Science Quickly
Episodes
Alien Intelligence Search Gets Major New Push
20 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Entrepreneur and former physicist Yuri Milner talks about the just-announced $100-million Breakthrough Listen Project to search for extraterrestrial t...
Plankton Blooms Fuel Cloud Droplet Formation
17 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Southern Ocean is the cloudiest place on Earth, a condition caused in part by phytoplankton particles kicked up by sea spray. Christopher Intaglia...
Male Black Widows Strive for Mate's Monogamy
16 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
During courtship, male black widow spiders snip and bundle up the female's web in their own silk, which discourages other suitors from stopping by. Ch...
Active Duty Army Suicide Attempts Analyzed
15 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers gathered data from various Army databases to analyze nearly 10,000 attempted suicides of active duty personnel. Cynthia Graber reports ...
Rain and Irrigation Can Make Crops Temporary Bacteria Farms
14 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers suggest farmers should consider harvesting when fields are dry, to prevent dangerous bacteria blooms from contaminating food. Christopher ...
Hitchhiking Worms Survive Slug Guts Transport
13 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Nematode worms hitch rides inside the guts of slugs and other invertebrates, and emerge alive and well after exiting with the rest of the digestive tr...
Roman Builders May Have Copied Volcanic "Concrete"
09 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The rock of the Campi Flegrei Caldera, west of Naples, Italy, has an intricate network of mineral fibers—just like the famed Roman concrete. Christo...
Dark Matter Dominates Just-Discovered Galaxies
08 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Astronomers have discovered more than 800 so-called "ultradiffuse galaxies" that are virtually invisible because they have relatively few stars and ar...
Best Male Nightingale Vocalists Make Best Fathers
06 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Male nightingales use singing virtuosity to signal prospective mates that they will be the most doting dads. Sabrina Imbler reports Learn more abou...
Improved Solar Storm Tracking Lengthens Prep Time for Tech Disruption
02 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We currently have a maximum of about 60 minutes to prepare for tech disruptions on Earth due to coronal mass ejections from the sun, but an improved f...
Marijuana Muddies Memory and Mixes with Alcohol to Make Trouble
01 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
People who smoke pot and drink are twice as likely to do both at the same time than to do just one, with the combo associated with bad decision-making...
Bird Literally Weighs Its Food Options
30 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mexican Jays compare peanuts to determine which one has the most meat inside before choosing one for a meal. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about ...
Noses Agree When Genes See Eye to Eye
29 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We all perceive smells differently—and two people’s preferences may give clues to their degree of genetic similarity. Christopher Intagliata repor...
Smartphone Battery Drains a Lot Even with Dark Screen
25 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Background app updates, cell tower pings and other hidden activity accounts for almost half the battery drain on Android phones. Christopher Intagliat...
Alaska Surface Glacier Melting Means More Glug Glug Glug
24 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The vast majority of ice loss in Alaska glaciers comes from those that sit completely on land—which contributes meltwater to sea level rise. Julia R...
Programmed Bacteria Can Detect Tumors
23 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sangeeta Bhatia of M.I.T. talks about efforts to get bacteria to home in on tumors and let us know they're there. Cynthia Graber reports Learn mo...
Extreme Exercise Can Poison the Blood
22 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Even four hours of intense activity may be enough to let bacteria escape from the gut into the blood, setting off a chain of inflammation. Christopher...
Einstein–Bohr Friendship Recounted by Bohr's Grandson
19 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On June 3, 2015, Vilhelm Bohr talked about his famous grandfather's life, including the relationship with Einstein, at the Perimeter Institute for The...
Comet Dust Kicks Up Clouds over the Moon
17 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The same particles that streak through Earth's atmosphere as "shooting stars" kick up lunar dust when they strike the surface of the atmosphere-less m...
Rare Multitasking Plus: Brain-Teasers Enhance Workout
16 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Test subjects rode stationary bikes 25 percent faster when they simultaneously tackled some relatively easy cognitive challegnes. Karen Hopkin reports...
Ant Smells Like Blue Cheese for a Reason
15 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The "odorous house ant" smells like blue cheese or rotten coconut because it produces chemical compounds similar to those found in its nose-sakes. Cyn...
Mars Surface Glass Could Hold Ancient Fossils
12 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists have found ancient "impact glass" on the surface of Mars, which formed when asteroids struck, a billion or more years ago. If anything was ...
Is Lying a Good Strategy?
11 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A new documentary film presents the science behind when and why people lie. Daisy Yuhas reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
Wild Chimps Seen Drinking Alcoholic Beverage
09 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In west Africa researchers observed wild chimps seek out and drink fermented tree sap left outside by humans. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about...
Color You Remember Seeing Isn't What You Saw
09 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
People tend to remember a color they saw, for example green-blue teal, as being closer to a more stereotypical variant, such as straight blue or green...
Ancient Human Migration Route Marked by Snail Shell "Bread Crumbs"
06 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Fragments of edible marine snail shells found in Lebanon support the idea that ancient humans went from Africa to Europe through the Levant. Cynthia G...
"Brainprints" Could Be Future Security ID
05 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We all emit slightly different brain waves in response to stimuli, and researchers say that an individual’s specific "brainprints" could be used to ...
Frenzy-Feeding Black Hole Makes Galaxy Most Luminous
04 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A galaxy 12.5 billion light-years away gives off the light of 300 trillion suns, because its feeding black hole produces enough heat to set the whole ...
Vaccine Aims at Fly Host of Disease Parasite
03 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
An experimental leishmaniasis vaccine relies on eliciting an immune response to a protein from the saliva of the sand fly that carries the leishmania ...
Chimps Would "Cook" Food If They Could
02 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A new study suggests that chimps have the cognitive skills necessary for cooking—such as patience—even if they don't control fire. Christopher Int...
High Heels Heighten Health Hazard
01 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Emergency room visits due to high heel shoe–related injuries doubled between 2002 and 2012. Erika Beras reports Learn more about your ad choice...
Parrotfish Build Islands with Their Poop
31 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Parrotfish munching on algae ingest coral and then eliminate the rocky substrate, creating island-building grade sediment in places like the Maldives....
Blood Pressure Vaccine Lengthens Rat Lives
29 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A DNA-based vaccine gave rats six months of protection against high blood pressure as well as healthier hearts. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn m...
CSI: Middle Pleistocene
28 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Skull fragments dating back 430,000 years appear to be those of the world's first known murder victim, based on the damage observed. Dina Maron report...
Mummy Mavens Unwrap Preservation Methods
27 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In 1994 researchers made a mummy. Now scientists have reverse engineered the process to figure out how it's done, with the mummy makers still around t...
Smart Cane Could Help Blind ID Faces
26 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
High-tech sticks could help visually impaired people spot obstacles and even identify acquaintances as they approach. Larry Greenemeier reports L...
Dolphin Deaths Linked to 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Unusual adrenal and lung conditions seen in dead dolphins in the months after the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill point to the oil as the cause. Stev...
Octopus Skin Senses Light, No Eyes or Brain Needed
20 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The skin of a California octopus species has a molecular light-sensing mechanism that allows it to change color to match its surroundings with no inpu...
First Woman MLBer Will Probably Pitch
19 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Contemporary women's baseball chronicler Jennifer Ring says the fastest women pitchers currently hit speeds in the 80s (mph) and it keeps going up. St...
Seashell Shapes Show Strength for Safety
15 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Analysis of clamshell and screw-shaped shells reveals the structures withstand much greater forces than would a simple sphere or cylinder. Cynthia Gra...
In the Future Robopets Won't Be Far-Fetched
14 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
An animal behaviorist ponders a future where some Spots are robots. Larry Greenemeier reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...
Crop Rotation Works in the Sea, Too
13 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Models show that leaving sea cucumbers unharvested in some underwater zones for two years at a time stabilizes the overall population and actually inc...
Food for Sale Everywhere Fuels Obesity Epidemic
12 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research blames 40 percent of the rise in obesity on the ubiquity of supercenters, warehouse clubs and re...
Netflix CEO Peers at Crystal Ball to See TV's Future
11 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, gave his view of the next couple of decades in the evolution of TV-watching at the re:publica 15 digital culture confer...
May 9 Is Big Day for the Birds
08 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Chris Wood explains the May 9 Global Big Day event, in which birders worldwide are invited to spot birds and upload their...
Mars Travelers Could Suffer Radiation Brain Damage
07 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mice exposed to radiation akin to what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment. Lee Billings reports Learn more about your a...
Wheat Genes Could Bring Back Chestnut
06 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists have introduced genes into the American chestnut from wheat that help disarm the fungus that killed almost all three billion of the trees i...
Pop Music Gets Its Fossil Record Analyzed
05 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
An investigation of more than 17,000 hit tunes suggests popular music undergoes periods of shifting diversity, and that new styles evolve in bursts. C...
Space Supervoid Sucks Energy from Light
04 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A vast region of space colder than expected is also largely devoid of galaxies, and the two observations are no coincidence. Clara Moskowitz reports ...
Latex Lining Could Quiet Plane Rides
01 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Engineers devised a latex-laced honeycomb material that could make an airplane cabin sound more like a quiet living room. Christopher Intagliata repor...
Parkinson's Pen Vibrates to Improve Legibility
30 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Device stimulates hand muscles to counteract writing issues experienced by some people with Parkinson’s. Larry Greenemeier reports Learn more about ...
Infants Already Glued to Multiple Screens
29 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A new survey suggests that most kids by age two are using tablets and smartphones, sometimes while watching TV. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn m...
Old Cats Can Get Seizures from Sound
28 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Feline audiogenic reflex seizures, or FARS, was discovered after a few cat owners reported the issue to an advocacy group Learn more about your ad ...
Musical Performance Activates Specific Genes
27 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Blood tests on 10 professional musicians before and after playing showed that specific genes got turned on by performance, some of which are also acti...
Shipwreck Champagne Reveals Old Wine Secrets
24 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Analysis of 168 bottles of bubbly that sat at the sea bottom for 170 years shows how the old-timers tweaked their champagne taste. Cynthia Graber repo...
Small Screen Looks at an Electrified America
22 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Scientific American's David Biello hosts a new episode of the TV series Beyond the Light Switch, focusing on the means to and effects of a more electr...
Taste Salty with Less Salt
20 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Making salamis and cheeses with more pores might make them taste just as salty but with less added sodium finding its way into the body. Christopher I...
Granular Materials Could Thwart Missiles
16 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The harder a projectile hits a granular substance like sand, the more that material acts like a solid, effectively repelling the intruder. Christopher...
A Few Hundred Smartphones Could Catch Earthquakes Early
15 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to their GPS systems, smartphones in an array could pick up movements indicating the onset of an earthquake and provide extra seconds of early ...
Martian Glaciers Equal Meter-Thick Planetary Ice Shell
13 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Radar measurements and models of Earthly glacial ice flows led researchers to conclude that the glaciers spotted on Mars from orbiters contain nearly ...
Nobelist Talks about Exercise and Chromosome Integrity
09 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In a Google Hangout Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn and Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina discuss the relationship between e...
Typing Style Reveals Fatigue or Disease
08 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
How a person types can reveal the state of their brain, according to a study that tracked keystrokes when the typist was alert or groggy. Cynthia Grab...
App Provides Pocket Time Capsule
07 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
New app called Pivot will let gadget users see old and new images of sites as they walk past. Larry Greenemeier reports Learn more about your ad choic...
Online Breast Milk Buyers May Get Cowed
06 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
An analysis of human breast milk bought online reveals that some 10 percent of the samples contained cow’s milk. Dina Fine Maron reports Learn more ...
B.O. Gives Up Its Stinky Secrets
03 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Staphylococcus hominis is a key perpetrator of body odor—and researchers say selectively interfering with it could make for more effective deodorant...
Outdoor Exercise Worth Some Air Pollution Risk
02 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A Danish study of more than 50,000 adults suggests that exercise lowers risk of death—even if you work out amidst urban air pollution. Christopher I...
Diabetics Benefit by Biggest Meal Early
01 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A small study finds that diabetics who ate a big breakfast and small dinner had better glucose control than those who ate the opposite. Steve Mirsky r...
Donate Your Health Data to Medical Science
30 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
You can now share your genome, health and microbiome info, and viral infection data to crowdsourced medical research projects. Cynthia Graber reports ...
African-American Longevity Suffered after Great Migration
26 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The six million black people who left the South between 1910 and 1970 had better economic opportunity but a lower chance or reaching their 70s. Erika ...
Enceladus Might Be a Methane Hotspot
25 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft spotted a surprising amount of methane erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, suggesting it harbors more methane than we...
Malaria Parasite Attracts Mosquitoes with Perfume
24 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Plasmodium parasite uses an altered type of plant chloroplast to manufacture pine-and-lemon-scented chemicals, which lure in the bloodsuckers. Chr...
See Movement Better by Bicarb
23 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Bicarbonate, the chemical that transports CO2 through the blood, increases the "refresh rate" of rod cells in lab tests--which could mean better motio...
Teotihuacán's Social Tensions Contributed to Its Fall
20 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The decline and abandonment of the Mexican metropolis may have been hastened by infighting among different cultural and socioeconomic groups. Cynthia ...
Music’s Physiological Effects Transcend Culture
19 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
People in the Congo rainforests or in Montreal tended to react to the same piece of music in strikingly similar ways. Andrea Alfano reports Learn more...
That's What Ya Call a 4-Star Planet
19 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Astronomers report the discovery of only the second quadruple-star system known to host at least one planet. But they suspect there are a lot more suc...
Smoke Makes Twisters More Likely to Strike
18 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Smoke wafting north from the Gulf of Mexico worsened the already stormy weather brewing across the southeastern U.S. on April 27, 2011. Julia Rosen re...
La Niña Conditions Spin Up More Springtime Twisters
18 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Severe weather forecasters could incorporate El Niño and La Niña cycling to make springtime tornado and hail forecasts. Christopher Intagliata repor...
Human Remains Double Known Rainforest Occupation Time
17 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Physical remains in Sri Lanka show that people lived in rainforests 20,000 years ago, at least 10,000 years earlier than previous evidence showed. Cyn...
Crowd-Sourced Medical Research Gets Apple Assist
16 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What’s called ResearchKit enables scientists to more easily write mobile apps that take advantage of iPhone sensors to study asthma, Parkinson’s a...
<i>Big Bang</i> Sitcom Stars <i>Scientific American</i> Tonight
12 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On the March 12 episode of The Big Bang Theory, a mock copy of Scientific American becomes a key part of the plot. The sitcom's science advisor, U.C.L...
Background Music Jams Memory in Older Adults
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
People of all ages find background sound distracting, but noise appears to impede memory formation in older people. Erika Beras reports Learn more abo...
Some European Languages Came by Steppe
10 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A new genetic analysis reveals a massive migration from the central Asian grasslands into Europe 4,500 years ago—implying that some languages follow...
Animals Can Be Given False Memories
09 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Two studies, one with bees and one with mice, show that the brain can be manipulated into having a memory of an occurrence that did not in reality hap...
Whale Grandmas' Longevity Linked to Knowledge
05 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Whale females, like humans, live well past menopause, a trait possibly selected for because their knowledge base can help their entire clan survive. D...
Salty Skin Boosts Mouse Wound Healing
04 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mice fed a diet high in sodium had increased immune cell activity in their skin that helped ward off infection. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about ...
Titan Could Host Life "Not As We Know It"
03 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Saturn's moon Titan is too cold for cell membranes to form as they do on Earth. But researchers have come up with a cell membrane that could exist on ...
Climate Skeptic Senator Burned after Snowball Stunt
02 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe carried a snowball onto the Senate floor to insinuate that climate change was not real, after which Rhode Island Sen. Sheld...
Air Force Space Command General on Keeping Space Collision-Free
27 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Gen. John Hyten, Commander, U.S. Air Force Space Command, talks about the task of tracking all the materials in orbit and keeping them from crashing i...
Britain Imported Wheat 2,000 Years before Growing It
26 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sediments at a Britsh archaeological site include wheat remains dating back 8,000 years, meaning that Britons were bringing in European wheat two mill...
Fishes' Lateral Lines Sense Pressure and Predators
25 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Flow sensors on the bodies of many fishes act like a hydrodynamic antenna, picking up signals about the flow of water around them. Gretchen Cuda Kroen...
Science Wins at the Oscars
23 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Science was in the spotlight at the 87th annual Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night, from actors playing scientists to winners thanking them. Steve M...
Beaver Teeth Have Iron Advantage
23 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Beaver enamel is rich in iron—which is even more effective than fluoride at staving off cavities. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about yo...
Nectar Helps Bees’ Medicine Go Down
20 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In addition to fuel, nectar from various plant species contains chemical compounds that reduce the numbers of a common gut parasite in bumblebees. Chr...
Pot Munchies Explained By Re-Tasked Neurons
19 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Marijuana boosts users' appetities by changing the signals brain cells produce from sated to still hungry. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more ...
Hot Chili Peppers Motivate Mice to Burn Fat
17 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Rodents fed capsaicin voluntarily exercised more than their furry friends on a lower-heat diet. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices....
Humans off the Hook for Alaskan Mastodon Extinction
16 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A reexamination of museum mastodon specimens provides evidence that that last ones were gone from what's called the Beringia region well before any hu...
Triskaidekaphobia Plays Role in Paraskevidekatriaphobia
13 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Some random historical facts about the number 13 may be behind some people's irrational aversion to Friday the 13th. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn mor...
Contraception Could Prevent 15 Million Unwanted Pregnancies Annually
12 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Fifteen million unwanted pregnancies in 35 low- and middle-income countries could be avoided if women had access to and freedom to use contraception. ...
Preindustrial Pollution Pestered Peru
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ice cores show a sudden rise in heavy metal air pollution in South America 240 years before the industrial revolution, probably due to metallurgy and ...
Subway DNA Survey Finds Microbes, Mozzarella and Mystery
10 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists sequenced genetic material found in all 468 New York City subway stations, and nearly half matched no known organism. Christopher Intagliat...