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
Nov 5, 2014 • 3min
Half-Century Anniversary of a Mars Mishap
Explore the 50th anniversary of Mariner 3, America's first mission to Mars which failed due to a glitch in the unfurling of solar panels. Discover the subsequent success of Mariner 4 and its images of Mars' barren and cratered surface.
Nov 3, 2014 • 3min
Button Battery Coating Lessens Risk If Swallowed
Researchers have developed a protective coating for button batteries to prevent children from ingesting them. Tests with pigs showed the coated batteries to be safe for the esophagus.
Oct 31, 2014 • 3min
Bacteria Lowers Mosquito Transmission of Malaria, Dengue
Discover how a soil microbe could be harnessed to reduce the spread of dengue virus and malaria parasite by shortening the mosquitoes' lifespan and killing their larvae.
Oct 30, 2014 • 3min
Mammals Might Have Slept Through Dino Destroyer
Hibernation may have saved ancestral mammals from extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period, according to a study on tenrecks, small Madagascar mammals, proposing that burrowing and extended hibernation played a crucial role in their survival.
Oct 28, 2014 • 3min
Online Personalization Means Prices Are Tailored to You, Too
Computer scientist Christo Wilson from Northeastern University discusses how online prices are personalized based on user data, highlighting the need for consumer awareness and privacy measures while shopping online.
Oct 22, 2014 • 3min
Fecal Transplanters Fish Out Key Ingredient
Discover how fecal transplants can combat C. diff outbreaks by transferring healthy microbes, and the role of Clostridium syndins in inhibiting C. diff infection.
Oct 21, 2014 • 4min
Coyote Size Forces Smartness
The podcast discusses how coyotes have adapted to urban environments and their ability to hunt and consume prey of various sizes.
Oct 17, 2014 • 3min
Plant Thorns Increase When Defense Needed
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.
Oct 16, 2014 • 3min
Lemur Latrine Trees Serve as Community Bulletin Boards
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.
Oct 15, 2014 • 3min
Carnivorous Plant Inspires Anticlotting Medical Devices
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.
