A Moment of Science
Episodes
How Animals Improve Mental Health
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do our pets do to our brains?
Females Prefer More Exotic Males?
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hyenas are particular when it comes to choosing a partner.
What Makes Alcohol Denatured?
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between alcohol that you can drink and industrial alcohol?
Learning about Autism One Yawn at a Time
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes yawns so contagious?
These Giraffes Are Missing Their Spots
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are these giraffes missing their spots?
Fire Beetles
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most creatures run away when they detect a forest fire, but these beetles have other plans.
Welcome to the Anthropocene
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Has human activity changed our planet so much that it's now time to rename the current epoch?
Moose, Bears, and Traffic
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do pregnant moose prefer to give birth near highways?
That's Nuts
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is granular convection and why does it force all the Brazil nuts to the top of the bag?
More Salt, Higher Blood Pressure
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What impact does too much salt have on your body?
From the Mouths of Squid
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who has the strongest beak of them all?
Red Tide
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's so dangerous about the algae that blooms during a Red Tide?
Restoring the Brain's Waste Disposal System
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New developments in Alzheimer's research have led to the discovery of the brain's waste management system.
Viruses May Help Invasive Plants Conquer New Ranges
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do invasive plants seem to have such an easy time conquering native species?
Pregnant Teenage Dinosaurs
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
T-Rex often had babies at a young age, but why? And how did we find out?
Fish, Fish, the Musical Fish
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Atlantic Herring has an interesting ability to make sound.
Humaniqueness
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes humans so unique from other animals?
Guarding Grains
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Without this gene, grains may not have survived as well as they have for tens of millions of years.
Bird's Nannies
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Birds engage in cooperative breeding, but not for the baby chick's benefit.
Potential Danger Lurking in Leftovers
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How long before you really need to toss those leftovers?
Chirpless Crickets?
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the span of just a few years, male crickets on Kauai have evolved from boisterous to silent.
Seed Banks
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is a seed bank? Haven't people been storing seeds for centuries? Not like this.
Compulsively Cluttered
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Compulsive hoarding syndrome is a condition that affects 11 million Americans.
Learning a Language
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How is it that some people seem to be really good at learning languages?
Aphids and Brussel Sprouts
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a field experiment, scientists compared two groups of insects with different diets and discovered a food-chain reaction.
Foxy Smell in the Garden
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Imperial Crown's infamous odor may have evolved as a way to repel herbivores such as moles, gophers or deer.
The Camera's Eye
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An old legend claims that the eyes take a picture of the last thing you see before you die. Is it true?
Why Feel Guilty?
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are humans the only species that seem to experience guilt?
The Grandmother Hypothesis
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While in many species, females die shortly after menopause, humans evolved because we needed Grandma's help.
Bright Stripes Keep a Coral Reef Fish Well-Camouflaged
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You could say this particular fish is a bit dazzling.
Plant "Chat Lines"
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When strawberry plants send "runners" to become new plants, they also create a network.
Oil Paintings: Here Today, But What About Tomorrow?
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do pigments in oil paintings fade over time?
Mmmm! Leptin
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is there always room for dessert? This hormone is to blame.
Dragon Pushups
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While animals have many territorial defenses, like making loud noises or fighting - the Jacky Dragon does pushups.
Puddings and Custards Turned to a Soupy Mess?
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's all in the eggs.
Polarizing Sunglasses
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that your sunglasses are quantum mechanical? How do they cut glare?
Dust to Dust
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We love a clean home, but no one loves to clean. Learning about the composition of dust should motivate you.
Flip a Coin, Beat the Odds
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is a coin toss always 50/50? What are the odds of getting heads twice, or even a hundred times in a row?
Thirsty? Try Drinking Through Your Skin
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a lizard, anyways.
George Washington Comes Out Right Side Up
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready for a rotational paradox?
Student Protest on a Physics Exam
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How it is possible to measure a building's height using only a barometer? It's a question that has plagued Physics students for years.
The Curve of a Meandering River
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rivers don't like to make sharp turns.
Sperm Meets Egg: Finding Out What Really Happens
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
And what does this have to do with sea urchins?
Stereotype Threat
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you. Right?
Sea Robins: The Fish That Taste with Their Legs
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can you imagine having taste buds on your legs?
Brown Apples & Brown Tea
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What causes apples and other fruit to brown?
The Wrong Formula for Water
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists were wrong about something?!
The Tastebuds of Blind Cavefish
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a community of fish becomes trapped in total darkness for hundreds of thousands of years?
The Trouble With Drinking Blood
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are vampires real? Meet the vampire bat!
Skidding Downhill
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Skidding Downhill
Why You Can Never Get to the End of a Rainbow
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why You Can Never Get to the End of a Rainbow
Freezing Hot Water Pipes
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Freezing Hot Water Pipes
Traveler's Diarrhea Has a Type
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Traveler's Diarrhea Has a Type
The Storm-Chasing Seabird
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One man's storm is another seabird's all-you-can-eat buffet.
Why Does It Seem Like Others Are Angry With You
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why Does It Seem Like Others Are Angry With You
Lonely Fruit Flies
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lonely Fruit Flies
These Neurons Tell The Brain To Sneeze
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are the neurons in the room with us?
Why Fan Blades Stay Dirty
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why Fan Blades Stay Dirty
Is It Ever Too Warm To Snow?
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is It Ever Too Warm To Snow?
Is It Ever Too Cold To Snow?
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is It Ever Too Cold To Snow?
Geese Domestication May Be 7,000 Years
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Geese Domestication May Be 7,000 Years
Moth Wingtips Confuse Bat Sonar
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Moth Wingtips Confuse Bat Sonar
Extreme Heat Causes Railroads to Bend
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Extreme Heat Causes Railroads to Bend
Rattlesnake Rattling Trick
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rattlesnake Rattling Trick
Affair of the Heart
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though Pluto isn’t a planet anymore, it’s still a planetary body with a lot of heart. Well, at least one heart.
Finding an Egg's Secret Formula
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Finding an Egg's Secret Formula
Australopithecus Sediba, Your Ancient Relative
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Australopithecus Sediba, Your Ancient Relative
Dino Eat Dino? Not for T. Rex and Stegosaurus
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dino Eat Dino? Not for T. Rex and Stegosaurus
How Blind and Sighted People Understand Color
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How Blind and Sighted People Understand Color
The Spade-toothed Beaked Whale
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This sea creature spends its life hidden from humans. With only six specimens ever found, it’s the rarest of all whale species.
A Flightless Bird Family Tree
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Flightless Bird Family Tree
What Is Wax, Anyway
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What Is Wax, Anyway
The Largest Bird to Ever Live
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Largest Bird to Ever Live
The Great Unconformity
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Unconformity
Shark Tourism
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shark Tourism
Fluorescent Green Wasp Nests
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fluorescent Green Wasp Nests
Handwriting and Learning to Read
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Handwriting and Learning to Read
How Spiders Lure Fireflies to Their Doom
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Finding a mate can be hard, especially if you're a firefly.
A Comb, a Sock, a Faucet
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Comb, a Sock, a Faucet
Aerobic Exercise affects Mental Performance
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aerobic Exercise affects Mental Performance
When Pop Bottles DO Blow Up
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Pop Bottles DO Blow Up
Underwater Money
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Underwater Money
The Rising Water Mystery
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Rising Water Mystery
Mona Lisa's Smile: Now You See It, Now You Don't
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mona Lisa's Smile: Now You See It, Now You Don't
Pop Quiz on Memory
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pop Quiz on Memory
Retrieve That Dream
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Retrieve That Dream
Pump You Up, Break You Down
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pump You Up, Break You Down
Winter Wheat
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Winter Wheat
Why Mice and Rats Are Used in Research
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to feel like a mouse stuck in the labyrinth of modern life. But why do we compare ourselves to rodents, anyways?
Nostrils and Roses
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nostrils and Roses
Say Cheese!
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Say Cheese!
Females Prefer Long Snoods
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Females Prefer Long Snoods
Keep Your Fat End Up
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Keep Your Fat End Up
With a Huff and a Puff, Volcanoes Produce Smoke Rings
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This Moment of Science will make you want to take a hike to the nearest active volcano.
Cold Heart, Warm Hands
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cold Heart, Warm Hands
Swim Like A Fish
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Swim Like A Fish
Charming Fahrenheit
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charming Fahrenheit
Bradycardia
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have an abnormally low heart rate? You might have this common treatable condition.
When Grey Goo Attacks!
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Grey Goo Attacks!
Carnivorous Bees
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bees love honey, but did you know that some bees crave flesh?