

60-Second Science
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

Oct 29, 2025 ⢠15min
How TikTokās Algorithm Could Shift with a U.S. Spin-off
TikTokās algorithm has become a cultural force, shaping what more than a billion users see and share, but its future may be shifting. As the platform prepares for a U.S.-only spin-off, Kelley Cotter, an assistant professor in the department of human-centered computing and social informatics at Pennsylvania State University, joins Science Quickly to explore how changes in ownership could affect the algorithmās influence and transparency and the kinds of content we consume.
Recommended Reading
āTikTok Sale Puts Appās Algorithm in the SpotlightāA Social Media Expert Explains How the For You Page Works and What Changes Are in Store,ā by Kelley Cotter, in the Conversation. Published online September 22, 2025
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 27, 2025 ⢠10min
Mosquitoes Invade Iceland, Earth Darkens, and Bird Flu Returns
Mosquitoes settle in Iceland for the first time as climate change reshapes the Arctic, and Earthās darkening albedo may be accelerating global warming. Host Rachel Feltman also dives into rising bird flu cases, foodborne urinary tract infections linked to contaminated meat and a potential shift in mpox transmission. Plus, we discuss some hopeful news: peanut allergies are declining in toddlers, and North Atlantic right whales show signs of recovery.
Recommended Reading
Bird Flu Is Back. Hereās What to Know
How Bird Flu Became a Human Pandemic Threat
Earth Is Getting Darker, Which Could Accelerate Global Warming
The Mystery of Americaās Peanut Allergy SurgeāAnd the Promising Science behind New Treatments
Can Peanut Allergies Be Cured?
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2025 ⢠12min
Why Medication Safety in Pregnancy Is Still a Mystery
When the U.S. president claimed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could cause autism in a personās offspring, it reignited a deeper conversation about how little we know about medication safety for pregnant people. In this episode, Scientific American senior health editor Tanya Lewis explains why pregnant individuals are routinely excluded from clinical trialsāand how that gap in research puts millions at risk.
Recommended Reading
Nobody Knows How Tylenol Really Works
Is Tylenol Safe for Children?
Does Tylenol Use during Pregnancy Cause Autism? What the Research Shows
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 22, 2025 ⢠11min
The Science of a Convincing Sorry
What makes an apology sound sincere? Psychologist Shiri Lev-Ari joins host Rachel Feltman to explore how the effort we put into our wordsāespecially through longer, easier-to-understand languageācan signal genuine remorse. New research reveals that even subtle linguistic choices shape how apologies are received and judged.
Recommended Reading
āSorries Seem to Have the Harder Words,ā by Shiri Lev-Ari, in British Journal of Psychology, Vol. 116; published online May 7, 2025
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 20, 2025 ⢠9min
Global Superbugs Surge, Chikungunya Hits Long Island, and Satellites Leak Data
This week on Science Quickly, we cover the global rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a rare U.S. case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus and new research on anti-inflammatory supplements. Plus, scientists warn of satellite vulnerabilitiesāfrom Earthās weakening magnetic shield to unencrypted data leaksāand uncover a surprising fungal nursery hidden in stink bug legs.
Recommended Reading
Which Anti-Inflammatory Supplements Actually Work?
How the New Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in China Could Reach the U.S.
Dangerous āSuperbugsā Are on the Rise. What Can Stop Them?
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 17, 2025 ⢠18min
The Meteorite That Vanished: El Aliās Strange Journey
A massive iron meteorite sat undisturbed in the Somali desert for generationsāuntil armed men stole it in 2020. The El Ali meteorite contains at least three minerals never before seen on Earth, making it scientifically priceless. But its journey from landmark to black market raises thorny questions about the role of researchers in legitimizing stolen artifacts.
Recommended Reading
The Sordid Mystery of a Somalian Meteorite Smuggled into China
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 15, 2025 ⢠16min
Why Is Lung Cancer Surging among Young Women?
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, surpassing breast and ovarian cancer combined. Thoracic surgeon Jonathan Villena explains why younger nonsmoking women are increasingly affectedāand how early screening could save lives.
Recommended Reading
Most People at Risk for Lung Cancer Never Get Screened: Hereās How to Fix That
Jonathan Villenaās profile at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura and Kylie Murphy. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 13, 2025 ⢠9min
Nobel Prizes, COVID Vaccine Updates and Malnutrition in Gaza
This week on Science Quickly, we break down the 2025 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics and Chemistry. We also unpack the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionās shifting COVID vaccine guidance, a controversial call to split the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot and a new study on child malnutrition in Gaza.
Recommended Reading
2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Awarded for Discoveries of How the Body Puts the Brakes on the Immune System
2025 Chemistry Nobel Goes to Molecular Sponges That Purify Water, Store Energy and Clean Up the Environment
How the Physics Nobel Recognized Quantum Weirdness and Avoided Hype
Annual COVID Vaccines Protect People against Severe Disease, Even with Prior Immunity
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 10, 2025 ⢠20min
The Doctor behind the Commander in Chief
Presidential physicians operate at the intersection of medicine, politics and national security. Former White House physician Jeffrey Kuhlman joins Scientific American associate editor Lauren Young to discuss the unique medical demands of presidential careāfrom preparing for emergencies such as gunshot wounds to navigating the delicate balance between transparency and privacy. His insights offer a rare glimpse into the high-stakes world of White House health care.
Recommended Reading
Transforming Presidential Healthcare. Jeffrey Kuhlman. Ballast Books, 2024
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was co-hosted by Lauren Young and edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 8, 2025 ⢠11min
Chris Hadfieldās Fictional Universe Is Rooted in Real Space History
What happens when a real-life astronaut turns to fiction? In this episode, Chris Hadfield shares how decades of spaceflight and global diplomacy inspired his latest novel, Final Orbit, a cold war thriller packed with historical intrigue and technical precision. Host Rachel Feltman dives into Hadfieldās creative process and the eerie parallels between past and present geopolitics.
Recommended Reading
Final Orbit, by Chris Hadfield. Mulholland Books, 2025
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E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura and Kylie Murphy. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


