Cocaine in waterways makes salmon roam further, and more…

This episode of Quirks & Quarks explores groundbreaking scientific developments across multiple domains. The first segment dives into the transformative role of artificial intelligence in science, featuring insights from Dr. Jeff Klune of the University of British Columbia. AI systems are now capable of autonomously generating hypotheses, designing experiments, running them, analyzing data, writing papers, and even peer-reviewing their own work—demonstrating performance comparable to early graduate students. The discussion highlights the rapid evolution of reasoning models and multimodal AI, which enable deeper thinking and environmental perception. While concerns about AI-generated fake data and ethical risks remain, the potential for AI to accelerate scientific discovery, improve reproducibility, and solve complex problems like disease is immense. The episode then shifts to environmental science, revealing that cocaine and its metabolites in waterways cause Atlantic salmon to swim up to twice as far, potentially altering their behavior and survival. A study by Dr. Erin McCallum shows that even metabolites—often overlooked in pollution monitoring—can significantly impact fish behavior. The episode also revisits a 1976 experiment where music was found to double plant growth, celebrating Quirks & Quarks’ 50-year legacy of quirky science. Finally, researchers at the University of Cambridge identify a self-replicating RNA molecule that may have kickstarted life on Earth, suggesting icy environments as possible cradles for early biology. The episode closes with evidence that horses can detect human fear through scent, demonstrating emotional contagion across species.