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

Animal Coloration Can Serve Double Duty 05.03.2018 3:31

The cinnabar moth caterpillar's coloration pattern warns predators close up, but camouflages the critter from a distance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Lichen Fungi Let Genes Go Bye 01.03.2018 3:52

A study of 22 different types of lichens revealed 10 included fungi that had lost a gene for energy production, making them completely dependent on their algal partner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To See Gun Injury Drop, Hold an NRA Meeting 28.02.2018 3:23

When the National Rifle Association holds its national convention, gun injuries drop 20 percent—perhaps because fewer gun owners are around their guns. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Cities Have Fewer Tweeters Per Capita 26.02.2018 3:00

But those who do tweet in big cities are more prolific—tweeting more often, on average, than their small-town counterparts. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Baby Birds Learn to Duet 23.02.2018 4:09

Recordings of songbird duets reveal baby birds learn conversational turn-taking like we do: gradually, and from adults. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mosquitoes Learn the Smell of Danger 22.02.2018 3:43

The bloodsuckers lose their appetite for attractive scents when they associate those aromas with a likelihood of being swatted. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Needed: Info on Biodiversity Change over Time 20.02.2018 3:00

Understanding an ecosystem means following changes in the abundances and identities of the species present as the clock ticks. The BioTIME database should help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Undersea Recordings Reveal a Whale's Tale 19.02.2018 3:37

By eavesdropping on the calls of blue whales, researchers hope to get a more accurate picture of the massive mammals' distribution and abundance. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seabird Feathers Reveal Less-Resilient Ocean 15.02.2018 3:45

By analyzing 130 years of seabird feathers, researchers determined that food webs are losing complexity in the Pacific—meaning less-resilient ecosystems. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beetle Liberation Due to Regurgitation 13.02.2018 3:55

The bombardier beetle can spray its hot brew of toxic chemicals even after bring swallowed, to force a predator into vomiting it back out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Old Trees Are Ecosystem Gold 12.02.2018 2:52

David Lindenmayer of the Australian National University College of Science in Canberra says that older trees play outsize roles in maintaining landscapes and ecosystems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boat Noise Means Fish Can't Learn Their Lessons 11.02.2018 3:49

Damselfish had trouble learning to avoid predators, when that lesson was accompanied by a soundtrack of buzzing boat engines. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Woodpeckers Drum to Their Own Tunes 07.02.2018 2:38

The length and spacing of woodpecker drum rolls varies enough to tell woodpeckers apart—which could be useful to conservation biologists. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homebodies Economize on Energy Use 06.02.2018 4:00

Today’s work-from-home, on-demand culture means more days at home—and translates into greater energy savings, too. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Killer Whale Culture Revealed by Mimicking Us 02.02.2018 3:02

Orcas can imitate calls from other whales and even human speech—suggesting they can transmit cultural practices, such as unique dialects. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holiday Cheer Leads to Birth-Rate Spike 01.02.2018 4:55

During feel-good holiday periods like Christmas and Eid-al-Fitr, romance strikes—leading to a boom in births nine months later. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ticks on Uptick Where Big Game Declines 31.01.2018 3:38

Areas of Kenya without large wildlife saw tick populations rise as much as 370 percent—meaning more danger to humans. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires Spike Wine with Smoky Notes 30.01.2018 3:34

Chemists are working on ways for wildfire-affected winemakers to avoid creating smoky wines. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lion Conservation Challenges Giraffe Protection 26.01.2018 4:04

Having lions and giraffes together in protected areas means far lower survival rates for juvenile giraffes. Jason Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobelist Crafts Light-Switchable Antibiotics 25.01.2018 2:53

Drugs modified by chemistry Nobel laureate Ben Feringa can be turned on and off by light, which could help keep bacteria from developing antibiotic resistance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catching Flu Also Boosts Heart Risk 24.01.2018 2:59

Researchers found a sixfold increase in heart attacks in patients in the week following a flu. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Worldwide Effort Says Together Science Can 23.01.2018 2:34

Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, talked about worldwide scientific collaboration today at the World Economic Forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada Geese Taking a Winter Staycation 22.01.2018 3:51

The geese are wintering farther and farther north, in urban areas like Chicago—which may help them avoid hunters. Emily Schwing reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moon's Tug Doesn't Cause Big Quakes 19.01.2018 3:07

An analysis of more than 200 earthquakes over the past four centuries concludes there's no connection between moon phases and big earthquakes. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social Media Helps ID Spew Source 18.01.2018 3:34

Surveillance of Yelp restaurant reviews for terms like vomit led researchers to the sources of foodborne illness outbreaks. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices