60-Second Science
Leading science journalists provide a daily minute of 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 www.sciam.com/podcast
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Lie Detection With Handwriting
A study in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology shows that handwriting tests could give polygraphs a challenge for lie detection. Cynthia Graber reports.
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Tuning in to the Insect Philharmonic
Allison Beall of the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye, NY, led a twilight walk on September 5th to tune in to the insect sounds of the evening. Become more aware of the nocturnal symphony and, in the New York metropolitan area, help scientists count the insects during the "Cricket Crawl" on September 1 …
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Tuning In To The Insect Philharmonic
Allison Beall of the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye, NY, led a twilight walk on September 5th to tune in to the insect sounds of the evening. Become more aware of the nocturnal symphony and, in the New York metropolitan area, help scientists count the insects during the "Cricket Crawl" on September 1 …
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Freeing the Mind to Forget
Young brains can forget painful memories, but old ones tend not to. An animal study in the journal Science finds that it may be possible to restore the old brain to its younger, more pliable state. Karen Hopkin reports
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Freeing The Mind To Forget
Young brains can forget painful memories, but old ones tend not to. An animal study in the journal Science finds that it may be possible to restore the old brain to its younger, more pliable state. Karen Hopkin reports.
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Whistle While You Wing
A study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B finds that pigeon wing-flapping produces distinct whistles, which can warn flock-mates, when merely taking off or when actively escaping predators. Karen Hopkin reports
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Making Music for Monkey Minds
A study in the journal Biology Letters finds that music based on monkey's own calls has similar effects on them that human music has on us. Cynthia Graber reports
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Recession: Just What the Doctor Ordered?
A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal finds that recessions in wealthy countries can lead to better health habits, as people spend less on alcohol, tobacco and rich food. Adam Hinterthuer reports.
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Astronauts Rose from Humble Starts
Astronauts Kevin Ford, Jose Hernandez and the rest of the STS-128 Discovery space shuttle crew have fascinating life stories and solid science and engineering educations. Steve Mirsky reports
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Fido's Fur Fated by 3 Genes
A study in the journal Science finds that just three genes control the wide variety of fur types found on all different breeds of dogs. Karen Hopkin reports
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Fido's Fur Fated By Three Genes
A study in the journal Science finds that just three genes control the wide variety of fur types found on all different breeds of dogs. Karen Hopkin reports.
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New Exoplanet Shouldn't Exist
A report in the journal Nature cites the discovery of a new planet, WASP-18b, which challenges assumptions about tidal interactions--it's too close and orbiting too fast not to have collided with its star, according to current knowledge. Cynthia Graber reports
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Tour Our Oblate Spheroid with The Geek Atlas
The Geek Atlas describes 128 mostly out-of-the-way tourist destinations for people who love science, technology and their history. Cynthia Graber reports
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Disappearing Bees Have Devastated Ribosomes
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by May Berenbaum and colleagues finds that bee colony collapse disorder seems to be related to bees' ribosomes breaking down, which keeps them from making the proteins they need to deal with stress and disease. Steve Mirsky reports
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That's No Vestigial Organ, That's My Appendix
A study in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology finds that many more animals have appendixes than was thought, and that the appendix is not merely a remnant of a digestive organ called the cecum. All of which means that the appendix might not be so useless. Steve Mirsky reports
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Rice Really Rises to the Occasion
A study in the journal Nature reports the discovery of rapid growth genes in rice varieties that can withstand flooding by quickly rising above the new water line. Engineering other strains to include the "snorkel" genes could help rice yields. Karen Hopkin reports
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Round and Round We Go
A study in the journal Current Biology verifies the proposition that people in a featureless environment will wind up walking in circles. Karen Hopkin reports
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Bite Back on World Mosquito Day
August 20th is World Mosquito Day, an effort to remind the public about the continuing threat of malaria and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Steve Mirsky reports
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Phone Networks Reveal Relationships
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that researchers deduce social networks with great accuracy simply by analyzing mobile phone use. Karen Hopkin reports.
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Paper Money Tainted with Cocaine
A study presented at the meeting of the American Chemical Society finds that the vast majority of paper money has trace amounts of cocaine. Cynthia Graber reports
60-Second Science
