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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.
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Episodes

Fluttering Feathers Could Spawn New Species

Fork-tailed flycatchers make a fluttering sound with their wings—but separate subspecies have different “dialects” of fluttering. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 24, 20204 min

Science News from around the World

Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from Israel about what DNA reveals about the Dead Sea Scrolls’ parchment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 22, 20203 min

These Small Mammals Snort to a Different Tune

Hyraxes, which live in Africa and the Middle East, punctuate their songs with snorts. And the snorts appear to reflect the animals’ emotional state. Jason G. Goldman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 20205 min

Ice Age Temperatures Help Predict Future Warming

Scientists determined that temperatures were 11 degrees cooler during the last ice age—and that finding has implications for modern-day warming. Julia Rosen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 16, 20204 min

High-Elevation Hummingbirds Evolved a Temperature Trick

Hummingbirds in the Peruvian Andes enter a state of torpor at night to conserve energy, dipping their body temperature to as low as 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 15, 20203 min

Why Pet Pigs Are More like Wolves Than Dogs

Given an impossible task, a dog will ask a human for help, but a wolf will not seek help—and neither will a pet pig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 14, 20205 min

Bricks Can Be Turned into Batteries

Pumping cheap iron-oxide-rich red bricks with specific vapors that form polymers enables the bricks to become electrical-charge-storage devices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 10, 20203 min

Leftovers Are a Food-Waste Problem

Researchers found that leftovers are likely to end up in the trash, so they advise cooking smaller meals in the first place to avoid food waste. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 09, 20203 min

Some Dinosaurs Probably Nested in Arctic

The finding of a baby dinosaur fossil in the Arctic implies that some dinos nested in the region, which was milder than today but not toasty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 08, 20205 min

Star Systems Can Be Born Topsy-Turvy

Astronomers observed an odd triple-star system that offers clues about misaligned planetary orbits. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 03, 20204 min

Science Briefs from around the World

Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from Antarctica about how there’s something funny about penguin poop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 31, 20203 min

Alaska's Salmon Are Shrinking

Every year, Alaska’s big salmon runs feature smaller salmon. Climate change and competition with hatchery-raised salmon may be to blame. Julia Rosen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 28, 20204 min

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, 20204 min

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, 20203 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, 20204 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, 20205 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, 20204 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, 20205 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, 20204 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, 20203 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, 20204 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, 20204 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, 20205 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, 20204 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, 20203 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, 20204 min
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