A Moment of Science

Why don't animals naturally have three legs? 21.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Animals sometimes need amputations, but are able to adapt pretty quickly to the lost limb. Why don't animals naturally evolve to have three legs?

Sediment ripples from a lake on ancient Mars 20.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Planetary scientists now have a mountain of evidence, accumulated over decades of exploration, that three to four billion years ago, Mars had accumulations of liquid water on its surface.

Sipping raindrops from snake scales 19.07.2023 2:00 ↓

How do snakes stay hydrated in the desert? A Moment of Science looks to the western diamondback rattlesnake for the answer.

Older macaques with smaller social circles 18.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Do you find yourself prioritizing close friends and family over a wide circle of friends as you grow older?

The physics behind a knuckleball 17.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Today's A Moment of Science cracks the code behind a knuckleball.

Can't go to the Moon? Try Arizona instead 14.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Find out how NASA prepared astronauts for the 1969 moon landing while staying here on Earth.

The dark-furred Amami rabbit 13.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Today’s A Moment of Science brings you something you’ve never seen before: the black Amami rabbit.

Zap! How electric eels create their shocks 12.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Electric eels can release over 800 volts of electricity! How are these powerful shocks made?

Cooking with magnets 11.07.2023 2:00 ↓

“If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” But what if there were a way to make kitchens less hot?

How does smoking a pipe impact your health? 10.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Put this in your pipe and smoke it, with today's A Moment of Science.

Why does crying make your nose run? 07.07.2023 2:00 ↓

When you burst out crying, you expect the bleary red eyes and the rivers of tears that stream down your cheeks. But on top of all that, your nose starts to run like a faucet. Why does this happen?

Feedback loops and global climate change 06.07.2023 2:00 ↓

Climate scientists need models to help study the impacts of climate change. Feedback loops play an essential role in these models.

Audiobooks vs. books in the brain 05.07.2023 2:00 ↓

How do books and audiobooks differ in your brain?

The lives of solitary bees 04.07.2023 1:59 ↓

Unlike social bees like the bumblebee, solitary bees don't have queens or worker bees, and they don't reside together in colonies.

Why it's harder for toddlers to learn from a screen 03.07.2023 2:00 ↓

There have been many advancements in online education in recent years, but our youngest students will still face some difficulties.

Why we must recycle the rare earth metals 30.06.2023 2:00 ↓

Rare earths are vital to green technologies, like wind turbines and electric cars, that will allow us to quit burning fossil fuels and solve the crisis of global climate change. They are vital for promising new technologies like quantum computers.

Do opossums actually hang by their tails? 29.06.2023 1:59 ↓

Have you ever seen a cartoon of a sleeping opossum hanging upside down by its tail? Well, you may be surprised to learn that 'possums don't actually sleep that way.

What makes thick skin thick? 28.06.2023 1:59 ↓

Having a thick skin is good if you don't want teasing to affect you. But what does it mean for our bodies?

The perfect blast: The explosion of a kilonova 27.06.2023 2:00 ↓

In 2017, astronomers observed one of the most important and mysterious cosmic events: an explosion known as a kilonova.

How stripes can save animals 26.06.2023 2:00 ↓

Animals with stripes really stand out when you look at them. How could this pattern possible help them hide from predators?

Does stress actually cause grey hair? 23.06.2023 2:00 ↓

There have always been anecdotes about stress causing hair to turn grey, but is there any scientific evidence to back these claims?

Biological clocks of all kinds 22.06.2023 2:00 ↓

We have our circadian rhythm, but how does time impact other animals?

Global climate change and the Greenland ice sheet 21.06.2023 2:00 ↓

The huge ice sheet covering Greenland is pivotal to the threat of rising sea levels, but it presents some difficulties for scientists.

Less salt, same flavor? 20.06.2023 2:00 ↓

From potato chips to even our butter, salt is in a lot that we consume these days. But heavily salting our food isn't new behavior.

The hummingbird bill is a multitool 19.06.2023 2:00 ↓

There are many uses for a hummingbird's bill besides just feeding.