A Moment of Science
Episodes
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...
Estrogen and Breathing
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which air is obstructed to some degree while someone sleeps, but it’s more common in men for a reason.
Loud Dolphins
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A noisy ocean full of human activity makes it harder for dolphins to hear each other.
Lighter Than Air
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who was the first to fly? You might guess Orville Wright, but actually, the first flight occurred in the 18th century after the discovery of hydrogen.
Fail 15% of the Time to Learn Best
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you get the answer right 100% of the time, you’re just not learning anything new.
Stand Up, Be More Creative?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sitting for long stretches of time is detrimental to your health, and possibly your creativity.
Scared of Snakes?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to some biological anthropologists, humans have evolved to be particularly wary of snakes.
Painful Math
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does math anxiety cause you pain? According to one study, the brain thinks so.
A Million Years in the Dark: The World of the Mexican Blind Cavefish
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Suppose as a fish, you lived your entire life in darkness. How would you find your way around?
The Smell of Anxiety
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do emotions impact our sense of smell?
Myopic Misery
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard the phrase “Sadder but wiser,” but according to one study, sadness seems to make us less wise, at least with money.
Sometimes It's Good to Be Second Best
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a baboon, being an alpha comes with its benefits. However, it comes with a price.
When Forgetfulness Comes in Handy
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Clark’s Nutcracker, a pretty bird that lives in the mountains of western North America, sometimes gets forgetful about where they hide pine nuts...
Those Who Don't Like Music
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone likes music, right? Except the people with what’s being called “specific musical anhedonia.”
Small Testicles, Better Fathers?
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A study with 70 men assessed interest and involvement in parenting and took some measurements. Can you guess the results?
Why Humans--but Not Chimps--Get Cancer
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Humans and chimpanzees share 96 percent of their DNA. So why are diseases like cancer so common in humans but so rare in chimps?
Bear-crossed Lovers
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Polar Bears and Grizzly Bears do share some DNA, but they’re separate species. Except for a couple instances.
The Butterwort: Ruthless Carnivore of the World
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mosquitoes, ants, and midges, had best take warning – this plant is nature’s flypaper!
Working Overtime
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The more money you make, the more likely you are to work more. But is that healthy?
Imaginary Eating
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can imagination help you eat less?
A Brief History of "High-fidelity" Sound
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the limitations of early recording techniques influence how speak on the radio?
Can Tooth Fillings Pick Up Radio Signals?
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lucille Ball once made a spooky claim: while driving down a bumpy road, she began to hear music—from inside her mouth!
Why We Can't Walk Through Walls
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Atoms are mostly empty space, so what’s stopping us from walking through walls?
Fearing the Dentist
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out, you might have inherited your fear of the dentist.
Roots of Nausea
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A team of Canadian researchers identify the brain mechanism in rats that appears to control nausea.
Selfish Sheep
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do animals like sheep, zebras, fish, and birds, tend to congregate and move around in flocks?
How Yoga Reduces Stress
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that Yoga can reduce stress, but how does it work?
Bacteria Portrait Sessions
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Biologists at Indiana University are making time lapse videos to learn about the life of bacteria.
The Ultraviolet Coloring of Flowers
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bees can learn a lot about a flower from its ultraviolet colors.
The Remains of a Cambrian Dinner
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A team of paleontologists working in the Canadian Rockies have unearthed an ancient worm's fossilized remains, dinner and all!
"It Takes a Village"
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You've might have heard this African proverb, but did you know that it doesn't just apply to humans?
When You Get an Itch...
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tough itch to scratch? Take a lesson from the bears.
Zebra Stripes
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brown and orange stripes can camouflage animals, but even Darwin was puzzled by black and white zebra stripes.
Lake Vostok
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite being in Antarctica, this underground lake isn’t frozen.