60-Second Science

Scientific American
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Mar 24, 2015 • 3min

Malaria Parasite Attracts Mosquitoes with Perfume

The Plasmodium parasite uses an altered type of plant chloroplast to manufacture pine-and-lemon-scented chemicals, which lure in the bloodsuckers. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 23, 2015 • 3min

See Movement Better by Bicarb

Bicarbonate, the chemical that transports CO2 through the blood, increases the "refresh rate" of rod cells in lab tests--which could mean better motion detection. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 20, 2015 • 3min

Teotihuacán's Social Tensions Contributed to Its Fall

The decline and abandonment of the Mexican metropolis may have been hastened by infighting among different cultural and socioeconomic groups. Cynthia Graber reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 19, 2015 • 3min

Music’s Physiological Effects Transcend Culture

People in the Congo rainforests or in Montreal tended to react to the same piece of music in strikingly similar ways. Andrea Alfano reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 19, 2015 • 3min

That's What Ya Call a 4-Star Planet

Astronomers report the discovery of only the second quadruple-star system known to host at least one planet. But they suspect there are a lot more such systems out there. Lee Billings reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 18, 2015 • 3min

Smoke Makes Twisters More Likely to Strike

Smoke wafting north from the Gulf of Mexico worsened the already stormy weather brewing across the southeastern U.S. on April 27, 2011. Julia Rosen reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 18, 2015 • 3min

La Niña Conditions Spin Up More Springtime Twisters

Severe weather forecasters could incorporate El Niño and La Niña cycling to make springtime tornado and hail forecasts. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 17, 2015 • 3min

Human Remains Double Known Rainforest Occupation Time

Physical remains in Sri Lanka show that people lived in rainforests 20,000 years ago, at least 10,000 years earlier than previous evidence showed. Cynthia Graber reports   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 16, 2015 • 3min

Crowd-Sourced Medical Research Gets Apple Assist

What’s called ResearchKit enables scientists to more easily write mobile apps that take advantage of iPhone sensors to study asthma, Parkinson’s and other diseases. Larry Greenemeier reports   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 12, 2015 • 3min

<i>Big Bang</i> Sitcom Stars <i>Scientific American</i> Tonight

On the March 12 episode of The Big Bang Theory, a mock copy of Scientific American becomes a key part of the plot. The sitcom's science advisor, U.C.L.A. physicist David Saltzberg, talks about the show's reach to the lay public. Steve Mirsky reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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