A Moment of Science

Cafeteria plate dispensers reveal facts about atoms

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You take a plate off the top of one stack. The other plates in the stack rise from below just far enough to present the next plate at the same height ...

Is it ok to swallow watermelon seeds?

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A few seeds from fruits such as watermelons or apples passing through your digestive tract won't hurt you. But they won't help you much either.

What exactly was Little Miss Muffet eating?

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey. But what even is that?

Vampire bats are good at sharing

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It may surprise you to learn that vampire bats are one of the most well-known examples of sharing in the animal kingdom.

Testing your reaction time

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How fast are your reflexes? Test them out with a falling dollar.

Why don't elephants get cancer?

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since elephants are so big, they have way more cells than most animals. Which means more opportunities for elephant cells to go crazy and become cance...

What events actually make us happy?

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Major events often make people happy, but does this last very long?

Desert ants navigate with the magnetic field

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When ants first leave their nest to begin their jobs as foragers, they first have to make sure they can find their way home.

Life thrives in the seabed of hydrothermal vents

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From stories of giant monsters to little green Martians, we humans can imagine some pretty strange creatures. Life, however, offers plenty of surprise...

Moths are evolving to avoid city lights

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Moths are a lot less attracted to artificial light than they used to be. Learn more about what that means with today's A Moment of Science!

Recognizing different relatives

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Other animals besides humans learn to recognize their relatives

Jellyfish thrive in cold water, too

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jellyfish, delicate and soft as they may be, thrive even in places you might not go swimming—including the Arctic.

Mona Lisa's smile: now you see it, now you don't

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Any list of the world's top ten most famous paintings will surely include da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." Part of the painting's appeal is its mystery.

Rethinking dopamine

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists are now considering the role that dopamine plays in our bodies’ response to other stimuli, such as surprising, new, or negative events.

The sensitivity of dog noses

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that dog’s noses can be tens of thousands of times more sensitive than ours?

The curious case of microbial invasion

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

‘Biological invasion’ is a phenomenon that occurs when a foreign organism establishes within a community of organisms that it otherwise wouldn’t...

What's the difference between hair and fur?

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hair and fur are practically identical. How can that be?

Bees have figured out some sweet, sweet math

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of beehive, your first thought may be of honey oozing out of the iconic hexagonal cells. Remarkable as the honey may be, though, the ce...

Making a new mouth for every meal

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Microscopic hydras will trap and paralyze their prey. The next step usually is to stuff their mouths, only hydras usually don't have mouths.

DNA and RNA in a genetic museum

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to researching extinct animals the focus has almost entirely been on DNA because it tends to stand the test of time better, but RNA is t...

How cockroaches get away

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The all-too-familiar American cockroach almost seems to know where you're going to strike. What's the tip-off that sends the cockroach running?

Seeing color out of the corner of your eye

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you look at a green door at the edge of your field of vision, it's still green. Simple right? Not quite.

Tardigrades are even stranger than they appear

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tardigrades look strange, but they're made up of even stranger stuff.

The mermaid, the witch, and climate change?

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some academics have turned to creative sources to translate what existing research tells us about climate problems and policy responses: fairy tale ch...

MRI, CT, and PET scans, oh my!

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What sets MRI, CT, and PET scans apart?

You are what you eat, even for extinct Caribbean rodents

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, scientists from Johns Hopkins and the University of Cincinnati attempted the first study of extinct Hispaniolan rodents using isotopes. What ...

Firefly flashes are mating signals

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Male fireflies cruise the evening air, flashing their lanterns in a pattern characteristic of their species, looking for females of their own kind.

The ocean is changing color

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

About 56% of the ocean’s surface has changed in color. An expanse larger than Earth’s entire land surface has become slightly greener.

What makes fluorescent colors so bright?

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered why fluorescent colors -- like you see in highlighters or clothing dyes, for instance - seem so much brighter than other colors...

The importance of the magnetic field for life on Earth

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What did the Earth need to become habitable?

Why are dogs such messy drinkers?

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dogs aren't quite as graceful as we humans when it comes to taking a drink. But you might give your pooch more credit if you knew that her lapping met...

Wallabies in England?

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine yourself walking through the English countryside. You might expect to come across some squirrels, moles, foxes, and badgers. However, you may ...

Rats stay closer together in colder temperatures

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever watched a bunch of rats hanging out together? You might notice something interesting.

Air pressure and drinking straws

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you sit down to a glass of iced tea with a straw in it, you might say that you are sucking the tea up through the straw. But is this accurate?

Today's sturgeon is a blast from the past

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you want a piece of living history, where would you look? You could visit California’s giant redwoods, or simply watch the birds, those descendan...

Your skin's thermometer

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What temperature is comfortable for your skin? The answer might be different from air temperature.

Don't count out moths when it comes to pollination

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of pollination, you probably think of bees buzzing around on a bright summer day.

Why would you drive a cockroach?

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists found a way to drive a cockroach the way you might drive a car. What does that mean?

How do insects drink?

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Insects need water just like the rest of us, so how do they drink?

Healing damage from a heart attack

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some medical researchers are looking for new ways to prevent heart attack damage from happening.

Does money bring happiness?

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to that famous Beatles song, no: "Money Can't Buy Me Love." But, of course, the Beatles also had a hit with their cover of the Motown song ...

The yeast that was lost and found

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ask any brewer and they will tell you that yeast is the secret to making beer.

Does trampling the lawn really harm the grass?

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hurting a blade of grass isn't the end of its life. But how does it affect the soil?

Stink bugs aren't all bad

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many species of stink bugs are also pests, but some are beneficial.

Don't tie yourself in (muscle) knots

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You might be sitting in your car. Or slouching at your desk. Or hunched over your phone. Take a minute to think: are you comfortable?

Gone fishing, virtually

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of the time phishing is used by people who want to steal your personal information and bank account numbers.

Stressed out quails and their eggs

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's been a long debate between nature and nurture. Scientists have found evidence of a quail's environment impacting egg development.

Social isolation and inflammation

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s research showing that social isolation is associated with increase inflammation in the body.

There's plastic dust all over our national parks

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our national parks are being coated in dust: plastic dust.

Wishing on a meteor shower's shooting stars

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you see a shooting star, make a wish. If you see scores of shooting stars, make a note: you’re witnessing a meteor shower.

How do apples get their shine?

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

All fruits and vegetables produce a natural, dull waxy coating that acts a barrier to the outside world.

Why do we get so enraged?

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, something small can really set our anger off. Why does this happen?

Chewers, crunchers, smooshers, and suckers. How do you eat?

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While we all have different tastes when it comes to food, the process of chewing seems to be something we share.

How do aardvarks eat?

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Aardvarks are mighty predators in the insect world. How do they do it?

Were myths of unicorns based in reality?

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Unicorns are a legend, but there is growing evidence that the legend may have been inspired by a real animal.

Our closest relatives can plan ahead, too

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bonobos, our closest great ape relative, and orangutans, our most distant great ape relative, also appear to be capable of planning ahead.

Do you hear what I hear?

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are there other ways plants respond to their environments that we just can’t perceive?

How much water is in that glass?

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does the shape of a glass affect how much you drink? A scientist set out to examine just this, and the results are rather astounding.

Changing a koala's stomach microbiome

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Koalas are more than just picky eaters. A Moment of Science looks into what makes their stomachs so sensitive

Keep your magnets away from that meteorite

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you looking for a new hobby? Do you love the thrill of discovery? Are you the kind of person who enjoys the great outdoors? Then meteorite hunting...

It's easy being green for the palo verde

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Not just any old plant has what it takes to survive desert heat.

The orchid with a distinctive body odor

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are orchids that smell like rotting meat and orchids that smell like fish to attract pollinators. This one smells like us.

We carry around our own bacterial clouds

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just like Pigpen and his cloud of dust, we have a cloud of bacteria that follows us everywhere

How do camels avoid getting thirsty?

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A camel can travel hundreds of miles, over several days, without stopping to drink. On today's Moment of Science, we'll learn how camels survive the d...

What do alcoholism and having a sweet tooth have in common?

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Compared to craving other things, such as alcohol for example, having a yearning for sweets seems relatively harmless.

Warming up with a nice cup of nectar

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A warm drink on a cold day is a great combo, and humans aren't the only species to discover this.

The hidden world inside lava caves

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you live near a dormant volcano? You might have a weird wonderland right beneath your feet.

These caves were formed by lava

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kazumura is a lava cave over forty miles long, the largest in the world!

The sort-of giant cavefish of India

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Deep in some underground pools lives a shadowy creature. Its existence has remained hidden away—until now.

What causes heavy rain?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some days rain falls in a light, calm sweep across the earth. On other days rain falls in a torrential downpour, flooding the ground below. So, what c...

Swear words increase pain tolerance, but only "traditional" ones

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If we stub our toes or get other sudden injuries, sometimes a swear pops out. Could they be helpful?

The chemical that keeps swarming locusts from eating each other

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Locusts gather into huge, ravenously hungry migratory swarms.

Shakespearean words on the brain

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing or reading language used in this shifted way causes a sudden jump in brain activity.

The spa of the sea

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cleaner wrasse have made it their jobs to clean their fish friends.

The epidemiological consequences of climate change on mosquito niche range

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Where and how we interact with mosquitos has become complicated by climate change.

A new layer of Earth's core

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers study earthquakes to learn more about our planet's interior, and new information came to light in 2023.

The importance of rediscovery and the nose-horned lizard

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A researcher found a nose-horned lizard in 2018, which hadn't been seen for 130 years!

Fungi and plants have a complicated relationship status

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some fungi are useful to plants, some can kill. But it turns out their relationship gets more complex than this.

Our voices match our gestures

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even if we can't see someone while they're talking, our brains still pick up their gestures.

The coywolf hybrid takes over the East coast

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eastern wolves and coyotes have been interbreeding more frequently over the past several hundred years

Do animals use math?

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Animals sometimes understand numbers without school or even language.

Variety is the texture of life

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers looked into the role texture plays in how full we feel after eating.

How grasshoppers are able to hang around upside-down

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do insects handle being upside-down for so long?

Having a eureka moment can cloud our judgement

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A eureka moment is an experience where a solution or idea suddenly appears in your mind and immediately feels true.

Rats use special hairs to sense the wind

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A cat’s facial whiskers are one example of a type of long stiff hair found in clusters on the bodies of most mammals.

Bark used as ancient gum

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our ancestors may have made their own version of gum from birch bark.

Do carnivores care that we're here?

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While you’re out in nature, do you ever wonder if your presence changes the way animals interact with each other?

Corals' microbiomes are busy during dormancy

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For many organisms, winter is a time to rest. But just because it's dormant doesn't mean the northern star coral isn't working.

When psychology meets accounting

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What role does psychology play when it comes to how you use your money?

Gigantopithecus: Who were the relatives of Earth's largest ape?

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who exactly was the Gigantopithecus?

How did dust cause an ancient ice age?

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Space dust possibly caused an ice age 466 million years ago. How?

Sowing the seeds of future conservation

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Seeds are important for many things, from everything bagels to starting a garden, but can they be the key to preserving habitats for monarch butterfli...

Bacteria on, in, and under your skin

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that researchers have discovered that there are at least 250 kinds of bacteria that live on our skin?

Are we able to taste more?

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter. Are there more flavors out there for us to discover?

Bungostegos: The lizard that walked upright on all fours

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about Bunostegos akokanensis, an animal that existed before the time of the dinosaurs.

Pterosaurs: Earth's biggest fliers ever

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just three groups of animals with backbones have evolved the ability to fly: birds, bats, and pterosaurs.

The honeybee's royal jelly

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do honeybees determine their line of succession?

How mangrove forests provide flood protection

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mangrove forests add a great visual to the coastline, but they provide great benefits too.

Saber-toothed tigers were big. Really big

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Saber-toothed tigers were one of the largest cats to ever exist. How big was that really?

Stormy solar weather in our forecast

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could the Earth face solar storms in our future? What does that look like?