Chicago’s famous sidewalk ‘rat hole’ has been removed, but its legacy lives on

As It Happens5:43Chicago’s famous sidewalk ‘rat hole’ has been removed, but its legacy lives on Winslow Dumaine doesn’t believe Chicago has seen the last of “the rat hole.” The slab of concrete sidewalk with a rat-shaped imprint had become both a source of both pride and consternation for residents. Officials removed it on Wednesday, and the sidewalk … Read more

No planet comes close to the life-giving properties of planet Earth — at least not yet

With the discovery of more than 5,600 planets orbiting other stars and images from robots we have sent to all the planets in our solar system, it is becoming abundantly clear that Earth is unique among worlds. Almost all of the exoplanets scientists have discovered since the 1990s fall into four main types: gas giants like Jupiter … Read more

Meet the Inuit throat singers revitalizing the tradition and engaging new audiences

Unreserved45:38Reclaiming Inuit Throat Singing Sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk McKay were children when they first learned the Inuit cultural practice of throat singing.   “If you ask a kid when they first learn to do ABC’s, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly when. It was just a normal part of childhood for us,” … Read more

Can retraining the brain help silence tinnitus? Some scientists are trying to find out

The Current23:55Retraining the brain to silence tinnitus For nearly 40 years, Ken Jones has heard a very loud hissing in his ears.  “It sounds like [an] electrical power line,” he told The Current‘s Matt Galloway. “Mine is at about 92 dB on the decibel scale” — as loud as hairdryers and power tools. The sound … Read more

Fawzia Mirza’s The Queen of My Dreams is a love letter to Bollywood and queerness

12:36Amrit Kaur lands her first leading film role in the queer, Bollywood-inspired The Queen of My Dreams For Fawzia Mirza, making The Queen of My Dreams her feature film debut was cathartic. “It saved my life,” said the writer-director. The film, which began its life as an art installation and then a 2012 short film, … Read more

Why is this veterinary assistant dressed like a fox at work?

As It Happens5:49This wildlife centre is taking unusual steps to try and rehab a fox kit Why did veterinary assistant Melissa Stanley wear a large, furry fox mask to work? Because that’s what was best for her patient, of course.  Stanley is the executive director at Richmond Wildlife Center in Virginia, which posted a viral video … Read more

How documenting the disappearance of the great auk led to the discovery of extinction

Quirks and Quarks17:24How documenting the disappearance of the great auk led to the discovery of extinction When species cease to exist, we often say they went “the way of the dodo.” But it might be more fitting to say they went “the way of the great auk” because it was the Icelandic bird’s disappearance that led to the discovery that … Read more

Hamilton writer of popular Netflix sequel Code 8 on what it was like to film in his hometown

The new Netflix movie Code 8 Part II is set in the fictional Lincoln City, but some of the millions of viewers who have streamed it in its first few days may recognize Ontario on the screen. The film was shot in a few cities in the province, including Hamilton, whose history helped inspire the fictional setting, said co-writer and … Read more

These are the 1st images of humpbacks having sex, and they’re both males

As It Happens6:291st images humpback whale sex is between 2 males When biologist Stephanie Stack first saw the photographs of two humpback whales mating in the warm waters of Hawaii, she says her mind was “completely blown.” “When I realized that it was two males, it was not what I was expecting,” she told As … Read more

How Ron Sexsmith ended up singing with Leonard Cohen in an Indigo basement

Day 613:59Canadian music legend Ron Sexsmith looks back on a remarkable career with a 60th birthday concert at Massey Hall Canadian songwriting legend Ron Sexsmith has turned 60, and will be celebrating the milestone with a concert at Massey Hall Thursday. A favourite of legends like Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello, Sexsmith has headlined the iconic … Read more