logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2025
8m 52s

Global Superbugs Surge, Chikungunya Hits...

Scientific American
About this episode
This week on Science Quickly, we cover the global rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a rare U.S. case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus and new research on anti-inflammatory supplements. Plus, scientists warn of satellite vulnerabilities—from Earth’s weakening magnetic shield to unencrypted data leaks—and uncover a surprising fungal nursery hidden ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
What happens when Arctic ice melts and forests lose protection?
In this episode of Science Quickly, we examine a proposal to roll back protections for millions of acres of U.S. roadless forests, explore how climate change is opening a new Arctic shipping route and discuss new research suggesting that extreme weather can shape how Americans vi ... Show More
11m 56s
Aug 21
Can magic mushrooms help treat anorexia?
A small clinical trial suggests that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, may help some people with anorexia when combined with intensive therapy. Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman speaks with health journalist Alexandra Pattillo about what early research ha ... Show More
24m 27s
Aug 19
Is AI making the creativity crisis worse?
Astrophysicist, folklorist and author Moiya McTier joins Science Quickly to discuss her new book Mothers of Invention, a sweeping look at the history of human creativity. From the Greek muses and the invention of writing to the rise of generative artificial intelligence, McTier e ... Show More
15m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2025
Global Superbugs Surge, Chikungunya Hits Long Island, and Satellites Leak Data
This week on Science Quickly, we cover the global rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a rare U.S. case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus and new research on anti-inflammatory supplements. Plus, scientists warn of satellite vulnerabilities—from Earth’s weakening magnetic ... Show More
8m 52s
Oct 2024
Microbes Are Evolving to Eat Cleaning Supplies, and Whooping Cough Is Making a Comeback
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed we’re in the solar maximum, a period of increased solar activity that could lead to more auroras. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a fivefold surge in whooping cough cases ... Show More
9m 13s
Mar 2022
CLASSIC: The Rise of the Superbug
<p>It's true - scientists around the world are increasingly concerned that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, leading to a future filled with unstoppable bacteria. But could it actually happen? How did we get here, and what happens next?</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ... Show More
1h 9m
Jan 2020
Superbuggin’
Incurable gonorrhea and the deadly hospital superbug C. diff offer a frightening window into the gathering public health menace of antibiotic resistance. If society doesn’t wake up and tackle the problem, we could be headed toward a calamity on the magnitude of climate change. Ho ... Show More
27m 39s
Oct 2024
Scurvy, Bird Flu and a Big Old Meteorite
An enormous meteorite’s impact 3.26 billion years ago may have made conditions on Earth more hospitable for life in the long run. Washington State is the sixth state to report cases of bird flu in humans. Weight-loss procedures and treatments could lead to an uptick in scurvy cas ... Show More
9m 27s
Jun 2007
ARMAGEDDON - Super Volcanoes, Meteorites and Earthquakes
This week a rabies-based Trojan Horse that smuggles drugs across the blood-brain barrier, why first-borns are brighter, progress with Parkinson's and a lunar telescope more powerful than Hubble. Plus in this week's ARMAGEDDON-focused show we look at supervolcanes, earthquakes and ... Show More
57m 12s
Dec 2022
Mosquito pesticide failing
Mosquito pesticide failing - prevention of dengue fever and other diseases at risk. Dangerous bird flu evolving fast - researchers are learning why bird flu is persisting and spreading fast round the world, and assess the threat to humans. Drilling for ancient ice in the Antarcti ... Show More
27m 49s
Jul 2023
Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science news roundup
Science in the headlines: An amazingly preserved sea squirt fossil that could tell us something about human evolution, a new effort to fight malaria by genetically modifying mosquitos and why archeologists are rethinking a discovery about a Copper-age leader. All Things Considere ... Show More
8m 59s