Science, Quickly

Latest Episodes:

What Is the Shape of This Word? Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

What shape do you see when you hear “bouba”? What about “kiki”? It turns out that nonsense words that evoke certain shapes have something to say about the origins of language.

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Tiger Sharks, Tracked over Decades, Are Shifting Their Haunts with Ocean Warming Jan 25, 2022

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Using a combination of fishing data and satellite tracking, scientists found that the sharks have shifted their range some 250 miles poleward over the past 40 years.

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How Marine Wildlife Can Coexist with Offshore Wind [Sponsored] Jan 20, 2022

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Harnessing the wind to blow back emissions is not without its own impacts, so researchers are developing technologies to coexist with whales and other ocean-dwelling species.

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COVID Quickly, Episode 22: Colds Build COVID Immunity and the Omicron Vaccine Delay Jan 19, 2022

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Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essential developments in the pandemic: from vaccines to new variants and everything in between.

You can listen to all past episodes here.

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The Surprising Physics of Finger Snapping Jan 10, 2022

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You might not think that you can generate more body acceleration than a big-league baseball pitcher, but new research shows you can.

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Salvador Dali's Creative Secret Is Backed by Science Jan 03, 2022

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The painter described falling into the briefest of slumbers to refresh his mind. Now scientists have shown the method is effective at inducing creativity.

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A Growing Force of Fiery Zombies Threatens Cold Northern Forests Dec 27, 2021

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Wildfires, appearing dead in winter, are actually smoldering and then bouncing back to life in spring to consume increasingly more land in the Far North.

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Listen to This New Podcast: Lost Women of Science Dec 21, 2021

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A new podcast is on a mission to retrieve unsung female scientists from oblivion.

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Canary Islands Eruption Resets Volcano Forecasts Dec 20, 2021

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A volcanologist says the eruption on the island of La Palma is a unique window into the “personality” of basaltic volcanoes.

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COVID Quickly, Episode 21: Vaccines against Omicron and Pandemic Progress Dec 17, 2021

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You can listen to all past episodes here.