Curiosity Daily Podcast: Venus Flytraps Store Short-Term “Memories”

Learn about how scientists discovered that Venus flytraps can store short-term “memories,” why you shouldn't use real-time updates when waiting for the bus, and how epigenetics can make your DNA change within your lifetime.

November 23, 2020

Episode Show Notes:

Venus flytraps store short-term ‘memories’ in their hairs by Grant Currin

Segarra, C. (2020, October 14). How Venus flytraps store short-term ‘memories’ of prey. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/how-venus-flytraps-store-short-term-memories-prey
Suda, H., Mano, H., Toyota, M., Fukushima, K., Mimura, T., Tsutsui, I., Hedrich, R., Tamada, Y., & Hasebe, M. (2020). Calcium dynamics during trap closure visualized in transgenic Venus flytrap. Nature Plants, 6(10), 1219–1224. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-00773
Platt, J. R. (2015, January 22). Venus Flytraps Risk Extinction in the Wild at the Hands of Poachers. Scientific American Blog Network. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/venus-flytraps-risk-extinction-in-the-wild-at-the-hands-of-poachers/

Waiting for the bus? Science says you shouldn't use real-time updates by Kelsey Donk

Want to wait less at the bus stop? Beware real-time updates. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/osu-wtw101220.php
Liu, L., & Miller, H. J. (2020). Does real-time transit information reduce waiting time? An empirical analysis. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 141, 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.09.014

With Epigenetics, Your DNA Can Change Within Your Lifetime by Ashley Hamer

Cath Ennis. (2014, April 25). Epigenetics 101: a beginner’s guide to explaining everything | Cath Ennis. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/apr/25/epigenetics-beginners-guide-to-everything
Rönn, T., Volkov, P., Davegårdh, C., Dayeh, T., Hall, E., Olsson, A. H., Nilsson, E., Tornberg, Å., Dekker Nitert, M., Eriksson, K.-F., Jones, H. A., Groop, L., & Ling, C. (2013). A Six Months Exercise Intervention Influences the Genome-wide DNA Methylation Pattern in Human Adipose Tissue. PLoS Genetics, 9(6), e1003572. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003572
Singh, S., & Li, S. S.-L. (2012). Epigenetic Effects of Environmental Chemicals Bisphenol A and Phthalates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 13(8), 10143–10153. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms130810143
Suderman, M., Borghol, N., Pappas, J. J., Pinto Pereira, S. M., Pembrey, M., Hertzman, C., Power, C., & Szyf, M. (2014). Childhood abuse is associated with methylation of multiple loci in adult DNA. BMC Medical Genomics, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1755-8794-7-13
‌Eriksen, K. G., Radford, E. J., Silver, M. J., Fulford, A. J. C., Wegmüller, R., & Prentice, A. M. (2017). Influence of intergenerational in utero parental energy and nutrient restriction on offspring growth in rural Gambia. The FASEB Journal, 31(11), 4928–4934. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201700017r
Kaati, G., Bygren, L., & Edvinsson, S. (2002). Cardiovascular and diabetes mortality determined by nutrition during parents’ and grandparents’ slow growth period. European Journal of Human Genetics, 10(11), 682–688. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200859
Berezow, A. (2014, April 16). End the Hype over Epigenetics & Lamarckian Evolution. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/think-tank/end-the-hype-over-epigenetics-lamarckian-evolution

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