This week's news roundup: The European Space Agency’s Juice mission tested its instruments with a flyby of Earth in preparation for studying habitability on moons of Jupiter’. Also, a study found that Massachusetts has reduced food waste through composting and enforcement while four other states have not successfully done so despite also having bans on dispo ... Show More
Yesterday
Cartwheeling snakes, vocal vultures and a mysterious Martian moon
On this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman discusses Japan’s half-billion-dollar mission to land on Mars’s lumpy little moon Phobos and catches up on animal behavior, both big and small—from newly discovered cartwheeling snakes to the surprisingly complex vocal reper ... Show More
11m 16s
Oct 23
Why your brain hates uncertainty
Our brains are constantly trying to predict what comes next, but in an increasingly unpredictable world, that mental workload can fuel stress, anxiety and even depression. In this episode of Science Quickly, author Maia Szalavitz explains how the brain processes uncertainty, why ... Show More
22m 45s
Oct 21
Slime molds, Pompeii and alien consciousness with Annalee Newitz
In this episode of Science Quickly, science journalist and science-fiction author Annalee Newitz discusses their novel A Wall Is Also a Road, a story about a graduate student who also happens to be a conscious slime mold alien. The slime mold, named Gardenpath, has decided to stu ... Show More
20m 9s
Apr 2023
News Round Up: Mammoth Meatballs, Stressed Plants And Apologetic Robots
In this Friday round up of science news we can't let go, not everything is as it seems. Meatballs are not made of fresh meat from the cattle range. Robots are keeping something from you. And plants have secrets they keep out of your earshot. It's deceptive science, Short Wave-sty ... Show More
14m 15s
Nov 2024
An Off Day on Uranus, a Wildfire in Prospect Park and Dispatches from COP29
A wildfire in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Prospect Park was in part linked to drought conditions nationally. Plastic waste is set to grow with our expanding economy, but potential solutions look promising. Drops in gonorrhea and early-stage syphilis point to the first decline in sexually tr ... Show More
11m 44s
Sep 2017
Cargo-sorting molecular robots, humans as the ultimate fire starters, and molecular modeling with quantum computers
This week we hear stories on the gut microbiome’s involvement in multiple sclerosis, how wildfires start—hint: It’s almost always people—and a new record in quantum computing with Online News Editor David Grimm. Andrew Wagner talks to Lulu Qian about DNA-based robots that can car ... Show More
30m 26s
Apr 2023
Artemis II Astronauts, AI Research Pause, Terra Nil Video Game. April 7, 2023, Part 2
<p>An Open Letter Asks AI Researchers To Reconsider Responsibilities</p>
<p>In recent months, it’s been hard to escape hearing about artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT, the AI-enabled version of Bing, and Google’s Bard—large language models skilled at manipulating ... Show More
47m 41s
Aug 2024
Space Firefighting, Sleep Schedules, Polystyrene
Today, you’ll learn about AI that can detect wildfires from space, why going to bed late might not be so great on your mental health, and a breakthrough in recycling. Space Firefighting “Fighting fires from space in record time: how AI could prevent a repeat of Australia’s devast ... Show More
11m 33s