Why trees are making extra nuts this year, human genetics and viral infections, and a seminal book on racism and identity

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 25 November 2021

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Have you noticed the trees around you lately—maybe they seem extra nutty? It turns out this is a “masting” year, when trees make more nuts, seeds, and pinecones than usual. Science Staff Writer Elizabeth Pennisi joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the many mysteries of masting years. Next, Producer Meagan Cantwell talks with Jean-Laurent Casanova, a professor at Rockefeller University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, about his review article on why some people are more vulnerable to severe disease from viral infections. This is part of a special issue on inflammation in Science. Finally, in this month’s book segment on race and science, host Angela Saini talks with author Beverly Daniel Tatum about her seminal 2003 book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. [Image: LensOfDan/Flickr; Music: Jeffrey Cook] [Alt text: Pile of acorns] Authors: Sarah Crespi; Meagan Cantwell; Angela Saini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Introducing Peak Scientific. With over 25 years of expertise, Peak leads the industry in providing
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0:13.2	groundbreaking research or pushing the boundaries of science, trust Peak Scientific to supply
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0:31.4	Visit peak scientific.com and quote science podcast to receive special offers.
0:37.2	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,
0:41.4	one of America's leading research medical schools.
0:44.8	Icon Mount Sinai is the academic arm of the eight hospital Mount Sinai health system in New York
0:50.0	City.
0:50.9	It's consistently among the top recipients of NIH funding. Researchers at Icon Mount Sinai have
0:57.2	made breakthrough discoveries in many fields vital to advancing the health of patients, including
1:02.4	cancer, COVID and long COVID, cardiology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. The Icon
1:09.8	School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we find a way.
1:18.7	This is the science podcast for November 26, 2021. I'm Sarah Cresby. Each week we bring you news
1:26.1	and research published in science and the sister journals.
1:29.9	Have you noticed anything unusual about the trees lately? Maybe they seem a little extra nutty?
1:35.7	Turns out on the east coast of the United States, it's a masting year when trees make more nuts,
1:41.5	seeds, pine cones. Everything they drop, they're dropping it. Liz Panisi is a
1:46.1	staff writer for science. In our first segment, we talk about the mystery of masting years.
1:51.0	Next, producer Megan Cantwell talks with researcher Jean-Lauren Casanova about why some people
1:56.8	are more vulnerable to severe diseases from viral infections.
	...

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