A Moment of Science

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Bumblebees and Flowering Plants Nov 12, 2020

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Scientists think that bumblebees can speed up flowering in plants. They go the idea when doing a different experiment and noticing bumblebees using their mouths to pinch the leaves of plants that hadn't flowered yet.

The Asteroid Did It: A Murder Mystery Nov 11, 2020

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The extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period is Earth's greatest murder mystery. 66 million years ago, something killed about 75 percent of all animals, including the dinosaurs.

Coyotes May Soon Enter South America Nov 10, 2020

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Historically, coyotes roamed a broad expanse, as far east as the Mississippi and as far west as the Pacific, north into Canada and south into Mexico, but since 1900 they’ve extended their range into every corner of the US

Warm Antarctic Waters Nov 09, 2020

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Scientists are carefully monitoring the west Antarctic ice sheet. It's melting, and has been responsible for about four percent of the global rise in sea levels to date.

A Brain Area That Shuts Off Pain Nov 09, 2020

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During WWII, doctors noticed severely injured soldiers didn't need pain medication. Biomedical researchers have known for some time that the brain has an endogenous opiate system that controls pain. Now, they've found evidence of a new pain relief circuit.

Isolation and Inflammation Nov 06, 2020

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An illness all by itself is unpleasant, but the isolation we experience while recovering is also bad for our health. There's research showing that social isolation is associated with increased inflammation in the body.

Reindeer Could Save The Permafrost Nov 05, 2020

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Reindeer herds may be saving thawing permafrost, which can release greenhouse gases stored in it and speed up climate change.

Pain Relieving Profanity Nov 04, 2020

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When you stub your toe or hit your head, sometimes a swear word will slip out. Some researchers argue that this is a kind of stress-reduced analgesia, or pain-reliever.

Turtle Moms And Their Decoy Nests Nov 02, 2020

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Every summer, scores of trained volunteers scan coastal beaches, looking for sea turtle nests. When found, the nests are marked and watched, preventing predators or curious humans from finding the eggs.

The "Ghost" Hominin Oct 30, 2020

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It's interesting that modern anthropologists can do more than just study fossil bones and teeth. Ancient remains sometimes contain surviving DNA, and this has let scientists study the genomes of both the Neanderthals and the Denisovans.

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