A Moment of Science

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Bridging The Gibbon Divide Feb 11, 2021

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When a landslide in China created a treeless gully in a forest, the apes who lived there had to leap dangerously across, or take a long detour through the trees. So scientists built them a bridge.

The Loneliness Of Social Distancing Feb 10, 2021

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During times of mandatory isolation, like COVID-19 “social distancing”, countless people experience loneliness, but our craving for social contact is also very similar to cravings like thirst and hunger.

Thiophenes On Mars: Evidence Of Past Life? Feb 09, 2021

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Thiophenes are compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur. Their molecules contain a ring of four carbon atoms and one sulfur atom. They are found in coal, crude oil, in fossils of microscopic life, and bacterial mats.

Do Elephants Grieve Their Dead? Feb 08, 2021

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There are documented accounts by scientists of elephants' interest in the bodies of their dead. In 2019 a team of American researchers added their own observation at the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.

The Rusty Moon Feb 05, 2021

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In 2020, a team of American scientists reported the first remotely sensed evidence of the mineral hematite on Earth's moon. The researchers made their discovery with a NASA instrument aboard the Indian space agency's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft orbiting the moon.

Is Your Dog Anxious? Feb 04, 2021

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Sensitivity to loud noises, like thunder or fireworks, is the most common kind of anxiety for dogs. In fact, researchers at the University of Helsinki had dog owners around the world report on their canines' anxiety.

Where Did Penguins Come From? Feb 03, 2021

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Scientists have mulling over the origin of the penguin. And after sequencing the genome of the 18 species of penguins that exist today, they have a pretty good idea how these evolved.

Foxing Feb 02, 2021

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If you visit an archive with scrolls, illuminated manuscripts, or old books on display, you might notice a particular kind of round, yellowish, or orange-tinted stain on some of the paper artifacts. This color effect is called foxing, and paper so affected is said to be “foxed.”

The Danger of Supervolcanoes Feb 01, 2021

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Just like the impact of an asteroid or a comet, the explosion of a volcano can be a major disaster. 39,000 years ago the Campi Flegrei volcano blew up in what's now Italy, blasting 70 cubic miles of molten rock into the stratosphere.

Whale Migration Molting Jan 29, 2021

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Some animals go to great lengths to exfoliate. Some scientists think that the reason some whale species make their long migration is to shed their skin, not to feed or give birth.

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