Science Quickly

Bats Learn to Take White-Nose Punch

23 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In areas where the white-nose syndrome fungus has been around for awhile, little brown bats seem to have found a way to limit the disease damage. Lear...

"Necrobiome" Reveals a Corpse's Time of Death

22 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The microbial ecosystems inhabiting corpses could help forensic scientists determine a person’s time of death, even after almost two months. Christo...

Pregnancy Primes the Brain for Motherhood

19 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Areas of the brain related to social cognition shrink in first-time mothers—a structural change that could boost maternal attachment. Christopher In...

Small Fraction of Pilots Suffer Suicidal Thoughts

16 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In an anonymous online survey, about 4 percent of surveyed pilots admitted to having suicidal thoughts within the last few weeks. Christopher Intaglia...

Migrating Birds Prefer Lakefront Property

14 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Night-flying migratory birds over water turn back to lakeshores at daybreak—meaning crowded shores along the water. Christopher Intagliata reports. ...

Breast-Feeding Benefits Babies with Genetic Asthma Risk

13 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Infants carrying genes that put them at increased risk for asthma had a 27 percent decrease in developing respiratory symptoms while being breast-fed....

Self-Driving Cars Probably Won't Boost Commuter Productivity

12 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Sixty-two percent of survey respondents said self-driving cars would not make them more productive. Another 36 percent said they’d be too concerned ...

New Insecticide Makes Mosquitoes Pop

08 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The substance prevents mosquitoes taking a blood meal from producing waste—causing them to swell up, and sometimes even explode. Christopher Intagli...

Commuting Patterns Help Forecast Flu Outbreaks

06 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Flu forecasts within large metro areas like New York City might be improved by adding in data about the flow of commuters. Christopher Intagliata repo...

Stopping Splashes with Smarter Surfaces

05 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding the physics of how a liquid splashes when it hits a surface is allowing researchers to design new surfaces that limit splashing   Learn...

Dogs Teach Bomb-Sniffing Machines New Tricks

02 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A dog’s sniff pulls a plume of fresh scents toward them, which fluid dynamicists say is a technique that could make for better bomb detectors. Chris...

"Power Poses" Don't Stand Up

01 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A 2010 study claimed that striking certain poses could alter hormone levels and risk-taking behavior. But subsequent studies can’t replicate that fi...

Toll-Free Number Stems Human–Wildlife Conflicts

30 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

India's Project Wild Seve allows people who have suffered crop or livestock loss from wild animals to streamline the compensation process, thus helpin...

We Now Live in the Unnatural World

28 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

David Biello's new book is The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth’s Newest Age.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...

High-Fiber Diet Keeps Intestinal Walls Intact

23 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A low-fiber diet causes fiber-eating microbes to dwindle, opening up real estate for mucus munchers that make the intestine more vulnerable to infecti...

Forest Die-Offs Alter Global Climate "Like El Nino"

22 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The loss of forests worldwide appears to interact synergistically to produce unpredictable effects on the global climate. Christopher Intagliata repor...

DNA Samples Find a Lot of Fish in the Sea

18 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The DNA in seawater can reveal the diversity and abundance of fish species living in ocean waters. Christopher Intagliata reports.  Learn more about ...

Police Body Cameras Appear to Moderate Interactions with Civilians

17 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A study of seven jurisdictions found that when cops wear body cameras, complaints against them by civilians fall precipitously.   Learn more about ...

NIH Director Looks at Presidential Transition

16 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins talks about the future of the NIH in light of the election.   Learn more about your ad choic...

Ebola Virus Grew More Infectious in the Latest Epidemic

14 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A strain that emerged during the latest epidemic is able to enter human cells more easily—which means it’s more infectious, too. Christopher Intag...

Orangutan Picks Cocktail by Seeing Ingredients

09 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

An orangutan matched researchers' predictions about which mixed beverage he would choose based on his relative fondness for the separate ingredients. ...

Small-Brained Birds More Likely to Get Shot

07 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Using taxidermy data, biologists determined that gun-killed birds have smaller brains than birds that died in other ways. Christopher Intagliata repor...

Online Sociality Linked to Lower Death Risk

05 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook users in California had slightly better health outcomes than nonusers, even after controlling for other factors. Christopher Intagliata repor...

Bookish Mobsters Made Better Bookies

29 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Just as with honest jobs, mobsters with a more advanced education made more money than their less educated counterparts. Erika Beras reports. Learn m...

For River Otters, Social Life Is Shaped by the Latrine

27 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Alaskan river otters can gain valuable information about one another by sniffing around their latrines. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about you...

Falcons Patrol Fruit Fields for Pesky Invasive Birds

26 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Birds of prey work where other traditional methods of bird abatement—like scarecrows, pyrotechnics and netting—fail. Emily Schwing reports. Learn ...

Clark Kent's Glasses Aided His Anonymity

24 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Slightly altering one’s appearance—even with glasses—can indeed hinder facial recognition by others. Erika Beras reports. Learn more about your ...

Poor Sleepers Worse at Recognizing Unfamiliar Faces

19 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Subjects suffering insomnia got more wrong answers in a face-matching task—but they were paradoxically more confident of their responses. Christophe...

Yawns Help the Brain Keep Its Cool

18 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Theory has it yawning helps cool the brain—and it turns out animals with bigger brains do indeed tend to yawn longer. Christopher Intagliata reports...

Polar Bears Can't Just Switch to Terrestrial Food

14 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

With a shorter season of sea ice, polar bears have less access to marine mammals. But switching to a terrestrial diet deprives them of the fatty seal ...

Flowers Deceive Flies with Chemical Cocktail

13 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The parachute flower smells like alarm pheromones of a honeybee, to attract tiny flies that feed on bees under attack. Learn more about your ad choice...

Feed Microbes Oxygen to Help Clear Spilled Oil

12 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A technique called “biosparging” relies on pumping oxygen underground to help naturally occurring microorganisms multiply and consume oil spills. ...

Elephant Footprints Become Tiny Critter Havens

11 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When rain fills the massive footprints left by elephants, communities of aquatic invertebrates quickly move in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Future Wet Suits Otter Be Warmer

10 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Future wet suits with surface textures like the thick fur of otters that trap insulating air layers could keep tomorrow's divers warmer in icy waters....

Gender Influences Recommendations for Science Jobs

06 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with th...

Nobel in Chemistry for Molecular Machines

05 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Jean-Pierre Sauvage, James Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa share the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the design and synthesis of molecular ma...

Nobel in Physics for Secrets of Exotic Matter

04 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

David J. Thouless, F. Duncan Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz split the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics for theoretical discoveries of topological phase ...

Nobel in Physiology or Medicine to Yoshinori Ohsumi for Autophagy Discoveries

03 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Japan's Yoshinori Ohsumi wins the 2016 prize for discoveries related to autophagy, the process in cells whereby they degrade some of their internal st...

Great Migration Left Genetic Legacy

02 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Reseachers have started to examine the genetic traces of the movement of some six million African-Americans from the south to the north and west betwe...

Arctic Pollinator Faces Uncertain Future

01 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A housefly relative appears to be key to the reproductive success of a hardy tundra shrub. But the insect is threatened by the warming climate. Christ...

Water Bears' Super Survival Skills Give Up Secrets

28 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A protein from microscopic creatures called tardigrades keeps their DNA protected—and could someday shield humans from radiation.   Learn more ab...

Big Earthquakes May Be More Likely During New and Full Moons

27 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When the sun, moon and Earth are aligned, high tidal stress may increase the chances that an earthquake will grow bigger than it otherwise might have ...

Clever Ants Have Backup Navigation Systems

22 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

An ant walking in the desert can gauge distance by footsteps and the sun's position, but an ant being carried can estimate distance by visual informat...

Ancient Biblical Scroll Gets Read While Wrapped

21 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers used high-tech visualization techniques to peer inside an ancient scroll too fragile to unwrap.   Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Birch Trees Droop at Night with No Rays in Sight

20 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The branches of birch trees in Europe sagged by as much as four inches at night compared with daytime.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Some Malaria Mosquitoes May Prefer Cows to Us

19 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A chromosomal rearrangement may cause one mosquito species to be lured to cows instead of humans for a blood meal. Christopher Intagliata reports. Lea...

Drunk People Feel Soberer around Heavy Drinkers

15 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Drinkers surrounded by even more inebriated people feel less drunk than a breathalyzer test indicates they actually are. Christopher Intagliata report...

Oldest Known Indigo Dye Found in Peru

14 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Fabric dyed with indigo just found in Peru is some 1,600 years older than indigo-dyed fabrics that have been found in the Middle East.   Learn more...

Road Noise Makes Birds' Lives Tougher

13 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

By playing road noise where there was no road, researchers were able to gauge the effect of the noise on bird behavior without having to deal with the...

World Wilderness Down 10 Percent in 20 Years

12 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

South America and central Africa lost the most wilderness in a decline since the 1990s that saw the planet's wild areas down by a tenth   Learn mor...

Photonic Chip Could Strengthen Smartphone Encryption

08 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The chip uses pulses of laser light to generate truly random numbers, the basis of encryption. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your a...

Protein Test Could Complement Crime Scene DNA Analysis

07 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers determined that the variation of a couple hundred proteins in a person's hair could be enough to single her out from one million individua...

Shark Fins Contain Toxic "One–Two Punch"

02 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Sharks can accumulate both methylmercury and a toxin called BMAA, which can have synergistic effects on human consumers. Christopher Intagliata report...

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Actually Promotes It

31 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Teenage girls who cared for infant dolls, an intervention meant to prevent pregnancy, actually had a higher risk of getting pregnant by age 20. Christ...

Color-Changing Skin Aids Climate Control and Communication

29 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Bearded dragons modify their colors for camouflage or to maintain body temperature, or to communicate with other dragons. Jason G. Goldman reports. Le...

Waste Amphetamines Alter Underwater Ecosystems

25 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Using an artificial stream system, researchers found that amphetamine residues altered insect and microbial life in aquatic ecosystems. Christopher In...

A Green Solution to Improve Indoor Air Quality

24 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In 12 hours Dracaena plants removed nearly all the acetone from an airtight chamber, suggesting they might be put to use as air filters in nail salons...

Humans Are Superpredators in the Landscape of Fear

23 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Badgers were far more frightened by the sounds of humans than by their traditional predators, such as bears or wolves.   Learn more about your ad cho...

Voters Are Seldom Swayed by Local Campaign Stops

19 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A survey during the 2012 election found that bus tours and visits to greasy spoons didn't do much to change voter opinions. Christopher Intagliata rep...

Ancient Mexican Metropolis Engaged in Hare-Raising Activity

18 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Upending the belief that residents of ancient Central America did not practice animal husbandry, new evidence shows that people in Teotihuacán raised...

Model Black Hole Re-Creates Stephen Hawking Prediction

17 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A black hole analogue, which traps sound instead of light, generates "Hawking radiation," a key prediction by the theoretical physicist. Christopher I...

Pigeon Pb Proxies Could Cut Kids' Blood Tests

15 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In neighborhoods where kids have an increased chance of exposure to toxic lead, pigeons also have higher blood lead levels—making the birds potentia...

Remote Door Controls Are Car Security Flaw

12 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers found that a bad actor could cheaply and easily clone a remote keyless entry system to gain entry. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn m...

This Shark Is the Vertebrate Methuselah

11 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Individual Greenland sharks appear to live perhaps a century longer than any other vertebrate, and might have life spans approaching 500 years.    ...

Humans and Birds Cooperate to Share Beehive Bounty

08 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The Yao people of Mozambique vocally signal honeyguide birds to show them the location of hives, which the people harvest and share with the birds.  ...

Pesticides Act as Honeybee Contraceptives

04 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental concentrations of certain insecticides slashed honeybee drones' living sperm counts. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about yo...

Cut Road Deaths with Mountain Lions

01 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Reintroducing mountain lions to the eastern U.S. could save human lives and reduce injuries by lowering deer populations and preventing car–deer col...

Silk Road Transported Goods--and Disease

29 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A 2,000-year-old latrine in China provides the first hard evidence that people carried diseases long distances along the ancient trading route.   L...

Inbred Songbirds Croon out of Tune

28 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Inbred canaries sang songs with less pure tones, and at slightly different pitches, than their outbred cousins—and female canaries seemed to be able...

Great Red Spot Helps Explain Jupiter's Warm Upper Atmosphere

27 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A thermal spike linked to the solar system’s largest storm explains weather on gas-giant planets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...

Beaver Dams Strengthened by Humans Help Fish Rebound

25 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Fish flourished in creeks in which human engineers helped shore up beaver dams made weak by poor timber availability.   Learn more about your ad ch...

Frigate Bird Flights Last Months

23 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Great frigate birds may stay aloft for up to two months, eating and sleeping on the wing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

For Lichens, 3's Not a Crowd

21 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Biologists have identified a third species—a yeast—in some lichens, shaking up what's always been known as a two-party system. Christopher Intagli...

Chicken Scent Deters Malaria Mosquitoes

20 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The smell of a chicken wards off one species of malaria-spreading mosquito—meaning the scent compounds, or the birds themselves, might help deter di...

Vaccinate Prairie Dogs to Save Ferrets

19 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As was widely reported on social media, the U.S. is indeed going to use aerial drones to spread vaccine-laced pellets among prairie dogs to save endan...

Fuel-Efficient Engines Have a Sooty Flaw

16 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A newer type of fuel injection offers better fuel economy, but paradoxically increases black carbon emissions—meaning a pollution trade-off. Christo...

Mucus Lets Dolphins Emit Their Clicks

14 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A model of the dolphin vocal apparatus shows that they need a coating of mucus to produce their distinctive sounds.   Learn more about your ad choi...

Bees Rank Pollen by Taste

13 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The discerning insects returned to flowers with sweetened pollen, but avoided revisiting flowers with bitter pollen. Christopher Intagliata reports. L...

Menu Featured Mammoth but Diners Were Mocked

12 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A genetic analysis of leftovers from an exotic dinner in 1951 reveals that the diners got less than they were promised.   Learn more about your ad ...

Evolution Ed Defenders Make Rapids Progress in Grand Canyon

11 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The National Center for Science Education's annual Colorado River trip through the Grand Canyon highlights the differences between the scientific and ...

Wildlife Can Bear with Hunters and Hikers

08 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A new study suggests the best predictor of wildlife abundance in public lands is not human activity, but factors like forest connectivity and nearby h...

Cats' Cunning Extends beyond the Hunt

07 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

New research suggests that our feline companions understand the principle of cause and effect. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad ch...

Farmed Trout Bred to Fatten Up Fast

06 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

An aquaculturist used selective breeding to create strains of farmed fish that fatten up fast on cheap, plentiful feeds such as soybeans and corn. Emi...

This Algorithm Can Predict Relationship Trouble

05 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

By analyzing the vocal patterns of couples in therapy, an algorithm was able to predict whether a relationship would get worse or improve. Erika Beras...

Is Mars Missing a Moon?

04 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A new theory suggests the Red Planet once had a spectacular lunar system. Lee Billings reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

Human Ears Can Hear Better-Than-CD Quality (Just Barely)

01 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners can tell the difference between CD-quality music and better-than-CD quality—but only if they train their ears first. Christopher Intagliat...

Highway Sounds Might Mask Life-Saving Birdcalls

30 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The call of the tufted titmouse conveys important information about the presence of potential predators. But only if other birds can hear it. Karen Ho...

City Lights Trick Trees into an Earlier Spring

29 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Urban light pollution in the U.K. is pushing tree springtime behavior a full week earlier than usual. Christopher Intagliata reports.  Learn more abo...

Made Ya Look, Monkey

28 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Over their lifetimes, macaques follow the same trajectory as humans in the amount of interest they have in observing what another individual is lookin...

Drowsy Driving Kills 6,400 Americans Annually

27 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Charles Czeisler, director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, talked about the dangers of drowsy driving at a recent Harvard...

Social Spider Groups Need Bold and Shy Members

24 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Social spiders in artificially assembled groups of all bold or all shy members fared less well against predators than a group with some shy and some b...

Chocolate Makers Cut Fat with Electricity

23 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Reducing fat from chocolate can gum up manufacturing equipment, making low-fat chocolate hard to produce—but an electric field can help. Christopher...

Viruses Hijack the Body's Response to Mosquito Bites

22 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When immune cells rush to the site of a mosquito bite, viruses hijack the cells and turn them into viral factories—in mice, at least. Christopher In...

Mongooses Pile on Warthogs--to Groom Them

21 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In the first known example of a mutualistic relationship between two mammal species in which neither is a primate, mongooses feast on ticks and other ...

Lizard Stripes May Mess Up Predators' Timing

20 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A lizard's stripes may make them look like they’re moving slower than they really are, confusing predators that tend to aim at the head but may wind...

Air Pollution Gives Storm Clouds a Stronger, Longer Life

19 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

More particulate matter in the air can build stronger, longer-lasting thunderstorms over the tropics, leading to more extreme storms. Christopher Inta...

Microbes May Contribute to Wine's "Character"

16 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The microbes found in crushed grapes were linked to certain chemical fingerprints in the finished wine. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more abo...

Fat Gets Gut Bacteria Working against the Waistline

15 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In mice, intestinal microbes respond to a high-fat diet by producing acetate, which triggers the release of a hormone that makes mammals feel hungry, ...

Arctic Researcher Bears Up for Science

13 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Wildlife researcher Joel Berger dons a polar bear outfit to study the reactions of musk oxen to the threat of bears increasingly driven onto the land ...

Submerged Lost City Really Bacterially Built

11 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What looked like human-made structures underwater off Greece turned out to be millions-of-years-old concretions deposited by bacteria.   Learn more...