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

Narcissists Self-Involved Enough to Recognize Their Narcissism 01.09.2014 2:39

The simple question “To what extent do you agree with this statement: I am a narcissist” is about as good at identifying narcissists as a 40-question clinical assessment. Erika Beras reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Asteroid 1950 DA Keeps It Together 29.08.2014 2:48

The kilometer-size rubble pile appears to be held together by van der Waals forces. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pump Up the Bass—and Maybe Your Confidence 28.08.2014 3:04

Study volunteers who had listened to bass-heavy music were more likely to act dominant or aggressive in games and debates. Erika Beras reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stressed Women Burn Fewer Comfort Food Calories 27.08.2014 2:44

Women who reported feeling stressed or depressed burned fewer calories after a calorie-packed meal than mellow women. Erika Beras reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Habitat Loss a Real Buzzkill for Invertebrates 26.08.2014 2:37

The number of invertebrates has fallen by nearly half over the past 35 years—the same period of time in which the human population has doubled. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soccer Goalies Ignore Basic Rule of Probability 25.08.2014 2:37

When penalty shots repeatedly head in one direction, world-class goalkeepers are more likely to lunge the other way. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finally, an Algorithm to Sort Your Beatles Albums 22.08.2014 3:14

By analyzing the evolving structure of the Beatles’ music, the computer program was able to correctly place the Fab Four’s albums in chronological order. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sack Sulfates to Preserve Sewers 21.08.2014 2:35

Sulfates used in water treatment become sulfuric acid in our sewers, eating away at the concrete infrastructure. Cynthia Graber reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bio-Battery Produces Power from Your Perspiration 20.08.2014 2:36

Exercising in the future could make dirty clothes and some clean energy. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lose Your Job? Good for the Rest of Us 19.08.2014 2:34

Recession lowers mortality in the population overall—even as the out-of-work individual’s risk of death rises. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nose Knows What the Mind Tells It 18.08.2014 2:36

When people with asthma think they’re smelling something noxious, their airways become inflamed—even when the odor is harmless. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiny Toe Tools Ensure Gecko Traction 15.08.2014 2:36

To activate or loosen their grip on a surface, geckos extend and angle or retract tiny toe hairs that create contact points. Clara Moskowitz reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guys Prefer Electric Shocks to Boredom 13.08.2014 2:34

Guys would rather zap themselves with electricity than be left alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google Searches Linked to Stock Market Moves 12.08.2014 3:02

When Web searches related to business and politics go up, the market tends to take a dive—although that connection may already be fading. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andromeda Snickers at Milky Way Mass 06.08.2014 2:55

A new estimate finds that the Milky Way, once thought to be twice as massive as Andromeda, may actually only have half our neighbor galaxy's mass. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spider's Scat Disguise May Be Its Salvation 05.08.2014 2:35

Masquerading as a bird turd appears to protect certain arachnids from getting eaten by wasps. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Converts Solar Efficiently to Steam 04.08.2014 2:31

A graphite disk resting on carbon foam collects sunlight to heat water directly to steam with 85 percent efficiency. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environment Has Beef with Beef 01.08.2014 2:41

Raising beef uses 28 times more land, 11 times more water and six times more fertilizer than the average expenditures for other livestock. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pack Rats Expand Diet with New Gut Bacteria 31.07.2014 2:37

Pack rats given the right gut bacteria via a fecal transplant from other pack rats can then digest foods that they formerly could not, but the donors could. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colorful Birds Can Also Belt Tunes 30.07.2014 2:45

A survey of the tanagers reveals that birds do not have to choose between colorful plumage and a melodious song. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roach Reactions to Venom Point to Targeted Pesticides 29.07.2014 2:41

Small changes in the protein sequence of sodium channels of American compared with German cockroaches leave the latter susceptible to a venom that has little effect on the former. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ocean Plastic Particles Could Get in Gills 28.07.2014 2:50

Sea creatures eat plastic dumped in the ocean, but they also might be accumulating plastic by sucking up tiny particles with their siphons and gills. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Salmonella's Favorite Food Could Be Its Achilles' Heel 23.07.2014 2:36

Salmonella's primary fuel source is the molecule fructose-asparagine. Starving it of that fuel in an infected person could kill it without harming beneficial gut bacteria. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Education Level Linked to Nearsightedness 21.07.2014 2:32

In a German study, half of those with a university degree were myopic compared with less than a quarter of folks who quit after high school or secondary school. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Give Us This Day the Bread Wheat Genome 17.07.2014 2:32

A preliminary map of the bread wheat genome includes the locations of more than 75,000 genes. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices