Science, Quickly

Latest Episodes:

Little Galaxy Keeps Churning Out Stars Nov 15, 2015

Show notes

The recently discovered small galaxy Leo P contains only about a hundred-thousandth as many stars as the Milky Way, but it's bucking the small galaxy trend by continuing to make new ones

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Howler Monkeys Trade Testicles for Decibels Nov 13, 2015

Show notes

Among howler monkey species, loud calls come at the expense of testicle size and sperm production—or to put it another way, monkeys with the largest testes don't make as much noise

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Stone Age Pottery Reveals Signs of Beekeeping Nov 12, 2015

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Beeswax residues found on shards of stone age pottery in the Mediterranean region indicate that humans were keeping honeybees as early as 9,000 years ago

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Brain Rhythms Sync to Musical Beat Nov 10, 2015

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The human brain's neurons fire in sync to music, and trained musicians are better at it than are amateurs

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Brain Responds to Driving Routes Repeatedly Nov 06, 2015

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Learning detailed navigation information causes the hippocampus to interact with other regions of the brain involved in location

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Arctic Marine Mammals Swim Up to the Microphone Nov 05, 2015

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As Arctic sea ice melts, an underwater recording project reveals that the submerged ecology is undergoing change, with humpbacks and killer whales staying north later in the year. Christopher Intagliata reports

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Decoy Mating Call Battles Citrus Pest Nov 03, 2015

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Researchers developed a call that effectively mimics the citrus psyllid's mating song, which could be a weapon against a devastating crop scourge. Christopher Intagliata reports

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Methane Plumes Bubbling along U.S. Northwest Coast Nov 02, 2015

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Researchers report a spike in the number of methane plumes along the Northwest coast emanating from depths of about 500 meters, a possible indication that submerged frozen methane is becoming available

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Cultural Goofs Gear Up Gray Matter Oct 29, 2015

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People exposed to incongruent situations, such as Halloween-themed plates at a Labor Day picnic, performed better on cognitive-reasoning tests and were less likely to make impulse purchases or overeat

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Whale Poop Drives Global Nutrient Cycling Oct 28, 2015

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Whales fertilize ocean surface waters with key nutrients like phosphorus, which move through the food chain, and eventually, onto land. Christopher Intagliata reports

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