Dare to Know
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
‘Black Widow’ Binary Star Found – Shortest Orbit Ever
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Black widow binary stars consist of a neutron star consuming a nearby companion star. Find out how scientists used a new technique to find one of thes...
Diet-Size Relationship in Animals Disturbed by Humans
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The diet-size relationship is a universal principle in the animal kingdom that dates back millions of years. Find out how human activity is disturbing...
UN Human Rights Council Condemns Fake News and Hate Speech
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The UN Human Rights Council adopted a plan of action to combat disinformation last week. Find out why disinformation is more than just a nuisance, it'...
Hubble Telescope Finds Most Distant Star Ever Seen
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Hubble Telescope has just located a star that's 12.9 billion light-years away. Find out why this discovery offers new insights into how our Univer...
Belief in Evolution Promotes Tolerance
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Belief in evolution makes us more tolerant of those who seem different from ourselves. Find out how a new study confirms this and encourages teaching ...
Male Dolphins Use Wingmen to Find Mates
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Male dolphins are healthier and live longer when they have a network of male friends. Find out how a new study revealed that this popularity also make...
Webb Telescope Optics Meet Expectations
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The James Webb Space Telescope team has announced that they've completed a key stage in deploying its primary mirror. Find out why NASA now confirms t...
Planet with Two Suns Detected by Ground-Based Telescope
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/02/27/planet-with-two-suns-detected-by-ground-based-telescope/
Co-Worker Support Drives Employee Creativity
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/02/20/co-worker-support-drives-employee-creativity/
Invasive Plants Cause More Problems with Climate Change
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/02/13/invasive-plants-cause-more-problems-with-climate-change/
Moons May Guide Us to Life on Other Planets
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/02/04/moons-may-guide-us-to-life-on-other-planets/
Sleep Problems Threaten Nurses’ Mental Health
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/01/31/sleep-problems-threaten-nurses-mental-health/
Truth and Reconciliation Day – “There Is No Try”
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2021/09/30/truth-and-reconciliation-day-there-is-no-try/
Warmest Eight Years on Record
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/01/22/warmest-eight-years-ever/
James Webb Space Telescope Unfolds Its Mirror
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/01/09/james-webb-space-telescope-unfolds-its-mirror/
Language Skills: How Do We Get Them?
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2021/09/26/language-skills-how-do-we-get-them/
Coral Reefs Need Reforestation to Stop Sediment Run-Off
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2021/09/18/coral-reefs-need-reforestation-to-stop-sediment-run-off/
Exotic Fourth State of Matter on the Sun
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2019/05/27/exotic-fourth-state-of-matter-on-the-sun/
IPCC Climate Change Report Upstaged by Ukraine
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://daretoknow.ca/2022/03/06/ipcc-climate-change-report-upstaged-by-ukraine/
Langmansoren Woman Brought to Life After 4,000 Years
13 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Langmansoren Woman lived 4,000 years ago in Northeastern Sweden. Find out how an archeological artist has reconstructed her face and forged a huma...
Planet Formation Clarified by Young Star System
22 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
PLANET FORMATION CLARIFIED BY YOUNG STAR SYSTEM Planet formation remains one of the mysteries of astrophysics. Find out how a new study sheds lig...
Cosmic Queries – A Review
22 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COSMIC QUERIES – A REVIEW Cosmic Queries is a new book written by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and James Trefil and published by National Geographic. Fi...
Grizzly Bear DNA Matches Indigenous Human Languages
22 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
GRIZZLY BEAR DNA MATCHES INDIGENOUS HUMAN LANGUAGES Grizzly bears and humans have very similar needs in terms of diet and habitat. Find out about...
Hubble Tension May Be Loosening
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hubble tension is the difference in results that scientists get when they try to measure the rate at which our Universe expands. Find out how a new st...
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History – A Review
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Sixth Extinction’ by Elizabeth Kolbert is a Pulitzer Prize winning overview of past and present mass extinctions. Discover why many scientists b...
Bird Evolution Can Be Surprisingly Fast
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bird evolution has helped scientists understand how natural selection works since the time of Darwin. Find out how a species of birds in Indonesia dem...
Mars Helicopter ‘Ingenuity’ Takes Flight
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Mars Helicopter Ingenuity made the first powered, controlled flight on another planet today. Discover the challenges the flight overcame...
Brain Cells Have Mysterious Self-Organizing Ability
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brain cells have both excitatory and inhibitory roles in transmitting neural signals. Discover how they can adapt within those roles and what that cou...
Lightning Strikes Vital to Origin of Life
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lightning strikes have played a part in theories on the origin of life since Darwin. Discover how a new study sheds more light on the role of lightnin...
Dark Energy: Dark Matter Magnetism?
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dark energy is a hypothetical force that scientists rely on to explain why the Universe expands at an accelerating rate. Discover how a new theory cha...
Origins: Cosmos, Earth and Mankind – A Review
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'Origins: Cosmos, Earth and Mankind’ is a classic work in the Big History movement. Discover how it outlines the evolution of the Universe and its m...
Copper Culture in North America is Older than We Thought
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The “copper culture” lived near the Great Lakes and was among the world’s first peoples to forge metals. Discover why their culture moved on and...
Lifeless Matter Needs Destruction to Evolve
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lifeless matter could only have evolved into self-replicating molecules by growing more complex. Discover how destruction might make this counterintui...
Big Bang Afterglow Showing How Galaxies Form
20 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Big Bang Afterglow is known as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Discover how combining CMB data with galactic observations is unlocking the ...
Subjective Memories Drive Our Decision-Making
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Subjective memories are those vivid, emotional impressions we relive when recalling a past experience. Find out how they affect our decision-making an...
Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Reductions Go Together
13 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Air pollution has a cooling effect on the atmosphere, while greenhouse gases cause global warming. Find out why both emission types must be cut in com...
Universe’s Expansion Rate Still Hard to Pin Down
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Universe’s expansion rate, the Hubble constant, is vital to understanding the Cosmos’ origin and fate. Find out how the latest technique for m...
The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science – A Review
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Canon is a playful book aimed at teaching adults basic science. Find out why the author felt readers needed this book and how it makes science fun...
Carbon Taxes Are the Best Way to Fight Climate Change
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carbon taxes aren’t terribly popular in some circles, but they work. Find out what a new study found about the results of putting a price on carbon ...
Bow and Arrow Technology and Culture
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The bow and arrow is an ancient technology, and it takes great skill to make a bow. Find out what researchers discovered from interviews with expert b...
Gravitomagnetism: Does It Explain Away Dark Matter?
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gravitomagnetism is the energy created by spinning objects in the fabric of spacetime. Find out why it may explain away the mysterious Dark Matter for...
‘The Sacred and the Profane’ – A Review
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'The Sacred and the Profane' is a classic book on the history of religion. Find out how it reveals the Universe, Nature and Humanity as our connection...
Indigenous Rights Debated While First Nations Lack Safe Water
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Indigenous rights were the subject of new legislation in Canada’s parliament. Find out why practical steps to provide safe drinking water mean more ...
‘Making Peace with Nature’ Report Offers Sustainable Blueprint
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
‘Making Peace with Nature’ is the title of a new report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Find out how it lays out a blueprint f...
Mars Makes News Three Times This Week
20 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mars was made the news three times this week as three countries arrived there within days of each other. Find out the objectives of each mission and t...
The View from the Centre of the Universe – The New Story Retold
20 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The View From the Centre of the Universe is part of a sub-genre of interpretations of Thomas Berry’s essay, The New Story. Find out why the authors ...
Alcoholism’s Brain Pathway Located By MRI Scans
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Alcoholism is a widespread yet poorly understood disease. Find out how a new study locates its roots in the brain and may lead to better treatment. T...
Food Waste Caused By Picky Consumers
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Food waste is getting out of hand as consumers reject items with minor imperfections. Find out what’s behind our food choices and how we can improve...
Square Kilometre Array Will Be World’s Largest Radio Telescope
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Square Kilometre Array Observatory has received international approval. Find out why this megaproject signals an inspiring new era in global astro...
Human Tolerance Evolved from Living in Harsh Conditions
06 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Human tolerance sets us apart from other animals. Find out how a computer simulation shows that harsh conditions drove our ancestors’ self-domestica...
Animal Movement Disruptions Threaten Biodiversity
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Animal movement changes are the result of human disruption of ecosystems. Find out why these changes pose a threat to species survival and to global b...
Last Journey Simulation Follows Matter Through Universe
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Last Journey Simulation used Mira, one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, to model how mass flows through our Universe. Find out how i...
Tidal Dwarf Galaxy Reveals Clues About Star Formation
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tidal dwarf galaxy has been the target of an international research team. Find out how their discoveries challenge what we thought we knew about how...
Trees and Plants Losing Capacity to Stop Climate Change
19 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change. Find out why a new study concludes that this C02 fertilization effect is getting we...
Radio Signals Detected From Planet Beyond Solar System
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Radio signals from an exoplanet have been detected by a team of radio astronomers. Find out how this discovery contributes to the search for life beyo...
The Origins of Totalitarianism – A Human Rights Day Book Review
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
International Human Rights Day is the perfect time to review a classic book. Find out why The Origins of Totalitarianism is rated one of the top non-f...
Patience: Where It Comes From and Why
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Patience seems to be universally valued as a virtue. Find out how a new study sheds light on how our brains regulate our capacity to delay instant gra...
World Soil Day Celebrates Healthy, Food Secure Future
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
World Soil Day celebrates the value of healthy soil. Find out what a new soil biodiversity report found on soil’s place in a sustainable future. Th...
Fast Radio Burst Puzzle Solved by Using Four Telescopes
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fast radio bursts have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in 2007. Find out how scientists have revealed their origin and their variability. T...
Net-Zero Emissions Bill Breaks Trudeau’s Climate Pledge
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Net-Zero Emissions is the stated goal of a bill tabled this week in Ottawa. Find out why opposition parties are calling it an empty shell. This episo...
Dogmatic People Are Less Likely to Check Their Facts
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dogmatic people pose a problem. They resist ideas, and divide groups. Find out why eliminating dogmatism is more challenging than you might think. Th...
Arecibo Observatory Decommissioned After Second Cable Breaks
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Arecibo Observatory was already damaged when a main cable snapped. Find out why this closed the facility for good and what the plan is now. This ...
Refugee Resettlement Hits Twenty Year Low
21 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Refugee resettlement worldwide hit a twenty year low due to the pandemic. Find out why the UN says this has to change by the end of the year. This ep...
Wolves and Beavers are Vital to Ecosystems
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wolves and beavers interact throughout North America. Find out how their relationship has a profound impact on wetland habitats. This episode is also...
Water on Mars: Where Does It All Go?
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Water on Mars has been escaping for at least a billion years. Find out how NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has shed new light on why this happens. This epi...
Beautiful Food Seems Healthier, Even When It’s Not
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beautiful food images are imposed on us everywhere. Find out what researchers at USC recommend to avoid making poor food choices as a result. This ep...
Remembrance Day: A Day of Pride or Sorrow?
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Remembrance Day was oddly sunny and warm this year. I reflect on the history of Armistice Day and what it means for us a century later. This episode ...