What happened ‘This Week in Science’??? It’s all about the TOP 11 science stories of 2021! Find out what TWIS thinks were the most interesting science news stories from the past year!

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[For Story Links, please see our TWIS website for show notes — https://www.twis.org/29-december-2021-episode-856-the-top-science-news-of-2021/.]

(0:00) – Recording Start
(1:35) – Intro, Dr. Kiki
(2:00) – Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer! – Justin
(3:47) – Opening Theme Music, Dr. Kiki (after a false start)
(4:20) – Opening “Good Science!” Greetings – with Dr. Kiki, Blair & Justin. Intros & Top Story Headlines.

(10:19) – While waiting for Justin’s technical difficulties to resolve, Dr. Kiki & Blair discuss the new CDC changes to quarantine, isolation advice this week that took local health officials by surprise.

(17:11) – LET’S START THE TOP 11 SCIENCE STORIES FOR 2021 LIST —

(17:15) – Number 11: ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE, incl. eavesdropping monkeys, cuttlefish vs. marshmallow test, cockatoos’ tools & orangutan art
(25:06) – Number 10: CLONING, incl. cloned ferrets & Justin’s favorite, wooly mammoths
(32:27) – Number 9: XENOBOTS, incl. reproducing bio-bots
(36:56) – Number 8: REGENERATION, incl. decapitated slugs, blind patients being given partial sight & chopped up chordates
(43:02) – Number 7: SYNTHETIC BIO, incl. mouse embryos in jars, Irish tear ducts, self-replicating synthetic cells and more
(56:40) – Number 6: AI PROTEIN FOLDING, incl. Open Source AI for determining protein structure, Alpha Fold and more

(1:03:35) – Do tell friends about TWIS and have them listen & subscribe!
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…More minions, please!
Also: TWIS 2022 CALENDARS ARE NOW ON SALE!! — with art by Blair! Go to https://twis.org and click on the calendar frog pic in the top right!

MORE TOP 11 COUNTDOWN —

(1:03:49) – Number 5: MARS, incl. the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover mission, rocks it has found (or thought it lost) and water on Mars
(1:08:51) – Number 4: SPACE EXPLORATION, incl. the Parker Solar Probe, the asteroid colliding DART mission, the JWST launch & its unfortunate name and privatized space launches
(1:21:18) – Number 3: CLIMATE CHANGE, incl. worsening allergies, failing food webs, infertility, sea level rise, and, unfortunately, more
(1:29:29) – Number 2: HOMONID HISTORY, incl. oldest symbols ever, mysterious Denisovans, the “dragon man” and more
(1:43:33) – Number 1: VACCINES, incl. not just for Covid-19 mRNA, but malaria and MS also

(1:49:46) – And we’re at the break! Get a TWIS 2022 Calendar, and also, become a TWIS Producer! Please support us through Patreon — https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinscience/.

(1:49:58) – And we’re back! — BLAIR’S HONORABLE MENTIONS & JUST WEIRD 2021 SCIENCE

(1:50:12) – 1st preserved dinosaur butthole is “perfect” and “unique”
(1:51:16) – Little kids burn so much energy, they’re like a different species
(1:51:50) – On nights before a full moon, people go to bed later & sleep less

DR. KIKI’S JUST PLAIN WEIRD SCIENCE —

(1:53:03) – Toilet training cows to combat climate change
(1:54:03) – Worm-milk for worm young
(1:54:38) – Googly-eyed seabird deterrents
(1:55:44) – A talking duck?
(1:56:09) – Instant social bonds for implanted mice
(1:56:54) – WEIRD SCIENCE THAT REALLY WASN’T — UFO’s, and numerous purported COVID-19 treatments

Have a Science Question or question on a current or recent Science news story? Send ’em to our TWIS User Questions? – kirsten@thisweekinscience.com, @TWIScience on Twitter & Instagram, or http://facebook.com/ThisWeekinScience.

(2:06:16) – Show wrap-up (in which Justin depresses everybody)

(2:07:26) – Thank you’s to our Patreon Sponsors

(2:08:47) – NEXT WEEK: We Kick Off 2022 with our Science Predictions for 2022 Show! Be there!

(2:11:42) – End Theme

And that’s all, folks! Except, we still have…

(2:13:03) – The After Show! – Fireworks are goin’ off — HAPPY NEW YEAR! Are we celebrating? This is the exciting part of the show where Blair gets to sit. Justin drops an end of show depression bomb. And much, much more…

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