Science Quickly
Episodes
Bacteria Might Share the Blame for Eczema
07 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In patients with severe eczema, Staphylococcus aureus strains dominated the skin microbe population—suggesting that certain types of bacteria could ...
Franklin's Lightning Rod Served Political Ends
04 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Whether lightning rods should have rounded or pointy ends became a point of contention between rebellious Americans and King George III. Learn mo...
Heat Will Hit America's Poorest Worst
30 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Economists calculate that each degree Celsius of warming will dock the U.S. economy by 1.2 percent--and increase the divide between rich and poor. Chr...
Rainbow Photons Pack More Computing Power
28 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Quantum bits, aka qubits, can simultaneously encode 0 and 1. But multicolored photons could enable even more states to exist at the same time, ramping...
Moths Inspire Better Smartphone Screens
26 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers designed an antireflective coating for smartphone screens, with inspiration from the bumpy eyes of moths. Christopher Intagliata reports. ...
Better Memory Begets Boredom
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The better study participants scored in the memory test, the faster they got bored. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
DNA Points to Multiple Migrations into the Americas
22 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
DNA analysis of skeletons found in the Pacific Northwest backs up traditional oral histories, and suggests there could have been more than one coloniz...
Keep Rolling Luggage Upright with Physics
21 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A team of physicists has revealed why rolling suitcases start rocking from wheel to wheel—and how to avoid that frustrating phenomenon. Christopher ...
Wolves Need More Room to Roam
20 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ecologists say wolves should be allowed to roam beyond remote wilderness areas—and that by scaring off smaller predators like coyotes and jackals, w...
Engineers Build Bendy Batteries for Wearables
19 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers built silver–zinc batteries that can bend and stretch—meaning they could be more elegantly integrated into future wearable devices. Ch...
Rising Temps Lower Polar Bear Mercury Intake
15 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As polar bears are forced onto land, they're feeding on animals with less mercury—reducing their levels of the toxic pollutant. Christopher Intaglia...
Some Hotel Bed Bug Sightings May Be Bogus
14 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Only a third of travelers could correctly identify a bed bug—suggesting that some bug sightings in online reviews could be cases of mistaken identit...
Opioids Still Needed by Some Pain Patients
13 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The "other victims" of the opioid epidemic are pain patients who need the drugs but cannot now get them because of fears related to their use Lea...
Bacterially Boosted Mosquitoes Could Vex Viruses
08 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria are unable to transmit viruses to humans—and could curb the spread of viral disease. Karen Hopkin report...
Alaska Accelerates Indoor Agriculture
04 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
With 700 new greenhouses, Alaska is growing its own produce as deep into winter as the sun keeps rising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Chromosomes Combat Counterfeit Caviar
03 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers found unique genetic variants that differentiate costly beluga caviar from cheaper fakes that rip off consumers. Christopher Intagliata re...
French Prez Invites Trumped Researchers
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
New French president, Emmanual Macron, reacted to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement by inviting disaffected U.S. researchers to mak...
Trees Beat Lawns for Water-Hungry L.A.
27 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Evaporation from overwatered lawns cost the city of Los Angeles 70 billion gallons of wasted water a year. But the city's trees were much thriftier. C...
Former CDC Head Warns of Threats Biological and Political
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Frieden, head of the CDC from 2009 to 2017, told graduating medical students that we face challenges from pathogens, and from politicians. Le...
Fitness Bands Fail on Calorie Counts
24 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Activity trackers accurately reckon heart rate—but they're way off in estimates of energy expenditure. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more ab...
New Concrete Recipes Could Cut Cracks
19 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Recipes for concrete that incorporate by-products from the coal and steel industries, like fly ash and slag, could reduce road salt–related cracking...
Bees Prefer Flowers That Proffer Nicotine
17 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bumblebees sought out flowers with nicotine in their nectar, and the drug appeared to enhance the bees' memories. Christopher Intagliata reports. Lear...
Large Impacts May Cause Volcanic Eruptions
16 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Really big meteorite or asteroid strikes may cause melting and deep deformations that eventually lead to volcanic eruptions. Learn more about your ...
Why the Cross Put Chickens on a New Road
15 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A religiously inspired change in the European diet about a thousand years ago led to the development of the modern domesticated chicken. Learn mo...
Field Study: Worms Leave 'Til No-Till
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Earthworm numbers doubled in fields after farmers switched from conventional plowing to no-till agriculture. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn m...
The Sneaky Danger of Space Dust
11 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When tiny particles of space debris slam into satellites, the collision could cause the emission of hardware-frying radiation. Christopher Intagliata ...
Insects Donate DNA to Unrelated Bugs
10 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bacteria swap DNA among themselves. And that process may be more common in multicellular organisms than previously believed. Christopher Intagliata re...
Gophers versus the Volcano
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Pocket gophers survived the Mount Saint Helens eruption in their underground burrows and immediately went to work bringing back the ecosystem. Le...
Wilderness Areas Suffer from Human Sound
07 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Human-produced noise doubles the background sound levels in 63 percent of protected areas, and raises it tenfold in 21 percent of such landscapes. ...
Pollution Peaks When Temperatures Top Out
03 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As temperatures rise, energy demands peak, with a corresponding increase in air pollutants. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad c...
Hot Chilies Cool Down Gut Inflammation in Mice
02 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The spicy compound in chilies kicks off a chemical cascade that reduces gut inflammation and immune activity in mice. Christopher Intagliata reports. ...
Bronx River's Cleanup Brings Herring Home
01 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Called an "open sewer" in the recent past, the Bronx River is now clean enough for a type of herring to once again be introduced and to make runs to t...
Ancient Human DNA Found in Cave Dirt
28 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists uncovered genetic traces of Neandertals and Denisovans by screening cave dirt for DNA. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about you...
Gut Microbes Help Keep Starved Flies Fecund
26 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Microbes living in the guts of fruit flies appear to influence the flies' food choice—and promote egg production, even under a nutrient-poor diet. C...
Selective Breeding Molds Foxes into Pets
25 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Evolutionary biologist Lee Dugatkin talks about the six-decade Siberian experiment with foxes that has revealed details about domestication in general...
Why One Researcher Marched for Science
22 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Klein, from the materials science and engineering department at Rutgers University, commented on the March for Science at an April 21 talk to the...
Healthy Behavior Can Spread Like Illness
20 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If people run more in New York City, that can push their socially connected counterparts in San Diego to run more as well. Christopher Intagliata repo...
Climate 420 Million Years Ago Poised for Comeback
19 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Starting in the next century, atmospheric carbon levels could begin to approach those of hundreds of millions of years ago, and have their warming eff...
Traces of Genetic Trauma Can Be Tweaked
15 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Trauma can be passed down to offspring due to epigenetic changes in DNA. But positive experiences seem able to correct that. Erika Beras reports. Le...
Species Split When Mountains Rise
13 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Plant species in China's Hengduan Mountains exploded in diversity eight million years ago—right when the mountains were built. Christopher Intagliat...
Shoelace Study Untangles a Knotty Problem
12 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers have trotted out data that show a combination of whipping and stomping forces is what causes laces to unravel without warning. Karen Hopki...
World Parkinson's Day Puts Spotlight on Condition
11 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research CEO Todd Sherer, a neuroscientist, talks about the state of Parkinson's disease and research. Learn...
Cave Dwellers Battled Bed Bug Bites, Too
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers have found the earliest evidence of bugs in the Cimex genus co-habitating with humans, in Oregon's Paisley Caves. Christopher Intagliata r...
Extreme Storms Are Extreme Eroders
05 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The storm that swept across the Rockies in September 2013 unleashed huge amounts of sediment downstream, doing the work of a century of erosion. Julia...
Spiders Gobble Gargantuan Numbers of Tiny Prey
03 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The low-end estimate for how much the world's spiders eat is some 400 million tons of mostly insects and springtails. Learn more about your ad ch...
Your Cat Thinks You're Cool
29 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A study of house cats and shelter cats found that the felines actually tended to choose human company over treats or toys. Learn more about your ...
Exoplanets Make Life Conversation Livelier
25 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Astronomer Caleb Scharf weighs what ever more exoplanets mean in the search for extraterrestrial life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Bring Bronx Zoo to Your Living Room
24 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Animal Planet's series The Zoo shows viewers the biological, veterinary and conservation science at a modern zoo. Learn more about your ad choices....
UV Rays Strip Small Galaxies of Star Stuff
22 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers measured the intensity of the universe's ultraviolet background radiation, and say it may be strong enough to strip small galaxies of star...
Aggressed-Upon Monkeys Take Revenge on Aggressor's Cronies
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Japanese macaques at the receiving end of aggression tend to then take it out on a close associate or family member of the original aggressor. Le...
Chaotic Orbits Could Cause Catastrophic Collision
20 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers used ancient climate cycles to confirm the solar system’s chaotic planetary orbits. An Earth–Mars collision is one distant outcome. Ju...
Pulling the String on Yo-Yo Weight Gain
18 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mice that lost weight and then gained back more than they lost maintained an obesity-type microbiome that affected biochemicals involved in either bur...
Poverty Shaves Years off Life
17 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A meta-analysis found that being of low socioeconomic status was associated with almost as many years of lost life as was a sedentary lifestyle. Le...
Pollinators Shape Plants to Their Preference
16 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In fewer than a dozen generations bumblebee-pollinated plants were coaxed to develop traits that made them even more pleasing to the bees. Christopher...
Low Biodiversity Brings Earlier Bloom
15 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For every two species lost in a grassland, the remaining flowers there bloomed a day earlier—on par with changes due to rising global temperatures. ...
Early-Life Microbes Ward Off Asthma
14 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Exposure to specific microbes when an infant is less than a year old seems to have a protective effect against the child's eventual acquisition of ast...
(Probably Not a) Giant Alien Antenna
12 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Astrophysicists propose that mysterious "fast radio bursts" could, in very speculative theory, be produced by an antenna twice the size of Earth. Chri...
Jupiter Moon to Be Searched for Life
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If anything's alive on the ice-covered ocean world of Europa, a future NASA mission hopes to find it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
Teeth Hint at a Friendlier Neandertal
08 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
By sequencing DNA in Neandertal dental plaque, scientists were able to find out about their diets—and their good relations with modern humans. Chris...
Forensic Science: Trials with Errors
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What appears to be accepted science in the courtroom may not be accepted science among scientists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...
How to Find Loooong Gravitational Waves
06 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The gravitational waves found last year were short compared with the monster waves that could be turned up by what's called Pulsar Timing Arrays. ...
Biggest Rivers Are Overhead
03 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Atmospheric rivers can carry the same amount of water vapor as 15 to 20 Mississippi Rivers—and deliver punishing winds, too. Christopher Intagliata ...
Last Woollies Had Mammoth Mutations
02 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The final holdout woolly mammoths had large numbers of harmful mutations—which would have given them satiny coats and a weakened sense of smell. Chr...
African Penguins Pulled into an Ecological Trap
01 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change and overfishing have made the penguins’ feeding grounds a mirage—which has led to a drop in penguin population. Jason G. Goldman re...
Neandertals Live On in Our Genomes
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers found that Neandertal gene variants still affect the way genes are turned off and on in modern humans. Christopher Intagliata reports. L...
Medical Marijuana Faces Fed's Catch-22
27 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Doing large studies of marijuana's potential as medicine means getting it removed from an official federal list of substances with no official medical...
Blood Cells Remember Your Mountain Vacation
23 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Red blood cells retain a memory of high-altitude exposure, allowing for faster acclimation next time. But that memory fades within four months. Christ...
Fermented Foods Find Fervent Advocate
22 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Properly fermented foods deliver probiotics that could help cut disease risk, said a researcher at the annual meeting of the AAAS. Learn more about yo...
Vision Needed to Curb Nearsightedness Epidemic
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In urban Asian areas myopia among teenagers is topping 90 percent—but foresight may be able to bring those numbers way down. Learn more about you...
Guppy Groups Provide Friendly Protection against Foes
20 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Guppies exposed to predators tend to aggregate into smaller, more tightly knit groups, which may allow them to coordinate their predator avoidance str...
Spaceflight Squishes Spacefarers' Brains
18 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Astronauts’ gray matter is compressed by time in space—except in an area that controls feeling and movement in the legs. Karen Hopkin reports. Lea...
2 Words Trigger CDC to Stay Quiet
17 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers and administrators at the CDC dare not utter the words guns or firearms for fear of budget cuts from Congress, according to health policy ...
The True "Bottom" of the Food Chain Is Plenty Polluted
16 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Critters living more than six miles below the ocean surface contain high levels of harmful compounds like PCBs and flame retardants. Julia Rosen repor...
Heat Sensor Has Snaky Sensitivity
15 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers have developed a heat sensor that can detect temperature changes of just ten thousandths of a degree Celsius—comparable with the sensiti...
Housing Boom Busts Birds' Valentine's Day
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A Pacific Northwest housing boom is encroaching on songbird habitat, forcing the birds to flee their homes—and their mates. Learn more about yo...
Cool Coating Chills in Sunlight
13 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A thin film coating can chill a vat of water to 15 degress Fahrenheit cooler than its surroundings, by absorbing—and then emitting—the sun's infra...
Partnered-Up Men More Attractive to Women
09 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Women rate a man they see with an attractive woman as more desirable than an unattached man. Erika Beras reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Gulf Dead Zone Makes for Shrimpier Shrimp
08 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The low-oxygen waters of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico result in smaller shrimp, and a spike in large shrimp prices. Christopher Intagliata repo...
Frog Spit Behaves Like Bug-Catching Ketchup
06 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The amphibians' saliva is what's known as a "shear-thinning fluid," like ketchup—sometimes thick, sometimes thin and flowing. Christopher Intagliata...
Super Bowl Snacks Need These Exercise Equivalents
04 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Platkin, director of the New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College, published tips on what it would take to burn off the calories we ...
The Arctic's Anti-Snowball Snowball Effect
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Arctic heat waves melt sea ice, which promotes more warming and even more ice loss. In other words, it’s a snowball effect—or in this case, an ant...
Widening the Suez Canal Ushers In Underwater Invaders
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Nomadic jellyfish and poisonous puffer fish are the poster children of an invasion of non-native species into the Mediterranean, with environmental an...
Hawaiian Crows Ready for the Call of the Wild
30 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The critically endangered birds have done well in captive breeding, meaning they may be ready once more for wild living, and the repertoire of calls a...
A Humble Fish with a Colorful Edge
28 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The cichlid, a small fish, has one of the most incredible visual systems known—which allows it to adapt to differently colored environments. Jason G...
LSD's Long, Strange Trip Explained
26 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When LSD binds to serotonin receptors, it pulls a "lid" closed behind it, locking it in place for hours, and explaining its long-lasting effects. Chri...
Umbrellas Plus Sunscreen Best Bet to Beat Burns
25 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sunscreen or beach umbrellas alone were unable to completely prevent sunburns—so researchers suggest combining the methods instead. Christopher Inta...
Ants Use Celestial Cues to Travel in Reverse
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The six-legged savants appear to use celestial cues and three forms of memory, as they blaze a trail back to the nest. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn mor...
High-Sugar Diet Makes Flies Drop Like...Flies
23 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A study examines the effects of a high-sugar diet on the life spans of fruit flies. Another studies how the flies’ appetite-suppressing pathways may...
Pesticide Additive Could Be One Culprit in Bee Deaths
21 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A common pesticide additive, known as an "inert" ingredient, could be one of the causes of the die-offs beekeepers have observed in their hives. Chris...
Knot Not Easy to Knot
18 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Chemists have synthesized the most complex molecular knot ever, using a strand just 192 atoms long. The advance could lead to new tougher materials. C...
Bat Chatter Is More Than a Cry in the Dark
14 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Using algorithms developed for human speech recognition, researchers decoded which bats in an experimental colony were arguing with each other, and wh...
Bird Feeders Attract Bird Eaters, Too
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Some predators are attracted to the food in bird feeders, and end up targeting nestlings, too. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad ch...
Adult Daughter Orcas May Trigger Moms' Menopause
12 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Competition between older female orcas and their adult daughters when they can breed simultaneously may cause the matriarch to enter menopause. Lea...
Climate Cycles Could Have Carved Canyons on Mars
11 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers think Mars may have experienced a series of climate cycles, which etched the planet’s surface with river valleys and lake basins. Julia ...
Hair Cells Could Heal Skin Sans Scars
06 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hair follicles appear to be key in reprogramming other cells in the wound, restoring the original skin architecture, instead of simply scarring. Chris...
Concrete Defects Could Become Strengths
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
By optimizing the imperfections in concrete, manufacturers could make the material tougher and stronger—allowing builders to use less of it. Christo...
Zika Linked to a Variety of Birth Defects
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Zika virus infection during pregnancy appears to cause a range of birth defects, such as joint, eye and ear abnormalities, in addition to microcephaly...
When Dining for Trillions, Eat Wisely
29 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What you ate in the past can shape the diversity of your gut flora, and affect how well your gut microbes respond to new foods. Christopher Intagliata...
Weakest Piglets May Sneak Help from Strongest Siblings
28 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If a weak piglet positions itself next to a strong sibling while feeding, it may get some extra nutrition from inadvertently stimulated mammary glands...
Isolated Low Temps May Reassure Climate Skeptics
26 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Areas of the country that have experienced record low temperatures since 2005 happen to be home to many global warming deniers. And researchers theori...