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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

Grandma's Influence Is Good for Grandkids

Grandmothers can enhance the survival of grandchildren. That is, unless grandma’s too old or lives too far away. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 25, 20194 min

Should Robots Have a License to Kill?

Artificial intelligence experts, ethicists and diplomats debate autonomous weapons. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 23, 20194 min

Warming Climate Implies More Flies—and Disease

The incidence of foodborne illness could jump in a warming world, due to an increase in housefly activity. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 20, 20194 min

Light-Skin Variant Arose in Asia Independent of Europe

A new genetic study of Latin Americans provides evidence that gene variants for lighter skin color came about in Asia as well as in Europe. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 19, 20194 min

Teach Science Process over Findings

Seismologist and policy advisor Lucy Jones says science education needs to teach how science works more than just what it finds out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 18, 20194 min

Human Diet Drugs Kill Mosquitoes' Appetite, Too

When researchers fed mosquitoes a drug used to treat people for obesity, the insects were less interested in hunting for their next human meal ticket. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 16, 20194 min

Grazing Deer Alter Forest Acoustics

Deer populations have exploded in North American woodlands, changing forest ecology—and how sounds, like birdsong, travel through the trees. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 15, 20194 min

Elephant Weight Cycles with New Teeth

Elephants have six sets of teeth over their lives, sometimes two sets at once. At those times, they can extract more nutrition from food and put on weight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 14, 20195 min

Finally Over for Mars Rover

The rover Opportunity has called it quits after working for more than 14 years on Mars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 13, 20193 min

Our Brains Really Remember Some Pop Music

Although millennials' memory of recent pop tunes drops quickly, their ability to identify top hits from the 1960s through 1990s remains moderately high. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 20195 min

Biologists Track Tweets to Monitor Birds

Conservation biologists can track the whereabouts of endangered species by the sounds they make, avoiding cumbersome trackers and tags. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 08, 20193 min

Desalination Could Cause Ecological Sea Change

An environmental assessment of the nation's largest desalination plant finds mixed results. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 07, 20194 min

Different Humpback Whale Groups Meet to Jam

Humpback populations from the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet up south of Africa and trade song stylings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 06, 20195 min

Rocking Helps Adults Sleep Too

Adult humans, as well as mice, slept better when gently rocked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 05, 20194 min

Targeting Certain Brain Cells Can Switch Off Pain

By turning off certain brain cells, researchers were able to make mice sense painful stimuli—but not the associated discomfort. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 04, 20194 min

Neandertal Spears Were Surprisingly Deadly

Javelin throwers chucking replicas of Neandertal spears were able to hit targets farther away, and with greater force than previously thought to be possible. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 31, 20194 min

"Rectenna" Converts Wi-Fi to Electricity

Researchers built a small, flexible device that harvests wi-fi, bluetooth and cellular signals, and turns them into DC electricity. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 30, 20193 min

Science News Briefs from the World Over

A few brief reports about international science and technology from Papua New Guinea to Kazakhstan, including one on the slow slide of Mount Etna in Italy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 29, 20193 min

Cod Could Cope with Constrained Climate Change

Cod egg survival stays high with limited warming, but plummets when the temperature rises a few degrees Celsius in their current spawning grounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 28, 20195 min

Intimate Hermit Crab Keeps Shell On

A species of hermit crab appears to have evolved a large penis to enable intercourse without leaving, and thus possibly losing, its adopted shell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 25, 20194 min

Ecologists Eavesdrop with Bioacoustics

By coupling audio recordings with satellite data and camera traps, ecologists can keep their eyes—and ears—on protected tropical forests. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 24, 20194 min

Saturn's Blingy Rings Are a Recent Upgrade

Though Saturn formed about 4.5 billion years ago, its rings were added relatively recently—only 100 million to 10 million years ago. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 23, 20193 min

Do-Gooders Should Survey Communities First

Detroit residents declined an offer of free street trees—but were more willing to accept them if they had a say in the type of tree. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 22, 20195 min

Viewing This Weekend's Lunar Eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will grace the skies this Sunday, January 20—and it may or may not be red. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 18, 20194 min

"<i>Mona Lisa</i> Effect" Not True for <i>Mona Lisa</i>

The Mona Lisa effect is the illusion that the subject of a painting follows you with her gaze, despite where you stand. But da Vinci's famous painting doesn't have that quality. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 17, 20193 min

Ants Stick to Cliques to Dodge Disease

Ants infected with fungal pathogens steer clear of other cliques within the colony—avoiding wider infection, and allowing for a sort of immunity. Lucy Huang reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 16, 20194 min

Mistimed Migration Means Bird Death Battles

Climate change is shifting population numbers and nest building by resident and migratory birds in Europe—sometimes leading to deadly conflict. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 13, 20193 min

Monogamy May Be Written in Our Genes

In animal studies, a set of 24 genes involved in neural development, learning and memory, and cognition, seem to be associated with monogamy. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 11, 20195 min

Seeing Superman Increases Altruism

Subject who saw a Superman poster were more likely to offer help than were people who saw another image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 10, 20194 min

Inhaled RNA Might Help Heal Cystic Fibrosis

Scientists are working to correct a genetic defect in cystic fibrosis patients by having them inhale RNA. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 08, 20193 min
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