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 27, 2023 • 10min
The World's Most Frightening Animal Sounds like This
Lions, tigers, bears: this creature sends all of those beasts running for the hills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 25, 2023 • 7min
The Tale of the Rotifer That Came Back to Life after 25,000 Years in an Icy Tomb
Can something spring back to life if it last moved around when woolly mammoths roamed the earth? The answer appears to be yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 23, 2023 • 13min
Generative AI Models Are Sucking Up Data from All Over the Internet, Yours Included
In the rush to build and train ever larger AI models, developers have swept up much of the searchable Internet, quite possibly including some of your own public data—and potentially some of your private data as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 20, 2023 • 8min
Some Parents Show Their Kids They Care with a Corpse
If you’re a silphid beetle, a dead body is all your children really want, and it’s your job—no matter how difficult—to get one for them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 18, 2023 • 10min
How to Handle This New COVID Season
The dangerous virus is still here. Here’s how you can stay safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 16, 2023 • 9min
As Arctic Sea Ice Breaks Up, AI Is Starting to Predict Where the Ice Will Go
Sea ice is changing fast. Are forecasts created by artificial intelligence the best way to keep up with the pace of a warming climate in the far north? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 13, 2023 • 5min
Scientists Argue Conservation Is under Threat in Indonesia
Researchers have been banned from working in Indonesia’s tropical rain forests after the government disagreed with their scientific conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 11, 2023 • 9min
A Soggy Mission to Sniff Out a Greenhouse Gas 'Bomb' in the High Arctic
A tower in the Arctic sniffs out signs of catastrophic thaw in the permafrost, focusing on the release of greenhouse gases. The podcast discusses the challenges of data collection in the Arctic, including limited monitoring towers and the impact of climate change.
Oct 9, 2023 • 9min
This Indigenous Community Records the Climate Change That Is Causing Its Town to Erode Away
This podcast discusses the impact of climate change on the Inuvialuit community in Tuktoyaktuk, Canada. They talk about efforts to relocate the graveyard, disappearing Tuck Island, and the importance of data collection and community-based monitoring. The speakers highlight the role of permafrost thaw and reduction in Arctic sea ice in exacerbating erosion, and end on a message of resilience and hope.
Oct 6, 2023 • 10min
Journey to the Thawing Edge of Climate Change
What is a permafrost thaw slump? Just imagine a massive hole with an area the size of more than nine football fields—and growing—where ice-cold ground once stood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
