Science Quickly

Love isn’t just about romance. This Valentine’s Day, we’re exploring the power of deep nonromantic bonds. Host Rachel Feltman sits down with Rhaina Cohen, a producer and editor for NPR’s podcast Embedded and author of The Other Significant Others, to discuss the history and psychology of friendship—and the reasons these connections deserve just as much celebration as romantic partnerships.Recommended reading:—The Evolutionary Origins of Friendship—How to Reconnect with Old Friends Who Have Become StrangersSubscribe to Rhaina Cohen’s newsletter.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, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Madison Goldberg with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee Billings, Senior space and physics editor for Scientific American, brings his expertise in space exploration to discuss the alarming asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. He dives into how astronomers use sophisticated technologies like the ATLAS system to track such asteroids. The conversation also highlights the importance of international collaboration in preparing for potential impact scenarios, drawing parallels to historical events like the Tunguska incident, and stressing the need for continuous monitoring and updates.

A new bird flu variant has made headlines for potentially jumping from birds to cattle, raising health concerns. An alarming study suggests humans may carry a spoon’s worth of microplastics in their brains, leading to questions about mental health impact. Discoveries about mantis shrimp reveal their incredible strength, while research shows that people feel their best in the morning. Plus, bonobos demonstrate surprising empathy, helping humans when they sense uncertainty. Dive into a mix of health, animal intelligence, and cosmic origins!

Max Kozlov, a Nature reporter focused on biomedical science, discusses the chaotic start of the Trump administration for health and science agencies. He reveals how executive orders are freezing funding and confusing researchers over diversity-related initiatives. Max highlights the troubling impacts on public health data access, warning about essential resources being removed during critical health responses. He also addresses the challenges faced by early-career scientists caught in the funding crossfire, risking their future in research.

Feeling overwhelmed by constant outrage? Discover strategies to combat outrage fatigue and its surprising link to misinformation. Tune in for insights on how emotional content grips social media users and the negative effects on mental health and political engagement. Learn how to navigate through feelings of frustration by limiting media exposure and finding empowering ways to engage with your community. Transforming cynicism into hopeful skepticism might just be the key to reclaiming your emotional well-being!

This week we’re recapping Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearings. Highly pathogenic H5N9, a strain of bird flu, was found in U.S. poultry. A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas is making headlines—but how severe is the spread? Health equity reporter Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Kansas News Service and KCUR joins host Rachel Feltman to unpack the situation. Plus, we discuss fossilized puke and ice-resistant polar bear hair.Recommended reading:–Shackelford-Nwanganga’s reporting on the tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas–The Latest on Bird Flu in Humans, Cats and Chickens–RFK, Jr., Confirmation Hearing Showed 5 Ways He Threatens Public Health 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, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Madison Goldberg with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to be cynical about the state of the world—even when you’re a researcher who studies empathy and kindness. Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki turned his own negativity into his new book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. The book busts common myths about cynicism and explores what it could be doing to our body and brain. Zaki reflects on the imperfections of cynicism and hope and presents a third option: hopeful skepticism.Recommended reading:Read Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. Follow Jamil Zaki’s work at www.jamil-zaki.com and www.ssnl.stanford.eduE-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, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Fonda Mwangi with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sun is in the middle of its solar maximum, the part of its 11-year solar cycle that was responsible for the stunning auroras seen across the globe last year. This year is looking equally exciting, with more incoming space weather and a handful of science missions to study the sun’s wide-reaching behavior. Senior reporter Meghan Bartels reviews the missions that are launching in 2025 and explains the reasons why you should be excited by heliophysics.Recommended reading:Heliophysics Is Set to Shine in 2025 Should You Really Worry about Solar Flares? 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, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman with guest Meghan Bartels. Our show is edited by Jeff DelViscio with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Executive orders that impact science and health in the U.S. came quickly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Tanya Lewis, senior editor of health and medicine, explains how grievances over COVID and funding led Trump to order the U.S.’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization—and what that withdrawal would mean for global health. Plus, we present an update on the spread of bird flu in the U.S. and other news on topics from animal behavior to astronomy.–Listen to our episode about the mishandled response to the bird flu outbreak–Read more about Trump’s executive orders around science and health–Check out some lighthearted animal behavior researchE-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, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman with guest Tanya Lewis. Our show is edited by Madison Goldberg with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the news these days and to fear for the future. What if you could interrupt doomscrolling and contribute to conservation at the same time? That’s the idea behind programs like Adventure Scientists, eBird and iNaturalist. Guest Gregg Treinish, founder and executive director of Adventure Scientists, joins host Rachel Feltman to talk about community science in the great outdoors. Learn more about Adventure ScientistsContribute to the California Biodiversity projectContribute to the Tracking Eastern Hemlock projectRead Treinish’s opinion piece in the San Francisco ChronicleE-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, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Fonda Mwangi with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices