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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

Singing Fish Reveal Underwater Battles in the Amazon

Researchers recorded piranha "honks" and catfish "screeches" in the Peruvian Amazon, which might illuminate fish activity in murky jungle waters. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 08, 20183 min

Social Construct of Race Imposes Biology

Anthropologist Jennifer Raff argues that race is culturally created, but has biological consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 07, 20184 min

Pandas Swoon to Particular Croons

Listening to the sounds panda pairs make when they're introduced could lead to better breeding success. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 06, 20183 min

First Benefit of Knowing Your Genome

The "low hanging fruit" of genome-related health care will be knowing which drugs are likely to treat you best, says science journalist Carl Zimmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 02, 20183 min

For Halloween, Consider the Chocolate Midge

A tiny fly, related to biting no-see-ums, pollinates cacao trees and enables our chocolate cravings. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 31, 20183 min

Dolphins Dumb Down Calls to Compete with Ship Noise

Bottlenose dolphins simplify and raise the pitch of their whistles to be heard above underwater shipping noise. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 29, 20183 min

Asocial Octopuses Become Cuddly on MDMA

Octopuses react to MDMA much like humans do. And not surprisingly, given their anatomy, the animals are excellent huggers. Annie Sneed reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 22, 20185 min

Wild Songbirds Can Pick Up New Tunes

Researchers taught two dozen wild sparrows new songs, by playing them the recordings of sparrows that live thousands of miles away. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 18, 20185 min

Health Care Let Neandertals "Punch above Their Weight"

By caring for their sick and injured, Neandertals were able to expand into more dangerous environments and pursue more deadly prey. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 17, 20183 min

Nice People Have Emptier Wallets

A study correlating personality traits with financial data found that agreeable people had lower savings, higher debt and higher bankruptcy rates. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 15, 20184 min

Solar Eclipse Was a Buzzkill for Bees

Bees suddenly fell silent when the sun disappeared during last year's solar eclipse—perhaps because they were tricked into night mode. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 12, 20183 min

Confident Tone Overcomes Accent Distrust

English as-a-first-language Canadian study subjects were less trusting of statements in English spoken with a foreign accent, unless the speaker sounded confident about their assertion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 11, 20184 min

Mom's Genes Make Some Giraffes Hard to Spot

Baby giraffes inherit aspects of their mothers' patterning—which could give them a survival advantage if good camouflage runs in the family. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 10, 20183 min

Economics Nobel Highlights Climate Action Necessity

William Nordhaus shared the 2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, "for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis,” with Paul Romer, "for integrating technological innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 09, 20183 min

Highway Crossings Protect Migrating Pronghorns—and Motorists

Twice a year, thousands of pronghorn antelope and mule deer migrate through Wyoming, and newly built highway crossings are sparing the lives of animals—and motorists. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 06, 20184 min

Beer Fermentation Hops Along

The bittering agents called hops have enzymes that chew up starch and unleash more fermentable sugar—which can boost alcohol and CO2 in the finished brew. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 04, 20184 min

Nobel in Physics for Controlling Laser Light

Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland share the 2018 physics Nobel for their work with lasers that have led to numerous practical applications, such as eye surgery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 02, 20184 min

Nobel for Helping the Immune System Fight Cancer

James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo share the Nobel Prize for their work on harnessing the cancer patient's own immune system to destroy tumors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 01, 20183 min

Blasey Ford Spells Out Trauma Memory Formation

Christine Blasey Ford's professional expertise came into play during her testimony regarding the Supreme Court nomination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 30, 20183 min

Scanning Ancient Civilizations from the Skies

An aerial laser scan of more than 800 square miles of Guatemalan jungle revealed Maya buildings, canals, roads and bridges. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 27, 20184 min

Antifreeze Surface Fights Ice with Ice

Patterning a surface with tiny stripes of ice prevents frost formation on the rest of the surface—a technique that could keep planes or roads frost-free. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 25, 20183 min

Scale Can Measure Medicine—and Play a Scale, Too

Researchers have designed a musical instrument that can detect counterfeit drugs by the pitch of its notes. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 24, 20184 min

Diverse Tree Portfolio Weathers Droughts Better

Forests with numerous tree species, and therefore a mix of water-management strategies, appear more tolerant of drought. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 21, 20183 min

Pirates Needed Science, Too

On International Talk Like a Pirate Day, here's an eye-patch-witness account of how science helps in all peg-leg walks of life, even piracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 19, 20183 min

Sea Otters' Powerful Paw Prey Perception

The marine mammals have extraordinarily sensitive touch—which helps them nab prey in the absence of other sensory cues. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 18, 20184 min

Genetic Tweak Gave Early Humans a Leg Up

A mutation in a key gene may have endowed humans with superior endurance—allowing them to compete better with other animals on the savanna. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 13, 20183 min

Earlier Springs May Mean Mistimed Bird Migrations

Springtime's arriving earlier across North America. But the degree of change isn't the same everywhere, which could spell trouble for migratory birds. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 20183 min

Survey the Wildlife of the "Great Indoors"

Biologists are enlisting citizen scientists to poke around under the sink and behind the curtains, for wildlife living in the "great indoors." Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 10, 20183 min
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