60-Second Science

The popular decongestant phenylephrine is not effective, an FDA panel found. Here’s what to use instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We present the latest updates on ChatGPT, Bard and other competitors in the artificial intelligence arms race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An astronomy festival in Italy opted to make all of its events and workshops multisensory. The organizers wanted to see whether sound, touch and smell can, like sight, transmit the wonders of the cosmos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A blind astronomer “sonified” the universe’s most explosive events: gamma-ray bursts. By listening to, rather than looking at, the data, she made a critical discovery and changed the field of astronomy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space is famously silent, but astronomers and musicians are increasingly turning astronomical data into sound as a way to make discoveries and inspire people who are blind or visually impaired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researcher captures air from the Amazon using dive-bombs, revealing alarming findings about the forest's decline. Discussion on carbon dioxide concentrations, forest behavior, and the declining carbon sink in the Amazon. Climate change threatens the southern Amazon with a longer dry season and potential species extinction. Degradation of the eastern forest poses a threat to the entire Amazon ecosystem.

Easy tests for Alzheimer's are now available, but they may not offer much help yet. This podcast explores the challenges of treatment and the importance of blood tests in diagnosing Alzheimer's. It discusses the advantages and limitations of blood tests compared to other diagnostic tools. The current recommendations for getting a blood test are also highlighted, along with the limitations of current treatment options.

Ada Limón, U.S. Poet Laureate, discusses her involvement in NASA's Europa Clipper mission and the inspiration behind her poem. They explore the connection between water and Earth, reflect on the challenges of writing an authentic poem for space, and discuss the poet's relationship with the NASA team. Ada Limón reads a poem dedicated to Europa that emphasizes human curiosity and awe towards the mysteries of the universe.

Caterpillars use unique strategies to survive winter, including production of antifreeze compounds. The Woolly Bear caterpillar has spiky fuzz for protection. Climate change may impact their survival. Other caterpillars can also endure freezing temperatures.

A honeybee swarm has as much electric charge as a thundercloud, and the insects’ mass movements in the atmosphere might even have some influence on the weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices