A Moment of Science
Episodes
Appalachian Bend
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Appalachian Bend
Mammals Living in Cities
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mammals Living in Cities
What's in a Shape
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What's in a Shape
Older Dinosaur Herds
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Older Dinosaur Herds
George Washington Comes Out Right Side Up
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
George Washington Comes Out Right Side Up
Whiskers, the Shameless Freeloader
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Whiskers, the Shameless Freeloader
Hurricane Damage That Lasts
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hurricane Damage That Lasts
Is Earth Getting Dimmer?
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is Earth Getting Dimmer?
Juiced Up
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Juiced Up
The Elusive Beaked Whale
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Elusive Beaked Whale
14,400-year-old Bread
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
14,400-year-old Bread
Too Warm or Too Cold to Fly
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Too Warm or Too Cold to Fly
Eye Movements and Personality
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eye Movements and Personality
Shark Tourism
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Shark Tourism
Can Lightning Strike You in the Shower?
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Can Lightning Strike You in the Shower?
Moth Wingtips Confuse Bat Radar
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Moth Wingtips Confuse Bat Radar
Elephants Smelling Far Away Food
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Elephants Smelling Far Away Food
Modern Biology in a Monastery Garden
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Modern Biology in a Monastery Garden
Why Rivers Don't Flow in Straight Lines
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If a river has a chance, it will meander, winding over the land in a series of loops. Geologists even call these loops "meanders."You can see meanders...
How Hummingbirds Use Their Sense of Smell
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hummingbirds have a voracious appetite for nectar, the sugary fluid secreted by flowers. To survive, they usually drink between five and fourteen time...
Another Good Reason to Go for Thai Food
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why some cuisines, like Indian and Thai, are so spicy and others, like English, are so bland?India and Thailand are very hot co...
The Leafy Seadragon is a Master of Camouflage
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What legendary creatures of the deep fill you with wonder? The squid-like kraken, able to tear ships pirate apart with its tentacles? Or the megalodon...
The Cloning and Quaking Stand of Aspen
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve seen a grove of quaking aspen, you’ll recall trees with smooth, grey-white bark fissured with black streaks and flat leaves of green and...
Changing Shape to Cope with Climate Change
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Many animal appendages, such as legs, tails, beaks, or ears can be used to dissipate excess body heat. Because of this cooling function, these body pa...
The Simple Science Behind One-Way Glass
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today's moment of science is inspired by the plethora of crime dramas. How do the one-way mirrors we see in these shows so often actually work?The tri...
Having More Friends Means More Offspring for Male Chimps
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t usually think of friends in terms of what advantages they give us, although, if asked, most people would probably say that their friends ad...
The Twin Within
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a twin? No, well are you sure?You could be a twin, but the twin is within, or a chimera.The Lion-Goat-Dragon YouA chimera is a mythological be...
The Ant with Metal in Its Mandibles
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Animals are made mostly out of water, and of complex molecules centered around carbon atoms. But they also contain a surprising range of other substan...
Curious Babies
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Curiosity killed the cat, but there’s no indication that it has the same effect on humans. Curiosity in babies helps them learn about the world and...
Why Do Salmon Leap?
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us are probably familiar with the image of salmon jumping upstream or over obstacles in the water. But why is it so common to see them leaping...
Moon Tan?
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Could the moon ever cause a person to tan? It's not that strange of a question: after all, moonlight is reflected sunlight. And following that logic-t...
Fruit Flies are Social Butterflies
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There’s rarely just one fruit fly hovering over the browning bananas in your fruit bowl. That’s because fruit flies are social creatures, spending...
Singing Mice
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Singing Mice
The Wonderful Welwitschia
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Wonderful Welwitschia
A Bug's Gotta Have Heart
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A Bug's Gotta Have Heart
Sleep and Inequality in the U.S.
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sleep and Inequality in the U.S.
Travelers' Diarrhea Has a Type
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Travelers' Diarrhea Has a Type
Rattlesnake Rattling Trick
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rattlesnake Rattling Trick
Why Does It Seem Like Others Look Angry to You?
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why Does It Seem Like Others Look Angry to You?
Marine Biofluorescence
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marine Biofluorescence
Would You Eat Fruit That Smells Like Garbage?
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Would You Eat Fruit That Smells Like Garbage?
The Great Unconformity
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Unconformity
Imagining Yourself in Others
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Imagining Yourself in Others
Stinky Cheese
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Stinky Cheese
U.S. Islands and Migratory Animals
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. Islands and Migratory Animals
Gut Microbes and Brain Rejuvenation
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gut Microbes and Brain Rejuvenation
Is That Bug Really a Bug?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is That Bug Really a Bug?
Handwriting and Learning to Read
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Handwriting and Learning to Read
Crunchy, Indigestible Goodness
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
D:Today's Moment of Science is coming to you from our local grocery store.Y:What better place to learn about food science and do the weekly shopping...
Safe Sex for Moths
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Safe Sex for Moths
Memory and Reasoning
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
D:You might think that knowledge and memory go hand in hand. Y:Sure.D:Mostly you're correct. However, in some cases, knowledge can actually hurt one'...
Otoacoustic Emissions
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Y:Stop that Don...why'd you put that microphone right next to my ear?D:I was trying to record your otoacoustic emissions.Y:My oto..what emissions?D:Yo...
Urban vs. Rural Birds
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When the world admired the boldness and tenacity of Pizza Rat, a rat that went viral after it was filmed dragging a giant slice of pizza down the stai...
Flatline? Shockingly, No.
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
D:Hey Yael, do you have...Y:Shh! I'm watching my favorite medical drama, "Very Attractive Doctors."D:Sorry. What's going on?Y:A terrible accident ...
Chimps Drink Alcohol, Too
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is there an evolutionary reason that people (and chimps) like to drink alcohol?
Why Do We Need to Sleep?
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Research into the purpose of sleeping has revealed functions of the brain’s waste system.
Nothing New under the Sun
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that concentrated solar power has been around since the 1860’s?
Some Penguins Love Climate Change
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is devasting, but some animals enjoy the temporary benefits.
That’s No Snowman—It’s a Crab!
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While the abominable snowman doesn’t exist, we do have the next best thing: the yeti crab!
Healthier to Give Than to Receive
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If the purpose of evolution is to pass along our genes, then how do we explain the human capacity to help people not related to us?
How Do Whales Learn Music?
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades we have known that male humpback whales create intricate songs – but how do they learn these songs?
The Lingering Ice Age
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Using data from satellites that measure the earth's gravitational field, scientists noticed small changes in gravity over Canada. What's causing these...
Only Three Percent of Earth's Land is Intact
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rich natural ecosystems a complex tangle of ecological relationships. How has human activity changed these ecosystems in the past 500 years?
Contagious Cognitive Vulnerability
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you're in a stressful situation, do you react positively or negatively? The answer may depend in part on whom you're around.
When Experiments Fail to Replicate
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The results of any scientific study should be reproducible, right? So, what happens when the results of a study don’t replicate?
Pirate Perch
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
These predatory fish are as ruthless as any pirate sailing the seven seas. They were even abandoned by the aquarium market when they were found to eat...
Imagining and Seeing
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Neuroscientists have made important discoveries about imagination as an unexpected bonus from studying the parts of the cerebral cortex involved in vi...
Electrical Near death Experience
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Near death experiences often involve things like seeing a bright white light, or floating out of your body. Is there a scientific explanation for thes...
Saccadic Suppression
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever noticed that you can’t see your own eye movements?
Macrauchenia
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Darwin said it was one of the strangest animals ever discovered.
Depressing Night Work
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the night shift worker, sleep happens during the day. How does this affect overall health?
Venutian Volcanoes
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did scientists discover evidence of a volcanic eruption on Venus?
Why the Brain Has So Many Folds
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The human brain is an incredible thing, but honestly, it's not much to look at. Just a big, gray, foldy lump. Why does the brain look a lot like a scr...
Mistletoe's Missing Genes
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists at Indiana University discovered the first plant or animal that lacks several genes involved in energy production in cells.
"Never" Events
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Doctors have a term for mistakes. They call them "never" events, as in things that should never, ever happen
Fish on Drugs
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wastewater often contains trace amounts of drug products. Fish living in such drug laced rivers end up paying a price.
Facebook and Loneliness
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is it detrimental to your health to constantly update your Facebook status?
A Remedy for the Runs
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here's the "scoop": Doctors have been having remarkable success with a rather unconventional type of treatment: fecal transplantation.
The Rest is Gravy
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Time to make turkey gravy! You can use flour or cornstarch as the thickening agent. Does it make a difference which you choose? How do thickeners thic...
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Isn't it interesting how some people's personalities are extremely constant while others change based on the situation? Animals are no different!
Liquid Sunshine
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Radium was a popular health additive at the time of its discovery. What were they thinking?
Wanted: Yellowstone Beavers
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 90's wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park to help cull the elk population. But there was still one problem: beavers.
Lights, Music, Calories
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does restaurant ambiance affect how much we eat?
The Future of Bananas
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that 99% of bananas sold are of one variety, the Cavendish? And this fact is not good for prosperity.
When It's Worth It to Be Awake
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever had to stay up late to cram for that exam? Wouldn’t it be nice to borrow the amazing sleep-deprivation powers of the male pectoral sandpiper?
Express Anger, Lower Blood Pressure
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it that Italians and Spaniards live two years longer on average than people who live in England?
Superb Fairy-wrens Learn to Eavesdrop
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did these birds learn to recognize the warning calls of other birds?
Real Lightsabers?
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the status on the development of real-life lightsabers? Is it possible?
Adapting to Starvation
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did a famine in 1944 cause changes in the genes of an entire generation?
Changing the Gene with Meditation
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers from the United States and Spain found in one study that mindfulness may not only affect your mood, it may affect your genes
Diet Soda Depression
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It might not surprise you to learn that drinking a lot of sugary soda can make one prone to depression. Is diet soda an exception?
Dehydration
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you were to stop drinking water right now, how long could you live?
Why Toddlers Can't Learn from a Screen
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tablets are a great distraction, but probably not the best learning tool.
High Altitude Genes
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At higher altitudes, it can be much harder to breathe. Unless you’re a local.
Cold Nose Cows
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A cow with a cold nose might just have the blues.
The Giant Weta Weighs In
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The giant weta is a grasshopper-type insect from New Zealand. It might be the heaviest insect.
The Genetics of the Hangover
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it that some people never seem to get a hangover?
Zombie Plants
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How could a disease turn a plant into a zombie?
A Change in the Air
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Isn’t it great to have fresh air? You might be surprised to learn that our planet’s air didn’t always contain oxygen.
Spider Silk
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever unsuspectingly walked into a spider's web, you know how easy it is to get wrapped up in its thin, sticky, silken threads. What makes it...