Squirrel poop drops Ice Age clues + The neuroscience of laughter

Ancient squirrel poop provides a snapshot of life during the last ice age. And, how different types of laughter originate in the brain.

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, deep in the mountains of the Yukon, a ground squirrel pooped. That scat stayed frozen for millenia—until very recently, when researchers thawed it out and realized it was a literal data dump. They found traces of a surprising number of animals and plants, providing a detailed snapshot of life during the last ice age. Flora talks with biomolecular archaeologist Tyler Murchie about the gold mine that is ancient squirrel poop.

And, if you liked our poop jokes, you’ll want to hear how two different types of laughter are processed in the brain. Think big belly laughs versus polite chuckles in conversation. Ira chats with neuroscientist Sophie Scott about how these laughs originate and why we need them both.

Guests:

Dr. Tyler Murchie is a biomolecular archaeologist at the Hakai Institute in British Columbia and McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Sophie Scott is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London in England. 

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

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