Scientific American

Science Quickly

Science EN ↓ 1942 episodes

Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.

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Scientific American

Episodes

Powder Pulls Drinking Water from Desert Air 08.06.2018 3:02

A structure known as a metal organic framework traps water vapor by night, then releases it when heated the next day. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ancient Clan War Explains Genetic Diversity Drop 06.06.2018 3:19

Some 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, the diversity of Y chromosomes plummeted. A new analysis suggests clan warfare may have been the cause. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saying "This May Hurt" May Make It Worse 05.06.2018 3:56

Warning a child that something, like a vaccine shot, will hurt can actually increase their perception of the pain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mongooses Gift Grooming for Guard Duty 01.06.2018 3:27

Humans and other primates often reciprocate good deeds. A new study suggests a nonprimate, the dwarf mongoose, does so, too, even after a delay. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Trees Beat Heat with Sweat 31.05.2018 4:21

During extreme heat waves, a species of eucalyptus copes by releasing water and taking advantage of evaporative cooling. Other trees may do the same. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Computers Go Head-to-Head with Humans on Face Recognition 30.05.2018 2:58

The best facial-recognition algorithms are now as good as the best forensic examiners are. But the best results come by combining human and computer skills. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pinnipeds Don't Appreciate Biped Disturbance 29.05.2018 4:13

Sea lions and fur seals in Uruguay have become a tourist attraction—but the animals have become less, not more, accepting of humans. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Computers Predict Pop Chart Success 24.05.2018 3:37

An evolutionary analysis of pop tunes revealed that over the past 30 years songs have grown sadder—but the big hits buck that trend. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc's YA Novel Treats Life-and-Death Issues 23.05.2018 2:55

Pediatric cardiologist Ismée Williams discusses her young adult novel, Water in May, about a teenage girl whose newborn has a life-threatening heart condition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google's AI Assistant Does Your Talk Tasks 17.05.2018 3:52

The new Google AI voice assistant, called Duplex, highlights the intricacies of carrying out a mundane human-style conversation, as it keeps you off the phone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Ape Makes Good Doc 16.05.2018 4:00

Orangutans were observed to use plant extracts to treat their own pain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stool-Pigeon Poop Reveals Bird-Racing Fouls 15.05.2018 3:15

Racing pigeons is big business—and doping is common. Now scientists have devised a way to detect doping in the avian athletes. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radar Scans Detail North Korean Nukes 14.05.2018 3:10

Scientists have added radar info to seismic data, isotope measurements and optical imagery to study covert nuclear tests. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hunting Rules Have Changed Mama Bear Care 11.05.2018 4:16

Hunting regulations in Sweden prohibit killing brown bear mothers in company of cubs—causing mama bears to care for their young longer. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jupiter and Venus Squeeze Earth's Orbit 10.05.2018 3:50

Sediment records have confirmed that Jupiter and Venus change Earth's orbit from virtually circular to noticeably elliptical and back every 405,000 years. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mars Lander Will Peer Inside the Red Planet 07.05.2018 4:39

The InSight Mission will look at Mars's seismic activity and latent heat to find out more about how planets get made--and how humans might live there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plants Can Sense Animal Attack Coming 06.05.2018 4:01

Tomato plants detected snail slime in soil near them and mounted preemptive defenses, even though they were not directly touched. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Archaeologist Makes a Case for Seafaring Neandertals 04.05.2018 3:54

Ancient tools on Mediterranean islands could predate the appearance of modern humans—suggesting Neandertals took to the seas. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Africa: Future Worldwide Science Hub 02.05.2018 3:11

Thierry Zomahoun, president of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, talks about the potential and needs of science on the continent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthful Eating Requires Supermarket Smarts 30.04.2018 4:10

Advice from an N.Y.U. food policy symposium: eating healthfully means you can't ever let down your guard when shopping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Culture Shapes Kids' Views of Nature 29.04.2018 3:55

In a study of children interacting with toy animals Native American kids and non-Native kids imagined the animals very differently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bad Audio Can Hurt a Scientist's Credibility 28.04.2018 3:44

Listeners gave more credence to a scientist’s radio interview when the audio was good quality than they did to the same material when the audio was poor. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Gates Announces a Universal Flu Vaccine Effort 27.04.2018 3:58

Today in Boston, Gates announced a $12-million initiative to foster the development of a vaccine effective against all flu strains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drumming Beats Speech for Distant Communication 25.04.2018 3:54

The Bora people in the northwestern Amazon use drums to send languagelike messages across long distances. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bees Have a Goldilocks Lawn Mow Schedule 23.04.2018 3:48

Lawns mowed every two weeks hosted more bees than lawns mowed every three weeks. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices