60-Second Science
60-Second Science
Leading science journalists provide a daily commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of science. For a full-length, weekly podcast you can subscribe to Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American. To view all of our archived podcasts please go to ...
Amygala's Acidic Aspiration Answer
A study in the journal Cell shows that the buildup of carbon dioxide when we stop breathing causes a pH change that signals proteins in the brain to force us to inhale. Karen Hopkin reports.
Thanksgiving Dinner Could Stop Black Friday Shopping
A study in the Journal of Marketing Research finds that the traditional Thanksgiving meal may affect brain chemistry in such a way as to lessen the likelihood of impulse buying during Black Friday's store sales. Karen Hopkin reports.
Cigarettes Are Bacteria Sticks Too
A study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives finds that cigarettes harbor various species of bacteria, some of which cause disease. Karen Hopkin reports.
Plants Share Light If Neighbor Is Related
A study in the American Journal of Botany finds that plants can tell if they're next to a relative and will grow to allow the kin more access to light. Cynthia Graber reports.
Sound During Sleep Fixes Learning
A study in the journal Science found that sleeping after learning consolidated the acquisition of the new information, especially if sound cues related to the info were played to the sleeper. Karen Hopkin reports
Pharaohs Had Heart Disease
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that multiple ancient Egyptian mummies show signs of atherosclerosis. Karen Hopkin reports
Darwin in Battle of Wits against Unarmed Man
Antievolutionist Ray Comfort will be distributing copies of the Origin of Species with a new introduction that misrepresents, misunderstands and distorts Darwin's ideas and legacy. Steve Mirsky comments
Why Bangladesh Water Contains Arsenic
In a study in the journal Nature Geoscience, M.I.T. researchers identify what they believe is the sequence of events whereby arsenic trapped in the sediment of the Ganges Delta is finding its way into the drinking water supply of Bangladesh. Cynthia ...
Pick the World's Ugliest Insect
Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University want your vote at askabiologist.asu.edu/uglybugs to help them crown the ugliest insect in the world. Adam Hinterthuer reports
Finding Room for New Memories
A study in the journal Cell shows that the formation of new memories requires the movement of other memories located in the hippocampus to long-term storage in the neocortex. Karen Hopkin reports
Judging a Book by Its Odor
A study in the journal Analytical Chemistry identifies various organic compounds that old books give off and that can be analyzed noninvasively, offering important clues to an historic work's condition and prognosis. Steve Mirsky reports
Diet and the Brain
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that brain chemicals linked to addiction are in play with a high-sugar diet, and a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that a high-carb diet had lasting mood-elevation ...
Butterfly Shows Speciation Signs
A study in the journal Science looks at Heliconius butterflies in Ecuador, in which a single gene change that influences mate choice may be the first step in the splitting of the population into two species. Cynthia Graber reports
Babies Already Have An Accent
A study in the journal Current Biology finds that babies, because they listen in the womb, cry in distinctive ways that reflect the language spoken by their parents. Karen Hopkin reports, with commentary by Christopher Hopkin.
Good Sprinters Have Long Toes
A study in the Journal of Experimental Biology finds that successful sprinters have longer toes and Achilles tendons that produce less leverage than non-athletes of similar height. Karen Hopkin reports
Sneezes Provoke Fears Beyond Illness
A study in the journal Psychological Science finds that people who hear someone nearby sneezing become more concerned in general, not just about catching a cold or flu. Karen Hopkin reports.
Sugar Negates Worm's Life-Extending Mutation
A study with roundworms in the journal Cell Metabolism found that a diet rich in sugar offset a mutation that ordinarily doubled the worms' life spans. Rachel Kremen reports
Apnea Treatment Improves Golf Game
A study presented at CHEST 2009, the meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, found that golfers with apnea who got treatment lowered their handicaps by as much as three strokes. Steve Mirsky reports.
Dogs Can't Smell a Liar
A study in the journal Behavioural Processes finds that dogs cannot reliably tell if someone is fibbing to them. Karen Hopkin reports