A 2007 survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that nearly 60% of American households have at least one pet, and nearly two-thirds of pet owners had more than one. That’s a lot of dogs, cats, turtles, birds, hamsters and iguanas. On today’s episode we turn our scientific lens to the relationship between humans and their furry friends. We start off with the reason many people avoid pets: allergies. Next, we investigate claims of cancer-sniffing animals. Producer Jori Lewis wraps things up with a feature on her search for a pet-friendly way to rid her Brooklyn apartment of New York’s unwelcome houseguests: cockroaches. Chemical Agent: Histamines.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
00:51 Chemical Agent: Histamines
03:04 Mystery Solved! Cancer-sniffing Dogs
05:45 Feature: Pet-friendly Extermination Methods
10:11 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Jennifer Dionisio.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes  ”furball kitty sneezer,” by Edgar Malaran, “Walking the dogg,” by 37HZ, “The Dog Song,” by Little Thom, and “Bugs,” by the Detonators.

This week’s image “Rioghan the Search Dog,” uploaded to Flickr by SARhounds.

Plants are not the silent, stationary creatures we imagine them to be. They drift, stretch, and dance in search of nutrients, water, and sunlight. Inspired by sLowlife, a dynamic multimedia exhibit now on display in the Clifford C. Hach Gallery at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, today’s show looks at the chemistry behind plant growth and movement. We’ll also talk with Amy Stewart, bestselling author of Flower Confidential: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful. Her new book, Wicked Plants: A Book of Botanical Atrocities, will be published May 5. Chemical Agent: Photosynthesis.

sLowlife will be at CHF through December 2009. Admission is free. For hours and visitor information, click here.

Listen now (streaming file)
Download (10.8 MB MP3 file)

Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:00 Chemical Agent: Photosynthesis
03:02 A conversation with Amy Stewart
08:19 Mystery Solved! Tropisms
11:10 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Audra Wolfe.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes  ”I Grow My Flowers for You,” by Melou, and  ”Wild Flower,” by The Serotonin Anvil.

This week’s image is from sLowlife.  sLowlife is a collaborative project of the United States Botanical Garden, the Chicago Botanical Garden, and Roger Hangarter, Indiana University. Additional support was provided by Indiana University, the National Science Foundation, and the American Society of Plant Biologists.