Science, Quickly

Latest Episodes:

Computers Predict Pop Chart Success May 24, 2018

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An evolutionary analysis of pop tunes revealed that over the past 30 years songs have grown sadder—but the big hits buck that trend. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Doc's YA Novel Treats Life-and-Death Issues May 23, 2018

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Pediatric cardiologist Ismée Williams discusses her young adult novel, Water in May, about a teenage girl whose newborn has a life-threatening heart condition.

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Google's AI Assistant Does Your Talk Tasks May 17, 2018

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The new Google AI voice assistant, called Duplex, highlights the intricacies of carrying out a mundane human-style conversation, as it keeps you off the phone.

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Great Ape Makes Good Doc May 16, 2018

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Orangutans were observed to use plant extracts to treat their own pain.

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Radar Scans Detail North Korean Nukes May 14, 2018

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Scientists have added radar info to seismic data, isotope measurements and optical imagery to study covert nuclear tests. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Jupiter and Venus Squeeze Earth's Orbit May 10, 2018

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Sediment records have confirmed that Jupiter and Venus change Earth's orbit from virtually circular to noticeably elliptical and back every 405,000 years. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Mars Lander Will Peer Inside the Red Planet May 07, 2018

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The InSight Mission will look at Mars's seismic activity and latent heat to find out more about how planets get made--and how humans might live there.

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Plants Can Sense Animal Attack Coming May 06, 2018

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Tomato plants detected snail slime in soil near them and mounted preemptive defenses, even though they were not directly touched.

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Africa: Future Worldwide Science Hub May 02, 2018

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Thierry Zomahoun, president of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, talks about the potential and needs of science on the continent.

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Healthful Eating Requires Supermarket Smarts Apr 30, 2018

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Advice from an N.Y.U. food policy symposium: eating healthfully means you can't ever let down your guard when shopping.