Episodes
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
WSS S5E8: Start Your Engines: The F1 of Bird Migration
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Dr. Chris Guglielmo studies the process of migration in birds. However, while most researchers heavily focus on the flight, Chris focuses on the pit stops. Those pivotal breaks between long flights where birds are against the clock, in desperate need of a refuel. His research reveals birds as a dexterous athlete, capable of overcoming environmental and biological adversity. Chris joined the show to detail how migration is more like a prime-time sport than you think.
Thursday Aug 22, 2019
WSS S4E1: Spreading Avian Malaria in the Tropics: The Middleman Mosquito
Thursday Aug 22, 2019
Thursday Aug 22, 2019
Malaria is a serious disease that threatens human life. This illness, however, is not unique to us and understanding how it effects and is transmitted among other species can be important for controlling it among our own populations. On this episode of Western Science Speaks, our guest, Leticia de Souza Soares from the Department of Biology, talks about how birds specifically pass Malaria to one another through a middleman; the infamous mosquito.
Thursday Nov 22, 2018
WSS S3E6: Parasitism: The Most Popular Lifestyle Choice on Earth
Thursday Nov 22, 2018
Thursday Nov 22, 2018
With a population in the millions of trillions, Parasites are able to evolve at a faster pace than just about anything on Earth. Through this extreme and rapid evolution, parasites are able to come up with increasingly innovative ways to attach to a host species; whether it be in the sky, or down on the ground. Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, a professor at the Western faculty of Biology, studies the way in which parasites evolve in order to find hosts. She brings her expertise to the Western Science Speaks Podcast to explain how parasitism became the most popular lifestyle choice on Earth.
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
WSS S2E1: Bird Survival in a Changing Climate
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
Western Science Speaks takes a tour of the Advanced Facility for Avian Research. This cutting-edge research facility has it's own wind tunnel and is able to simulate almost any environmental condition. We talk with Jeff Martin who's looking how climate change is affecting birds in Canada.