Linguistic Laws in Nature and Fatherless Condor Chicks from Parthenogenesis
Learn about linguistic “laws” that also show up in nature; and how two California condors were born without fathers.
January 13, 2022
Linguistic “laws” like Zipf’s law of abbreviation and Menzerath’s law also show up in biology, geography, and more by Grant Currin
- Jonny Thomson. (2021, October 22). The unknown linguistic laws that apply to all life. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/life/linguistic-laws-biology/
- Semple, S., Ferrer-i-Cancho, R., & Gustison, M. L. (2021). Linguistic laws in biology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.012
Two condor chicks were born from parthenogenesis, something we’ve never seen before by Cameron Duke
- Harrison, S. (2021, October 28). California Condors Are Capable of Asexual Reproduction. Wired; WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/california-condors-are-capable-of-asexual-reproduction/
- Ryder, O. A., Thomas, S., Judson, J. M., Romanov, M. N., Dandekar, S., Papp, J. C., Sidak-Loftis, L. C., Walker, K., Stalis, I. H., Mace, M., Steiner, C. C., & Chemnick, L. G. (2021). Facultative Parthenogenesis in California Condors. Journal of Heredity. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esab052
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Conservation Scientists Report First Confirmed Hatchings of Two California Condor Chicks from Unfertilized Eggs. (2021). San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/pr/CondorParthenogenesis
- The Economist. (2021, October 30). No sex please, we’re condors. The Economist; The Economist. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/10/30/no-sex-please-were-condors
- Zhang, S. (2021, October 28). The Atlantic. The Atlantic; theatlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/10/california-condors-are-capable-virgin-birth/620517/
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Next Up
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Mystery Code of The 4,000-Year-Old Phaistos Disk, The Necrobiome, and 7 Beliefs of Emotionally Healthy People
Learn about the mysterious 4,000-year-old Phaistos disk; how the necrobiome is helping forensic scientists; and the 7 beliefs of emotionally healthy people.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Control Butterflies in Your Stomach, Numbers in Other Languages, and the Titanic’s Savior
Learn about the RMS Carpathia, the ship that came to the Titanic’s rescue the night it sank; how to control that feeling when you get butterflies in your stomach; and how numbers are written in different languages.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: EPR Paradox and Quantum Strangeness (w/ George Greenstein) and Temperatures for Sleep
Learn about why room temperature is so important for getting a good night’s sleep. Plus, learn about the EPR paradox and a famous debate from the world of quantum physics with a special guest, astrophysicist George Greenstein.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Irrational Fear of Robots; Mozart’s Epilepsy-Reducing Sonata
Robotics researcher Ruth Aylett explains why some people fear robots. Plus: how a sonata can reduce epilepsy seizures.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Limits of the Human Body May Be More Mental Than Physical
What are the limits of the human body, and how can we fully utilize them? Alex Hutchinson, award-winning journalist and author of "Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance," explains why humans are nearly always capable of pushing just a little bit harder — and how you can eke out just a little bit more effort even when you think your body's tank is empty.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Interstellar Travel, Artificial Intelligence, and Immortality with Michio Kaku
Mining asteroids, traveling on laser beams, and developing self-aware robots: science fiction or science fact? World-renowned physicist and futurist Michio Kaku says that these milestones are not only in humanity's future, but are beginning to occur right now. Dr. Kaku joins the Curiosity Podcast for a fascinating inside look at interstellar travel, artificial intelligence, human immortality, and alien contact.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Bad News About Your Wearable Sleep Tracker
Learn about which sleep trackers are actually accurate; how important closure is for a life transition; and why mirrors flip horizontally, but not vertically.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Why Is Life Based on Carbon and Not Silicon?
Learn about why life is based on carbon and not silicon, whether you should be using plastic or wood cutting boards, and how jealous feelings can help maintain friendships.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Could Parasites Turn Us into Zombies?
Learn about whether parasites can turn us into zombies, why awkward silences are so awkward, and why bubbles form in boiling water.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Time Management Can Make You Happier
Learn about why time management can make you happier; how catnip can protect your cat from mosquitoes; and 3 ways your identity could be stolen without getting your computer hacked — and how to protect yourself.