apr-03 54 minutes |
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Dogs have been by our side for 16,000 years, and more... 2026-Mar-27 54 minutes |
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A stinky planet full of magma, and more... 2026-Mar-20 54 minutes |
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Bonobo females bully the boys, and more… 2026-Mar-13 54 minutes |
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Filming a black hole in action, and more… 2026-Mar-06 54 minutes |
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How starfish move their tiny tube feet, and more… 2026-Feb-27 54 minutes |
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How living on Mars could change humans, and more… 2026-Feb-20 54 minutes |
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The sensitive secrets of elephant whiskers, and more… 2026-Feb-13 54 minutes |
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Belugas swap mates for survival, and more… 2026-Feb-06 54 minutes |
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Polar bears are thriving in Svalbard, and more... 2026-Jan-30 54 minutes |
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'Gifted' dogs learn from eavesdropping, and more... 2026-Jan-23 54 minutes |
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The reason chimps can reason, and more… 2026-Jan-16 54 minutes |
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New dino species in another dino's vomit, and more 2026-Jan-09 54 minutes |
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Dust? Tongues? Uranus? It’s our Holiday Question Show! 2026-Jan-02 54 minutes |
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Predictions about science in 2025, recorded 25 years ago 2025-Dec-25 54 minutes |
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Whales, sex, and rocks — it's our holiday book show! 2025-Dec-19 54 minutes |
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How Jeremy Hansen is prepping for the moon, and more… 2025-Dec-12 54 minutes |
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Cleveland’s ancient car-sized sea monster had bony fangs, and more… 2025-Dec-05 54 minutes |
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The environmental costs of nation-building, and more… 2025-Nov-28 54 minutes |
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The mystery of the drunken trees, and more… 2025-Nov-21 54 minutes |
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Making snake bites less deadly, and more… 2025-Nov-14 54 minutes |