Science Quickly
Scientific American
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
Mentioned books
Mar 20, 2015 • 3min
Teotihuacán's Social Tensions Contributed to Its Fall
The podcast delves into the social tensions that led to the fall of Teotihuacán, highlighting the impact of volcanic eruptions on migration patterns and competition among diverse migrant groups, as well as the influence of ruling elites and raw material control through paleopathology, nutritional status, and DNA analysis.
Mar 19, 2015 • 3min
Music’s Physiological Effects Transcend Culture
Discover how people from different cultures react similarly to music, as shown in a study comparing Canadians and Pygmies. Learn how universal psychophysiological responses to music can transcend cultural differences.
Mar 19, 2015 • 3min
That's What Ya Call a 4-Star Planet
Astronomers discover a planet in a quadruple-star system, making it the second of its kind found. The planet is uninhabitable due to extreme heat and composition, despite the sci-fi-like nature of the system.
Mar 18, 2015 • 3min
Smoke Makes Twisters More Likely to Strike
Smoke from Central American fires worsened stormy weather in the U.S., leading to more tornadoes on April 27, 2011. Importance of considering aerosol particles in weather forecasting for accurate predictions of disasters.
Mar 18, 2015 • 3min
La Niña Conditions Spin Up More Springtime Twisters
Scientists have found a relationship between tornado frequency and sea surface temperatures during La Nina years, suggesting the potential for yearly tornado forecasts.
Mar 17, 2015 • 3min
Human Remains Double Known Rainforest Occupation Time
Humans inhabited rainforests in Sri Lanka 20,000 years ago, challenging previous assumptions about early human habitation near rainforests.
Mar 16, 2015 • 3min
Crowd-Sourced Medical Research Gets Apple Assist
Apple's ResearchKit enables scientists to write mobile apps for crowd-sourced medical research, utilizing iPhone sensors to study diseases like asthma and Parkinson's.
Mar 12, 2015 • 3min
<i>Big Bang</i> Sitcom Stars <i>Scientific American</i> Tonight
Physicist David Saltzberg, science advisor for The Big Bang Theory, discusses how the show uses Scientific American to engage a broad audience with scientific concepts. They talk about the portrayal of dark matter and its connection with audience engagement and online searches.
Mar 11, 2015 • 3min
Background Music Jams Memory in Older Adults
A study explores how background music affects memory in older adults, finding that they struggle to filter out distractions, leading to poorer memory performance.
Mar 10, 2015 • 3min
Some European Languages Came by Steppe
New genetic analysis shows massive migration from central Asia to Europe 4,500 years ago, implying influence on European languages
