Cane toads, courtship and Quinn episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 2, 2015

Cane toads, courtship and Quinn

from Lost in Science

The cane toad, Bufo marinus, is arguably the most hated pest in Australia (although some argue for the Common Myna), but how did it get here? Find out how it was introduced as a misguided attempt at a biological control, and why that went horribly wrong.To balance them out with some more attractive animals—or at least, animals trying to be attractive—we take a look at some bizarre courtship displays, such as those of the satin bowerbird, the Adélie penguin, Anna's hummingbird, the kakapo (although they sometimes prefer zoologists), the marine flatworm and the giraffe. Um, NSFW, I guess.Finally, we talk about the life and work of Helen Quinn, possibly the most important theoretical particle physicist to come out of Australia, and whose theories may be the solution to dark matter.

The cane toad, Bufo marinus, is arguably the most hated pest in Australia (although some argue for the Common Myna), but how did it get here? Find out how it was introduced as a misguided attempt at a biological control, and why that went horribly wrong.To balance them out with some more attractive animals—or at least, animals trying to be attractive—we take a look at some bizarre courtship displays, such as those of the satin bowerbird, the Adélie penguin, Anna's hummingbird, the kakapo (although they sometimes prefer zoologists), the marine flatworm and the giraffe. Um, NSFW, I guess.Finally, we talk about the life and work of Helen Quinn, possibly the most important theoretical particle physicist to come out of Australia, and whose theories may be the solution to dark matter.

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This episode was published on September 2, 2015.

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The cane toad, Bufo marinus, is arguably the most hated pest in Australia (although some argue for the Common Myna), but how did it get here? Find out how it was introduced as a misguided attempt at a biological control, and why that went horribly...

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