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

"Brainprints" Could Be Future Security ID 05.06.2015 4:27

We all emit slightly different brain waves in response to stimuli, and researchers say that an individual’s specific "brainprints" could be used to validate our identities. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frenzy-Feeding Black Hole Makes Galaxy Most Luminous 04.06.2015 3:11

A galaxy 12.5 billion light-years away gives off the light of 300 trillion suns, because its feeding black hole produces enough heat to set the whole galaxy's dust glowing. Lee Billings reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vaccine Aims at Fly Host of Disease Parasite 03.06.2015 3:00

An experimental leishmaniasis vaccine relies on eliciting an immune response to a protein from the saliva of the sand fly that carries the leishmania parasite, rather than on anything from the parasite itself. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chimps Would "Cook" Food If They Could 02.06.2015 4:05

A new study suggests that chimps have the cognitive skills necessary for cooking—such as patience—even if they don't control fire. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High Heels Heighten Health Hazard 01.06.2015 3:02

Emergency room visits due to high heel shoe–related injuries doubled between 2002 and 2012. Erika Beras reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parrotfish Build Islands with Their Poop 31.05.2015 3:29

Parrotfish munching on algae ingest coral and then eliminate the rocky substrate, creating island-building grade sediment in places like the Maldives. Julia Rosen reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blood Pressure Vaccine Lengthens Rat Lives 29.05.2015 3:02

A DNA-based vaccine gave rats six months of protection against high blood pressure as well as healthier hearts. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CSI: Middle Pleistocene 28.05.2015 2:47

Skull fragments dating back 430,000 years appear to be those of the world's first known murder victim, based on the damage observed. Dina Maron reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mummy Mavens Unwrap Preservation Methods 27.05.2015 2:48

In 1994 researchers made a mummy. Now scientists have reverse engineered the process to figure out how it's done, with the mummy makers still around to tell them how they did. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smart Cane Could Help Blind ID Faces 26.05.2015 2:49

High-tech sticks could help visually impaired people spot obstacles and even identify acquaintances as they approach. Larry Greenemeier reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dolphin Deaths Linked to 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 21.05.2015 3:54

Unusual adrenal and lung conditions seen in dead dolphins in the months after the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill point to the oil as the cause. Steve Mirsky reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Octopus Skin Senses Light, No Eyes or Brain Needed 20.05.2015 3:04

The skin of a California octopus species has a molecular light-sensing mechanism that allows it to change color to match its surroundings with no input from the creature's eyes or brain. Dina Fine Maron reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Woman MLBer Will Probably Pitch 19.05.2015 3:15

Contemporary women's baseball chronicler Jennifer Ring says the fastest women pitchers currently hit speeds in the 80s (mph) and it keeps going up. Steve Mirsky reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seashell Shapes Show Strength for Safety 15.05.2015 2:31

Analysis of clamshell and screw-shaped shells reveals the structures withstand much greater forces than would a simple sphere or cylinder. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Future Robopets Won't Be Far-Fetched 14.05.2015 2:53

An animal behaviorist ponders a future where some Spots are robots. Larry Greenemeier reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crop Rotation Works in the Sea, Too 13.05.2015 2:43

Models show that leaving sea cucumbers unharvested in some underwater zones for two years at a time stabilizes the overall population and actually increases yield for fishers. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food for Sale Everywhere Fuels Obesity Epidemic 12.05.2015 2:38

A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research blames 40 percent of the rise in obesity on the ubiquity of supercenters, warehouse clubs and restaurants. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix CEO Peers at Crystal Ball to See TV's Future 11.05.2015 3:59

Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, gave his view of the next couple of decades in the evolution of TV-watching at the re:publica 15 digital culture conference in Berlin on May 5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9 Is Big Day for the Birds 08.05.2015 3:41

Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Chris Wood explains the May 9 Global Big Day event, in which birders worldwide are invited to spot birds and upload their findings to the eBird database. Steve Mirsky reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mars Travelers Could Suffer Radiation Brain Damage 07.05.2015 2:58

Mice exposed to radiation akin to what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment. Lee Billings reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wheat Genes Could Bring Back Chestnut 06.05.2015 2:51

Scientists have introduced genes into the American chestnut from wheat that help disarm the fungus that killed almost all three billion of the trees in the eastern U.S. David Biello reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pop Music Gets Its Fossil Record Analyzed 05.05.2015 4:42

An investigation of more than 17,000 hit tunes suggests popular music undergoes periods of shifting diversity, and that new styles evolve in bursts. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space Supervoid Sucks Energy from Light 04.05.2015 3:04

A vast region of space colder than expected is also largely devoid of galaxies, and the two observations are no coincidence. Clara Moskowitz reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latex Lining Could Quiet Plane Rides 01.05.2015 3:16

Engineers devised a latex-laced honeycomb material that could make an airplane cabin sound more like a quiet living room. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parkinson's Pen Vibrates to Improve Legibility 30.04.2015 2:37

Device stimulates hand muscles to counteract writing issues experienced by some people with Parkinson’s. Larry Greenemeier reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices