60-Second Science

• 60-Second Science  13 hours ago

  Toucan: Put Heat on My Bill

  A study in the journal Science finds that at least one purpose of the the giant bill of the toucan is to radiate heat. Adam Hinterthuer reports

• 60-Second Science  7/24/09

  Fish Shrink to Beat Heat

  A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that the planet's warming oceans are inducing fish to get smaller as a strategy to deal with increased temperature. Karen Hopkin reports
• 60-Second Science  7/23/09

  Artificial Gravity Slows Muscle Loss

  A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that spinning bedridden volunteers in a centrifuge to mimic gravity stopped the muscle loss associated with weightlessness. Steve Mirsky reports
• 60-Second Science  7/22/09

  What's on TV Is Biomedical Bonus

  A study in the journal Green Chemistry shows that a substance recovered from old liquid crystal displays, PVA, has multiple medical uses. Cynthia Graber reports
• 60-Second Science  7/21/09

  Raindrop Sizes Surprises

  A study in the journal Nature Physics shows that raindrop size distribution is a function of large drops disintegrating as they fall. Karen Hopkin reports

• 60-Second Science  7/20/09

  Aldrin Dusts Off Moon Memories

  Buzz Aldrin recalls the simple strangeness of being on another world, such as how the dust rose and fell differently on the moon with each footfall. Steve Mirsky reports

• 60-Second Science  7/17/09

  Jockey Positions Speed Up Horses

  A study in the journal Science claims that the movement of jockeys out of phase with their horses eases the horse's workload and accounts for up to 7 percent of the decrease in race times over the last century. Karen Hopkin reports

• 60-Second Science  7/16/09

  Wastewater Analysis for Drug Abuse Evidence

  A study in the journal Addiction shows that a viable system for measuring the consumption of illegal drugs in various communities is to analyze samples of untreated wastewater--which contains the leftovers. Steve Mirsky reports

• 60-Second Science  7/15/09

  The Myth of Multitasking

  A study in the journal Neuron shows that when we think we're getting better at multitasking, we're really getting faster at switching back and forth between two different things at different times. Karen Hopkin reports

• 60-Second Science  7/14/09

  Cat Call Coerces Can Opening

  A study in the journal Current Biology finds that some cat purrs include a high-frequency plaintive component that gets people to do cats' bidding. Karen Hopkin reports

• 60-Second Science  7/13/09

  Profanity Bleeps Physical Pain

  A study in the journal NeuroReport finds that using socially unacceptable "swear words" has physical effects that enable the swearer to tolerate pain better. Adam Hinterthuer reports

• 60-Second Science  7/10/09

  Shell Shock: Turtle Development Secret Revealed

  A study in the journal Science tracks the embryonic development of the turtle's shell, which includes the shoulder blades getting folded within the ribs. Cynthia Graber reports

• 60-Second Science  7/9/09

  Poll: Science, Though Beneficial, Losing Importance

  The American public likes science, but thinks that its achievements are less important than they were a decade ago. That's according to telephone surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Steve Mirsky reports

• 60-Second Science  7/8/09

  Are Parasites to Thank for Sex?

  A study in the journal The American Naturalist implies that parasites helped drive the development of sex, because the shuffling of genes gives sex-produced progeny an advantage over asexual genetic clones. Cynthia Graber reports

• 60-Second Science  7/7/09

  Really Mass Media

  In London last week at the World Conference of Science Journalists, Philip Hilts, the director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at M.I.T., reviewed the worldwide state of Internet and cell phone use, two of the major ways people now get news

• 60-Second Science  7/6/09

  Future of Science Coverage

  At the World Conference of Science Journalists in London last week, outgoing Scientific American Editor in Chief John Rennie talked to writers about the future of what they do, remarks that also pertain to this podcast. Steve Mirsky reports

• 60-Second Science  7/3/09

  Genetic Link for Perfect Pitch?

  Recent research claims to have found some evidence for a genetic link to perfect pitch. Christie Nicholson reports

• 60-Second Science  7/2/09

  Rain Zone Moving North

  An article in Nature Geoscience predicts that the rainiest area on Earth, the intertropical convergence zone, is moving steadily north. Christie Nicholson reports

• 60-Second Science  7/1/09

  Why Didn't Earth Freeze Completely?

  Research published in the July 2 issue of Nature reveals one reason our planet didn't succumb to an enveloping ice sheet during glacial ages. Christie Nicholson reports