Science Quickly

Researchers study impalas feeding on acacia trees with thorns to understand predator-plant interactions in an East African savanna, showing the importance of plant defenses and carnivorous predators in plant survival.

Primate researchers found that lemurs in Madagascar use urine and glandular secretions as messages on designated trees to communicate territorial and dominance messages within their community.

Researchers at Harvard University's Veece Institute developed a coating for medical devices based on the carnivorous pitcher plant, which prevents blood clotting and bacterial infections. Testing on pig catheters showed the coating remained intact for eight hours, inhibiting clot formation.

Wealthier people gave a lower percentage to charity in 2012, while the less affluent increased their giving during the Great Recession.

Motion-capture technology reveals the dynamics of walking and how the body relies on precise foot placement to maintain balance, with implications for movement disorders and robotics.

Nobel laureates Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell, and William Moerner discuss their groundbreaking research in super-resolved fluorescence microscopy, which allows for the study of single molecules in living cells. The podcast highlights the importance of this technique in observing rare events and reactions at the molecular level.

Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura discuss their Nobel Prize-winning invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, which enable bright and energy-saving white light sources. They explain the significance of combining red, green, and blue light and highlight applications in flashlights and smartphones.

John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard I. Moser, Nobel Prize winners, discuss the brain's positioning system and how humans navigate using mental maps.

Reindeer and moose saliva interferes with plant toxins, allowing them to eat vegetation. Salivary secretions play a significant role in large mammals' ability to decrease toxin production.

Increasing palm oil yields can lead to a bigger demand for land and more forest destruction, which policymakers need to address.