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The Science Pawdcast

The Science Pawdcast

Jason and Kris Zackowski 508 Episodes Oct 4, 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 17: Ultrasound CRISPR and Senior Dog Accidents
Season 8 Episode 17: Ultrasound CRISPR and Senior Dog Accidents Oct 4, 2026 1283 Send us Fan MailYou can edit genes with CRISPR, but can you control it like a switch, turning it on only in one small part of the brain, at one exact moment, without surgery? We dig into a fascinating proof of concept study where researchers combine a photo activated CRISPR system with mechanoluminescent particles, then use focused ultrasound to trigger light emission inside the body. The ultrasou
Season 8 Episode 16: Annoying People Are Cutting Your Life Short and Cats Yell at Men
Season 8 Episode 16: Annoying People Are Cutting Your Life Short and Cats Yell at Men Sep 6, 2026 1624 Send us Fan MailSomeone in your life has a special talent for raising your blood pressure in under 10 seconds. The uncomfortable question we chase today is whether those “hasslers” just ruin your mood or whether they might be linked to measurable changes in your body over time.We break down a large study of 2,345 adults that mapped social networks and paired those reports with saliva-based DNA met
Season 8 Episode 15: Kids vs Tech, Dogs vs Emotions, and Dr. Jen Golbeck author of Think like a Dog
Season 8 Episode 15: Kids vs Tech, Dogs vs Emotions, and Dr. Jen Golbeck author of Think like a Dog Aug 25, 2026 3889 Send us Fan MailA pet medicine mishap kicks things off as we relive “Pilgate,” the moment Brik knocked arthritis meds off the counter and Bernoulli and Beaker ate a truly scary number of pills. Once everyone is safe, we shift to a bigger question that hits home for parents and teachers: are we asking kids to learn on devices that are built to distract them?We break down the changing screen time re
Season 8 Episode 14: Blame Canada(?) and Tarantula Emotional Support Animals
Season 8 Episode 14: Blame Canada(?) and Tarantula Emotional Support Animals Jul 29, 2026 1768 Send us Fan MailSmoke turns the sky orange and suddenly everyone wants a simple villain. We get why that’s tempting, but we care more about what the evidence says about Canadian wildfires, boreal forest fire behavior, and the real drivers behind those brutal smoke days that drift into the U.S. Midwest and East Coast. We walk through just how massive Canada’s boreal forest is, why so many ignitions
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

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