A Moment of Science

Latest Episodes:

Why does cotton wrinkle? Jun 19, 2024

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A cool, dry cotton fiber springs back after being bent. A warm, damp cotton fiber doesn't. Moisture and temperature make the difference.

A tarantula with the blues Jun 18, 2024

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Blue jays, poison dart frogs, and peacocks—each of these animals is distinct for their same vibrant color. But have you ever seen a blue spider?

When is yellow really yellow? Jun 17, 2024

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Why a mix of red light and green light looks yellow, in this Moment of Science.

Male mammals aren't always bigger than females Jun 14, 2024

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Evolutionary biologists thought it was a general rule among mammals that males are bigger, but that's not always the case.

Robert Hook found a surprise in cork Jun 13, 2024

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The 17th-century English physicist Robert Hooke was curious about the remarkable properties of cork -- its ability to float, its springy quality, its usefulness in sealing bottles. Hooke investigated the structure of cork with a new scientific instrument he was very enthusiastic about: the microscope.

A summer night mystery: heat lightning Jun 12, 2024

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One of the more mysterious pleasures of a warm summer evening is the spectacle of lightning from distant thunderstorms, flickering silently on the horizon while stars shine overhead. People usually call it heat lightning.

Why one rotten apple can spoil the barrel Jun 11, 2024

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Learn about the role that ethylene plays in ripening fruit with today's A Moment of Science

Speedy snails Jun 10, 2024

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Over the past 100,000 years, a snail species has done what it normally takes a species millions of years to do: give live birth.

Rediscovered in a museum drawer Jun 07, 2024

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The distant past is poorly known, and paleontologists find fossil evidence for new large animals all the time.

The fruit that grows on trees, literally Jun 06, 2024

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Jabuticaba is a fruit native to Brazil. It’s the size and color of a plum, with a white pulp and several seeds