Science Quickly

Scientific American•www.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.

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Episodes

Ancient Dogs Had Complex Genetic Histories

Some dog population genetics show similarities to ours, such as in the ability to digest grains. But other lineages differ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 21, 2021•4 min

Bees Use 'Bullshit' Defense to Keep Giant Hornets at Bay

The prospect of death by giant hornet has pushed some Asian honeybees to resort to a poop-based defense system Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 11, 2021•7 min

Humans May Have Befriended Wolves with Meat

Unlike humans, wolves can subsist on protein alone for months—so scientists say we may have lobbed leaner leftovers their way. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 07, 2021•3 min

How to Avoid Becoming a Meal for a Cheetah

Researchers help farmers in Namibia avoid costly cattle losses by tracking big cat hangouts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 06, 2021•6 min

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Shaped Our Language in 2020

Linguist Ben Zimmer says the pandemic has turned us all into amateur epidemiologists utilizing terms such as “superspreader” and “asymptomatic.” Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 01, 2021•3 min

Science News Briefs from around the Planet

Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one from Panama about the toll lightning takes on tropical trees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 28, 2020•3 min

Ravens Measure Up to Great Apes on Intelligence

Juvenile ravens performed just as well as chimps and orangutans in a battery of intelligence tests—except for assays of spatial skills. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 22, 2020•4 min

Baby Bees Deprive Caregivers of Sleep

Bee larvae and pupae appear to secrete a chemical that does the work of a late-night cup of coffee for their nurses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 21, 2020•4 min

How the Wolves Change the Forest

New research tracked the canines in northern Minnesota for years to see just how they reshape their ecosystems. Audio of wolves inside Voyageurs National Park, courtesy of Jacob Job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 17, 2020•6 min

Brain Sides Are Both Busy in New Language Learning

A study of adults learning a new language found that speaking primarily activated regions in the left side of the brain, but reading and listening comprehension were much more variable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 16, 2020•4 min

A Nurse's Message about the COVID-19 Vaccine

Nurse Kristen Choi says health care providers need to better educate patients about possible side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 15, 2020•4 min

Eye Treatment Stretches Mouse Sight Beyond Visible Spectrum

Nanoparticles that attach to photoreceptors allowed mice to see infrared and near-infrared light for up to two months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 12, 2020•5 min

This Bat Wears a Face Mask

The wrinkle-faced bat covers its face with a flap of skin, seemingly as part of its courtship rituals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 11, 2020•5 min

The Denisovans Expand Their Range into China

Evidence of the ancient humans was limited to a cave in Siberia. But now scientists have found genetic remains of the Denisovans in China. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 02, 2020•4 min

Undersea Earthquakes Reveal Sound Warming Info

Travel time differences for sound waves produced by undersea earthquakes in the same place at different times can provide details about ocean warming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 30, 2020•5 min

Duckbill Dino Odyssey Ended in Africa

A duckbill dinosaur jawbone found in Morocco means that dinosaurs crossed a large body of water to reach Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 24, 2020•4 min

Early Mammals Had Social Lives, Too

Chipmunklike animals that lived among the dinosaurs appear to have been social creatures, which suggests that sociality arose in mammals earlier than scientists thought. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 18, 2020•4 min

Science News Briefs from All Over

Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one, from the dormant volcano Llullaillaco in Chile, about a mouse that is the highest-dwelling mammal ever documented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 17, 2020•3 min

Divide and Conquer Could Be Good COVID Strategy

COVID might be fought efficiently with fewer shutdowns by restricting activities only in a particular area with a population up to 200,000 when its case rate rises above a chosen threshold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 12, 2020•4 min

Zebra Coloration Messes With Fly Eyes

Horseflies misjudge landings on zebra patterns, compared with solid gray or black surfaces, which provides evidence for why evolution came up with the black-and-white pattern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 10, 2020•5 min

Science Sound(E)scapes: Head Banging and Howling in the Amazon

Need a break from politics and the pandemic? You’re probably not in the Amazon rain forest right now, but we can take you there in audio. Today, in part three of our three-part audio sound escape, we ascend into the trees where howler monkeys and crimson-crested woodpeckers rule the airwaves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 06, 2020•11 min

Science Sound(E)scapes: Amazon Frog Choruses at Night

Need a break from politics and the pandemic? You’re probably not in the Amazon rain forest right now, but we can take you there in audio. Today, in part two of our three-part audio sound escape, we descend into a nighttime flood of frog music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 05, 2020•8 min

Science Sound(E)scapes: Amazon Pink River Dolphins

Need a break from politics and the pandemic? You’re probably not in the Amazon rain forest right now, but we can take you there in audio. Today, in part one of our three-part audio sound escape, we listen to dolphins hunting among the trees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 04, 2020•11 min

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