Long-chain alkanes discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover point to the possibility that there may have been fatty acids on Mars—and that they could have come from past microbial life. Paleontologists have found a huge dinosaur claw that was probably made for foraging, not fighting. Researchers studying ocean life have recorded the sounds of sharks and the tric ... 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
May 2022
Declining Data, Climate Deadlines and the Day the Dinosaurs Died
Covid-19 infections in the UK are at an all-time high. But most people in England can no longer access free Covid-19 tests, and the REACT-1 study, which has been testing more than 100,000 individuals since the pandemic began, ended last week after its funding stopped. Martin Mcke ... Show More
36m 14s
Oct 2020
Strange News: Building Material on Mars, Sharks and COVID-19, Crows Wage Unending War on Owls
<p>Have scientists discovered a new building material for future Martian colonies? Why might a vaccine for COVID-19 lead to the deaths of thousands of deep-sea sharks? Is it true that crows can think about thinking (and are they really in an unending, existential war with owls)? ... Show More
1h 8m
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