A Moment of Science

D:You might think that knowledge and memory go hand in hand.  Y:Sure. D:Mostly you're correct. However, in some cases, knowledge can actually hurt one's ability to remember.  Y:You mean a person's memory can be so filled up with knowledge that there isn't room for more? D:No. But our knowledge can make us too quick to dismiss details that we don't consider important. And so we don't remember them....

In 2018, evidence for potential liquid water on Mars was announced. This would be a monumental discovery, but arguments since then have repeatedly cast doubt on these claims.

Y:Stop that Don...why'd you put that microphone right next to my ear? D:I was trying to record your otoacoustic emissions. Y:My oto..what emissions? D:Your otoacoustic emissions. Noises that your ears generate and emit. Y:You mean my ear gives off noises? D:That's exactly right. When you hear a tone or noise, the noise waves are transmitted to a part of your inner ear called the cochlea. These noi...

When the world admired the boldness and tenacity of Pizza Rat, a rat that went viral after it was filmed dragging a giant slice of pizza down the stairs of a New York City subway station, we implicitly acknowledged that there’s something special about the animals that share our cities.   Scientists had guesses about what that something was—perhaps it had to do with their problem-solving abilities...

D:Hey Yael, do you have... Y:Shh!  I'm watching my favorite medical drama, "Very Attractive Doctors." D:Sorry.  What's going on? Y:A terrible accident victim was just brought into the ER.  Oh no, she's flatlining!  Quick, grab those paddle things and shock her! D:Wrong move. Y:Whaddya mean?  See, Dr. Smith is trying to shock her back to life.  Flat line!  Clear!  Zap! D:That may be how it's done o...

Is there an evolutionary reason that people (and chimps) like to drink alcohol?

Research into the purpose of sleeping has revealed functions of the brain’s waste system.

Did you know that concentrated solar power has been around since the 1860’s?

Climate change is devasting, but some animals enjoy the temporary benefits.

While the abominable snowman doesn’t exist, we do have the next best thing: the yeti crab!

If the purpose of evolution is to pass along our genes, then how do we explain the human capacity to help people not related to us?

For decades we have known that male humpback whales create intricate songs – but how do they learn these songs?

Using data from satellites that measure the earth's gravitational field, scientists noticed small changes in gravity over Canada. What's causing these changes?

Rich natural ecosystems a complex tangle of ecological relationships. How has human activity changed these ecosystems in the past 500 years?

When you're in a stressful situation, do you react positively or negatively? The answer may depend in part on whom you're around.

The results of any scientific study should be reproducible, right? So, what happens when the results of a study don’t replicate?

These predatory fish are as ruthless as any pirate sailing the seven seas. They were even abandoned by the aquarium market when they were found to eat all their tank mates.

Neuroscientists have made important discoveries about imagination as an unexpected bonus from studying the parts of the cerebral cortex involved in vision.

Near death experiences often involve things like seeing a bright white light, or floating out of your body. Is there a scientific explanation for these phenomena?

Have you ever noticed that you can’t see your own eye movements?

Charles Darwin said it was one of the strangest animals ever discovered.

For the night shift worker, sleep happens during the day. How does this affect overall health?

Did scientists discover evidence of a volcanic eruption on Venus?

The human brain is an incredible thing, but honestly, it's not much to look at. Just a big, gray, foldy lump. Why does the brain look a lot like a scrunched-up piece of paper?

Scientists at Indiana University discovered the first plant or animal that lacks several genes involved in energy production in cells.