Dec 24

The Quest for Climate-Ready Christmas Trees

Christmas trees may seem timeless, but growing them is becoming increasingly challenging in a warming world. In this episode, host Kendra Pierre-Louis talks to Priya Rajarapu, a Christmas tree extension specialist at Oregon State University, about how climate change is reshaping ... Show More

13m 40s

Dec 22

2025: The Year Science Was Shaken

In this year-end roundup, Scientific American editors break down how 2025 reshaped science across the board—from sweeping federal upheavals that disrupted long-standing research institutions to public health setbacks driven by vaccine rollbacks and rising measles cases to renewed ... Show More

18m 15s

Dec 19

The Hidden Voices of Monk Seals

In this episode, take a dive into the underwater vocalizations of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Scientists analyzing thousands of hours of underwater recordings have uncovered a surprising array of previously unknown calls. Ocean writer Melissa Hobson explores how researcher ... Show More

20m 58s

Oct 22

The Science of a Convincing Sorry

What makes an apology sound sincere? Psychologist Shiri Lev-Ari joins host Rachel Feltman to explore how the effort we put into our words—especially through longer, easier-to-understand language—can signal genuine remorse. New research reveals that even subtle linguistic choices ... Show More

11m 16s

Dec 2024

A Farewell to 2024, and What We’re Following in the New Year

2024 brought heat waves and hurricanes, bird flu and breakthroughs, and an overwhelming amount of progress in AI. Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman is joined by sustainability editor Andrea Thompson, health and medicine editor Tanya Lewis and technology editor Ben Guarino to re ... Show More

21m 2s

Feb 2025

Exploring the Hidden Life in the Air around Us with Carl Zimmer

Scientists now agree that COVID spreads via airborne transmission. But during the early days of the disease, public health officials suggested that it mainly did so via close contact. The subsequent back-and-forth over how COVID spread brought science journalist Carl Zimmer into ... Show More

16m 47s

Apr 2025

From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All

Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host Rachel Feltman to take us through the rise of the Internet and the acceleration of advancement in neuroscience that he’s covered t ... Show More

20m 15s

Jul 2025

Greenland’s Ice Sheet Is at Risk—And So Are We

Chief multimedia editor Jeffery DelViscio ventured to Greenland for a month to learn from the scientists studying the country’s ice sheet. He speaks with host Rachel Feltman about his time in the field and his takeaways from conversations with climate scientists. This story was s ... Show More

22m 5s

Oct 20

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

Aug 2024

Unusual Archaeology: Contemplating the Cosmos (Part 2)

Gazing up at the night sky is a universal human experience, likely as old as our species itself. But how did our ancient ancestors feel about what they saw in the heavens, and how did it shape their lives? In Episode Two of our three-part Fascination miniseries on unusual archaeo ... Show More

23m 26s

Feb 2025

Valentine’s Day Isn’t Just for Romance—The Science of Deep Friendships

Love isn’t just about romance. This Valentine’s Day, we’re exploring the power of deep nonromantic bonds. Host Rachel Feltman sits down with Rhaina Cohen, a producer and editor for NPR’s podcast Embedded and author of The Other Significant Others, to discuss the history and psych ... Show More

17m 2s

Sep 18

Ask a Chemist: Why is glass clear? (and other questions)

<p>Melissa and Jam tackle a range of fascinating chemistry questions from their audience in this episode of 'Chemistry For Your Life'. They discuss why glass is transparent, how some foods make our mouth feel hot or cold, and the science behind decaffeinating coffee. Along the wa ... Show More

38m 10s

Feb 2025

Saying Farewell to the Spacecraft That Mapped the Milky Way

The Gaia spacecraft stopped collecting data this January after about 11 years and more than three trillion observations. Senior space and physics editor Lee Billings joins host Rachel Feltman to review Gaia’s Milky Way–mapping mission and the tidal streams, black holes and astero ... Show More

17m 20s

Inside the Struggle to Save an Orca Comm...