Science Quickly

The New Conservationists: Where Do Zoos Fit into the Conservation Puzzle? (Part 1)

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, takes us on a trip to the zoo. People are divided on zoos, but as Papp explains, the thoughtful...

AI-Generated Audio Is Entering the Podcast World

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you were intrigued—or disturbed—by the artificial intelligence podcast on your Spotify Wrapped, you may wonder how AI audio works. Audio Overvi...

Leaded Gasoline, Orca Hats and ‘Disease X’

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An outbreak of an unknown illness has occurred in the Democratic of the Congo, which has already been dealing with the spread of mpox. A new study fin...

Iron Deficiency and Anemia May Be More Common Than We Know

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Low iron levels can cause fatigue and impact mental health, but doctors often miss cases of iron deficiency and anemia. Pediatric hematologist Angela ...

Anthony Fauci Is Worried about Bird Flu—And How Our Divisions Could Help It Hurt Us

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anthony Fauci speaks with Tanya Lewis, senior editor for health and medicine at Scientific American, about his remarkable career, as detailed in his n...

A Psychologist’s Tips for Avoiding Overconsumption This Black Friday

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Black Friday sales have gone from one-day in-person shopping bonanzas to a multiday deals extravaganza. It’s tempting to give in to the seasonal pre...

What RFK, Jr., Could Mean for Public Health, and How Tobacco Use Has Dropped Unevenly

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has nominated RFK, Jr., to run the Department of Health and Human Services, a position that includes oversight of the Centers for Disease...

Using AI to Understand the Thoughts of the Dead

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Writings and records are how we understand long-gone civilizations without being able to interact with ancient peoples. A recent opinion paper suggest...

Unscheduled C-Sections May Depend on the Color of Your Skin

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Disparities in health are not indicated by adverse outcomes alone. Adriana Corredor-Waldron, an assistant professor of economics at NC State Universit...

An Off Day on Uranus, a Wildfire in Prospect Park and Dispatches from COP29

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A wildfire in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Prospect Park was in part linked to drought conditions nationally. Plastic waste is set to grow with our expanding ec...

Reflecting on our First Attempt to Speak with the Stars

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of a transmission from the Arecibo Observatory, intended as our first attempt to send a message to intelligent lif...

Humans Inherited a World That Insects Made

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does the Declaration of Independence have in common with Vincent van Gogh’s sketches? The ink used to produce them came from wasps. From pests ...

Baseball Mud Bath, Water Woes and Wooden Satellites

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A wooden solution to metal satellites polluting space. Water woes create droughts in 48 of the 50 U.S. states—and climate change is of course a culp...

Why Weight May Not Be the Whole Story on Health

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Could our fixation on weight actually be harming, rather than helping, people’s health? Host Rachel Feltman is joined by Ragen Chastain, a writer, r...

Your Zodiac Sign Mattered in Medieval Times

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology, a new exhibit at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, takes a look at medieval manuscripts to sho...

Your 2024 Election Rundown, from Climate Change to Education

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 U.S. presidential candidates have very different visions for the country. On today’s show, host Rachel Feltman is joined by associate susta...

Your 2024 Election Rundown, from Health Care to Nuclear Proliferation

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 U.S. presidential candidates offer very different policy perspectives. On today’s show, host Rachel Feltman is joined by health editors Tan...

Exploring the Science of Spookiness at the Recreational Fear Lab

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why do so many of us love a good scare? Whether it’s horror movies, haunted houses or creepy podcasts, there’s something thrilling about feeling s...

Scurvy, Bird Flu and a Big Old Meteorite

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An enormous meteorite’s impact 3.26 billion years ago may have made conditions on Earth more hospitable for life in the long run. Washington State i...

Spooky Lakes and the Science of Haunted Hydrology

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artist and author Geo Rutherford created Spooky Lake Month to highlight the strange and eerie waters of the world. She first fell in love with the Gre...

What Do Societal Beauty Standards Have to Do with Breast Cancer?

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Host Rachel Feltman is joined by Jasmine McDonald, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, ...

Microbes Are Evolving to Eat Cleaning Supplies, and Whooping Cough Is Making a Comeback

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed we’re in the solar maximum, a period of increased solar activity that co...

What The Next President Will Do about Artificial Intelligence

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a lot of excitement and apprehension over the seemingly sudden proliferation of artificial intelligence in just about everything. Technologi...

The Doctor Will See You, and Stop Judging You, Now

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do you stop implicit bias from getting in the way of better health? This doctor wants to make learning how to manage bias as important as learning...

Your Rundown of the Science Nobels, and Europa Clipper Is Delayed

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Everything you need to know about last week’s physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine Nobels. COVID could raise the risk of heart attacks and...

Is Singing an Evolutionary Accident or a Critical Way to Connect?

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scientific American associate news editor and music enthusiast Allison Parshall takes Science Quickly through what we know about how singing came to b...

The Danger of Hurricane Downpours and the End of ‘Climate Havens’

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hurricanes Beryl, Francine and Helene have battered the Gulf Coast this year. Hurricane Milton is expected to add to the destruction, particularly in ...

Stem Cell Treatments for Diabetes and a Dolphin’s Smile

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hurricane Helene’s death toll continues to rise. Marburg virus is spreading in Rwanda, but risks for a global outbreak are low. Researchers in Beiji...

The Hidden Secrets of Math: Uncharted Territory (Part 3)

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Drag queen and mathematics communicator Kyne Santos tells us the questions that modern mathematicians are grappling with, from infinite tiling to the ...

Your Next Pain Prescription Could Come without Addiction Risk

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review to suzetrigine, a novel painkiller. It’s part of a new class of medications that could ...

Fighting Global Misinformation, Ditching Plastic Bottles, and Hunting with an Octopus

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the United Nations General Assembly, host Rachel Feltman interviews Melissa Fleming, the U.N.’s undersecretary-general for global communication...

The Hidden Secrets of Math: Invented or Discovered? (Part 2)

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Where does math come from? Mathematicians are still debating whether math is an inherent part of nature or an invention of the human mind. Mathematics...

Untangling the Link between Eating Disorders and PCOS

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to five million people in the U.S., yet it remains poorly understood. Many people with PCOS go undiagnosed...

How Pregnancy Changes the Brain, and How Lizards Make DIY Scuba Gear

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s news roundup: Earth might have previously had a giant ring of space rocks like the one around Saturn, “scuba diving” lizards are ...

The Hidden Secrets of Math: Beauty and Power (Part 1)

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mathematics communicator and drag queen Kyne Santos will help you discover the beauty and power of math in this three-part Friday miniseries. Kyne tak...

Why Black Men Should Consider Earlier Screening for Prostate Cancer

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month this September, host Rachel Feltman sits down with Alfred Winkler, chief of urology at NewYork-Presb...

AI Could Help Save Us from Conspiracy Theories, and Massachusetts Could Help Save Us from Our Trash

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week's news roundup: The European Space Agency’s Juice mission tested its instruments with a flyby of Earth in preparation for studying habitab...

This Episode Was Recorded from Space

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman interviewed NASA flight engineer Matthew Dominick live—from space! In this first-ever interview conducted from t...

How 9/11 Transformed Forensic Science

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: This episode contains some details about the 9/11 attacks and victims’ remains. Twenty-three years after the 9/11 terrorist attack...

Jellyfish Clones Swarm British Columbian Lakes, and Measles Cases Surge in Oregon

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s new roundup, a new study finds no clear connection between phone use and brain or head cancers, putting some fears to rest. Meanwhile...

In Sickness and Age: Finding Balance between Caregiving and Self-Care (Part 2)

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As people live longer and family sizes shrink, fewer relatives are available to share the burden of caregiving for aging loved ones. The second episod...

How Racism Might Be Accelerating Aging and Menopause

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discrimination may be speeding up the aging process for people of color and other minoritized groups. Research is revealing that structural and interp...

In Sickness and Age: Changing Family Structures and Caregiving (Part 1)

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this first episode of a two-part miniseries on caregiving, Tanya Lewis, Scientific American’s senior editor of health and medicine, shares her pe...

The Dark Side of Houseplant Collection

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marc Hachadourian, senior curator of orchids and director of glasshouse horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, joins host Rachel Feltman to ex...

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Ascends, Ozempic Is Linked to Depression, and Mpox Cases Spread Rapidly

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NASA’s Perseverance rover cautiously climbs Jezero Crater on Mars in search of new discoveries. We also explore recent revelations about the Red Pla...

Dissecting the Linguistic Patterns of Kamala Harris

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic presidential ticket has literally diverse voices. While Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech is influenced by her Californian origin...

‘Dark Oxygen’ Is Coming from These Ocean Nodules, and We Don’t Know How

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Polymetallic nodules litter a stretch of ocean between Mexico and Hawaii. They contain metals, such as manganese and cobalt, that mining companies wan...

How Our Brains See Faces [Sponsored]

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Doris Tsao is the 2024 recipient of The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience for her research on facial recognition. Her work has provided insights into the co...

James Cameron’s OceanXplorers Embraces Real- Life Science with Cinematic Flare

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

James Cameron is known for his ambitious filmmaking. His newest project is a six-part National Geographic miniseries that goes beneath the waves with ...

Uncovering the Truth about Sexual Pleasure and Prostates with Science Vs’s Wendy Zukerman

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When the hit podcast Science Vs went to find the facts about the “male G-spot,” it was faced with remarkably little research to draw from. So the ...

What Happens when Space Junk Falls on Your Property?

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Debris from satellites, rockets and other space infrastructure are crowding low-Earth orbit. Occasionally, that space junk crashes down to Earth. For ...

Olympic Athletes Swim the Murky Seine, and Astronauts Are (Still) Stuck on the Space Station

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris came to a close on Sunday—and swimmers swam the Seine as promised. The two astronauts sent to the International Sp...

Unusual Archaeology: Investigating Ancient Human Sacrifice (Part 3)

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: This episode focuses in part on the archaeological study of ancient human sacrifice, including incidents involving young children. Wh...

Why Coral Reefs Need You to Listen

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Host Rachel Feltman is joined by conservation bioacoustics researcher Isla Keesje Davidson to explore the vibrant world of coral reefs through an unex...

Cancer Case Rates Are Rising Across Generations and a Private Spacewalk is Delayed

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American Cancer Society published a study suggesting that for 8 or 34 cancers tracked, case rates are rising from one generation to the next. Whil...

Unusual Archaeology: Contemplating the Cosmos (Part 2)

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gazing up at the night sky is a universal human experience, likely as old as our species itself. But how did our ancient ancestors feel about what the...

Sex Testing’s Long History in the Olympics and Other Elite Sports

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sex testing has a long history in sports. As participation in events like the Olympics opened to women, organizers and audiences alike began questioni...

Cocaine Sharks and the Hottest Days on Record (So Far)

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a scorching summer, with record-breaking temperatures last Monday. Rain really is harder to predict, and greenhouse gasses are probably to blam...

Unusual Archaeology: Ancient Chambers and Ocean Tides (Part 1)

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fish trapping is an ancient practice, reaching across the globe from at least as far back as 11,000 years ago. It takes advantage of coastal tides and...

Advanced Meditation Can ‘Reset’ the Brain

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meditation is mostly mainstream, with many people using mindfulness to manage stress. But dedicated practitioners of advanced meditation move beyond m...

Windows Devices Go Down, COVID Rates Go Up, and Tornadoes Touchdown on the Ground and on the Big Screen

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden is far from the only positive as COVID is experiencing a summer surge. Windows malfunction grounds planes and causes outages for banks...

Cleaning Up Paris’s Poop River for the Olympics

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Seine is set to feature prominently in the Paris 2024 Olympics’ Opening Ceremony—and in its marathon swimming events. But this urban waterway ...

Name a Quasi-Moon with Radiolab Host Latif Nasser

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Science journalist and Radiolab host Latif Nasser found himself at the center of a space mystery. A space poster in his child’s room showed Zoozve, ...

The Kavli Prize Presents: Building Materials From The Bottom Up [Sponsored]

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chad Mirkin, recipient of the 2024 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, has spent his career exploring the possibilities of creating and inventing materials at...

Astronauts Can Drink More Recycled Pee Than Ever, and You Can Still Catch the Plague

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, dive into NASA’s groundbreaking Mars habitat simulation and discuss the innovative ​...

On Thin Ice: Contemplating Our Climate Future in Antarctica (Part 4)

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re at the end of the Nathaniel B. Palmer’s Antarctic expedition. The researchers onboard are returning sea ice and thousands of gallons of seaw...

Saving the Last Truly Wild Horse

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Przewalski’s horses are truly wild horses, even the ones held in captivity. They traditionally roamed the Central Asian steppes, so you can imagine ...

A Blast from Our Past and Plans for a Petrochemical-Free Future

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re looking at our reporting—from 100 years ago. In 1924 Scientific American’s pages were bemoaning traffic, waste management and pests. They ...

The Supreme Court Plays Hot Potato with Idaho’s Abortion Restrictions, and NASA Plays It Safe with Starliner

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court dismissed a case about Idaho’s abortion ban, preserving a lower court ruling that allows for emergency access to abortion in the s...

On Thin Ice: Life Onboard an Antarctic Icebreaker (Part 3)

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Life onboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer can be cramped and cold. Chaotic work schedules and changing time zones can be disorienting, and the isolation of...

How to Stay Cool during Record-Breaking Heat Waves

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Summers are getting hotter, with heat waves that last longer and occur more often. That makes it even more important to communicate the risks of heat ...

Your Penis Might Be Full of Microplastics, and The Seine is Definitely Full of Bacteria

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Microplastics are everywhere—and we mean everywhere. These pesky plastic pollutants have been found in penis tissue, testicles, breast milk and bloo...

On Thin Ice: Penguins in Paradise (Part 2)

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s important that researchers get samples of Antarctic sea ice before melting takes the opportunity away. But fieldwork is never straightforward, ...

What Happens if a Nuclear Weapon Goes Off in Space?

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Department of Defense has sounded the alarm on a worrying hypothetical program from Russia aimed at putting a nuclear weapon into orbit. Asso...

‘Flying’ Joro Spiders Are No Big Deal, and Starlink Satellites Are Not So Great for The Ozone Layer

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s news roundup features spiders, space and the Supreme Court. “Flying” Joro spiders are making headlines, but are they really taking o...

On Thin Ice: Supercharged Phytoplankton (Part 1)

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

All aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer, a research vessel making its way through the waters of West Antarctica. Journalist Sofia Moutinho is joining a tea...

What’s Actually In Your Tattoo Ink? No One Really Knows

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly a third of U.S. adults have tattoos, but how many people know what's really in the ink? Despite new regulations, researchers have found many co...

Rock Samples Taken from Far Side of the Moon and a ‘Morning-After Pill’ for STIs

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s news roundup, we present the latest from the skies and the pillbox. The Hubble Space Telescope is limping along, operating with just ...

Do Plants ‘Think’? We Might Not Know Enough about Consciousness to be Certain

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can plants “think?" Do they “talk” to one another? These are questions that scientists are asking—and the answers might surprise you. Zoë Sch...

Snacking on Cicadas Is Nutritious, Sustainable, and—Yes—Delicious

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A “double brood” of cicadas is taking over much of the eastern half of the U.S. They’re loud and abundant. Have you considered–eating them? Ch...

Auroras Are on the Horizon, and Bird Flu Is on the Menu

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s news roundup: Despite widespread concerns, a new study on adolescent smartphone use found that teens report improved moods when using...

Troubled Waters on Cape Cod: Liquid Gold (Part 3)

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cape Cod communities are facing an expensive mandate to clean up their wastewater. Urine diversion or “pee-cycling” could be a cost-effective poll...

The Science Behind Curly Hair [Sponsored]

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Research at the intersection of science and beauty is providing us with a better understanding of hair diversity. This podcast was produced for L’Or...

How to Protect Wildlife without Leaving Home

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you have a large yard or a tiny planter, there are ways to use your outdoor space to protect wildlife. Senior news reporter Meghan Bartels tak...

Troubled Waters on Cape Cod: Sticker Shock (Part 2)

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cape Cod’s famed ponds and bays are suffering from pollution with a curious origin: human urine. Household septic systems are flushing nitrogen into...

The Apocalypse Is Going to Be a Lot Friendlier Than You Think

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Psychologist and cooperation theorist Athena Aktipis shares advice from her new book, A Field Guide to the Apocalypse, on how to survive and thrive in...

AI Is Getting Creepier and Risky Cheese Is Getting Trendier

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's science roundup: drinking raw milk was always risky, but now there are added concerns over the spread of bird flu into dairy cows. An i...

Troubled Waters on Cape Cod: Loved to Death (Part 1)

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of a three-part series, environmental reporter Barbara Moran is on Cape Cod to find out why the crystal clear water there is turn...

A Citrus-Scented Cannabis Compound Reduces Anxiety for Weed Users

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cannabis consumers may be familiar with the paranoia that can come from taking too many gummies or smoking too much weed. New research into cannabis r...

The Internet Is Full of Deepfakes, and the Sky Is Full of Trash

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AI-generated images of Katy Perry at Monday’s Met Gala looked so realistic they even duped her mom. And it just so happens that ChatGPT developer Op...

Introducing Science Quickly’s New Host, Rachel Feltman

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Rachel Feltman, the new host of Science Quickly! Bringing a fresh perspective and infectious enthusiasm, Rachel will take you on audio journeys t...

Can Food Work as Medicine?

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Doctors are starting to prescribe vegetables or entire meals to ward off disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corals Are Once Again Bleaching En Masse, but Their Fate Isn’t Sealed

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amid Earth’s fourth global coral bleaching event, a leading expert says tackling climate change is the key to fighting back. Learn more about your a...

Episode 3: A Long-Awaited Climate Experiment Is Poised to Launch in the Amazon. What Will It Find?

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of a project to spray carbon dioxide into jungle plots, researchers contemplate what its results might signal about the forest’s future. Learn...

Episode 2: A Singular Climate Experiment Takes Shape in the Amazon

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After years of delay, researchers are ready to inject carbon dioxide into jungle plots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 1: Will the Amazon Help Save the Planet?

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Years in the making, a project in the Amazon rain forest is finally set to determine whether a rise in carbon dioxide could save one of the world’s ...

How Big a Threat Is Bird Flu?

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cows and at least one person in the U.S. have been sickened by avian influenza. We asked experts about the risk to humans. Learn more about your ad ch...

How a New AI Model Helps Volcanic History Rise from the Ashes

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Volcano detectives use artificial intelligence to sleuth out ancient secrets in Alaska. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Sperm Whales Have Culture?

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

These marine mammals are very hard to observe, but in the past two decades the roughly 20 or so people in the world who study sperm whales have found ...

Measles Is Back, and That’s Scary

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re going to look at how measles—a disease that was practically eliminated in the U.S.—has resurged in recent months, because people bas...