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Past Shows
December 6, 2008
 Download an MP3 of the entire program (22MB).
Ten Ways the World Could End
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Despite what you may think, the universe is not necessarily a friendly place. Sure, things here on Earth have been pretty stable over the past few millennia, allowing human civilization to gain a foothold. But that could change at any time. Disaster lurks everywhere, from the deepest reaches of space to the very bowels of our planet. We've recruited nine prominent Canadian scientists (and one science fiction writer) and asked them to imagine how they think the world might end. We bring you The Quirks & Quarks Guide to the End of the World -- it's cataclysmically fun!
Our top ten list of civilization-destroying events:
- 1. Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, Canada Research Chair in Observational Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, explains what will happen when the expanding sun engulfs the earth and roasts the planet.
- 2. Dr. Vicky Kaspi, a Professor of Physics at McGill University, explores the irradiating effects of a giant gamma ray burst.
- 3. Dr. Laura Ferrarese, a Senior Researcher at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Victoria, suggests that a rogue black hole may set its voracious appetite on Earth.
- 4. Dr. Peter Brown, a researcher with the Meteor Physics Group at the University of Western Ontario, tells us what will happen if a giant asteroid plunges into Earth and pulverizes us.
- 5. Dr. Richard Peltier, Director of the Centre for Global Change Science at the University of Toronto, has a chilling scenario: the earth becomes a Popsicle planet and puts a freeze on photosynthesis.
- 6. Dr. Jo-Anne Brown, an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Calgary, explains what would happen if the galactic magnetic cloud were to collapse.
- 7. Dr. Sabine Stanley, an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Toronto, says the reversal of Earth's magnetic field may cause us some trouble.
- 8. Dr. Peter Sutherland, a Professor at McMaster University's Department of Physics and Astronomy, explores what would happen if a nearby star were to go supernova.
- 9. Dr. Sarah Barnes, a Canada Research Chair in Magmatic Metallogeny at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, talks about the possibility of a gigantic super-volcano blowing us to smithereens.
- 10. Canadian SF writer Robert J. Sawyer imagines an Earth under alien invasion.
Worm Hibernation
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The nematode worm, C. elegans, has always been a favourite animal of scientists. One of its fascinating tricks is that if times are tough, it can wait them out by entering a life-extending state called dauer. In this state, the worm doesn't eat or excrete. It doesn't grow or reproduce, metabolism is reduced dramatically and in fact, even normal cell division stops. The worms can still be minimally active, and in this state, their normal two-week lifespan can be extended by up to ten times, to as much as several months. Dr Richard Roy, a professor of biology at McGill University, has been untangling the genetics of dauer and thinks it could have interesting implications for all sorts of issues in humans, including why we don't lose weight when we diet.
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Robo-Lizards
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Dr Ord's robo-lizard, courtesy T. Ord
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It ain't easy making yourself seen when you're a palm-sized Puerto Rican anole lizard. These critters live in the dense, shaded jungles and are easily camouflaged. This presents a problem because they communicate through visual signals - a series of head movements and the inflation of a yellow flap of skin on their neck. Dr. Terry Ord, an evolutionary ecologist with the University of California, Davis and Harvard University, has been trying to figure out how anole lizards grab each other's attention. With the help of an incredibly life-like robotic lizard, Dr. Ord was able to determine that anoles begin their displays with a quick series of four-legged pushups that get the attention of neighbouring lizards. Dr. Ord says it's a lot like clinking on a wine glass in a crowded room before making a toast.
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Fungus-Faced Bats
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Infected bat, courtesy Al Hicks, NY Dept of Environ. Conservation
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Bats in the northeastern United States have been dying off during their winter hibernation in unprecedented numbers in the past several years. The bats have been victims of a mysterious malady that has seen some populations reduced by more than 90%. Its spread also has Canadian authorities concerned. One of the characteristics of the problem is a white fuzz that seems to grow on the bats, but it hasn't been clear whether this was the cause of the problem, or one of its symptoms. Dr. Melissa Behr of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Dr. David Blehert, a microbiologist at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, both in Madison, Wisconsin, have identified the white fuzz as a fungus. They think infection with this fungus, which may be a foreign invader, is stressing the bats during their winter hibernation, causing them to burn up their winter reserves so they are exhausted before spring.
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Theme music bed copyright Raphaël Gluckstein. Creative Commons License by-nc-nd-2.0
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