- feeds
- popular
- recent
- reader
- about
- story
- technologies
- what is rss
- connect
- dmca
- contact
- Feed Preview 60-Second Science
The 60-Second Podcast Takes a Short Break--But Wait, There's More
Scientific American’s short-form podcast has been going for 16 years, three months and seven days, counting today. But it’s time for us to evolve.
Is Your Phone Actually Draining Your Brain?
A new study puts the “brain drain hypothesis”—the idea that just having a phone next to you impacts your cognition—to the test to see if the science passes muster.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/is-your-phone-actually-draining-your-brain/
Why Your Dog Might Think You're a Bonehead
The verdict is in: female dogs actively evaluate human competence.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/why-your-dog-might-think-you-rsquo-re-a-bonehead/
Alaska's Protective Sea Ice Wall Is Crumbling because of the Climate Crisis
A massive storm slammed into Alaska’s western coast, and there was no ice to stop it.
It's the Bass That Makes Us Boogie
Concertgoers danced more when music was supplemented with low-frequency bass tones.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/its-the-bass-that-makes-us-boogie/
How Vaccines Saved Money and Lives and China's Zero-COVID Protests: COVID, Quickly Podcast, Episode 44
Vaccines saved New York City billions of dollars, and China faces public fury over its strict virus-control policies.
'Chatty Turtles' Flip the Script on the Evolutionary Origins of Vocalization in Animals
Recordings of more than 50 species of turtles and other animals help scientists reassess the origins of acoustic communication in vertebrates.
Tardigrades, an Unlikely Sleeping Beauty
Researchers put this ancient critter through a subzero gauntlet to learn more about what happens to their internal clock while surviving the extreme.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/tardrigrades-an-unlikely-sleeping-beauty/
A Burned Redwood Forest Tells a Story of Climate Change, Past, Present and Future
From the ashes of the giants of Big Basin Redwoods State Park arise a history of fire suppression and real questions about what happens to the forests in a drought-stricken West Coast going forwa...
Antivirals Could Reduce Long COVID Risk and How Well the New Boosters Work: COVID, Quickly Podcast, Episode 43
In this new episode of our coronavirus podcast, we discuss a study that looked at the effects of Paxlovid on long COVID symptoms, and we also talk new bivalent boosters and immunity.
A Honeybee Swarm Has as Much Electric Charge as a Thundercloud
New research shows that bees “buzz” in more than the way you might think.
These Punk Rock Penguins Have a Bizarre Breeding Strategy
New Zealand’s erect-crested penguin lays two eggs but rejects the first one—the opposite of how most birds prioritize their offspring.
The Viral Triple Threat and Why You Need a Booster: COVID, Quickly, Episode 42
COVID, flu and RSV are surging. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.
What You Need to Know about Iran's Surveillance Tech
Scientific American technology editor Sophie Bushwick explains how Iran is using surveillance tech against vulnerable citizens.
Delivering Equitable Lung Cancer Care
As recent advances improve the prospects of detecting and catching lung cancer early, a new challenge arises: how to ensure people worldwide, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances, bene...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/delivering-equitable-lung-cancer-care-sponsored/
New Halloween 'Scariant' Variants and Boosting Your Immunity: COVID, Quickly, Episode 41
In a new episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we talk about the variants that are likely to be around this winter and how boosters help even if you’ve already had the disease.
These Hawks Have Figured Out How to See the Bat in the Swarm
New research shows that birds of prey attempting to grab a bat from a roiling mass of the flying mammals have developed a way to cope with the confusion.
Naps Not Needed to Make New Memories
Rats kept awake after exploring novel objects remembered the original items but not where they’d seen those objects, raising interesting questions about human sleep.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/naps-not-needed-to-make-new-memories/
How the Pandemic Shortened Life Expectancy and New Drugs on the Horizon: COVID, Quickly, Episode 40
In this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we talk about why we’ve had years shaved off our average collective life since 2020. Also, we talk about “mabs” and why you might want to kn...
Engineering the Treatment of Early-Stage Lung Cancer
Early-stage lung cancers are not only difficult to diagnose—they’ve also proved difficult to curatively treat.
Rediscovered Red Wolf Genes May Help Conserve the Species
A surprising new gene discovery in coyotes may help conserve the critically endangered wolf.
What the Disease Feels Like, and Presidents Can't End Pandemics: COVID, Quickly, Episode 39
On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, Josh Fischman gets COVID, and President Joe Biden says the pandemic is over.
These Spiders Use Their Webs like Huge, Silky Ears
A study of orb-weaving spiders shows that the arachnids’ webs pick up a range of sounds—and that they are always “listening” for vibrations coming in over them.
Chewing Consumes a Surprising Amount of Energy
Chomping on food takes so much energy that it shaped human evolution. Our ancestors spent many hours a day chewing, which may have shaped our teeth and jaws.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/chewing-consumes-a-surprising-amount-of-energy/
These Bats Buzz like Bees to Save Their Own Lives
New research has discovered the first case of acoustic mimicry between a mammal and an insect—an acquired skill that could just save certain bats’ skin.
Unvaxxed Kids and 8 Days a Week (of Isolation): COVID, Quickly, Episode 38
This is our second back-to-school special episode of COVID. Quickly. Today we talk about two big issues: the low vaccination rates among the littlest kids and how long you should quarantine after...
Listen to Images from the James Webb Space Telescope
It turns out that making new views of the universe accessible to those with vision impairment has required some deep thought—and carefully chosen words.
These Tiny Pollinators Can Travel Surprisingly Huge Distances
It turns out that hoverflies may fly hundreds or even thousands of miles—all to help pollinate our flowers and vegetables.
During a Heat Wave, You Can Blast the AC, but What Does a Squirrel Do?
Although recent spikes in temperature affect all of us, our urban critters have had to find their own ways to beat the heat. Sometimes they “sploot.”
Back-to-School Special: Kids, Tests and Long COVID Reassurance: COVID, Quickly, Episode 37
This is our back-to-school special episode of COVID, Quickly. We’ll talk about why COVID testing is about to become a school problem—and about whether or not kids are at risk for long COVID.
This Artificial Intelligence Learns like a Baby
Engineers at the company DeepMind built a machine-learning system based on research on how babies’ brain works, and it did better on certain tasks than its conventional counterparts.
Understanding the Inner Workings of Stars
Conny Aerts is an astrophysicist and a pioneer of asteroseismology. This year she shared the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics for her research and leadership that has laid the foundations of solar and...
Dogs Actually Tear Up When Their Owners Come Home
Our puppies’ eyes well up, a reaction caused by oxytocin, which makes us want to take care of them even more.
A Lifelong Quest to Improve Mental Health among Cancer Patients
Recognizing those who are making a meaningful impact in the lives of cancer patients, the Cancer Community Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, presents an individual or organization with the Presid...
How Next-Generation Sequencing Can Enable Precision Oncology
Celebrating those who enhance the ability to provide the right treatment for the right patient at the right time, the Cancer Community Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, presents an individual or ...
Hawking, a Paradox and a Black Hole Mystery, Solved?
We do not have a theory to tell us everything about how a black hole works, but new research is shedding a least some light on one of their many mysteries.
Monkeypox Update and Homing in on Long COVID: COVID, Quickly, Episode 36
On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we take a few minutes to talk about the other virus making headlines—and then return to long COVID.
Fueling Patients' Drive to Treatment
Celebrating those who significantly improve access to cancer care for underserved populations, the Cancer Community Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, presents an individual or organization with a...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fueling-patients-drive-to-treatment-sponsored/
Researchers Created a Potion That Turns Loud Lions into Placid Pussycats
A single whiff of oxytocin, a chemical that some call the “love hormone,” promotes tolerance among lions at a wildlife sanctuary.
Reaching the Root of Disparities in Cancer Care
Celebrating those who strive to overcome disparities in cancer care to bring quality services to their patients, the Cancer Community Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, created the Catalyst for Eq...
For Some Dolphins, the Key to Mating is Rolling with a Tight, Noisy Crew
A pair of studies show that male bottlenose dolphins rely on wingmen when wooing mates—and that they cultivate these friendships by being vocal.
A Source of Integrative Support for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Patients
Celebrating those who are making a patient’s experience as easy as possible during an extraordinarily difficult time, the Cancer Community Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, presents an individu...
How Common Are Reinfections? And How Trust Can Beat the Virus: COVID, Quickly, Episode 35
On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we talk about getting reinfected with the coronavirus just a month or two after an earlier bout—and the difference that trusting others can make...
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding Molecules
Jacob Sagiv is a chemist who studies properties of self-assembled monolayers. This year, he shared The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for his research.
Transforming the Trajectory of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the number-one cause of cancer deaths in the world. But how many lives would be saved if doctors could diagnose and treat it before it progresses?
Polar Bears That Persist
A new subpopulation of Greenland polar bears offers insights into how this species might hang on as Arctic ice disappears.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/polar-bears-that-persist/
Omicron's Nasty New Variants and Better Boosters to Battle Them: COVID, Quickly, Episode 34
On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we talk about the increase in new Omicron subvariants. Should fall vaccine boosters contain standard Omicron or some of those new subvariants ins...
A Remote-Controlled Carnivorous Plant?
Researchers design an artificial neuron that can trigger closure of a Venus flytrap.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/a-remote-controlled-carnivorous-plant/
Kids' Vaccines at Last and Challenges in Making New Drugs: COVID, Quickly, Episode 33
On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we discuss some parents breathing a collective sigh of relief and the paradox of how effective vaccines can make it harder to create new drugs t...
How AI Facial Recognition Is Helping Conserve Pumas
Researchers tricked out conventional camera traps to snap headshots of Puma concolor, revealing a better way to track the elusive species.
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration
Huda Zoghbi is a clinician-scientist who studies the molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. This year she shared the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience for discovering the gene...
Female CEOs Change How Firms Talk about Women
Appointing women to leadership positions renders organizations more likely to describe all women as being powerful, persistent and bold.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/female-ceos-change-how-firms-talk-about-women/
COVID Death Rates Explained, Dismal Booster Stats and New Vaccines
On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we clear up some data misconceptions, get to the bottom of the booster uptake issue and talk Novavax.
Hedgehogs Host the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
Bacteria resistant to methicillin emerged in hedgehogs long before the drug was prescribed to treat infections.
Meerkats Are Getting Climate Sick
For meerkats in the Kalahari Desert, rising temperatures spark deadly outbreaks of tuberculosis.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/meerkats-are-getting-climate-sick/
'Where Are Vaccines for Little Kids?' and the Latest on Long COVID
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ess...
Your Phone Could Be Used to Prosecute for Getting an Abortion: Here's How
Technology editor Sophie Bushwick breaks down the precedent for using your phone to monitor personal health data.
If Sea Ice Melts in the Arctic, Do Trees Burn in California?
A new study links sea ice decline with increasing wildfire weather in the Western U.S.
How to Care for COVID at Home, and Is That Sniffle Allergies or the Virus? COVID Quickly, Episode 30
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
How Astronomers Finally Captured a Photo of our Own Galaxy's Black Hole
It took hundreds of researchers and many telescopes to capture an image of the black hole at the middle of our Milky Way.
Two-Headed Worms Tell Us Something Fascinating about Evolution
Researchers looked back at more than 100 years of research and found that a fascination with annelids with mixed up appendages was strong—and that research still has relevance today.
The Harmful Effects of Overturning Roe v. Wade
A landmark study of women who were turned away from getting the procedure found that being forced to have a child worsened their health and economic status.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-harmful-effects-of-overturning-roe-v-wade/
Safer Indoor Air, and People Want Masks on Planes and Trains: COVID Quickly, Episode 29
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Climate Change Is Shrinking Animals, Especially Bird-Brained Birds
As the world warms, many animals are getting smaller. For birds, new research shows what they have upstairs may just make a different in how much smaller they get.
Cosmic Simulation Shows How Dark-Matter-Deficient Galaxies Confront Goliath and Survive
A research team finds seven tiny dwarf galaxies stripped of their dark matter that nonetheless persisted despite the theft.
Venturing Back to the Office and the Benefits of Hybrid Immunity: COVID Quickly, Episode 28
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Science Finally Has a Good Idea about Why We Stutter
A glitch in speech initiation gives rise to the repetition that characterizes stuttering.
Love Computers? Love History? Listen to This Podcast
In the newest season of Lost Women of Science, we enter a world of secrecy, computers and nuclear weapons—and see how Klára Dán von Neumann was a part of all of it.
Probiotics Could Help Save Overheated Corals
Think of the process as a kind of marine fecal transplant—except the restorative bacteria do not come from stool; they come from other corals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/probiotics-could-help-save-overheated-coral/
The History of the Milky Way Comes into Focus
By dating nearly a quarter-million stars, astronomers were able to reconstruct the history of our galaxy—and they say it has lived an “enormously sheltered life.”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-history-of-the-milky-way-comes-into-focus/
Second Boosters, Masks in the Next Wave and Smart Risk Decisions: COVID Quickly, Episode 27
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
New Research Decodes the Sea Cow's Hidden Language
Florida manatees are “talking” up a storm, and a team that has been recording those sounds for seven years is starting to understand the chatter.
Does This Look like a Face to You?
Science—and experience—show that we most definitely see faces in inanimate objects. But new research finds that, more often than not, we perceive those illusory faces as male.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/does-this-look-like-a-face-to-you/
Some Good News about Corals and Climate Change
A nearly two-year-long study of Hawaiian corals suggests some species may be better equipped to handle warmer, more acidic waters than previously believed.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/some-good-news-about-corals-and-climate-change/
Florida Gets Kids and Vaccines Wrong and Ukraine's Health Crisis: COVID Quickly, Episode 26
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Are You Better Than a Machine at Spotting a Deepfake?
New research shows that detecting digital fakes generated by machine learning might be a job best done with humans still in the loop.
A Treasure Trove of Dinosaur Bones in Italy Rewrites the Local Prehistoric Record
New fossils are changing a decades-old story about the species that roamed the Mediterranean 80 million years ago.
Chimps Apply Insects to Their Wounds
It is not clear whether the act has medicinal benefit or is merely a cultural practice among the animals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/chimps-apply-insects-to-their-wounds/
The Push to Move Past the Pandemic: COVID Quickly, Episode 25
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Researchers Analyzed Folk Music like It Was DNA: They Found Parallels between Life and Art
Using software designed to align DNA sequences, scientists cataloged the mutations that arose as folk songs evolved
How Hong Kong 'Sees' Invisible Tailpipe Emissions and Pulls Polluters Off the Road
The city has deployed a system of sensors to flag highly polluting vehicles. Nearly all of them have been repaired, helping to clean Hong Kong’s air.
This Maine Farm Is Harvesting the Sun's Power while it Picks the Blueberries
In Rockport, Me., an array of nearly 11,000 solar panels will soon begin a solar harvest as the sweet berries growing below them ripen on the bush.
Tracking Outbreaks through Sewers, and Kids' Vaccines on Hold Again: COVID Quickly, Episode 24
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
The Romantic Temptation of the Monogamous Prairie Vole
The small rodents are one of the few known monogamists in the wild—and their faithfulness was put to the test in a lab.
Answering an Age-Old Mystery: How Do Birds Actually Fly?
Equally surprising is the fact that we still do not know how birds actually stay airborne.
More Kids Get COVID, Long Haulers and a Vaccine Milestone: COVID Quickly, Episode 23
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
What Is the Shape of This Word?
What shape do you see when you hear “bouba”? What about “kiki”? It turns out that nonsense words that evoke certain shapes have something to say about the origins of language.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/what-is-the-shape-of-this-word/
Tiger Sharks, Tracked over Decades, Are Shifting Their Haunts with Ocean Warming
Using a combination of fishing data and satellite tracking, scientists found that the sharks have shifted their range some 250 miles poleward over the past 40 years.
How Marine Wildlife Can Coexist with Offshore Wind
Harnessing the wind to blow back emissions is not without its own impacts, so researchers are developing technologies to coexist with whales and other ocean-dwelling species.
COVID Quickly, Episode 22: Colds Build COVID Immunity and the Omicron Vaccine Delay
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
The Surprising Physics of Finger Snapping
You might not think that you can generate more body acceleration than a big-league baseball pitcher, but new research shows you can.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-surprising-physics-of-finger-snapping/
Salvador Dali's Creative Secret Is Backed by Science
The painter described falling into the briefest of slumbers to refresh his mind. Now scientists have shown the method is effective at inducing creativity.
A Growing Force of Fiery Zombies Threatens Cold Northern Forests
Wildfires, appearing dead in winter, are actually smoldering and then bouncing back to life in spring to consume increasingly more land in the Far North.
Listen to This New Podcast: Lost Women of Science
A new podcast is on a mission to retrieve unsung female scientists from oblivion.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/listen-to-this-new-podcast-lost-women-of-science/
Canary Islands Eruption Resets Volcano Forecasts
A volcanologist says the eruption on the island of La Palma is a unique window into the “personality” of basaltic volcanoes.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/canary-islands-eruption-resets-volcano-forecasts/
COVID Quickly, Episode 21: Vaccines against Omicron and Pandemic Progress
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
As Forests Burn, a Climate Puzzle Materializes in the Far North
A 15-year study of where carbon lies in boreal forests has unearthed a surprising finding.
Astronomers Spot Two Dust Bunnies Hiding in the Early Universe
The scientists found several previously hidden galaxies that date back to 13 billion years ago—and many more might be missing from our current census of the early universe.
COVID Quickly, Episode 20: The Omicron Scare, and Anti-COVID Pills Are Coming
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
To Better Persuade a Human, a Robot Should Use This Trick
A new study finds that, for robots, overlords are less persuasive than peers.
Redo of a Famous Experiment on the Origins of Life Reveals Critical Detail Missed for Decades
The Miller-Urey experiment showed that the conditions of early Earth could be simulated in a glass flask. New research finds the flask itself played an underappreciated, though outsize, role.
COVID Quickly, Episode 19: Mandate Roadblocks, Boosters for All and Sickness in the Zoo
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Flocking Together May Have Helped Dinosaurs Dominate the Earth
A fossil bed in Patagonia provides evidence of complex social structure in dinosaurs as early as 193 million years ago. And scientists say that herding behavior could have been key to the beasts...
Engineered Bacteria Use Air Bubbles as Acoustically Detonated Tumor TNT
Ultrasound triggered cells home in on tumors and then self destruct to deliver damage or therapeutics from inside.
COVID Quickly, Episode 18: Vaccines for Kids and the Limits of Natural Immunity
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
These Bugs Produce Smelly Defenses That Need to Be Heard to Be Believed
You read that right. Researchers have taken the chemical defenses of some insects and turned them into sounds, which, it turns out, repel people just as well.
For Some Parents, Hiding a Dead Body Shows How Much You Care
Over millions of years of evolution, some beetles have learned to dampen the stench of decay to help their young thrive.
Date of the Vikings' First Atlantic Crossing Revealed by Rays from Space
By dating the remnants of trees felled in Newfoundland, scientists have determined that the Norse people likely first set foot in the Americas in the year A.D. 1021.
COVID Quickly, Episode 17: Vaccine Lies and Protecting Immunocompromised People
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
How Can an Elephant Squeak Like a Mouse?
New research using a camera that can “see" sound” shows some elephants can produce high-pitched buzzing with their lips.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-can-an-elephant-squeak-like-a-mouse/
Beethoven's Unfinished 10th Symphony Brought to Life by Artificial Intelligence
Nearly 200 years after his death, the German composer’s musical scratch was pieced together by machine—with a lot of human help.
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding the Universe
Ewine van Dishoeck received the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics in 2018 for elucidating the life cycle of interstellar clouds and the formation of stars and planets. What other mysteries of space are...
A Canary in an Ice-Rich, Slumping Rock Glacier in Alaska
Here’s what we can learn about climate change and infrastructure from Denali National Park’s only road.
COVID Quickly, Episode 16: Vaccines Protect Pregnancies and a New Antiviral Pill
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
The Mystery of Water Drops That Skate Across Oil at Impossible Speeds
The speed of these self-propelling droplets on a hot-oil surface seemed to defy physics until researchers broke out the super-slow-motion camera.
Night Flights Are No Sweat for Tropical Bees
New research uses night vision to see how nocturnal bees navigate the dark.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/night-flights-are-no-sweat-for-tropical-bees/
These Bacteria Steal from Iron and Could Be Secretly Helping to Curb Climate Change
Photoferrotrophs have been around for billions of years on Earth, and new research suggests that they have played an outsize roll in the natural capture of carbon dioxide.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 15: Booster Shot Approvals--plus Vaccines for Kids?
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Dinosaurs Lived--and Made Little Dinos--in the Arctic
New research shows that the prehistoric giants were even cooler than we thought
During a Rodent Quadrathlon, Researchers Learn That Ground Squirrels Have Personalities
The rodents’ personalities may help them to secure territory and avoid prey.
A Car Crash Snaps the Daydreaming Mind into Focus
One researcher’s poorly timed attention lapse flipped a car—and pushed science forward.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 14: Best Masks, Explaining Mask Anger, Biden's New Plan
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding Atoms
Gerd Binnig shared The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience in 2016 for inventing the atomic force microscope. What transformative impact has this invention had on nanoscience?
In Missouri, a Human 'Bee' Works to Better Understand Climate Change's Effects
Researcher Matthew Austin has become a wildflower pollinator, sans the wings.
These Baby Bats, like Us, Were Born to Babble
The greater sac-winged bat develops its own language in much the way we do.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/these-baby-bats-like-us-were-born-to-babble/
Their Lives Have Been Upended by Hurricane Ida
Theresa and Donald Dardar lived their whole lives in coastal Louisiana. They knew the “big one” might come someday. It did, and now everything is uncertain.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/their-lives-have-been-upended-by-hurricane-ida/
COVID, Quickly, Episode 13: Vaccine Approval, Breakthrough Infections, Boosters
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
Flexible Microprocessor Could Enable an 'Internet of Everything'
Researchers have developed a microprocessor built on high-performance plastic rather than silicon—and they say it could enable smarter food labels and supply chain management.
Years Before COVID-19, Zombies Helped Prepare One Hospital System for the Real Pandemic
An educational experiment used escape rooms and the undead to set the stage for a terrible situation that would become all too real
The Incredible, Reanimated 24,000-Year-Old Rotifer
The last time this tiny wheel animalcule was moving around, woolly mammoths roamed the earth.
Astronomers Find an Unexpected Bumper Crop of Black Holes
In trying to explain the spectacular star trails of the star cluster Palomar 5, astronomers stumbled on a very large trove of black holes.
Inside Millions of Invisible Droplets, Potential Superbug Killers Grow
New research has created microscopic antibiotic factories in droplets that measure a trillionth of liter in volume.
The Secret behind Songbirds' Magnetic Migratory Sense
A molecule found in the retinas of European robins seems to be able to sense weak magnetic fields, such as that of Earth, after it is exposed to light.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 12: Masking Up Again and Why People Refuse Shots
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essentia...
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding Touch
Ardem Patapoutian shared The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience in 2020 for answering a basic question: How does touch actually work?
Moths Have an Acoustic Invisibility Cloak to Stay under Bats' Radar
New research finds they fly around on noise-cancelling wings
COVID, Quickly, Episode 11: Vaccine Booster Shots, and Reopening Offices Safely
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ...
Your Brain Does Something Amazing between Bouts of Intense Learning
New research shows that lightning-quick neural rehearsal can supercharge learning and memory.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 10: Long Haulers, Delta Woes and Barbershop Shots
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ...
COVID, Quickly, Episode 9: Delta Variant, Global Vaccine Shortfalls, Beers for Shots
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ...
This Newly Discovered Species of Tree Hyrax Goes Bark in the Night
A study makes the case for the new species based on its looks, genes and sounds
Animal Kids Listen to Their Parents Even before Birth
Human children: please take note of the behavior of prebirth zebra finches
For African Elephants, Pee Could Be a Potent Trail Marker
Scientists found that elephants often sniff pathways—and seem especially attuned to urine.
A 'Universal' Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent the Next Pandemic
A pan-coronavirus vaccine could be “one vaccine to rule them all,” and so far it has shown strong results in mice, hamsters, monkeys, horses and even sharks.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 8: The Pandemic's True Death Toll and the Big Lab-Leak Debate
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ...
Puppies Understand You Even at a Young Age, Most Adorable Study of the Year Confirms
Researchers in the happiest lab in the world tested 375 pups and found they connected with people by eight weeks
New 3-D-Printed Material Is Tough, Flexible--and Alive
Made from microalgae and bacteria, the new substance can survive for three days without feeding. It could one day be used to build living garments, self-powered kitchen appliances or even wind...
Bats on Helium Reveal an Innate Sense of the Speed of Sound
A new experiment shows that bats are born with a fixed reference for the speed of sound—and living in lighter air can throw it off.
The Dirty Secret behind Some of the World's Earliest Microscopes
Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek made extraordinary observations of blood cells, sperm cells and bacteria with his microscopes. But it turns out the lens technology he used was quite ordi...
COVID, Quickly, Episode 7: The Coming Pandemic Grief Wave, and Mask Whiplash
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ...
Math and Sleuthing Help to Explain Epidemics of the Past
One mathematician has spend decades uncovering the deadly calculations of pestilence and plague, sometimes finding data that were hiding in plain sight.
Who Laps Whom on the Walking Track--Tyrannosaurus rex or You? Science Has a New Answer
An analysis of the animal’s walking speed suggests that T. rex’s walking pace was close to that of a human. It’s too bad the king of the dinosaurs didn’t just walk when hungry.
Artificial Light Keeps Mosquitoes Biting Late into the Night
It is like when your cell phone keeps you awake in bed—except mosquitoes do not doom scroll when they stay up, they feast on your blood.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 6: The Real Reason for India's Surge and Mask Liftoff
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the ...
Male Lyrebirds Lie to Get Sex
It seems like the males will do anything, even fake nearby danger, to get females to stick around to mate.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/male-lyrebirds-lie-to-get-sex/
Lovebirds Adore Our Inefficient Air-Conditioning
The rosy-faced lovebirds that live in Phoenix appear to be free riding on our urban climate control.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/lovebirds-adore-our-inefficient-air-conditioning/
COVID, Quickly, Episode 5: Vaccine Safety in Pregnancy, Blood Clots and Long-Haul Realities
Today we bring you the fifth episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on ...
Beehives Are Held Together by Their Mutual Gut Microbes
New research shows that members of a bee colony all have the same gut microbiome, which controls their smell—and thus their ability to separate family from foe.
These Endangered Birds Are Forgetting Their Songs
Australia’s critically endangered regent honeyeaters are losing what amounts to their culture—and that could jeopardize their success at landing a mate.
To Fight Climate Change: Grow a Floating Forest, Then Sink It
A fast-growing front in the battle against climate change is focused on developing green technologies aimed at reducing humankind’s carbon footprint, but many scientists say simply reducing emi...
COVID, Quickly, Episode 4: The Virtual Vaccine Line and Shots for Kids
Today we bring you the fourth episode in a new podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up ...
Big Physics News: The Muon g-2 Experiment Explained
Particles called muons are behaving weirdly, and that could mean a huge discovery.
Boston's Pigeons Coo, 'Wicked'; New York's Birds Coo, 'Fuhgeddaboudit'
The two cities’ rock doves are genetically distinct, research shows.
Imperiled Freshwater Turtles Are Eating Plastics--Science Is Just Revealing the Threat
We know a lot about how sea turtles are threatened by our trash, but new research has just uncovered an underreported threat hiding inside lakes and rivers.
COVID, Quickly, Episode 3: Vaccine Inequality--plus Your Body the Variant Fighter
Today we bring you the third episode in a new podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up ...
Using Dragonflies as Contamination Detectors
By collecting the larvae of the fast flyers, researchers have turned the insects into “biosentinels” that can track mercury pollution across the country. Berly McCoy reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/using-dragonflies-as-contamination-detectors/
Smartphones Can Hear the Shape of Your Door Keys
Can you pick a lock with just a smartphone? New research shows that doing so is possible.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/smartphones-can-hear-the-shape-of-your-door-keys/
Chimpanzees Show Altruism while Gathering around the Juice Fountain
New research tries to tease out whether our closest animal relatives can be selfless
COVID, Quickly, Episode 2: Lessons from a Pandemic Year
Today we bring you the second episode in a new podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up ...
That Mouse in Your House--It's Smarter, Thanks to You
Scientists studied three varieties of house mice and found that those who had lived alongside humans the longest were also the craftiest at solving food puzzles. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Kangaroos with Puppy Dog Eyes
New research shows that when faced with an impossible task, the marsupials look to humans for help.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/kangaroos-with-puppy-dog-eyes/
COVID, Quickly, Episode 1: Vaccines, Variants and Diabetes
Today we begin a new podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essential developments ...
Machine Learning Pwns Old-School Atari Games
You can call it the “revenge of the computer scientist.” An algorithm that made headlines for mastering the notoriously difficult Atari 2600 game Montezuma’s Revenge can now beat more gam...
E-Eggs Track Turtle Traffickers
Decoy sea turtle eggs containing tracking tech are new weapons against beach poachers and traffickers.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/e-eggs-track-turtle-traffickers/
Bromances Could Lead to More Romances for Male Hyenas
Spotted hyena males do not fight for mates, so how are certain males shut out of the mating game?
A Heroic Effort to Measure Helium
After an intense game of cat and mouse with different particles, atomic physicists have measured the radius of the helium nucleus five times more precisely than before. Christopher Intagliata rep...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/a-heroic-effort-to-measure-helium/
Science News Briefs from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one from Costa Rica about decoy sea turtle eggs with the potential to catch poachers.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-world5/
Scientists Take a Cattle Head Count in India
The research team determined that the city of Raipur in central India has at least one street cow for every 54 human residents. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/scientists-take-a-cattle-head-count-in-india/
Ancient Dogs Had Complex Genetic Histories
Some dog population genetics show similarities to ours, such as in the ability to digest grains. But other lineages differ.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ancient-dogs-had-complex-genetic-histories/
Bees Use 'Bullshit' Defense to Keep Giant Hornets at Bay
The prospect of death by giant hornet has pushed some Asian honeybees to resort to a poop-based defense system
Humans May Have Befriended Wolves with Meat
Unlike humans, wolves can subsist on protein alone for months—so scientists say we may have lobbed leaner leftovers their way. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/humans-may-have-befriended-wolves-with-meat/
How to Avoid Becoming a Meal for a Cheetah
Researchers help farmers in Namibia avoid costly cattle losses by tracking big cat hangouts
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-to-avoid-becoming-a-meal-for-a-cheetah/
How the Coronavirus Pandemic Shaped Our Language in 2020
Linguist Ben Zimmer says the pandemic has turned us all into amateur epidemiologists utilizing terms such as “superspreader” and “asymptomatic.” Christopher Intagliata reports.
Science News Briefs from around the Planet
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one from Panama about the toll lightning takes on tropical trees.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-planet2/
Ravens Measure Up to Great Apes on Intelligence
Juvenile ravens performed just as well as chimps and orangutans in a battery of intelligence tests—except for assays of spatial skills. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ravens-measure-up-to-great-apes-on-intelligence/
Baby Bees Deprive Caregivers of Sleep
Bee larvae and pupae appear to secrete a chemical that does the work of a late-night cup of coffee for their nurses.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/baby-bees-deprive-caregivers-of-sleep/
How the Wolves Change the Forest
New research tracked the canines in northern Minnesota for years to see just how they reshape their ecosystems. Audio of wolves inside Voyageurs National Park, courtesy of Jacob Job .
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-the-wolves-change-the-forest/
Brain Sides Are Both Busy in New Language Learning
A study of adults learning a new language found that speaking primarily activated regions in the left side of the brain, but reading and listening comprehension were much more variable
Eye Treatment Stretches Mouse Sight Beyond Visible Spectrum
Nanoparticles that attach to photoreceptors allowed mice to see infrared and near-infrared light for up to two months.
This Bat Wears a Face Mask
The wrinkle-faced bat covers its face with a flap of skin, seemingly as part of its courtship rituals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/this-bat-wears-a-face-mask/
The Denisovans Expand Their Range into China
Evidence of the ancient humans was limited to a cave in Siberia. But now scientists have found genetic remains of the Denisovans in China. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-denisovans-expand-their-range-into-china/
Undersea Earthquakes Reveal Sound Warming Info
Travel time differences for sound waves produced by undersea earthquakes in the same place at different times can provide details about ocean warming.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/undersea-earthquakes-reveal-sound-warming-info/
Duckbill Dino Odyssey Ended in Africa
A duckbill dinosaur jawbone found in Morocco means that dinosaurs crossed a large body of water to reach Africa.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/duckbill-dino-odyssey-ended-in-africa/
Early Mammals Had Social Lives, Too
Chipmunklike animals that lived among the dinosaurs appear to have been social creatures, which suggests that sociality arose in mammals earlier than scientists thought. Christopher Intagliata re...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/early-mammals-had-social-lives-too/
Science News Briefs from All Over
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one, from the dormant volcano Llullaillaco in Chile, about a mouse that is the highest-dwelling mammal ev...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-all-over6/
Divide and Conquer Could Be Good COVID Strategy
COVID might be fought efficiently with fewer shutdowns by restricting activities only in a particular area with a population up to 200,000 when its case rate rises above a chosen threshold.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/divide-and-conquer-could-be-good-covid-strategy/
Zebra Coloration Messes With Fly Eyes
Horseflies misjudge landings on zebra patterns, compared with solid gray or black surfaces, which provides evidence for why evolution came up with the black-and-white pattern.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/zebra-coloration-messes-with-fly-eyes/
Science Sound(E)scapes: Head Banging and Howling in the Amazon
Need a break from politics and the pandemic? You’re probably not in the Amazon rain forest right now, but we can take you there in audio. Today, in part three of our three-part audio sound esca...
Science Sound(E)scapes: Amazon Frog Choruses at Night
Need a break from politics and the pandemic? You’re probably not in the Amazon rain forest right now, but we can take you there in audio. Today, in part two of our three-part audio sound escape...
Science Sound(E)scapes: Amazon Pink River Dolphins
Need a break from politics and the pandemic? You’re probably not in the Amazon rain forest right now, but we can take you there in audio. Today, in part one of our three-part audio sound escape...
Frog Vocals Lead to Small Preference
The concave-eared torrent frog's unusual ear anatomy lets it hear high-frequency calls, which gives a mating advantage to the littler males that sing soprano.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/frog-vocals-lead-to-small-preference/
Science News Briefs from around the Globe
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from the United Arab Emirates about the the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-globe4/
Election Science Stakes: Technology
We wrap up our preelection series with Scientific American senior editor Jen Schwartz, who talks about the possible effects of the election results on technology development and use.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/election-science-stakes-technology/
Election Science Stakes: Energy
Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti and associate editor Andrea Thompson talk about this election and the future of U.S. energy research and policy.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/election-science-stakes-energy/
Election Science Stakes: Environment
Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti talks about how this election will affect environmental science and policy.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/election-science-stakes-environment/
Election Science Stakes: Climate
Scientific American’s associate editor for sustainability Andrea Thompson talks about how climate science and policy will be affected by this election.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/election-science-stakes-climate/
Election Science Stakes: Medicine and Public Health
Scientific American’s senior medicine editor Josh Fischman talks about issues in medicine and public health that will be affected by this election.
Election 2020: The Stakes for Science
Scientific American’s editor in chief sets up this week’s series of podcasts about how this election could affect science, technology and medicine.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/election-2020-the-stakes-for-science/
Why Some Easter Island Statues Are Where They Are
Many of the statues not along the coast are in places that featured a resource vital to the communities that lived and worked there.
Acorn Woodpeckers Fight Long, Bloody Territorial Wars
More than 40 of the birds, in coalitions of three or four, may fight for days over oak trees in which to store their acorns.
Funky Cheese Rinds Release an Influential Stench
The volatile compounds released by microbial communities on cheese rinds shape and shift a cheese’s microbiome. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/funky-cheese-rinds-release-an-influential-stench/
Dinosaur Asteroid Hit Worst-Case Place
The mass-extinction asteroid happened to strike an area where the rock contained a lot of organic matter and sent soot into the stratosphere, where it could block sunlight for years.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/dinosaur-asteroid-hit-worst-case-place/
River Ecosystem Restoration Can Mean Just Add Water
Planners returned water to the dry bed of Arizona’s Santa Cruz River in 2019, and various species began showing up on the same day.
3,000-Year-Old Orbs Provide a Glimpse of Ancient Sport
Researchers say three ancient leather balls, dug up from the tombs of horsemen in northwestern China, are the oldest such specimens from Europe or Asia. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Humans Make Wild Animals Less Wary
From mammals to mollusks, animals living among humans lose their antipredator behaviors.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/humans-make-wild-animals-less-wary/
Play Helped Dogs Be Our Best Friends
The ancestors of today’s dogs already exhibited some playfulness, which became a key trait during domestication.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/play-helped-dogs-be-our-best-friends/
Neandertal DNA May Be COVID Risk
A stretch of Neandertal DNA has been associated with some cases of severe COVID-19, but it’s unclear how much of a risk it poses. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/neandertal-dna-may-be-covid-risk/
Nobelist Talks CRISPR Uses
New Nobel laureate in chemistry Jennifer Doudna talks about various applications of the gene-editing tool CRISPR.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/nobelist-talks-crispr-uses/
Blue Whale Song Timing Reveals Time to Go
Blue whales off California’s coast sing at night—until it’s time to start migrating, and they switch to daytime song.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/blue-whale-song-timing-reveals-time-to-go/
New Nobel Laureate Talks Today's Virology
Charles Rice, who today shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, talked about how rapidly research now occurs, compared with his early work.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/new-nobel-laureate-talks-todays-virology/
Greenland Is Melting Faster Than Any Time in Past 12,000 Years
Researchers determined that Greenland is on track to lose more ice this century than during any of the previous 120 centuries. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Sloths Slowly Cavort by Day Now
The disappearance of their predators in a disturbed ecosystem has turned Atlantic forest sloths from night creatures to day adventurers.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/sloths-slowly-cavort-by-day-now/
Dinosaurs Got Cancer, Too
Researchers seeking evidence for cancer in dinosaurs found it in a collection of bones at a paleontology museum in Alberta.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/dinosaurs-got-cancer-too/
Fluttering Feathers Could Spawn New Species
Fork-tailed flycatchers make a fluttering sound with their wings—but separate subspecies have different “dialects” of fluttering. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fluttering-feathers-could-spawn-new-species/
Science News from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from Israel about what DNA reveals about the Dead Sea Scrolls’ parchment.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-from-around-the-world/
These Small Mammals Snort to a Different Tune
Hyraxes, which live in Africa and the Middle East, punctuate their songs with snorts. And the snorts appear to reflect the animals’ emotional state. Jason G. Goldman reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/these-small-mammals-snort-to-a-different-tune/
Ice Age Temperatures Help Predict Future Warming
Scientists determined that temperatures were 11 degrees cooler during the last ice age—and that finding has implications for modern-day warming. Julia Rosen reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ice-age-temperatures-help-predict-future-warming/
High-Elevation Hummingbirds Evolved a Temperature Trick
Hummingbirds in the Peruvian Andes enter a state of torpor at night to conserve energy, dipping their body temperature to as low as 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Why Pet Pigs Are More like Wolves Than Dogs
Given an impossible task, a dog will ask a human for help, but a wolf will not seek help—and neither will a pet pig.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/why-pet-pigs-are-more-like-wolves-than-dogs/
Bricks Can Be Turned into Batteries
Pumping cheap iron-oxide-rich red bricks with specific vapors that form polymers enables the bricks to become electrical-charge-storage devices.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bricks-can-be-turned-into-batteries/
Leftovers Are a Food-Waste Problem
Researchers found that leftovers are likely to end up in the trash, so they advise cooking smaller meals in the first place to avoid food waste. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/leftovers-are-a-food-waste-problem/
Some Dinosaurs Probably Nested in Arctic
The finding of a baby dinosaur fossil in the Arctic implies that some dinos nested in the region, which was milder than today but not toasty.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/some-dinosaurs-probably-nested-in-arctic/
Star Systems Can Be Born Topsy-Turvy
Astronomers observed an odd triple-star system that offers clues about misaligned planetary orbits. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/star-systems-can-be-born-topsy-turvy/
Death by Lightning Is Common for Tropical Trees
A study estimates that 200 million trees in the tropics are mowed down by lightning annually.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/death-by-lightning-is-common-for-tropical-trees/
Science Briefs from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from Antarctica about how there’s something funny about penguin poop.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-briefs-from-around-the-world1/
Alaska's Salmon Are Shrinking
Every year, Alaska’s big salmon runs feature smaller salmon. Climate change and competition with hatchery-raised salmon may be to blame. Julia Rosen reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/alaskas-salmon-are-shrinking/
End of 'Green Sahara' May Have Spurred a Megadrought in Southeast Asia
That drought may have brought about societal shifts in the region 5,000 years ago. Christopher Intagliata reports.
White Rhinos Eavesdrop to Know Who's Who
The finding could potentially help wildlife managers keep better tabs on their herds. Jason G. Goldman reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/white-rhinos-eavesdrop-to-know-whos-who/
Prehistoric Marine Reptile Died after a Giant Meal
Researchers found extra bones within a 240-million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil—which they determined to be the ichthyosaur’s last, possibly fatal meal. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Cows with Eye Images Keep Predators in Arrears
Butterflies, fish and frogs sport rear-end eyespots that reduce predation. Painting eye markings on cows similarly seems to ward off predators.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/cows-with-eye-images-keep-predators-in-arrears/
Warbler Species Fires Up Song Diversity
Hermit warblers in California have developed 35 different song dialects, apparently as a result of wildfires temporarily driving them out of certain areas.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/warbler-species-fires-up-song-diversity/
Why Lava Worlds Shine Brightly (It's Not the Lava)
Scientists determined that “lava world” exoplanets do not derive their brightness from molten rock but possibly get it from reflective metallic clouds. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/why-lava-worlds-shine-brightly-its-not-the-lava/
Aardvarks Are Ailing amid Heat and Drought
Climate change is expected to bring more frequent droughts and heat waves to Africa’s Kalahari Desert. And aardvarks might not be able to cope. Jason G. Goldman reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/aardvarks-are-ailing-amid-heat-and-drought/
The World's Highest-Dwelling Mammal Lives atop a Volcano
Scientists spotted a mouse at the summit of Llullaillaco, a 22,000-foot-tall volcano on the border of Chile and Argentina. Julia Rosen reports.
Dampening of the Senses Is Linked to Dementia Risk
A decline in smell was the sense loss most strongly associated with such risk in a recent study. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Translucent Frog Optics Create Camo Color
Rather than undergoing active chameleonlike color changes, glass frogs’ translucency allows light to bounce from their background and go through them—making their apparent color close to thei...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/translucent-frog-optics-create-camo-color/
Paired Comparisons Could Mean Better Witness Identifications
Compared with traditional lineup techniques, a series of two-faces-at-a-time choices led to more accurate identification by study witnesses.
Foxes Have Dined on Our Leftovers for 30,000 Years
An analysis of fox fossils found evidence that they scavenged from wolf and bear kills until Homo sapiens supplied plenty of horse and reindeer remains.
Mexico Caves Reveal Ancient Ocher Mining
Now submerged caves in the Yucatán Peninsula contain remains of ocher-mining operations that date back at least 10,000 years.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/mexico-caves-reveal-ancient-ocher-mining/
In Bee Shortage, Bubbles Could Help Pollinate
Soap bubbles are sticky enough to carry a pollen payload and delicate enough to land on flowers without harm.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/in-bee-shortage-bubbles-could-help-pollinate/
Science News Briefs from around the Planet
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one about how a lizard population responded to hurricanes by developing larger and stickier toe pads on average.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-planet1/
Seismologists Find the World Quieted Down during Pandemic Lockdowns
COVID-19-related lockdowns dampened human activity around the globe—giving seismologists a rare glimpse of the earth’s quietest rumblings. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Old Art Offers Agriculture Info
Art museums are filled with centuries-old paintings with details of plants that today give us clues about evolution and breeding practices.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/old-art-offers-agriculture-info/
How COVID-19 Decreases Weather Forecast Accuracy
Meteorologists take advantage of weather data collected by commercial jetliners at different altitudes and locations. Fewer flights mean less data.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-covid-19-decreases-weather-forecast-accuracy/
Cricket Avoids Being Bat Food by Doing Nothing
The sword-tailed cricket can discern bats’ echolocation signals by only responding to calls of a certain volume—at which point it plummets out of their approach.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/cricket-avoids-being-bat-food-by-doing-nothing/
Speaker System Blocks City Noise
The system works like noise-cancelling headphones but fits over an open window. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/speaker-system-blocks-city-noise/
Civil War Vaccine May Have Lessons for COVID-19
Vaccination used against smallpox during the Civil War reveals the identity of the distantly related virus used to keep troops disease-free.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/civil-war-vaccine-may-have-lessons-for-covid-19/
Can People ID Infectious Disease by Cough and Sneeze Sounds?
Individuals aren’t very good at judging whether someone coughing or sneezing has an infectious condition or is simply reacting to something benign.
Why Some Birds Are Likely To Hit Buildings
Those that eat insects, migrate or usually live in the woods are most likely to fly into buildings that feature a lot of glass.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/why-some-birds-are-likely-to-hit-buildings/
Sparrow Song Undergoes Key Change
White-throated sparrows made a change to their familiar call that quickly spread across Canada.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/sparrow-song-undergoes-key-change/
Polynesians and Native South Americans Made 12th-Century Contact
Scientists have found snippets of Native South American DNA in the genomes of present-day Polynesians, and they trace the contact to the year 1150. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Animals Appreciate Recent Traffic Lull
Researchers saw a third fewer vehicle collisions with deer, elk, moose and other large mammals in the four weeks following COVID-19 shutdowns in three states they tracked.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/animals-appreciate-recent-traffic-lull/
Bat Says Hi as It Hunts
Velvety free-tailed bats produce sounds that help them locate insect prey but simultaneously identify them to their companions.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bat-says-hi-as-it-hunts/
Forests Getting Younger and Shorter
Old, big trees are dying faster than in the past, leaving younger, less biodiverse forests that store less carbon worldwide.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/forests-getting-younger-and-shorter/
Young Great White Sharks Eat off the Floor
The stomach contents of young great white sharks show that they spend a lot of time patrolling the seafloor for meals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/young-great-white-sharks-eat-off-the-floor/
Tweets Reveal Politics of COVID-19
Political scientists analyzed congressional tweets and observed how Republicans and Democrats responded differently to the virus. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/tweets-reveal-politics-of-covid-19/
Nature's Goods and Services Get Priced
The gross ecosystem product, or GEP, tries to take into account the contribution of nature to the economy.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/natures-goods-and-services-get-priced/
Animal Migrations Track Climate Change
Many species are known to have changed their migration routes in response to the changing climate. They now include mule deer and Bewick’s swans.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/animal-migrations-track-climate-change/
Science Briefs from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about a 70-million-year-old mollusk fossil that reveals years back then had a few more days than we...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-briefs-from-around-the-world/
Stiffer Roads Could Drive Down Carbon Emissions
By hardening the nation’s streets and highways, trucks would use less fuel and spare the planet carbon emissions. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/stiffer-roads-could-drive-down-carbon-emissions/
Unicorns of the Sea Reveal Sound Activities
Narwhals, recognizable by their large single tusk, make distinct sounds that are now being analyzed in depth by researchers.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/unicorns-of-the-sea-reveal-sound-activities/
Human Speech Evolution Gets Lip-Smacking Evidence
A study of our closest evolutionary relatives finds that the chimp behavior known as lip smacking occurs in the same timing range as human mouths during speech.
Printed Coral Could Provide Reef Relief
Three-dimensional printed coral-like structures were able to support the algae that live in real corals, which could help restore reefs and grow algae for bioenergy production.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/printed-coral-could-provide-reef-relief/
'Snot Palaces' Reveal Undersea Creature Secrets
Scientists are studying the delicate mucus houses built by creatures called larvaceans to better understand how they live. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/snot-palaces-reveal-undersea-creature-secrets/
Helping Kids Cope with COVID-19 Worries
The psychological state of children may need special attention during COVID-19 impacts and isolation.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/helping-kids-cope-with-covid-19-worries/
Ancient DNA Rewrites Dead Sea Scroll History
By sequencing DNA from the dust of dead sea scrolls, scientists were able to glean new clues about the ancient manuscripts. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ancient-dna-rewrites-dead-sea-scroll-history/
Whale Protections Need Not Cause Lobstering Losses
Right whales, other whales and turtles get caught in lobster trap lines, but fewer lines can maintain the same lobster catch levels.
How to Keep COVID-19 Conspiracies Contained
An expert on climate denial offers tips for inoculating people against coronavirus conspiracy notions.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-to-keep-covid-19-conspiracies-contained/
Bioluminescence Helps Prey Avoid Hungry Seals
Prey animals flash biochemically produced light to confuse elephant seals hunting in the dark. But at least one seal turned the tables.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bioluminescence-helps-prey-avoid-hungry-seals/
3 Words Mislead Online Regional Mood Analysis
Analyzing keywords on Twitter can offer a loose measure of the subjective well-being of a community, as long as you don’t count three words: good, love and LOL.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/3-words-mislead-online-regional-mood-analysis/
COVID Has Changed Soundscapes Worldwide
The Silent Cities project is collecting sound from cities around the planet during the coronavirus pandemic to give researchers a database of natural sound in areas usually filled with human-gene...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/covid-has-changed-soundscapes-worldwide/
Science News Briefs from All Over
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about an incredibly well-preserved horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), like the one pictured, that l...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-all-over5/
Colorful Corals Beat Bleaching
Exposed to mildly warmer waters, some corals turn neon instead of bleaching white. The dramatic colors may help coax symbiotic algae back. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/colorful-corals-beat-bleaching/
Skinny Genes Tell Fat to Burn
A gene whose mutated form is associated with cancer in humans turns out to have a role in burning calories over a long evolutionary history.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/skinny-genes-tell-fat-to-burn/
Malaria Mosquitoes Are Biting before Bed-Net Time
Mosquitoes that like to bite at night are being thwarted by bed nets, leading to the rise of populations that prefer to bite when the nets are not up yet.
We're Being Tested
President Trump pointed out yesterday that if we didn't do any testing for the virus we would have very few cases, which forces us to confront the issues posed by testing in general.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/were-being-tested/
Barn Owl Babies Can Be Helpful Hatch Mates
Food sharing is mainly found in adult animals as a part of social bonding. But in a rarely observed behavior in birds, older barn owl chicks will share food with younger ones.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/barn-owl-babies-can-be-helpful-hatch-mates/
Donut Sugar Could Help Stored Blood Last
Dehydrated blood that could be kept at room temperature for years may be possible thanks to a sugar used to preserve donuts—and made by tardigrades and brine shrimp so they can dry out and spri...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/donut-sugar-could-help-stored-blood-last/
Lemur Flirting Uses Common Scents
To entice female ring-tailed lemurs, males rub wrist secretions, which include compounds we use in perfumes, onto their tail and then wave it near the gals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/lemur-flirting-uses-common-scents/
Flamingos Can Be Picky about Company
They don’t stand on one leg around just anybody but often prefer certain members of the flock.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/flamingos-can-be-picky-about-company/
Horses Recognize Pics of Their Keepers
Horses picked out photographs of their current keepers, and even of former keepers whom they had not seen in months, at a rate much better than chance.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/horses-recognize-pics-of-their-keepers/
Tapirs Help Reforestation via Defecation
The large herbivores appear to prefer disturbed areas over more intact ones and spread many more seeds in those places through their droppings.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/tapirs-help-reforestation-via-defecation/
Virus-Infected Bees Practice Social Distancing
Bees infected with a virus cut back on interactions within their hive but find it easier to get past sentries at neighboring hives.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/virus-infected-bees-practice-social-distancing/
New Data on Killer House Cats
Wild cats kill more animals than domestic ones do. But pet cats kill many more of them in a small area than similarly sized wild predators.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/new-data-on-killer-house-cats/
Science News Briefs from around the World
Here are a few brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about what the eruption of Mount Vesuvius might have done to one ill-fated resident of Herculaneum.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-world4/
Birds on Rhinos' Back Help Them Avoid Poachers
Oxpeckers riding on rhinoceroses feast on ticks, and their calls warn the nearsighted herbivores about approaching humans.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/birds-on-rhinos-back-help-them-avoid-poachers/
Jane Goodall: We Can Learn from This Pandemic
In a teleconference promoting her participation in Earth Day events on the National Geographic Channel, Goodall talked about what gives her hope during the pandemic and what she hopes we all lea...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/jane-goodall-we-can-learn-from-this-pandemic/
Our 3,000th Episode
Here are some “highlights” from the past 13.5 years of this podcast.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/our-3000th-episode/
How Herbivore Herds Might Help Permafrost
Introducing herds of large herbivores in the Arctic would disturb surface snow, allowing cold air to reach the ground and keep the permafrost frosty.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-herbivore-herds-might-help-permafrost/
Lung Cancer Screen Could Be Easy Pee-sy
In mice, a test for lung cancer involves nanoprobes that recognize tumors and send reporter molecules into the urine for simple analysis.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/lung-cancer-screen-could-be-easy-pee-sy/
Obama Talks Some Science Policy
As he endorsed Joe Biden today, former president Barack Obama touched on some environmental, economic and science matters.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/obama-talks-some-science-policy/
Red-Winged Blackbirds Understand Yellow Warbler Alarms
Researchers studying yellow warbler responses to the parasitic cowbird realized that red-winged blackbirds were eavesdropping on the calls and reacting to them, too.
Waiter, What's This Worm Doing in My Sushi?
Well, it’s probably there because the odds on its presence have gone way up in the past 40 years. But such parasites are still much more of a health problem for whales and dolphins than they a...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/waiter-whats-this-worm-doing-in-my-sushi/
What's a Narwhal's Tusk For?
Although the tusk can be a weapon, the variation in tusk length among animals of similar body size points to it being primarily a mating status signal.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/whats-a-narwhals-tusk-for/
Coronavirus Misinformation Is Its Own Deadly Condition
Pulitzer-winning Laurie Garrett, author of The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance, talks about the dangers of politicians offering coronavirus misinformation.
Coronavirus Can Infect Cats
Tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo have tested positive for the virus, and studies show that house cats—but apparently not dogs—can become infected.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/coronavirus-can-infect-cats/
Squid's Glowing Skin Patterns May Be Code
Humboldt squid can rapidly change the pigmentation and luminescence patterns on their skin by contracting and relaxing their muscles, possibly to communicate.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/squids-glowing-skin-patterns-may-be-code/
Bird Fossil Shared Earth with T. rex
Dating back 67 million years, this representative of the group of modern birds has been dubbed the Wonderchicken (which is not an April Fools’ Day joke).
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bird-fossil-shared-earth-with-t-rex/
City Birds: Big-Brained with Few Offspring or Small-Brained with a Lot
To make it in urban areas, birds tend to be either large-brained and able to produce few offspring or small-brained and extremely fertile. In natural habitats, most birds brains are of average si...
Coyotes Eat Everything from Fruits to Cats
The diets of coyotes vary widely, depending on whether they live in rural, suburban or urban environments—but pretty much anything is fair game.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/coyotes-eat-everything-from-fruits-to-cats/
Tiny Wormlike Creature May Be Our Oldest Known Ancestor
The bilateral organism crawled on the seafloor, taking in organic matter at one end and dumping the remains out the other some 555 million years ago.
Science News Briefs from around the Planet
Here are a few brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about the discovery of an intact chicken egg dating to Roman Britain.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-planet/
Help Researchers Track COVID-19
By entering your health status, even if you’re feeling fine, at the Web site COVID Near You, you can help researchers develop a nationwide look at where hotspots of coronavirus are occurring. ...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/help-researchers-track-covid-19/
Sick Vampire Bats Restrict Grooming to Close Family
When vampire bats feel sick, they still engage in prosocial acts such as sharing food with nonrelatives. But they cut back on grooming anyone other than their closest kin.
Exponential Infection Increases Are Deadly Serious
Listen in as I use two calculators to track the difference in numbers of infections over a short period of time, depending on how many people each infected individual infects on average.
Swamp Wallaby Reproduction Give Tribbles a Run
They’re not born pregnant like tribbles, but swamp wallabies routinely get pregnant while pregnant.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/swamp-wallaby-reproduction-give-tribbles-a-run/
Ocean Plastic Smells Great to Sea Turtles
Ocean plastic gets covered with algae and other marine organisms, making it smell delicious to sea turtles—with potentially deadly results.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ocean-plastic-smells-great-to-sea-turtles/
Ancient Clam Shell Reveals Shorter Day Length
The growth layers in a 70-million-year-old clam shell indicate that a year back then had more than 370 days, with each day being only about 23.5 hours.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ancient-clam-shell-reveals-shorter-day-length/
Snapping Shrimp Make More Noise in Warmer Oceans
As oceans heat up, the ubiquitous noise of snapping shrimp should increase, posing issues for other species and human seagoing ventures.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/snapping-shrimp-make-more-noise-in-warmer-oceans/
Stress from Undersea Noise Interferes with Crab Camouflage
In an example of how sea noise can harm species, exposed shore crabs changed camouflaging color sluggishly and were slower to flee from simulated predators.
Indigenous Amazonians Managed Valuable Plant Life
Studies on very old vegetation in the Amazon basin show active management hundreds of years ago on species such as Brazil nut and cocoa trees.
Computers Confirm Beethoven's Influence
By breaking 900 classical piano compositions into musical chunks, researchers could track Ludwig van Beethoven’s influence on the composers who followed him. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/computers-confirm-beethovens-influence/
Science News Briefs from around the World
Here are a few brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one from off the California coast about the first heart rate measurement done on a blue whale.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-world3/
Jet Altitude Changes Cut Climate-Changing Contrails
Increasing or decreasing the altitude of aircraft by a few thousand feet to avoid thin layers of humidity could make a major reduction to contrails’ contribution to climate change.
Thoroughbred Horses Are Increasingly Inbred
Inbreeding in Thoroughbreds has increased significantly in the past 45 years, with the greatest rise occurring in the past 15 or so of them.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/thoroughbred-horses-are-increasingly-inbred/
Pablo Escobar's Hippos Could Endanger Colombian Ecology
Hippos that escaped from drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s private zoo are reproducing in the wild. And with increasing numbers, they could threaten ecosystems.
Wasp Nests Help Date Aboriginal Art
Art created by Australian Aboriginal people used organic carbon-free pigments, but wasp nests above or below the art can be used for radiocarbon dating that supplies boundaries for the age of art...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/wasp-nests-help-date-aboriginal-art/
Industrial Revolution Pollution Found in Himalayan Glacier
Ice cores from a Tibetan glacier reveal the first deposits of industrial revolution pollution, starting in layers dated to about 1780.
Fight-or-Flight Nerves Make Mice Go Gray
A new study in mice concludes stress can cause gray hair—and credits overactive nerves with the change in hue. Karen Hopkin reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fight-or-flight-nerves-make-mice-go-gray/
Espresso May Be Better when Ground Coarser
A very fine grind can actually hamper espresso brewing, because particles may clump more than larger particles will.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/espresso-may-be-better-when-ground-coarser/
Feral Dogs Respond to Human Hand Cues
Most feral dogs that did not run away from humans were able to respond to hand cues about the location of food—even without training.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/feral-dogs-respond-to-human-hand-cues/
Neandertals Tooled Around with Clams
Neandertals ate clams and then modified the hard shells into tools for cutting and scraping.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/neandertals-tooled-around-with-clams/
Fingering Fake Whiskeys with Isotopes
Whiskeys claimed to be from the 19th century are revealed to be made with much more recently grown barley, thanks to the unique isotopic fingerprint of the nuclear-testing era.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fingering-fake-whiskeys-with-isotopes/
Having an Albatross around Your Boat
By outfitting 169 albatrosses with GPS data loggers, scientists were able to track fishing boats apparently trying to hide their location. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/having-an-albatross-around-your-boat/
Science News Briefs from All Over
Here are a few brief reports about international science and technology from around the world, including one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo about a toad that has evolved coloring that ...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-all-over4/
Facts about Groundhogs Other Than Their Poor Meteorology
Groundhogs are less accurate at weather forecasting than are coin flips, but they are nonetheless pretty interesting critters.
Did Animal Calls Start in the Dark?
One hypothesis says the ability to vocalize arose in nocturnal animals—and a new evolutionary analysis suggests there may be some truth to it. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/did-animal-calls-start-in-the-dark/
Sign Languages Display Distinct Ancestries
Well more than 100 distinct sign languages exist worldwide, with each having features that made it possible for researchers to create an evolutionary tree of their lineages.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/sign-languages-display-distinct-ancestries/
Docs Given Updated Opioid Prescribing Habit
Researchers dialed down the default number of opioids in two hospitals’ prescription systems—and doctors ended up prescribing fewer pills. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/docs-given-updated-opioid-prescribing-habit/
Some Wolf Pups Show Innate Fetching Talent
Some wolf pups will play fetch with a stranger, suggesting that an ability to playfully interact with people could have come before, and played a role in, dog domestication.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/some-wolf-pups-show-innate-fetching-talent/
Barred Owls Invade the Sierra Nevada
By listening to the sounds of the forest, biologists were able to identify an invasion of barred owls in spotted owl habitat. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/barred-owls-invade-the-sierra-nevada/
Curiosity Killed the ... Mouse?
The cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii boosts curiosity in mice—which makes them more likely to be caught by cats, thus continuing the parasite’s life cycle. Karen Hopkin reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/curiosity-killed-the-mouse/
This Fish Knows How to Stick Around
The remora clings to other fish—and appears to use an unusual sense of touch to do so. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/this-fish-knows-how-to-stick-around/
Antarctic Is Ripe for Invasive Species
Mussels and crabs are two of the creatures most likely to invade Antarctica in the next 10 years, a panel of scientists say. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/antarctic-is-ripe-for-invasive-species/
Bacteria Helped Plants Evolve to Live on Land
Soil bacteria may have taken residence in early algal species, gifting the algae with the ability to withstand drier conditions on land. Annie Sneed reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bacteria-helped-plants-evolve-to-live-on-land/
Meteorite Contains Material Older Than Earth
The Murchison meteorite, which screamed to Earth 50 years ago, carried with it stardust that's seven billion years old. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/meteorite-contains-material-older-than-earth/
Loss of Large Mammals Stamps Out Invertebrates, Too
Hunted areas of Gabon have fewer large mammals and a thicker forest understory—but they also have fewer termites. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Brittle Stars Can "See" without Eyes
The starfish relatives can recognize patterns using photoreceptors on their arms—and their color-changing abilities could have something to do with it. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/brittle-stars-can-see-without-eyes/
Atlantic Puffins Spotted Using Tools
Scientists observed two Atlantic puffins using sticks to scratch themselves—the first known instance of seabirds using tools. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/atlantic-puffins-spotted-using-tools/
Traffic Cameras Show Why the Yankees Should Suffer Fewer Injuries in 2020
The 2019 New York Yankees’ record number of injuries led to a change in training staff that will almost certainly correlate with, but not necessarily cause, a lower injury rate this coming seas...
Science News Briefs from around the Globe
A few brief reports about international science and technology from Indonesia to Spain, including one from Brazil about the highest-voltage electric eel ever discovered.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-globe3/
Part of Real Paleo Diet: It's a Tuber
In South Africa archaeologists found the charred remains of a roasted root vegetable. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/part-of-real-paleo-diet-its-a-tuber/
You Traveled Far in 2019
Getting around the sun last year was some trip.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/you-traveled-far-in-2019/
Fido's Human Age Gets New Estimates
By comparing how DNA gets altered over the lifetimes of people and dogs, researchers came up with a new way to compare canine years with human years.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fidos-human-age-gets-new-estimates/
Gift Wrapping Is Effective Future Trash
Research suggests people value gifts more when they have to unwrap them. But how do we avoid all the wasted paper? Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/gift-wrapping-is-effective-future-trash/
Superstrong Fibers Could Be Hairy Situation
Human hair tested stronger than thicker fibers from elephants, boars and giraffes, providing clues to materials scientists hoping to make superstrong synthetic fibers.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/superstrong-fibers-could-be-hairy-situation/
Flaky Scalps Have a Unique Fungal Microbiome
Certain species of bacteria and fungi seem to proliferate on dandruff-ridden scalps. The reason is a little more mysterious. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/flaky-scalps-have-a-unique-fungal-microbiome/
Moths Flee or Face Bats, Depending on Toxicity
Tiger moth species that contain bad-tasting and toxic compounds are nonchalant in the presence of bats, while edible moth species evade their predators.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/moths-flee-or-face-bats-depending-on-toxicity/
Ancient Seawall Found Submerged
In shallow waters off the coast of Israel, archaeologists have found entire villages—including one with a sunken seawall. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ancient-seawall-found-submerged/
Citizen Scientists Deserve Journal Status Upgrade
Here’s an argument that citizen scientists deserve co-authorship on scientific journal papers to which they contributed research.
Not All Hydropower Is Climate-Considerate
While some hydropower facilities release almost no greenhouse gases, others can actually be worse than burning fossil fuels.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/not-all-hydropower-is-climate-considerate/
Certain Zip Codes Pick Losers
People in certain zip codes are more likely to purchase products that flop, buy homes that are poor investments and pick political candidates who lose. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/certain-zip-codes-pick-losers/
Linguists Hear an Accent Begin
Residents of an overwintering station in Antarctica provided linguists with evidence of the first small changes in speech that may signal the development of a new accent.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/linguists-hear-an-accent-begin/
Romans Would Roam for Wood
Archaeologists unearthed wood from a Roman villa when digging Rome’s subway—and scientists determined the planks came all the way from France. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/romans-would-roam-for-wood/
When the Bellbird Calls, You Know It
The white bellbird of the Amazon may be the loudest bird in the world.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/when-the-bellbird-calls-you-know-it/
Fishy Trick Lures Life Back to Coral Reefs
Playing the sounds of a healthy reef near damaged corals may help bring the fish community back. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fishy-trick-lures-life-back-to-coral-reefs/
Rain Forest Dwellers and Urbanites Have Consistently Different Microbiomes
A study done in South America found that with increasing population density, humans had more diversity of fungi on the skin but less microbial diversity in the gut.
Internet Cables Could Also Measure Quakes
The fiber-optic cables that connect the global Internet could potentially be used as seismic sensors. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/internet-cables-could-also-measure-quakes/
Science News Briefs from All Over
A few brief reports about international science and technology from Mexico to Tanzania, including one about the need to quarantine bananas in Colombia that are potentially infected by a fungus.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-all-over3/
Subtle Ancient Footprints Come to Light
Ground-penetrating radar can detect tiny density differences that lead to images of ancient footprints impossible to discern by eye.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/subtle-ancient-footprints-come-to-light/
Ancient Rock Art Got a Boost From Bacteria
Indigenous artists in what’s now British Columbia created pigments by cooking aquatic bacteria. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ancient-rock-art-got-a-boost-from-bacteria/
Ick Factor Is High Hurdle for Recycled Drinking Water
Recycled wastewater can be cleaner than bottled water, but people still avoid drinking it because of their disgust over its past condition.
Bots Outperform Humans if They Impersonate Us
Bots masquerading as humans in a game outperformed their human opponents—but the their superiority vanished when their machine identity was revealed. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bots-outperform-humans-if-they-impersonate-us/
Implanting Memories in Birds Reveals How Learning Happens
Researchers activated specific brain cells in zebra finches to teach them songs they’d ordinarily have to hear to learn.
Dogs Like Motion That Matches Sound
Pet dogs appeared more interested in videos of a bouncing ball when the motion of the ball matched a rising and falling tone. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/dogs-like-motion-that-matches-sound/
Egyptian Vats 5,600 Years Old Were For Beer Brewing
Archaeologists working in the ancient city of Hierakonpolis discovered five ceramic vats containing residues consistent with brewing beer.
Famously Fickle Felines Are, in Fact, Clingy
Cats are clingier to their human owners than their reputation would suggest. Karen Hopkin reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/famously-fickle-felines-are-in-fact-clingy/
Aversion to Broccoli May Have Genetic Roots
Study subjects with a gene variant that heightened their sensitivity to bitterness tended to eat fewer vegetables than people who didn’t mind bitter flavors. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/aversion-to-broccoli-may-have-genetic-roots/
Marine Mammal Epidemic Linked to Climate Change
A measleslike virus is ricocheting through marine mammal populations in the Arctic—and melting sea ice might be to blame. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/marine-mammal-epidemic-linked-to-climate-change/
Ant Colonies Avoid Traffic Jams
Researchers tracked thousands of individual ants to determine how they move in vast numbers without stumbling into gridlock.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ant-colonies-avoid-traffic-jams/
Ranking Rise May Intimidate Opponents
In an analysis of chess and tennis matches, players rising in the rankings did better than expected against higher-ranked opponents and better than similarly ranked players who were not rising. ...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ranking-rise-may-intimidate-opponents/
Familiar Tunes Rapidly Jog the Brain
Within just a third of a second of hearing a snippet of a familiar refrain, our pupils dilate, and the brain shows signs of recognition. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/familiar-tunes-rapidly-jog-the-brain/
Science News Briefs from around the Globe
A few brief reports about international science and technology from Brazil to Hong Kong, including one about male elephants in India exhibiting unusual social behaviors.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-news-briefs-from-around-the-globe2/
We Owe Our Pumpkins to Pooping Megafauna
The pumpkin’s ancestor was an incredibly bitter, tennis-ball-sized squash—but it was apparently a common snack for mastodons. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/we-owe-our-pumpkins-to-pooping-megafauna/
Bird Egg Colors Are Influenced by Local Climate
In cold, northern climates, eggs tend to be darker and browner—heat-trapping colors that allow parents to spend a bit more time away from the nest. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bird-egg-colors-are-influenced-by-local-climate/
Crabs Do a Maze
Green crabs learned to navigate a maze without making a single wrong turn—and remembered the skill weeks later. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/crabs-do-a-maze/
Odd Bird Migrates Twice to Breed
The phainopepla migrates from southern California to the desert Southwest to breed in the spring before flying to California coastal woodlands to do so again in summer.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/odd-bird-migrates-twice-to-breed/
Piranha-Proof Fish Gives Inspiration for Body Armor
A gigantic fish from the Amazon has incredibly tough scales—and materials scientists are looking to them for bulletproof inspiration. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Galloping Ant Beats Saharan Heat
The Saharan silver ant feeds on other insects that have died on the hot sands, which it traverses at breakneck (for an ant) speeds.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/galloping-ant-beats-saharan-heat/
Some Mosquito Repellents Act like Invisibility Cloaks
Synthetic repellents such as DEET seem to mask the scent of our “human perfume”—making us less obvious targets for mosquitoes. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Your Skull Shapes Your Hearing
The resonant properties of your skull can amplify some frequencies and dampen others—and, in some cases, affect your hearing. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/your-skull-shapes-your-hearing/
Tardigrade Protein Protects DNA from Chemical Attack
The Dsup protein protects DNA under conditions that create caustic free radical chemicals.
"Mars-quakes" Could Reveal How Mars Was Built
Rumblings on the Red Planet act like x-rays, allowing scientists to probe the hidden interior of Mars. Christopher Intagliata reports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/mars-quakes-could-reveal-how-mars-was-built/
Artificial Intelligence Learns to Talk Back to Bigots
Algorithms are already used to remove online hate speech. Now scientists have taught an AI to respond—which they hope might spark more discourse. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Nobel in Chemistry for Lightweight Rechargeable Batteries
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino “for the development of lithium-ion batteries.”
Nobel in Physics for Exoplanets and Cosmology
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to James Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology” and to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/nobel-in-physics-for-exoplanets-and-cosmology/
Nobel in Physiology or Medicine for How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine goes to William G. Kaelin, Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availabilit...
Teeth Tell Black Death Genetic Tale
DNA from the teeth of medieval plague victims indicates the pathogen likely first arrived in eastern Europe before spreading across the continent.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/teeth-tell-black-death-genetic-tale/
Tiny Worms Are Equipped to Battle Extreme Environments
Scientists found eight species of nematodes living in California’s harsh Mono Lake—quintupling the number of animals known to live there. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Heat Changes Insect Call, but It Still Works
Tiny insects called treehoppers produce very different mating songs at higher versus lower temperatures, but the intended recipient still finds the changed songs attractive.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/heat-changes-insect-call-but-it-still-works/