A Moment of Science
Episodes
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?
43,000 underwater volcanoes, and counting
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A decade ago, we knew of almost 25,000. One study has discovered an additional 19,000. And we know there are even more out there.
Are flying fish really flying?
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A simple question for today's A Moment of Science: do flying fish really fly?
The invisible world of ancient manuscripts
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you look at ancient manuscripts, you may notice that beneath the text, there is often a faint outline of other words that have been erased and writ...
Spider webs go way back
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some webs look tangled, while others look like delicate, perfect wheels. The latter are called orb webs.
Self-sharpening sea urchin teeth
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers discovered sea urchins keep their teeth sharp all on their own.
It's a miracle! The abilities of the agbayun berry
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if there was a food that could trick the brain into thinking that something sour, like a lemon or lime, was actually sweet?
Some hairstyles can lead to traction alopecia
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are some common hairstyles that can lead to traction alopecia, or hair loss.
Not-so-total recall: Your brain and the Mandela Effect
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does the Monopoly Man wear a monocle? Is the evil queen’s incantation, “Mirror, mirror on the wall?” Does Curious George have a tail?
Why soap and hard water don't mix
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Without soap, clothes, dishes, and even your body don't get very clean. But even soap falls short of doing the job in areas with hard water.
Cuttlefish seeing in three dimensions
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Find out how scientists learned cuttlefish see in three dimensions with today's A Moment of Science
Why you should thank NASA for rainy-day road safety
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why you should thank NASA for rainy-day road safety on this Moment of Science.
Brain activity related to consciousness in dying people
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists noted interesting findings in the brain activity of patients undergoing cardiac arrest.
Cloudy vs clear apple juice: Which do you prefer?
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most people prefer clear apple juice, but cloudy has its own appeal as well.
How far south can you see the Aurora Borealis?
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How far south do the Northern Lights go?
Using laziness as a survival strategy
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Damaraland mole-rats save up their energy for a rainy day.
Walk the walk with pedometers
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do pedometers work? Today's A Moment of Science explains.
Beluga whales: They're just like us!
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who you interact with in a regular day might not be so different from a beluga whale's social life.
Make your request in person, not over email
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's the psychological difference between getting a request in person versus over a message?
Best in mold: Japan's national fungus
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Aspergillus oryzae, or “koji,” received its important status because it lies at the heart of Japanese cuisine.
The death-defying ginkgo
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ginkgo trees are very eye-catching during the fall, but they're special for another reason as well.
These strange bunnies eat strange fruit
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The unique Amami rabbit has an even more unique favorite snack: Balanophora yuwanensis.
The black hole at our galaxy's center
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn more about the Milky Way's center, the supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A-star.
Feeling the waves even on shore
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, after taking a long trip in a vehicle—like a plane or boat—you might feel unsteady on stable ground.
The lost underwater "city" off Zakynthos
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Near the Greek island of Zakynthos is an underwater rock formation, once thought to be remnants of a forgotten civilization.
Why do wind turbines have three blades?
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever driven by a wind farm, you may have noticed that the turbines most likely have three blades. Not two, not five, but three.
What a view! Researching the "wow" factor
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists have long known that seeing landscapes with blue skies and fair weather can brighten our mood. But what about fleeting features like rainbo...
The one-time beauty of monocarpic plants
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Monocarpic plants flower only once, but they make the most of it. What makes them so spectacular?
Why don't animals naturally have three legs?
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Animals sometimes need amputations, but are able to adapt pretty quickly to the lost limb. Why don't animals naturally evolve to have three legs?
Sediment ripples from a lake on ancient Mars
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Planetary scientists now have a mountain of evidence, accumulated over decades of exploration, that three to four billion years ago, Mars had accumula...
Sipping raindrops from snake scales
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do snakes stay hydrated in the desert? A Moment of Science looks to the western diamondback rattlesnake for the answer.
Older macaques with smaller social circles
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you find yourself prioritizing close friends and family over a wide circle of friends as you grow older?
The physics behind a knuckleball
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's A Moment of Science cracks the code behind a knuckleball.
Can't go to the Moon? Try Arizona instead
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Find out how NASA prepared astronauts for the 1969 moon landing while staying here on Earth.
The dark-furred Amami rabbit
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s A Moment of Science brings you something you’ve never seen before: the black Amami rabbit.
Zap! How electric eels create their shocks
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Electric eels can release over 800 volts of electricity! How are these powerful shocks made?
Cooking with magnets
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” But what if there were a way to make kitchens less hot?
How does smoking a pipe impact your health?
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Put this in your pipe and smoke it, with today's A Moment of Science.
Why does crying make your nose run?
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you burst out crying, you expect the bleary red eyes and the rivers of tears that stream down your cheeks. But on top of all that, your nose star...
Feedback loops and global climate change
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Climate scientists need models to help study the impacts of climate change. Feedback loops play an essential role in these models.
Audiobooks vs. books in the brain
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do books and audiobooks differ in your brain?
The lives of solitary bees
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Unlike social bees like the bumblebee, solitary bees don't have queens or worker bees, and they don't reside together in colonies.
Why it's harder for toddlers to learn from a screen
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There have been many advancements in online education in recent years, but our youngest students will still face some difficulties.
Why we must recycle the rare earth metals
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rare earths are vital to green technologies, like wind turbines and electric cars, that will allow us to quit burning fossil fuels and solve the crisi...
Do opossums actually hang by their tails?
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever seen a cartoon of a sleeping opossum hanging upside down by its tail? Well, you may be surprised to learn that 'possums don't actually s...
What makes thick skin thick?
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having a thick skin is good if you don't want teasing to affect you. But what does it mean for our bodies?
The perfect blast: The explosion of a kilonova
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2017, astronomers observed one of the most important and mysterious cosmic events: an explosion known as a kilonova.
How stripes can save animals
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Animals with stripes really stand out when you look at them. How could this pattern possible help them hide from predators?
Does stress actually cause grey hair?
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There have always been anecdotes about stress causing hair to turn grey, but is there any scientific evidence to back these claims?
Biological clocks of all kinds
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have our circadian rhythm, but how does time impact other animals?
Global climate change and the Greenland ice sheet
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The huge ice sheet covering Greenland is pivotal to the threat of rising sea levels, but it presents some difficulties for scientists.
Less salt, same flavor?
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From potato chips to even our butter, salt is in a lot that we consume these days. But heavily salting our food isn't new behavior.
The hummingbird bill is a multitool
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are many uses for a hummingbird's bill besides just feeding.
Some like it hot, some like it even hotter
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you ever travel to the Sichuan province in China, you may hear the word "mala" to describe much of the food.
Why your eyes get puffy when you cry
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our tears are different when we cry for emotional reasons. What's the difference?
Spilling the tea on hard water
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Making tea with hard water makes a noticeable difference, according to research.
What makes superglue so super
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How is superglue so sticky?
Should you sweat out a cold?
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's the popular advice to "sweat out a cold," but does it actually have any benefit?
Since the dawn of humanity, fathers have always been older
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers found that, over this vast span of time, humans were, on average, about twenty six years old when they conceived children. But they also f...
Sea turtle moms plant decoy nests
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sea turtles try to keep their nests as safe as possible, even leaving behind a decoy.
Can tooth fillings pick up radio signals?
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In an interview with Dick Cavett, Lucille Ball made a spooky claim: while driving down a bumpy road, she began to hear music—not from her radio, fro...
Wait to use mouthwash after you exercise
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why would it matter when you use mouthwash?
What's the difference between white and dark meat?
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
White or dark, what do you prefer?
What is a virus?
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The common cold, the flu, measles. What is a virus, anyway?
Knowing where the wind blows
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do wind farm developers know exactly where to put the turbines?
Your dog, to the rescue
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TV shows and movies always show a pet rescuing their human friends. Is this really likely?
How distinctive is your walk?
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could you recognize someone just by the way they walk?
An ancient animal that grew up fast
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Children grow up fast, and that's true for more animals than just humans.
Insects are a good source of antioxidants
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It might not be common in the US right now, but eating insects have several benefits and could become more popular in the near future.
Traveling with zoochory
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just like animals, plants are driven to reproduce. Find out more about one of their methods of transportation, zoochory.
The ocean is losing its oxygen
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do you look for in a home? Even creatures of the sea want to live somewhere nice, and their needs aren’t that different from yours.
Our fossils of the future
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our age, the Anthropocene era, is distinctive in many ways. The fossils we leave behind might show this in the future.
Mammals live longer when they live in groups
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why do mammals live together? There's some benefits to living with others.
Shedding microfibers, just from doing laundry
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us are probably pretty careful not to litter. Turns out, we might be doing the same thing just by wearing clothes.
What makes hummingbird wings so pretty?
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many birds have striking features, but the hummingbird's wings are unique.
The future of bananas
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bananas are a staple fruit in our dieting habits, but scientists have some concerns about its future.
Your dance moves are like a fingerprint
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How distinctive are your dance moves?
The family tree of arctic sled dogs
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where did modern sled dogs originate?
Why our recorded voices sound so different
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why do our recorded voices sound so different from inside our own heads?
Can moon dust shield us from the sun?
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A study suggests a valuable resource sits right on the surface of the Moon: dust.
Trees that farm their own drought tolerance
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With climate change, stronger droughts are challenging the world’s forests.
An illusion in your coffee cup
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Things are not always as they seem, and this little demonstration will prove it.
Glass frogs turn translucent by hiding their blood
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers sometimes make biomedically important findings in the strangest places. One such discovery took place with glass frogs--tiny amphibians th...
Eating more with loved ones
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Overeating at Thanksgiving or other family functions feels pretty common. Is there a reason for that?
The toxic legacy of leaded gasoline
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1920s automotive engineers made one of the greatest mistakes of the twentieth century.
Camouflaging with iridescence
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Iridescent coloring is pretty eye-catching, so how can it be used as camouflage?
Sending a cube into space
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's the size of a toaster, weighs about three pounds, and orbits the Earth?
Voiceless frogs can fall in love, too
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's A Moment of Science has the love story of a frog who can't sing.
Queen bees don't have it easy
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Queen bees don't have to leave the hive, but that doesn't mean they have easy lives.
How the voice humanizes information
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Research suggests how we receive information (reading vs hearing) can inform our opinions about the topic at hand.
The significance of mouthfeel
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mouthfeel, or texture, is an important component of flavor while we eat.
Modern bird beaks aren't so modern after all
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New fossil evidence suggests previous assumptions about beak evolution weren't quite right.
Fish have their own dog days of summer
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hotter weather makes humans more irritable. Turns out we aren't the only species impacted by the dog days of summer.
The brain and mapping your toes
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In most people’s brains, each finger is represented by its own small section in the brain, but the same isn’t true for toes.
How the spitting cobra spits
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Spitting cobras are dangerous because they don't even need to bite their victim in order to do damage. How do they do it?
How to see ghosts with Pepper's ghost illusion
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn more about the practical effect known as Pepper's ghost illusion.
Frisky groundhogs in February
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When groundhogs first emerge in February, they have very specific priorities.
Keeping sweet corn sweet
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not much really compares to fresh picked sweet corn in the summer, and it turns out that there may be a very good scientific reason for why so many of...
Why is it so easy to break a coffee cup?
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the role of leverage in breaking mugs with today's A Moment of Science.
Are solar storms a threat to the internet?
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The internet is one of the most valuable resources of our time. What potential threats exist to our global network?