White Rhinos Eavesdrop to Know Who's Who
The finding could potentially help wildlife managers keep better tabs on their herds. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 26, 2020•4 min
Science Quickly
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
Prehistoric Marine Reptile Died after a Giant Meal
Researchers found extra bones within a 240-million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil—which they determined to be the ichthyosaur’s last, possibly fatal meal. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 21, 2020•3 min
Cows with Eye Images Keep Predators in Arrears
Butterflies, fish and frogs sport rear-end eyespots that reduce predation. Painting eye markings on cows similarly seems to ward off predators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 19, 2020•4 min
Warbler Species Fires Up Song Diversity
Hermit warblers in California have developed 35 different song dialects, apparently as a result of wildfires temporarily driving them out of certain areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 18, 2020•5 min
Why Lava Worlds Shine Brightly (It's Not the Lava)
Scientists determined that “lava world” exoplanets do not derive their brightness from molten rock but possibly get it from reflective metallic clouds. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 12, 2020•4 min
Aardvarks Are Ailing amid Heat and Drought
Climate change is expected to bring more frequent droughts and heat waves to Africa’s Kalahari Desert. And aardvarks might not be able to cope. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 11, 2020•5 min
The World's Highest-Dwelling Mammal Lives atop a Volcano
Scientists spotted a mouse at the summit of Llullaillaco, a 22,000-foot-tall volcano on the border of Chile and Argentina. Julia Rosen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 07, 2020•4 min
Dampening of the Senses Is Linked to Dementia Risk
A decline in smell was the sense loss most strongly associated with such risk in a recent study. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 05, 2020•3 min
Translucent Frog Optics Create Camo Color
Rather than undergoing active chameleonlike color changes, glass frogs’ translucency allows light to bounce from their background and go through them—making their apparent color close to their setting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 04, 2020•4 min
Paired Comparisons Could Mean Better Witness Identifications
Compared with traditional lineup techniques, a series of two-faces-at-a-time choices led to more accurate identification by study witnesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 03, 2020•4 min
Foxes Have Dined on Our Leftovers for 30,000 Years
An analysis of fox fossils found evidence that they scavenged from wolf and bear kills until Homo sapiens supplied plenty of horse and reindeer remains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 02, 2020•4 min
Mexico Caves Reveal Ancient Ocher Mining
Now submerged caves in the Yucatán Peninsula contain remains of ocher-mining operations that date back at least 10,000 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 31, 2020•5 min
In Bee Shortage, Bubbles Could Help Pollinate
Soap bubbles are sticky enough to carry a pollen payload and delicate enough to land on flowers without harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 27, 2020•4 min
Science News Briefs from around the Planet
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one about how a lizard population responded to hurricanes by developing larger and stickier toe pads on average. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 26, 2020•3 min
Seismologists Find the World Quieted Down during Pandemic Lockdowns
COVID-19-related lockdowns dampened human activity around the globe—giving seismologists a rare glimpse of the earth’s quietest rumblings. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 25, 2020•3 min
Old Art Offers Agriculture Info
Art museums are filled with centuries-old paintings with details of plants that today give us clues about evolution and breeding practices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 24, 2020•4 min
How COVID-19 Decreases Weather Forecast Accuracy
Meteorologists take advantage of weather data collected by commercial jetliners at different altitudes and locations. Fewer flights mean less data. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 23, 2020•4 min
Cricket Avoids Being Bat Food by Doing Nothing
The sword-tailed cricket can discern bats’ echolocation signals by only responding to calls of a certain volume—at which point it plummets out of their approach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 22, 2020•5 min
Speaker System Blocks City Noise
The system works like noise-cancelling headphones but fits over an open window. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 21, 2020•3 min
Civil War Vaccine May Have Lessons for COVID-19
Vaccination used against smallpox during the Civil War reveals the identity of the distantly related virus used to keep troops disease-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 20, 2020•4 min
Can People ID Infectious Disease by Cough and Sneeze Sounds?
Individuals aren’t very good at judging whether someone coughing or sneezing has an infectious condition or is simply reacting to something benign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 16, 2020•4 min
Why Some Birds Are Likely To Hit Buildings
Those that eat insects, migrate or usually live in the woods are most likely to fly into buildings that feature a lot of glass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 13, 2020•4 min
Sparrow Song Undergoes Key Change
White-throated sparrows made a change to their familiar call that quickly spread across Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 11, 2020•4 min
Polynesians and Native South Americans Made 12th-Century Contact
Scientists have found snippets of Native South American DNA in the genomes of present-day Polynesians, and they trace the contact to the year 1150. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 09, 2020•5 min
Animals Appreciate Recent Traffic Lull
Researchers saw a third fewer vehicle collisions with deer, elk, moose and other large mammals in the four weeks following COVID-19 shutdowns in three states they tracked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 08, 2020•4 min
Bat Says Hi as It Hunts
Velvety free-tailed bats produce sounds that help them locate insect prey but simultaneously identify them to their companions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 07, 2020•4 min
Forests Getting Younger and Shorter
Old, big trees are dying faster than in the past, leaving younger, less biodiverse forests that store less carbon worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 06, 2020•4 min
Young Great White Sharks Eat off the Floor
The stomach contents of young great white sharks show that they spend a lot of time patrolling the seafloor for meals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 02, 2020•4 min
Tweets Reveal Politics of COVID-19
Political scientists analyzed congressional tweets and observed how Republicans and Democrats responded differently to the virus. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 01, 2020•3 min
Nature's Goods and Services Get Priced
The gross ecosystem product, or GEP, tries to take into account the contribution of nature to the economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 30, 2020•4 min