A Moment of Science
Episodes
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?
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?