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.

Author

Scientific American

Episodes

Salmonella Could Have Caused 16th-Century Epidemic 17.01.2018 3:14

Using a new algorithm, geneticists uncovered the pathogen that could have caused a massive epidemic in the Aztec empire: Salmonella bacteria. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which Came First, the Proboscis or the Flower? 12.01.2018 3:50

A new fossil find reveals that the sucking tongue of butterflies—or proboscis—appears to have evolved before the emergence of flowers. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Live in a Strange Solar System 10.01.2018 3:08

Astronomers found that other star systems tend to host similarly sized exoplanets—far different from ours. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glow Sticks Help Ecologists Study Amphibians 09.01.2018 3:59

Ecologists needed a way to more easily keep track of populations of amphibians, and green glow sticks lit the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air Force Tracks Final Frontier 03.01.2018 3:27

General Jay Raymond, Commander of Air Force Space Command, talks about keeping watch over space and cyber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Traveled Far Last Year 02.01.2018 2:43

Getting around the sun in 2017 was a memorable trip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finches Can Learn to Sing Differently Than Their Genetics Dictate 29.12.2017 4:02

The song training that Bengalese finches received appeared to overcome tempo tendencies baked into their genes. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baby Bats Can Learn Different Dialects 28.12.2017 4:28

Fruit bats raised hearing different pitches of sounds vocalized in keeping with their aural environment as they matured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mongoose Societies Are Skeptical of Strangers 24.12.2017 4:30

It takes months for members of a mongoose breeding society to trust newcomers with important tasks like watching for predators. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pain and Weather Fail to Connect 23.12.2017 3:50

A big data analysis involving more than 1.5 million patients could find no relationship between weather and complaints to doctors about joint or back pain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding Further Places for Solar Panels 22.12.2017 3:20

Siting solar panels over rooftops, parking lots, reservoirs and contaminated land could generate heaps of energy—with minimal effects on agriculture or the environment. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Fish Emits Damaging Decibels 20.12.2017 3:42

The Gulf corvina produces a chattering chorus that’s one of the loudest underwater animal sounds on the planet. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Repetitive Sounds Are Music to the Brain 18.12.2017 4:07

Repeating something can render that thing melodious—even the sound of a shovel being dragged across the pavement. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radiation Might Help Heart Regain Its Rhythm 17.12.2017 4:32

A flash of radiation drastically reduced arrhythmia in a small group of patients, for at least a year after treatment. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dark Fiber Networks Can Sense Seismicity 15.12.2017 4:30

Scientists are exploring the use of fiber-optic cables—like the ones that form the backbone of the internet—to monitor earthquakes. Julia Rosen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supermarket Snacking Boosts Sales 14.12.2017 2:53

Noshing while shopping convinces consumers to buy the featured product more often than does simply seeing end-of-aisle displays. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something Clicks for Dolphin Identification 13.12.2017 3:35

Machine-learning algorithms teased seven distinct dolphin clicking patterns from a library of more than 50 million clicks, identifying one species by sound alone. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nutrition Guidelines Healthy for the Planet, Too 12.12.2017 3:51

Following dietary guidelines would mean eating less meat and dairy—and fewer calories overall—reducing greenhouse gases and other pollution. Julia Rosen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Invading Beavers Turn Tundra to Ponds 11.12.2017 3:27

New beaver ponds in the Arctic may contribute to the destruction of the permafrost that holds that landscape together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharks Rule the Reef's Underwater Food Chain 10.12.2017 4:13

When sharks prowl shallow waters, fish quit foraging and hide—sparing seaweed from being grazed in those areas. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ancient Women Had Awesome Arms 09.12.2017 4:24

For thousands of years, women in agricultural societies seem to have had arms stronger than members of modern rowing teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Invasive Frogs Don't Bug Hawaiian Birds 08.12.2017 4:03

Coquí frogs are invasive species in Hawaii. But they don’t seem to bug the islands’ native and nonnative birds. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Hospitals Can Dampen the Decibels 07.12.2017 3:32

Hospitals consistently score low on quietness surveys. An acoustician suggests a few ways hospitals could keep the peace and quiet. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smarter Management Means More Inventions Get to Market 06.12.2017 3:22

Rosemarie Truman, CEO of the Center for Advancing Innovation, says a better system of governance for federally funded inventions could lead to many more good ones becoming commercialized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Computers Learn to Use Sound to Find Ships 05.12.2017 3:36

Researchers trained machine-learning algorithms to pinpoint the location of a cargo ship simply by eavesdropping on the sound of its passing. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices