A Moment of Science

Latest Episodes:

How Eureka Moments Can Warp Our Judgement Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

A eureka moment is an experience where a solution or idea suddenly appears in your mind and immediately feels true. One reason eureka experiences are peculiar is that they tend to accompany accurate solutions to problems, but they can also lead to errors.

The Powerful Pistol Shrimp Dec 29, 2020

Show notes

Today we will consider a small but mighty creature called the pistol shrimp. It's a ferocious animal, known for its claws, one of which is a normal pincer. The other is an enormous snapper, which is the pistol.

The Gestures In Our Voices Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

When we talk to people on the phone who we know well, we can often predict their physical gestures while they're talking, even if we can't see them. That's because we've seen them do it before, and because of cues from their voices.

A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall Dec 26, 2020

Show notes

Some days rain falls in a light, calm sweep across the earth. On other days rain falls in a torrential downpour, flooding the ground below. So, what causes this difference?

Ancient Gum Dec 04, 2020

Show notes

At one Stone-Age-era archaeological site in southern Denmark on the island Lolland all of the artifacts have been sealed in mud since the Mesolithic period 6,000 years ago. One artifact is what researchers are calling an early version of chewing gum, made from birch pitch that oozed from birch bark after being heated.

Will Dogs Really Rescue Humans? Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Cooperation and mutual aid can help animals survive and reproduce, and in these circumstances evolution can promote helpful and unselfish behavior. A study by American researchers published in 2020 shows that domestic dogs really will rescue their owners even when they haven't been trained to do it for a reward.

Aluminum, Phosphate, Lead and Water Dec 02, 2020

Show notes

Too much lead is always a cause for concern, and scientists are still learning about how lead interacts with other substances. Take aluminum and phosphate. Phosphate is sometimes added to water because it inhibits corrosion of lead pipes, reducing the amount of lead released into water.

Rediscovering the Nose-Horned Lizard Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

Many years ago, it seemed like there was so much biodiversity out there, with all kinds of new plants and animals to discover. Now it seems like every corner of the world has been studied and cataloged.

Are There Active Volcanoes On Venus? Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

The surface of Venus is dotted with ring-like structures named coronae, produced by volcanic activity. They appear to be much like the Hawaiian islands on Earth, which are products of volcanic activity from a plume of hot material welling up from Earth’s mantle.

Neanderthals and Fertility Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

Some of us have Neanderthal genes, and there's nothing wrong with that. There's research showing that women with a certain gene variant, or allele, inherited from Neanderthals are more fertile than women without it, and that 15 to 20 percent of women in Europe have it.

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