Science Quickly - podcast cover

Science Quickly

Scientific Americanwww.sciencequickly.com
Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.

Episodes

Fight-or-Flight Nerves Make Mice Go Gray

A new study in mice concludes stress can cause gray hair—and credits overactive nerves with the change in hue. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 15, 20204 min

Espresso May Be Better when Ground Coarser

A very fine grind can actually hamper espresso brewing, because particles may clump more than larger particles will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 13, 20205 min

Feral Dogs Respond to Human Hand Cues

Most feral dogs that did not run away from humans were able to respond to hand cues about the location of food—even without training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 20204 min

Neandertals Tooled Around with Clams

Neandertals ate clams and then modified the hard shells into tools for cutting and scraping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 07, 20204 min

Fingering Fake Whiskeys with Isotopes

Whiskeys claimed to be from the 19th century are revealed to be made with much more recently grown barley, thanks to the unique isotopic fingerprint of the nuclear-testing era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 06, 20204 min

Having an Albatross around Your Boat

By outfitting 169 albatrosses with GPS data loggers, scientists were able to track fishing boats apparently trying to hide their location. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 05, 20203 min

Science News Briefs from All Over

Here are a few brief reports about international science and technology from around the world, including one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo about a toad that has evolved coloring that makes it look like a deadly snake’s head. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 03, 20203 min

Did Animal Calls Start in the Dark?

One hypothesis says the ability to vocalize arose in nocturnal animals—and a new evolutionary analysis suggests there may be some truth to it. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 01, 20203 min

Sign Languages Display Distinct Ancestries

Well more than 100 distinct sign languages exist worldwide, with each having features that made it possible for researchers to create an evolutionary tree of their lineages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 30, 20204 min

Docs Given Updated Opioid Prescribing Habit

Researchers dialed down the default number of opioids in two hospitals’ prescription systems—and doctors ended up prescribing fewer pills. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 26, 20203 min

Some Wolf Pups Show Innate Fetching Talent

Some wolf pups will play fetch with a stranger, suggesting that an ability to playfully interact with people could have come before, and played a role in, dog domestication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 25, 20203 min

Barred Owls Invade the Sierra Nevada

By listening to the sounds of the forest, biologists were able to identify an invasion of barred owls in spotted owl habitat. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 24, 20204 min

Curiosity Killed the ... Mouse?

The cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii boosts curiosity in mice—which makes them more likely to be caught by cats, thus continuing the parasite’s life cycle. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 23, 20205 min

This Fish Knows How to Stick Around

The remora clings to other fish—and appears to use an unusual sense of touch to do so. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 17, 20203 min

Antarctic Is Ripe for Invasive Species

Mussels and crabs are two of the creatures most likely to invade Antarctica in the next 10 years, a panel of scientists say. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 15, 20203 min

Bacteria Helped Plants Evolve to Live on Land

Soil bacteria may have taken residence in early algal species, gifting the algae with the ability to withstand drier conditions on land. Annie Sneed reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 14, 20204 min

Meteorite Contains Material Older Than Earth

The Murchison meteorite, which screamed to Earth 50 years ago, carried with it stardust that's seven billion years old. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 13, 20204 min

Loss of Large Mammals Stamps Out Invertebrates, Too

Hunted areas of Gabon have fewer large mammals and a thicker forest understory—but they also have fewer termites. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 12, 20205 min

Brittle Stars Can "See" without Eyes

The starfish relatives can recognize patterns using photoreceptors on their arms—and their color-changing abilities could have something to do with it. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 09, 20204 min

Atlantic Puffins Spotted Using Tools

Scientists observed two Atlantic puffins using sticks to scratch themselves—the first known instance of seabirds using tools. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 07, 20203 min

Science News Briefs from around the Globe

A few brief reports about international science and technology from Indonesia to Spain, including one from Brazil about the highest-voltage electric eel ever discovered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 05, 20203 min

Part of Real Paleo Diet: It's a Tuber

In South Africa archaeologists found the charred remains of a roasted root vegetable. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 03, 20203 min

You Traveled Far in 2019

Getting around the sun last year was some trip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 02, 20203 min

Fido's Human Age Gets New Estimates

By comparing how DNA gets altered over the lifetimes of people and dogs, researchers came up with a new way to compare canine years with human years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 27, 20194 min

Gift Wrapping Is Effective Future Trash

Research suggests people value gifts more when they have to unwrap them. But how do we avoid all the wasted paper? Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 26, 20193 min

Superstrong Fibers Could Be Hairy Situation

Human hair tested stronger than thicker fibers from elephants, boars and giraffes, providing clues to materials scientists hoping to make superstrong synthetic fibers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 24, 20194 min

Flaky Scalps Have a Unique Fungal Microbiome

Certain species of bacteria and fungi seem to proliferate on dandruff-ridden scalps. The reason is a little more mysterious. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 20, 20193 min