Season 8 Episode 6: A.I. Issues, Tick Meds, and Dr. Mitchell on Volcanoes

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AI 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 late AI access changes argument quality, memory, and bias. The takeaway is practical for students, teachers, and anyone writing for work: timing matters, and “think first, then ask AI” is a stronger strategy than outsourcing the whole frame.

Then we shift into pet science with a topic that hits right as spring arrives: flea and tick medication for dogs and cats. These antiparasitic drugs are effective, but new research suggests residues of common ingredients like isoxazoline can persist and enter the environment through pet waste. That raises uncomfortable questions about non-target insects, nutrient cycling, and the tradeoff between protecting our pets and protecting ecosystem health.

Finally, volcanologist Dr. Sam Mitchell joins us for an Ask an Expert that moves from Antarctica to the ocean floor, where most of Earth’s volcanic activity actually happens. We talk seafloor basalt, subduction zones, disaster movies worth watching, and the geology behind Olympic curling stones made from granite sourced on a tiny Scottish island. If you like science communication that connects daily life to big systems, this one is for you. 

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