Tiny Matters

• How plants shaped our world: Rising oxygen, blocky bones, and other pivotal moments in evolution

  In the summer of 2011, paleontologist and science writer Riley Black was on a mission. Walking through the Montana desert, she was on the lookout for a Tyrannosaurus rex. But that day, she wasn’t having any luck. Sitting atop a rock, she pulled out a geological hammer, sometimes called a rock pick, to dislodge a little piece and try to discern its composition. What she saw was a leaf, but upon closer inspection realized it was in fact the fossil of a leaf. As it turned out, finding it likely provided so much more information than if she had come across the dinosaur. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we explore the complex and essential relationship between plants and animals across evolution and some of the pivotal moments that allowed humans to exist and that led to the world we live in today. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Link to the Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• [BONUS] 'Night soil' recycling and could viruses be the new antibiotics?: Tiny Show and Tell Us #16

  In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we consider if bacteriophages could become our biggest allies in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Then we cover the historical role of "night soil men" and how some sewage treatment systems today are setting the standard for sustainable management of human excrement while also making sure we don't get sick. We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Can evolution go backwards?

  In 1893, Belgian paleontologist Louis Dollo suggested that evolution can’t go backwards in the exact same way that it proceeded. This became known as “Dollo’s Law,” and came under a lot of scrutiny. But, more recently, Dollo’s Law was co-opted into the idea that traits, once they gain a certain amount of complexity, can’t return to a simpler state. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we explore two exciting examples where scientists have found that not to be the case. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Link to the Tiny Show & Tell story is here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• [BONUS] Four armadillos in a trench coat and does pregnancy boost your sense of smell?: Tiny Show and Tell Us #15

  In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we cover a species of armadillo that, as it turns out, is actually four species. Then we discuss what researchers know about if pregnant people have a better sense of smell.We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• 'A cage of ovulating females': The development and testing of the oral birth control pill

  The 1940s were a pivotal time for the world. In the United States, as men went to fight in World War II, women became essential additions to the US workforce. And when the war ended, many of those women wanted to continue working. But having more children than they wanted or could care for was a huge barrier to making that a reality. When the oral birth control pill became available in 1960, it was a massive deal because it gave women control over when and if they wanted to have children. Today the pill is widely accepted, comes in a number of formulations, and is considered so safe that now you can buy it over the counter. But setting the groundwork for what we have available today took time, and experimentation. The history of the pill was also shaped by racism in an era where discrimination was not just state-sanctioned, but backed by many scientific institutions. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we cover the science and development of the oral birth control pill and, importantly, the lack of ethics in its testing, particularly in the trials that began in Puerto Rico in 1955.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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