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.

Science
76
Cosmic Coin Toss, Record Heat in the North Atla...
The Milky Way’s big crash with Andromeda might not be a sure thing. Plus, we discuss an overheated ocean, a giant planet circling a tiny star and worms that build living towers.
7 min
77
Is the National Weather Service Ready for an Ex...
What happens when the U.S.’s most trusted source of extreme weather alerts can’t staff the night shift?
13 min
78
Megalodon Diets, Teeth Sensitivity and a Bunch ...
It’s one step forward and two steps back for vaccine policy in the U.S. Plus, we discuss the fishy origins of sensitive teeth and megalodon diets.
6 min
79
Are You Flourishing? This Global Study Has Sur...
Young people are struggling; retirees are happier than employees; people in partnerships are flourishing more than those who are single. Hear the first takeaways from the Global Flourishing Study.
17 min
80
Diagnosing Male Infertility with a Mechanical E...
A new study suggests a way to more accurately test sperm health from home.
9 min
81
Could We Speak to Dolphins? A Promising LLM Mak...
Unraveling the Clicks From the Whistles
17 min
82
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look...
New discoveries about mitochondria could reshape how we understand the body’s response to stress, aging and illness.
25 min
83
How to Make Gold, Flamingo Food Tornado, and Ko...
Also, Chimp "Prosocial Postcoital Penis Wiping"
6 min
84
Could Freezing Arctic Sea Ice Combat Climate C...
Refreezing the melting sea ice in the Arctic is more complicated than you would think. The U.K. is funding geoengineering experiments like this one to curb the effects of climate change.
24 min
85
How a West Texas Outbreak Threatens Measles Eli...
High vaccination rates eliminated measles in the U.S. An outbreak that began in West Texas is threatening to overturn that status.
8 min
86
Sinking Cities, Waving Cuttlefish and Falling S...
A spacecraft is set to fall from the skies, 28 U.S. cities slowly sink, and a new study pinpoints how the overindulgence of the wealthy contributes to massive warming.
7 min
87
This Podcast Was Recorded Inside a Particle Col...
How the Nation’s Only Particle Collider Is Accelerating Our Understanding of Physics
16 min
88
Rejecting Toxic Fitness Culture with Casey John...
Author Casey Johnston presents a new way to think about fitness in her new book A Physical Education
16 min
89
Jupiter’s Cyclones, Amazon’s Satellites and T. ...
Climate studies are paused, new satellites join the crowded skies, the Juno spacecraft studies Jupiter, and biotech companies will create T. rex leather (or will they?).
7 min
90
The Fungi Facing Extinction and the Conservati...
As conservation targets, fungi aren’t as appealing as giant pandas. But these scientists explain that the health of Earth’s fungal species is critically important.
10 min
91
Griefbots Offer AI Connections with Deceased Lo...
15 min
92
Scientific American in 1925: Solar Eclipses, Se...
We present a historical romp through Scientific American—100 years ago.
8 min
93
How to Become an Urban Naturalist
Finding Wondrous Wildlife Amid the Concrete Jungle
23 min
94
Our Fear and Fascination around Snakes
In a new book called Slither, Stephen S. Hall takes a deep dive into the biology and history of one of the most reviled animals.
15 min
95
Childhood Illnesses Surge, Magnetic Poles Wande...
This week’s news roundup covers measles and whooping cough cases, evidence of a carbon cycle on Mars and the first glimpse at a colossal squid in its natural habitat.
7 min
96
From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understa...
Hear takeaways from 35 years at Scientific American from Gary Stix, our recently retired mind and brain editor.
19 min
97
A Disinfectant That’s More Powerful Than Bleach...
Hypochlorous acid has a lot of buzz in the beauty industry, but this nontoxic disinfectant has many possible uses.
13 min
98
A Long Day on Uranus, a Better Method of Making...
A fluid study homes in on the best method to make a cup of coffee, scientists use the Hubble Telescope to reassess the length of a day on Uranus, and we discuss more of the latest in science in this news roundup.
7 min
99
How Are Prenatal Blood Tests Detecting Cancer?
Researchers are trying to understand how a common prenatal blood test called NIPT is detecting cancer in some pregnant patients.
19 min
100
Treating Bacterial Vaginosis as an STI Could Im...
Bacterial vaginosis is an irritating overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. A new study has found that some cases of the condition should be treated like a sexually transmitted infection.
18 min