DeepSummary
The episode begins with staff writer Eric Stockstead explaining how a new RNA-based pesticide can target crop pests like the Colorado potato beetle while leaving other organisms unharmed. This technology, originally developed for human medicine, utilizes double-stranded RNA to interfere with the pest's ability to produce vital proteins, causing it to languish and die. Compared to synthetic chemical pesticides, RNA pesticides are more environmentally friendly and can be designed to specifically target certain pests and their close relatives.
Next, freelance producer Katherine Irving discusses a study led by hydrologist Craig Brinkerhoff on the significant role of ephemeral streams in feeding major rivers across the United States. Despite being temporary and often overlooked, these streams contribute around 55% of the water flow in rivers like the Mississippi. Brinkerhoff's research highlights the potential for pollution from these unregulated streams to impact water quality downstream.
In the final segment, books host Angela Saini interviews author Rachel O'Dwyer about her book 'The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform.' They explore the increasing use of alternative forms of currency or 'tokens,' such as gift cards and airline miles, and how these tokens are often linked to individual identities. O'Dwyer discusses the potential implications of this trend, including the erosion of anonymity in financial transactions.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- A new RNA-based pesticide technology can target specific crop pests while leaving other organisms unharmed.
- Ephemeral or temporary streams play a major role in feeding major rivers in the US, contributing around 55% of flow.
- The use of alternative currencies or 'tokens' like gift cards and airline miles is increasing, often tied to individual identities.
- Tokens allow companies to bypass certain regulations by not officially employing workers or processing payments.
- Both pesticides/agricultural technology and alternative currencies have potential environmental/societal implications.
- Interdisciplinary research combining fields like genetics, hydrology, and economics is providing new insights.
- Technological advances are driving changes in areas like pest control and financial systems.
- There are concerns around erosion of anonymity and privacy as identity becomes tied to financial transactions.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Basically the first step is to map every ephemeral stream in the continuous uS. We start from this map of rivers that the US geological Survey has painstakingly built over the past two decades or something like that. And we start with a long term average model of groundwater.“ by Craig Brinkerhoff
- “What happens next is as the larvae are crawling around the leaves, munching on it, they'll also eat this rna. Once the rna molecules are inside the gut, what the cellular machinery in the beetle cell does is it spots these double stranded rna segments which have come from the spray.“ by Eric Stockstead
- “If you're not dealing with money, which you're not, these are gift balances, then you're not officially an employer and you're not officially a bank because you're not actually processing payments and you're not actually officially employing.“ by Rachel O'Dwyer
- “What we end up seeing is a really high influence from ephemeral streams in your headwaters, and then that influence decreases to a point, and then it sort of asymptotes and it just sits at, depending on the watershed, lets say 40%. It just sits at that 40% all the way to the mouth of the river system.“ by Craig Brinkerhoff
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Episode Information
Science Magazine Podcast
Science Magazine
6/27/24