Cocaine Sharks and the Hottest Days on Record (So Far)

It’s a scorching summer, with record-breaking temperatures last
Monday. Rain really is harder to predict, and greenhouse gasses are
probably to blame. Polio is circulating in Gaza’s wastewater and
could spread as conflict leads to crowding, poor sanitation and
missing routine vaccinations. Plus, we discuss a shocking price for
a promising HIV vaccine, cocaine sharks and komodo dragons with
iron-tipped teeth.  Recommended reading: Sharks in Brazil Test
Positive for a Surprising Contaminant: Cocaine  Komodo
Dragons’ Nightmare Iron-Tipped Teeth Are a Reptilian First 
Why Extreme Heat Is So Deadly  E-mail us at
sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or
ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new every
day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in
Science, our daily newsletter.  Science Quickly is produced by
Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and
Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. This
show was edited by Jeff DelViscio, with fact-checking by Shayna
Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic
Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices