Mucus Saves Your Life Every Day

In this episode of Science Quickly, we start with a quick update on the Ebola outbreak surging in parts of Africa. Host Rachel Feltman is then joined by Scientific American’s senior desk editor for life science Andrea Thompson to discuss what rising temperatures mean for the FIFA ... Show More

In this episode of Science Quickly, one of SciAm’s Young American Scientists, biologist Jaye Gardiner, explores how common viral infections may raise cancer risk—not just through genetic mutations but by reshaping the body’s “extracellular matrix” of molecules that support cells ... Show More

In this episode, host Rachel Feltman interviews neuroscientist Kauê M. Costa, who is among Scientific American’s inaugural cohort of Young American Scientists honorees. Costa shares how being surprised by experiments has led him to new ways of thinking about learning in the brain ... Show More

The slimy substance is so powerful that doctors once made hog stomach mucus milkshakes to treat ulcers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

S2 Ep 28. From goo to super glue! Slug slime may hold the key to mending wounds without stitches or staples. Scientists have developed new adhesives based on the properties of slug slime, that are as sticky as any glue, stretchier than a rubber band and aren’t toxic to humans. Th ... Show More

After centuries of use in wound-healing, the maggot is back. The rise of the drug-resistant superbug means fresh eyes are focused on the superpowers of the larvae of the greenbottle fly species, Lucilia Sericata. James Gallagher reports on the healthcare professionals who are tur ... Show More

The amphibians' saliva is what's known as a "shear-thinning fluid," like ketchup—sometimes thick, sometimes thin and flowing. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

For everything that's weird and wondrous about the platypus, we probably shouldn't be surprised that its milk may help save countless lives, but here we are. Learn how in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/platypus ... Show More

Ultrasound triggered cells home in on tumors and then self destruct to deliver damage or therapeutics from inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

How in the world could a slug help doctors to perform surgery on humans? Where in the world can you find the slug with the stickiest slime? Join Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz on their the slimiest and "tiniest" adventure yet! It's all the latest Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, and W ... Show More

Venom can kill ... or it can cure. From killer sea snails to platypuses and slow lorises, marine chemical biologist Mandë Holford shares her research into animal venom and explores its potential to one day treat human diseases like cancer. Although the mechanism behind this power ... Show More

Venom can kill ... or it can cure. From killer sea snails to platypuses and slow lorises, marine chemical biologist Mandë Holford shares her research into animal venom and explores its potential to one day treat human diseases like cancer. Although the mechanism behind this power ... Show More