Copy, Paste, Clone: What it Takes to Bring Back the Past

Summary

Curiosity Weekly – "Copy, Paste, Clone: What it Takes to Bring Back the Past"

Host: Dr. Samantha Yammine
Guest: Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot, Associate Professor of Animal Science, McGill University
Date: June 3, 2026

---

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine explores the science and ethics of cloning. The show delves into how cloning works, what animals and organisms have successfully been cloned, the natural and artificial ways cloning appears in the world, and where the science is heading—including the tantalizing but controversial concept of de-extinction. Dr. Yammine is joined by Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot, a pioneering researcher in animal cloning, for a detailed and accessible discussion. The episode also touches on scientific explanations for the paranormal and ends with a segment on eco-friendly termite control research.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scientific Explanation for "Haunted" Houses

Timestamps: 02:44 – 05:25

• Infrasound as a Source of Unsettling Sensations
  Dr. Yammine explains research that links feelings of unease and agitation in old homes to infrasound (ultra-low frequency sound), rather than the supernatural.
  • Infrasound is generated naturally and through human activities (machinery, old buildings), and though inaudible, it can be felt as physical vibrations.
    • “It’s not spirits or the occult... It’s sound waves. Specifically, something called infrasound.” [03:04 – Science Podcast Host]
  • Experiments showed participants exposed to infrasound under music experienced increased stress, agitation, and higher cortisol levels.
    • “They reported feeling irritated, annoyed and uncomfortable, leading researchers to deduce that the infrasound was affecting the participants’ moods.” [04:15 – Science Podcast Host]
  • Potential environmental implications: Noise pollution from AI data centers may cause similar effects in surrounding communities.

2. Cloning: Natural and Artificial

Timestamps: 07:19 – 21:31

a. Cloning in Nature & Early Experiments

• Cloning isn’t futuristic—humans have been doing it for millennia with plants and see it in the wild.

  • Examples: Rooting plant cuttings, armadillos giving birth to genetically identical quadruplets (polyembryony).
    • "There’s one species of armadillo... always have four babies and they are all identical because they are derived from the same zygote.” [09:02 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

• Early animal cloning involved physically splitting embryos.

  • “The first clones produced artificially in mammals... were also produced by splitting embryos.” [09:26 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

b. Modern Cloning: Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

• Process explained:

  1. Nucleus from an adult animal’s body cell is transferred into an egg cell that’s had its own nucleus removed.
  2. The egg is chemically ‘tricked’ to start developing into an embryo.
  3. Embryo is implanted in a surrogate.
  • “We remove the nucleus and then we transfer the nucleus of the cell from the animal we want to clone. There is a process that is very important, is to induce development, because normally development starts with a signal that comes from the sperm. And of course, in this, we do not have a sperm.” [11:26 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

• Current applications:

  • Saving endangered species
  • Replicating animals with desired traits in livestock
  • Biomedical research & studying cell differentiation
    • “You can also create a copy of a wonderful animal which has a specific genotype or a phenotype.” [10:41 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

c. Cloning Achievements and Limits

• Nearly 30 animal species have been cloned, including livestock and some wild animals. [13:20 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

• Species compatibility barrier: Must use eggs from closely related species.

  • “If you go much beyond that, so far it’s not been possible to go too far across this taxonomic distance in species for cloning.” [14:01 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

• Famous milestone: Dolly the sheep (1996)

  • First mammal cloned from an adult cell.
  • Nobel recognized for laying the foundation for reprogramming cells to an embryonic state.

d. Human Cloning

• Legally and ethically prohibited. No credible attempts or scientific rationale.
  • “Theoretically it could potentially work. But I mean, I don’t know of any initiatives... and I don’t see a reason for that as well.” [15:38 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

e. Biological Limits: Aging & Epigenetics

• Core challenge: Reprogramming the cell’s “epigenetic” memory to truly reset it.
  • Mammalian clones have a built-in risk of premature aging due to imperfect reprogramming.
  • A Nature Communications study (March 2026) successfully serially re-cloned mice for 58 generations.
    • “One of the main concerns that people have is the aging of clone animals... this study is amazing because for 58 generations, it’s a very long number of generations.” [17:16 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

f. Are Clones Truly Identical?

• Genetically yes, but...
  • Differences in gene expression and environmental factors can cause clones to look and behave differently.
    • “Not necessarily... identical twins... are exposed to different environments and then you look at them and phenotypically they’re not exactly the same.” [18:13 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

g. Future of Cloning: De-Extinction and Preservation

• Excitement about using cloning to save endangered species
• De-extinction remains speculative and technically full of hurdles (egg compatibility, development signals, adaptation to modern environments).
  • “I think science is evolving faster... But if we could use the technique for what we still have is probably better than... for species that have already disappeared many years ago.” [20:50-21:31 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On infrasound and creepiness:

  • “The next time you chat with a ghost in an old Victorian manor, be sure to ask them when they last had the pipes replaced.” [05:26 – Science Podcast Host]

• On ‘natural’ animal cloning:

  • “There’s one species of armadillo. They always have four babies and they are all identical...” [09:02 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

• On mammal cloning’s difficulty:

  • “Every successful clone is handcrafted, one embryo at a time, by a highly trained embryologist.” [07:51 – Dr. Samantha Amin]

• On de-extinction:

  • “Are they capable to readapt again in the environment we have today? Or does that just create more problems?” [19:30 – Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

---

Additional Segment: Greener Termite Control

Timestamps: 23:35 – 26:41

• UC Riverside researchers discovered that using natural wood scents (terpenes) dramatically increases the effectiveness of termite insecticides.
  • “Add in one of the terpenes and they found that about 97% of the termites died.” [24:14 – Science Podcast Host]
• This could reduce the need for toxic, greenhouse-gas-emitting who-home fumigation.

---

Key Timestamps

• [02:44] – Haunted houses & infrasound science
• [07:19] – Introduction to cloning history
• [08:34] – Interview with Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot begins
• [11:19] – Somatic cell nuclear transfer explained
• [13:20] – Species cloned so far
• [14:20] – Dolly the sheep and stem cell reprogramming
• [15:25] – Human cloning discussion
• [16:41] – Cloned animal aging & epigenetics
• [19:19] – De-extinction and preservation ethics
• [23:35] – Eco-friendly termite research

---

Conclusion

This episode artfully intertwines fascinating science with ethical and practical considerations around cloning. While nature abounds with clones and humans have long artificially replicated life, significant technical and moral hurdles remain for more ambitious applications like de-extinction or human cloning. The interview with Dr. Bourdinot offers rare insight into the painstaking art and future promise of cloning technology, all spoken in an approachable, down-to-earth tone.

---

For anyone curious about clones—from armadillos to sheep to the possibility of resurrecting extinct species—this episode is as rich in scientific fact as it is in philosophical food for thought.

Transcript

[Carvana Customer]

Hey, sweetie. Your mother showed me this Carvana thing for selling the car. I'm gonna give it a try. Wish me luck. Me again. I put in the license plate. It gave me an offer.

[Philanthropist/Businessperson]

Unbelievable.

[Carvana Customer]

Okay, I accepted the offer. They're picking it up Tuesday from the driveway. I haven't even left my chair. It's done. The car is gone. I'm holding a check anyway. Carvana, give it a whirl. Love ya.

[Carvana Narrator]

So good you'll want to leave a voicemail about it. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply.

[Philanthropist/Businessperson]

And I thought, what if I've scaled businesses? What if I scaled my philanthropy? What if I did as much in one year as I've done in my whole life?

[Creative Planning Advisor]

See how your wealth could have even Greater [e-mail] impact agents are getting smarter every day.

[Notion Representative]

But even the smartest agents get stuck without the right context and the right tools. That's where Notion comes in. With the recent launch of custom agents, Notion became the collaborative AI workspace where teams and agents work side by side. And now their new developer platform is turning that workspace into infrastructure developers can build on what sets Notion's developer platform apart. The collaborative workspace and the platform you build on are the same thing. And unlike other single player platforms, Notion is built for teams with permissions, visibility and governance from day one. Plus, it's easy to use CLI authenticates in one line. And with a cloud based zero infrastructure path, you can. You can just write your code, deploy, and you're done. Learn more about Notion's developer platform [e-mail] acast that's all lowercase letters. Notion.com acast to try Notion's developer platform today, notion.com acast.

[Science Podcast Host]

Hey, science nerds. Weekly reminder that we love hearing from you. And it also helps more people discover the show science. So join us in sharing some science. I mean, all you gotta do is drop us a little comment or review. Love you. Thank you. They say the truth is stranger than fiction. Well, in this episode, we're proving it, baby. We'll talk about the future with the science of clones. Can we bring back dinosaurs? What about cloning your adorable pet dog? And humans? Where do we draw the line? But before that, we'll investigate a phenomenon that's haunted humanity. For creepy old houses and the really eerie feeling of being watched, science may finally be able to explain the paranormal,

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

or at least a small part of it.

[Science Podcast Host]

And to cap it off, we'll look at nature's most destructive pest. And a surprisingly green way to take them out. Welcome to the weird, wonderful, and sometimes creepy side of science and Curiosity Weekly.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Hey, I'm Dr. Samantha Amin. Let's get started. Have you ever been in a creaky

[Science Podcast Host]

old house and felt just like, unsettled, maybe agitated, like there's something spooky going on, Perhaps even something paranormal?

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Now, I'm not here to disprove or prove the existence of ghosts, but researchers have been working for years trying to

[Science Podcast Host]

figure out scientific explanations for supernatural phenomena. A recent study has a potential explanation for that eerie sensation some people feel in old houses. And it's not spirits or the occult or any like that. It's sound waves. Specifically something called infrasound. Infrasound is an ultra low frequency vibration that's too low to be heard by our human ears. It can occur naturally through things like thunder or volcanic eruptions, but it can also come from human made sources. Things like heavy machinery or airplanes, or, you guessed it, old buildings. Even if infrasound can't be heard, it can be felt in the body. Some report feeling physical vibrations in the chest or pressure in the eardrums. Previous research showed that infrasound exposure creates a stress response in animals. So researchers wanted to know whether humans also experience a stress response. They took 36 student volunteers and put them individually in a room that played music. Before the experiments, participants were asked to contribute a saliva sample. Then, after listening to the music, they gave another sample and filled out a questionnaire about how they felt.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

The spit sample showed whether there was

[Science Podcast Host]

an increase of cortisol, which is a hormone in our bodies that indicates stress levels. What the participants didn't know was that they were randomly assigned into groups where infrasound either played or didn't play underneath the music they were listening to. What the researchers found was that whether or not the music was uplifting or unnerving, the participants reported feeling negative when the infrasound was played. They reported feeling irritated, annoyed and uncomfortable, leading researchers to deduce that the infrasound was affecting the participants moods. The saliva sample taken after the experiment showed increased levels of cortisol compared to the samples taken before. So the study showed through both self reporting and biological measurements that we can feel the effects of infrasound and that it makes us agitated. The study was small with only 36 participants, but it's a great starting point for understanding how we respond to these types of sound waves. While this is enlightening when it comes to those of us who have felt the telltale signs of a haunted house. It also applies to future technologies. There have been reports that AI data centers are emitting infrasound, causing noise pollution in surrounding communities. Imagine your whole town feeling creepy like a haunted house.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

No, thank you.

[Science Podcast Host]

So the next time you chat with a ghost in an old Victorian manner, be sure to ask them when they last had the pipes replaced.

[Contentful Advertiser]

Marketers. You know that feeling when your creative clicks, when that social post sends engagement through the roof. When your outside of the box campaign hits ROI positive. When a personalized homepage turns prospects into customers. It's utter marketing bliss. Contentful Helps you create tailored omnichannel experiences without working overtime. No stress, no limits, only possibilities. Get the [e-mail] Security program on spreadsheets,

[Creative Planning Advisor]

new regulations piling up, and audit dread. It's time for Vanta. Vanta automates security and compliance, brings evidence into one place, and cuts audit prep by 82%. Less manual work, clearer visibility, faster deals, zero chaos. Call it compliance. Or call it compliance. Get it? Join the 15,000 companies using Vanta to prove trust. Go to vanta.com calm mom, can you

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

tell me a story?

[Carvana Narrator]

Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car. Was she brave? She was tired, mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.

[Science Podcast Host]

Did you have to fight a dragon?

[Carvana Narrator]

Nope. She bought it. 100 online from her bed, actually.

[Wayfair Announcer]

Was it scary?

[Carvana Narrator]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Science Podcast Host]

Did the car have a sunroof?

[Carvana Narrator]

It did, actually.

[Science Podcast Host]

Okay, good story.

[Carvana Narrator]

Car buying you'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.

[Philanthropist/Businessperson]

But I thought, what if I've scaled businesses? What if I scaled my philanthropy? What if I did as much in one year as I've done in my whole life?

[Creative Planning Advisor]

See how your wealth could have even greater [e-mail] impact.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

The idea of clones feels futuristic, but

[Science Podcast Host]

humans have been cloning plants for thousands of years. Every time you root a plant, cutting in water, or split a garlic bulb, you're making clones. Even identical twins are nature's version. But a big leap happened about 100 years ago, when scientists split the cells of a sea urchin embryo, each of them growing into a separate cluster clone. And they've been developing new techniques for cloning ever since. Yet despite all that history, cloning a mammal is still anything but routine.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Even today, every successful clone is handcrafted

[Science Podcast Host]

one embryo at a time, by a highly trained embryologist. To learn more, we're chatting with Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot, Associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at McGill University. He produced the first clone transgenic pigs

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

in Canada and is here to chat with us. Thanks for joining us, Philsu.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

My pleasure to participate. I'm happy to discuss with you about this topic.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

I love this topic. It never gets old for me. So before we start, let's get down to some basics. A clone is a genetically identical copy

[Science Podcast Host]

of some biological entity.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

But there are many ways to achieve that naturally, artificially.

[Science Podcast Host]

Can you walk us through the different categories?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Well, that's correct. There's probably some fact that maybe not all people know, but there's some species they clone themselves naturally. So what is a phenomenon called polyembryoni and this occurs? Well, there's a non species called Armadillo where from one single zygote they produce multiple embryos. So they naturally clone themselves.

[Science Podcast Host]

Armadillo?

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Yes, like the, the big armadillo.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

There's one, one species of armadillo. They always have four babies and they are all identical because they are derived from the same zygote. And this phenomenon is called PolyAmbryne because from one zygote multiple embryos are formed. So nature evolved for some species through cloning, which is.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

I did not know about the armadillo. That is very cool.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Well, and then as you mentioned, we have the natural clones, but the first clones produced artificially in mammals, they were also produced by splitting embryos. So this was done back in the 90s and early 2000s. And it's a number of animals, different species, livestock. They are generated by taking a good quality embryo with a blade, cutting in two, and then you produce identical twins. When it comes to talk about the artificial clones that we are more used to discuss today is a process referred as nuclear transfer. So it consists in taking a nucleus that had a cell and transferring that cell into a nucleated oocyte. And that is what is called a somatic cell. Nucleotransfer technology, which is the technology to create a clone anyway.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

And that's used for reproductive and therapeutic cloning today too.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Well, in fact. Well, if you talk about the applications, there are a number of different applications. From saving endangered species, for example, is a topic that's been. We have a number of examples. That is, if you have only one or a few animals from a species, you can clone that animal by taking cells, you can culture those cells and then through the process of nucleotransfer, you can create more animals. You can also Create a copy of a wonderful animal which has a specific genotype or a phenotype. This is more common in livestock, from horses to cattle to pigs to sheep, goats or there are the research and biomedical applications which still today, some of the important applications of creating clones is to study cell differentiation and cell reprogramming and create specific models for research.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

So you explain this nuclear transfer or somatic cell nuclear transfer. Can you tell us what that involves?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Yeah. The process itself has the two main components, the cell that donates the nucleus, which is normally taken from an animal. These cells can be cultured in vitro, they can be cryopreserved, maintained for many years, and then we need the cytoplasm of an egg to reprogram that cell to restart and developmental cycle these eggs. We normally don't cryopreserve them, so we normally mature them. In the case of livestock, we take ovaries in slaughterhouses. So animals that are sent for slaughtering for commercial purposes, we recuperate the ovaries in the slaughterhouse, we collect the oocytes, we mature them, and when they would be ready to be fertilized, instead of be fertilized, we remove the nucleus and then we transfer the nucleus of the cell from the animal we want to clone. There is a process that is very important, is to induce development, because normally development starts with a signal that comes from the sperm. And of course, in this we do not have a sperm. So the eggs are treated to start development, and then we culture those embryo and then they transfer to a recipient female as it was a normal embryo. And sometimes it works. If you're capable to do this cycle of proper reprogramming and programming back, we're going to have a normal animal produced from a somatic cell.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

It's very cool. So somatic here means body. So it means you could take an adult cell from one animal, a skin cell, for example, a muscle cell, and you can take the nucleus, which has all the genetic information. Putting it in the egg cell sets it back to that embryonic state. It won a Nobel Prize in 2012 because it's such a useful, useful technique. Can you tell us what animals have been cloned so far?

[Science Podcast Host]

You mentioned a few.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Yeah, I think. I don't really follow it very precisely, but it's close to 30 species, I think now. So our livestock and then a number of wild animals being cloned, of course, cloning for saving species. Today we have interspecies clone produced. But if you go beyond a distance, taxonomically speaking, if they are from different families, for example, so far there's no clones being produced, but being wild goats, being wild cats and being wolves.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

So you can get that donor egg cell from a closely related.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Exactly. The donor is in the distance of species that still working. But if you go much beyond that, so far it's not been possible to go too far across this taxonomic distance in species for cloning.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

In 1996, we had the first mammal from a mature cell taken from an animal was the very famous dolly.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Yeah, exact. The first time when somatic cells, they were shown to be kind of reprogrammed, it was back in the 60s. And that is why the Nobel Prize it was in 2012. It was shared between that person, Dr. John Gordon, that was originally working with frogs. At that time, he managed to reprogram, partially reprogram gut cells. And then they shared the Nobel Prize because those studies, they were really the foundation to determine the protocols for reprogramming, which was done by the other scientists, the Japanese scientists. At the end, they shared the Nobel Prize because of their discoveries. The cloning was the first technology to confirm that the cells can be completely differentiate themselves. They can be fully reprogrammed. So that was thanks to the nuclear transfer technology that was confirmed and then approved for the first time.

[Science Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

So we talked about all sorts of mammals. I gotta ask about humans. What do we know there about the possibilities and do we do any extent of it in lab settings or reproduction?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

I mean, now that I know, I think it's not allowed to do human cloning. I don't know. I mean, if you think about biology, theoretically it could potentially work. But I mean, I don't know of any initiatives in trying to clone humans and I don't see a reason for that as well.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Now we can clone bacteria in a dish infinitely, but when it comes to mammals, early aging and sustainable reproduction tend to become an issue. Why is this?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

If you combine the two genomes, that genome is going to be carried for the entire life. But what makes the cells function indifferently is because some pathways, some genes are differently expressed and this is essentially coordinated by epigenetic program. So essentially when you clone, you want to reprogram that aspect and this is really the critical component for increasing the success. So it's not a simple task to reprogram epigenetics.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Yeah, There was a paper published in Nature Communications in March 2026, they did like a 20 year long experiment where they hit the limit on the number of times a single mouse can be serially recloned and the number was 58 generations. I don't know if you saw this.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Yes, of course I was following that group. The previous paper was 25 generation and I was waiting for the next one. Yeah.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Oh, that's funny. So you've known about it, you've been watching it as it's happened over the years.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Exactly.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Were you surprised by that result?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

I mean, yes and no surprise. One of the main concern that people is the aging of clone animals, something that occurs at the same, let's say speed as non clone animals. And there was a concern for a long time about that. Some studies say, well clones, they have same age, age in similar ways. Others said, oh, they're a bit faster. And I think this study is amazing because for 58 generations it's a very long number of generations. So I think it was an important study to kind of explain that impact or to show that it's not occurring immediately.

[Science Podcast Host]

And how similar are clones when considering

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

things beyond DNA sequence? If you took a clone of say a cow, how similar would those two cows be?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Well, they're going to carry the same genome. Okay, but you're probably referring to the phenotype, how they're going to look like. And they may look a bit different because if the genes are not properly expressed because the genome carries, let's say, the code. But if the genes are not properly expressed and then phenotypically they can be a little bit different. And then again the environment plays an important role in how the genes express and what they eat during development. So not necessarily like there's many students, many studies with identical twins, they grow, they, you know, were moved to different places and they are exposed to different environments and then you look at them and phenotypically they're not exactly the same. So often when we clone the livestock, for example, if you look at even the skin spots, they're going to be pretty much the same, but not exactly, exactly the same because that happen during development. If the genes are not properly expressed and some marks or some color skin even change a little bit.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

What do you see as the most promising future use of cloning? Are you excited about de extinction of animals or do you think that's a valid use of the technology?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

I mean, it's hard to comment. For some reason those species have eventually disputed. I think the scientific interest of trying to recreate life is interesting because maybe in the future would be needed now what would be the impact and how these species if we could eventually clone them? Because I'm not 100% sure that if we go from species that have been extinct many, many years ago that it's possible with what we know today, maybe in the future is going to be what would be the impact and their relevance? Are they capable to readapt again in the environment we have today? Or is data just create more problems? And it's not just about cloning. When you need to create an animal, remember that the embryo develop in vitro just for a few days and then they need the mother to carry the embryo and the signaling and the environment that is needed is going to be difficult to modulate that we don't have a certitude that that would work. But yeah, eventually I think science is evolving faster.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Maybe the future use of cloning that you're most excited about, what would that be?

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

I think it has an important role in animal production and for biomedical research for sure. I think those are the two areas that and of course species that disappear on endangered now that we still know they exist and we have the methods of preserving them. I think this is an interesting application which is different than a species that has already disappeared many years ago.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

I'm not saying yeah preservation exactly.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

I'm not saying we should not do. I'm just saying that if we could use the technique for what we still have is probably better than or I see a better application there at least

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

my opinion that was illuminating. Thank you so much for joining us, Vilsu.

[Dr. Vilsu Bourdinot]

Very welcome. Thank you for the opportunity.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

Dr. Vilsu Bourdino is an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at McGill University.

[Philanthropist/Businessperson]

Then I thought, what if I've scaled businesses? What if I scaled my philanthropy? What if I did as much in one year as I've done in my whole life?

[Creative Planning Advisor]

See how your wealth could have even greater [e-mail] impact the sun is calling.

[Blue Lizard Sunscreen Advertiser]

Are you ready? From beach days to soccer plays. Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen helps protect your family's skin so you can focus on the fun, not the sun. With no fragrances, parabens or phthalates, our mineral sunscreen is designed for your sensitive skin and trusted by dermatologists, pediatricians and parents alike. Be fearless in the sun with Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. Shop now on Amazon.com hey there.

[Wayfair Announcer (alternate)]

It's Wayfair here, where delivery and setup are as easy as a few taps on your phone. You're relaxing in an old hammock, scrolling Wayfair's app when you spot it. A brand new patio set. Next thing you know, Wayfair delivers it right to your patio and sets it up. Oh, you need a new grill too. All right, Wayfair's got you covered. With Wayfair's Room of Choice delivery and fast expert setup on qualifying orders, life gets a little easier. Visit Wayfair.com or the Wayfair app Wayfair

[Wayfair Announcer]

Every Style, Every Home hey, this is

[Adam Grant]

Adam Grant, host of Ted's podcast Rethinking with Adam Grant. Let me share with you why smart finance leaders turn to Bill. They know that clarity isn't just helpful, it's strategic. As the intelligent finance platform, Bill uses AI to automate the busy work for nearly half a million businesses so they can focus on intentional growth, eliminate the friction, and start scaling with the proven choice. Visit bill.compenven to talk with an expert about automating your business finances and get a $250 gift card as a thank you. That's bill.com proven terms and conditions apply. See Offer page for details.

[Science Podcast Host]

Anyone who's had a termite infestation in their home can tell you that it is no joke. Termites get their nutrients from plant materials and wood, making them great scavengers in the animal kingdom. But big nuisance is when it comes to the wood we use to construct buildings, they cause billions of dollars in damage per year in the US Alone. So a research team from UC Riverside found that a new type of chemical has the potential to attract more termites than previous methods, leading to more efficient insecticide options. Currently, there are a few ways to deal with a termite infestation.

[Dr. Samantha Amin]

You can fumigate, which means that you put a big tent over the home and pump it full of gas to kill the termites.

[Science Podcast Host]

This is common in some places, but it has pretty significant drawbacks. The gas use is sulfuryl fluoride, which is both a greenhouse gas and toxic to humans if it isn't applied correctly. Now, alternatively, localized injection delivers insecticide directly into the wood where termites reside. This spot treatment is more targeted and costs less, but then it's limited because it depends on finding the exact location of the termite colony. The researchers wanted to find a way to lure as many termites as possible to a single location before proceeding with the localized injection, so they looked at fresh wood scent to attract them. Wood releases a cocktail of airborne scents that signal to termites that there's a tasty meal nearby. The living layer of Norway spruce releases two to three times more of these piney, scented compounds, known as terpenes, than the dense dead heartwood at the core. Researchers realized that while termites usually feast on dead timber, they are irresistibly drawn to the potent scent of living wood. So they tested a Could pure terpene scent alone act as a decoy? The answer was yes. When the scented area was treated with insecticide, the researchers found that the termites mortality rate went way up. Using the current standard, they found about 77% of the termites were killed when the woods treated with a localized pesticide injection. Add in one of the terpenes and they found that about 97% of the termites died. They published the results in the Journal of economic entomology in 2024. Pour one out for the termites of course we don't relish any living things dying here, but if there's a way to make a localized treatment more effective and protect homes from structural damage as a result of those little guys without the need to put a big tent over a house with a greenhouse gas well, it's definitely worth looking into. For Warner Bros. Discovery Curiosity Weekly is produced by the team at Wheelhouse DNA. The senior producer and editorial correspondent is Teresa Carey, our producer is Chiara Noni, our audio engineer is Nick Kharisimi and head of production for Wheelhouse DNA is Cassie berman. And I'm Dr. Samantha Youmeen. Thanks for listening.

[Philanthropist/Businessperson]

Then I thought, what if I've scaled businesses? What if I scaled my philanthropy? What if I did as much in one year as I've done in my whole life?

[Creative Planning Advisor]

See how your wealth could have even greater [e-mail] impact marketers?

[Contentful Advertiser]

You know that feeling when your creative clicks? When that social post sends engagement through the roof, when your outside of the box campaign hits ROI positive. When a personalized homepage turns prospects into customers, it's utter marketing bliss. Contentful helps you create tailored omnichannel experiences without working overtime. No stress, no limits, only possibilities. Get the [e-mail] hey there, it's Wayfair

[Wayfair Announcer (alternate)]

here, where delivery and setup are as easy as a few taps on your phone. You're relaxing in an old hammock, scrolling Wayfair's app when you spot it. A brand new patio set. Next thing you know, Wayfair delivers it right to your patio and sets it up. Oh, you need a new grill too. Alright, Wayfair's got you covered. With Wayfair's room of Choice delivery and fast expert setup on qualifying orders, life gets a little easier. Visit Wayfair.com or the Wayfair app.

[Wayfair Announcer]

Wayfair Every Style, Every Home when finance professionals need trusted insight, they turn to CFA Institute. Now, as private markets become essential to modern portfolios, we bring the same commitment to ethics, education and professional excellence that has defined our work for over 75 years. With professional certificates, a new private markets pathway in the CFA programme, the latest research and more, we are helping professionals build deeper knowledge and stronger judgment in a complex field. Visit cfa [e-mail] to learn more.