Science Quickly

Latest Episodes:

Women’s heart health, Artemis update, postbirthing vitamins for reindeer Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, we’ll unpack a worrying prediction for women’s heart health that says nearly 60 percent of women in the U.S. will have some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050. We’ll also get you the latest on NASA’s upcoming historic moon missions. Plus, we’ll look at a new explanation for why female reindeer have antlers.

Recommended Reading:

Heart disease in young women projected to rise sharply by 2050

NASA scraps 2027 Artemis III moon landing in favor of 2028 mission

Female caribou grow antlers as a built-in postbirthing snack

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.

Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

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A teen, an algorithm and the race to stop poaching Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, freelance wildlife writer Melissa Hobson investigates how a 17‑year‑old’s breakthrough artificial-intelligence-based gunshot detector could transform antipoaching efforts by giving rangers real-time alerts from deep inside noisy rainforests. She breaks down why this lightweight neural network outperforms traditional tools, how it could help protect critically endangered African forest elephants, and what conservation scientists say about the future of AI‑driven wildlife protection.

Recommended Reading:

Illegal Wildlife Trade Tied to Drugs, Arms and Human Trafficking

How AI Can Help Save Endangered Species

Elephants’ peculiar whiskers help them sense the world around them

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.

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The science behind polyamory Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, we explore what research reveals about polyamory, how multipartner relationships actually function and why communication and consent are central to making them work. Anthropologist Rebecca J. Lester helps break down common myths, highlight the ethics at the core of polyamory and shares insights that can strengthen any relationship—monogamous or otherwise.

Recommended Reading:

The truth about polyamory

New Sexual Revolution: Polyamory May Be Good for You

How often do people fall passionately in love? The answer may be less than you think

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.

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New dino, vaccine shake-ups, dirty air risks Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

In this Science Quickly news roundup, we look at the Food and Drug Administration’s surprising change of heart on reviewing Moderna’s mRNA flu shot, a promising new inhaled vaccine that could fight multiple respiratory bugs at once and fresh research that ties air pollution to higher Alzheimer’s risk. We also check in on the latest Artemis II “wet dress rehearsal” and meet a newly discovered spinosaurid dinosaur that turns old assumptions about such dinos’ habitat on their head.

Recommended Reading:

FDA agrees to review Moderna mRNA flu vaccine in dramatic reversal

Newly discovered horned dinosaur was like a unicorn from hell

NASA just passed a major milestone on its mission to return humans to the moon

NASA reveals new problem with Artemis II rocket, further delaying launch

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

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The surprising enigma of slippery ice Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Many of the events in the Winter Olympics involve some sort of sliding or slipping on ice—in a skillful, controlled way. Those moves often seem effortless, but the physics behind what makes them possible is messy. For centuries, scientists have been trying to figure out why ice is slippery. In this episode of Science Quickly, host Kendra Pierre-Louis laces up her skates to explore the slippery truth behind that deceptively simple question. She’s joined by science journalist Paulina Rowińska and physicists Daniel Bonn and Martin Müser, who take us through various competing theories and explain how we may finally have a winner.

Recommended Reading:

“Why Is Ice Slippery? A New Hypothesis Slides Into the Chat,” by Paulina Rowińska, in Quanta Magazine. Published online December 8, 2025

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

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Can AI keep Alzheimer’s patients safe at home? Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, multimedia journalist Meghan McDonough explores how emerging artificial-intelligence‑powered “smart home” tools are helping people with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that cause dementia stay safer at home while easing the load on caregivers. And McDonough examines the key ethical, privacy and access questions that come with relying on these technologies.

Recommended Reading:

Meet Your Future Robot Servants, Caregivers and Explorers

The Heartbreak and Hazards of Alzheimer’s Caregiving

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter.

Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was reported and co-hosted by Meghan McDonough and edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

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Trump’s climate rollback, this wild winter and ‘Penisgate’ Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, we unpack the Trump administration’s move to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s “endangerment finding” and its effect on the future of U.S. climate policy. We also look at why this winter has felt brutally cold to many on the East Coast. Plus, we explore the physics behind a rumored ski jumping controversy at the Winter Olympics—a rather NSFW scandal—that involves hyaluronic acid and male genitals.

Recommended Reading:

EPA scraps the ‘endangerment finding’ that climate change harms human health

Why has this winter been so cold?

The physics of ‘Penisgate’ and how ski jumpers fly

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter.

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The evolutionary riddle of the kiss Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, kissing may be on your mind. But why do we kiss? In this episode of Science Quickly, evolutionary biologist Matilda Brindle joins host Kendra Pierre-Louis to uncover the evolutionary roots of kissing. We trace kissing back 21.5 million years and learn how it’s common among primates and what that tells us about how kissing may have evolved among humans. Plus, we also unpack recent findings that hint that humans and Neandertals may have once locked lips.

Recommended Reading:

Kissing May Have Evolved 21.5 Million Years Ago

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter.

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How Heated Rivalry nailed its Russian Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, hosts Kendra Pierre-Louis and Allison Parshall dive into the surprising linguistics behind the hit TV series Heated Rivalry. Pierre-Louis and Parshall speak with the show’s Russian dialect coach Kate Yablunovsky about how she helped actor Connor Storrie deliver impressively authentic Russian dialogue on a tight time line. Yablunovsky breaks down what the toughest Russian sounds are for English speakers, why perfect accents aren’t always the goal and how cultural context, mouth posture and psychology all shape believable performances.

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter.

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Rhythm babies, rocket delays, solar fireworks Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Science Quickly, we dive into NASA’s latest headaches as the Artemis II moon mission hits delays. We also take a look at a massive solar flare that lit up the skies—and disrupted some tech—along with fresh concerns that PFAS “forever chemicals,” used to replace ozone‑depleting substances, are accumulating far more than expected. And new research shows that babies are actually born with a sense of rhythm.

Recommended Reading:

NASA document reveals new Artemis II moon mission target launch dates for March

NASA delays Artemis II moon mission after critical test raises issues

NASA’s Artemis II launch rehearsal hits a snag

The sun just unleashed its most powerful solar flare in years

Nearly half of people in the U.S. have toxic PFAS in their drinking water

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter.

Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses, Emily Makowski and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

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