Science, Quickly

Latest Episodes:

Ancient Mexican Metropolis Engaged in Hare-Raising Activity Aug 18, 2016

Show notes

Upending the belief that residents of ancient Central America did not practice animal husbandry, new evidence shows that people in Teotihuacán raised and bred rabbits and hares.

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Model Black Hole Re-Creates Stephen Hawking Prediction Aug 17, 2016

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A black hole analogue, which traps sound instead of light, generates "Hawking radiation," a key prediction by the theoretical physicist. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Pigeon Pb Proxies Could Cut Kids' Blood Tests Aug 15, 2016

Show notes

In neighborhoods where kids have an increased chance of exposure to toxic lead, pigeons also have higher blood lead levels—making the birds potential proxies for risk assessment.

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This Shark Is the Vertebrate Methuselah Aug 11, 2016

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Individual Greenland sharks appear to live perhaps a century longer than any other vertebrate, and might have life spans approaching 500 years.

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Cut Road Deaths with Mountain Lions Aug 01, 2016

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Reintroducing mountain lions to the eastern U.S. could save human lives and reduce injuries by lowering deer populations and preventing car–deer collisions.

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Silk Road Transported Goods--and Disease Jul 29, 2016

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A 2,000-year-old latrine in China provides the first hard evidence that people carried diseases long distances along the ancient trading route.

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Inbred Songbirds Croon out of Tune Jul 28, 2016

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Inbred canaries sang songs with less pure tones, and at slightly different pitches, than their outbred cousins—and female canaries seemed to be able to tell the difference.

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Great Red Spot Helps Explain Jupiter's Warm Upper Atmosphere Jul 27, 2016

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A thermal spike linked to the solar system’s largest storm explains weather on gas-giant planets

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Beaver Dams Strengthened by Humans Help Fish Rebound Jul 25, 2016

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Fish flourished in creeks in which human engineers helped shore up beaver dams made weak by poor timber availability.

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For Lichens, 3's Not a Crowd Jul 21, 2016

Show notes

Biologists have identified a third species—a yeast—in some lichens, shaking up what's always been known as a two-party system. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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