Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks covers the quirks of the expanding universe to the quarks within a single atom... and everything in between.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ science news and listener questions • animal biology and behavior • evolution and fossils • climate change and ecology • astronomy, space exploration, black holes • human health, brain, genetics • emerging technology and AIThis podcast is a wide-ranging science show that explains current research and long-running scientific questions across the natural world, human biology, Earth systems, and space. Episodes typically combine multiple short segments, moving from field studies and lab experiments to big-picture discussions of how scientific ideas develop and change.
A major thread is ecology and animal biology, with frequent reporting on behavior, communication, sensory abilities, navigation, reproduction, and social dynamics in species such as fish, whales, sharks, birds, insects, dogs, primates, and polar wildlife. Many stories connect these findings to environmental pressures, including climate change, pollution (from microplastics to chemicals and drugs in waterways), habitat shifts, and the consequences of large-scale resource extraction and infrastructure.
The podcast also revisits deep time through paleontology and ancient DNA, using fossils and unusual evidence to reconstruct extinct ecosystems, evolution, and human origins, and it sometimes links archaeology and history to science through mysteries, expeditions, and overlooked contributors.
Astronomy and planetary science are another staple, covering black holes, dark matter, the early universe, exoplanets, and the technologies used to observe or map the cosmos. Space exploration topics include lunar missions, Mars habitability, space debris, and the biological effects of low gravity and long-duration space travel.
Interspersed are listener question episodes that tackle everyday physics, chemistry, and biology curiosities, along with occasional archival segments and interviews tied to science books and broader science-in-society issues such as caregiving, memory, language, and alternatives to animal testing.
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Using ants to make yogurt, and other producer picks 2026-Jul-24 54 minutes |
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Whales, sex and rocks — it's our book show! 2026-Jul-17 54 minutes |
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Pumas vs. penguins, and other clever carnivores 2026-Jul-10 54 minutes |
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Summer Science Spectacular 2026-Jul-03 54 minutes |
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Sweat, comets and dino milk. It’s our summer question show! 2026-Jun-26 54 minutes |
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Great white sharks in hot water, and more… 2026-Jun-19 54 minutes |
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Fossilized squirrel poop full of ancient animals, and more… 2026-Jun-12 54 minutes |
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Humans and animals love the same sounds, and more... 2026-Jun-05 54 minutes |
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A terrifying T. rex of the sea, and more… 2026-May-29 54 minutes |
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Listening in on fish grunts, and more… 2026-May-22 54 minutes |
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How dandelion seeds take flight, and more… 2026-May-15 54 minutes |
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A CN Tower-sized mega tsunami, and more… 2026-May-08 54 minutes |
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Cocaine in waterways makes salmon roam further, and more… 2026-May-01 54 minutes |
Introducing IDEAS | How a historian found the lost women of science2026-Apr-28 55 minutes |
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Seabird poop does whaaat? And more… 2026-Apr-24 54 minutes |
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Why this biologist loves unpopular animals, and more… 2026-Apr-17 54 minutes |
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Moving beyond animal testing, and more… 2026-Apr-10 54 minutes |
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What we hope to see on the far side of the moon, and more… 2026-Apr-03 54 minutes |
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Dogs have been by our side for 16,000 years, and more... 2026-Mar-27 54 minutes |
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A stinky planet full of magma, and more... 2026-Mar-20 54 minutes |
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Bonobo females bully the boys, and more… 2026-Mar-13 54 minutes |
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Filming a black hole in action, and more… 2026-Mar-06 54 minutes |
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How starfish move their tiny tube feet, and more… 2026-Feb-27 54 minutes |
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How living on Mars could change humans, and more… 2026-Feb-20 54 minutes |
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The sensitive secrets of elephant whiskers, and more… 2026-Feb-13 54 minutes |
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Belugas swap mates for survival, and more… 2026-Feb-06 54 minutes |
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Polar bears are thriving in Svalbard, and more... 2026-Jan-30 54 minutes |
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'Gifted' dogs learn from eavesdropping, and more... 2026-Jan-23 54 minutes |
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The reason chimps can reason, and more… 2026-Jan-16 54 minutes |
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New dino species in another dino's vomit, and more 2026-Jan-09 54 minutes |
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Dust? Tongues? Uranus? It’s our Holiday Question Show! 2026-Jan-02 54 minutes |
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Predictions about science in 2025, recorded 25 years ago 2025-Dec-25 54 minutes |
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Whales, sex, and rocks — it's our holiday book show! 2025-Dec-19 54 minutes |
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How Jeremy Hansen is prepping for the moon, and more… 2025-Dec-12 54 minutes |
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Cleveland’s ancient car-sized sea monster had bony fangs, and more… 2025-Dec-05 54 minutes |
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The environmental costs of nation-building, and more… 2025-Nov-28 54 minutes |
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The mystery of the drunken trees, and more… 2025-Nov-21 54 minutes |
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Making snake bites less deadly, and more… 2025-Nov-14 54 minutes |