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The Science Pawdcast

The Science Pawdcast

Jason and Kris Zackowski 508 Episodes Jul 12, 2026

The Science Pawdcast breaks down the latest science happening in the human world and the pet world. Each episode brings a guest to share their area of knowledge. Host Jason Zackowski keeps it entertaining and informative. The show also includes episodes of PetChat, a live community gathering about animals.

Episodes

Season 8 Episode 13: Canadian Dangers, Cute Snakes, and Kathy Pobloskie About the Science of Lost Dogs
Season 8 Episode 13: Canadian Dangers, Cute Snakes, and Kathy Pobloskie About the Science of Lost Dogs Jul 12, 2026 3701 Send us Fan MailThe animal that causes the most aggressive wildlife incidents in Canada is probably not the one you’re picturing. We break down a Frontiers in Conservation Science study that tracks thousands of encounters and lands on a surprising culprit: elk, especially around campgrounds. We talk through why “cute” and “safe” are not the same thing, how seasonality can change animal behavior, a
Season 8 Episode 12: NASA gets a boost from Swift and Pets vs Serious Mental Health Issues
Season 8 Episode 12: NASA gets a boost from Swift and Pets vs Serious Mental Health Issues Jul 5, 2026 1275 Send us Fan MailA space telescope is quietly slipping toward Earth, and the rescue plan sounds like science fiction: send up an autonomous robotic spacecraft, match speed in low Earth orbit, grab the aging observatory, and gently push it higher before it burns up. We walk through the attempted save of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, why Swift is so important to astronomy, and how it acts like
Season 8 Episode 11: Brix, the ICU, FIP, and a Spooky Cat Fungus
Season 8 Episode 11: Brix, the ICU, FIP, and a Spooky Cat Fungus Jun 29, 2026 1569 Send us Fan MailA kitten can look “a little off” on Sunday and be fighting for his life by Monday morning, and that reality changes how you read the science headlines. We breakdown Brix’s terrifying ICU stay, what we learned from the veterinary team, and why we’re still watching his recovery like a hawk.First, we dig into a genuinely spooky health threat: Sporothrix brasiliensis, a cat-associated
Season 8 Episode 10: Screw Worms, Selfish Cats, and Dr. Laci Brock on Space Art!
Season 8 Episode 10: Screw Worms, Selfish Cats, and Dr. Laci Brock on Space Art! Jun 7, 2026 4139 Send us Fan MailA parasite that lays eggs in wounds and eats living tissue sounds like something from a horror movie, but it is real and it is making headlines right now. We break down the New World screw worm outbreak in Texas, what it does to animals, and why ranchers and veterinarians treat it as an urgent livestock health emergency. We also talk through the bigger picture: how infestations spr
Season 8 Episode 9: Winged Flight, Rile up The Dog, and Melly the Science Geek!
Season 8 Episode 9: Winged Flight, Rile up The Dog, and Melly the Science Geek! May 31, 2026 3510 Send us Fan MailYour brain is way more flexible than your body. We start with a wild virtual reality study that asks a simple sci-fi question: could humans learn to fly if we had wings? After a week of VR training with motion tracking, participants don’t just get better at flying through rings and hovering over cliffs, their brains begin responding to wings the way they respond to arms. We unpack
Season 8 Episode 8: Hantavirus High Seas, Pets for Stress, and Comedian Matt Koff the Catman
Season 8 Episode 8: Hantavirus High Seas, Pets for Stress, and Comedian Matt Koff the Catman May 23, 2026 3432 Send us Fan MailA cruise ship, a rare virus, and a big question: when you hear “hantavirus outbreak,” what’s the real risk and what’s just scary headlines? We start by unpacking the MV Hondius hantavirus story, why hantaviruses can be so dangerous, and how infections usually happen through rodent exposure in dusty enclosed spaces. We also talk through what public health officials look for during a
Season 8 Episode 7: Stiff Person Syndrome, Cat's Kidneys and Dr. Vikram Baliga on the Wonder of Plants!
Season 8 Episode 7: Stiff Person Syndrome, Cat's Kidneys and Dr. Vikram Baliga on the Wonder of Plants! May 3, 2026 3198 Send us Fan MailA rare autoimmune disorder can feel invisible until it steals someone’s movement, and stiff person syndrome is one of the starkest examples. We break down what’s happening in the nervous system when GABA-driven “calm down” signals get disrupted by autoantibodies, why symptoms can escalate into severe spasms and rigidity, and why the condition has captured public attention through C
Season 8 Episode 6: A.I. Issues, Tick Meds, and Dr. Mitchell on Volcanoes
Season 8 Episode 6: A.I. Issues, Tick Meds, and Dr. Mitchell on Volcanoes Apr 19, 2026 3681 Send us Fan MailAI chatbots are everywhere now, and the real problem is not cheating or convenience. It is what happens to your brain when a tool offers a confident answer before you have wrestled with the evidence. We break down a fascinating study on generative AI and critical thinking that puts people in a city council scenario, forces a decision under time pressure, and tests how early versus
Season 8 Episode 5: Medical Cannabis Falls Short and Dog Diabetes
Season 8 Episode 5: Medical Cannabis Falls Short and Dog Diabetes Mar 21, 2026 1409 Send us Fan MailThe most convincing health claims are the ones that feel personal, and few topics are as personal as medical cannabis for mental health. We take on a huge Lancet meta-analysis that pulled together 54 trials and thousands of participants to ask a simple question: does medical cannabis actually help anxiety, depression, and PTSD more than placebo? The answer is uncomfortable, especia
Season 8 Episode 4: Teen Sleep, Mushing Dogs, and Dr. Alex Dainis on Tasting Every Single Amino Acid
Season 8 Episode 4: Teen Sleep, Mushing Dogs, and Dr. Alex Dainis on Tasting Every Single Amino Acid Mar 15, 2026 3836 Send us Fan MailSeventy thousand digits of pi is impressive, but the number that stuck with us is much scarier: about one in four high school students now reports sleeping five hours or less. We dig into the latest teen sleep deprivation data, what it means for learning, mental health, and emotional regulation, and why “just go to bed earlier” ignores adolescent circadian rhythm biology. When mela
Season 8 Episode 3: Project Hail Mary Science and Swedish Cat Laws
Season 8 Episode 3: Project Hail Mary Science and Swedish Cat Laws Mar 7, 2026 1604 Send us Fan MailThink space is fast? Try outrunning time. We kick off with a clear-eyed breakdown of Project Hail Mary’s core science.Using the Parker Solar Probe as our real-world speed limit, we map the math of interstellar distances to compare to the ability for Ryan Gosling to get to Tau Ceti in Project Hail Mary.Then we turn to biology’s unforgiving rules. Could a years-long medically induced
Season 8 Episode 2: Punch the Monkey and Bad News About Flat Faced Dogs
Season 8 Episode 2: Punch the Monkey and Bad News About Flat Faced Dogs Mar 1, 2026 1365 Send us Fan MailA baby macaque clutching an orange plush shouldn’t teach us this much about biology, but Punch does. His quiet hold on a stuffed orangutan opens a door into attachment science, stress, and how primate societies enforce rules we often mistake for cruelty. We walk through why zookeepers reached for a surrogate object, how tactile comfort supports motor development and emotional regul

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