Science, Quickly

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Chicken Scent Deters Malaria Mosquitoes Jul 20, 2016

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The smell of a chicken wards off one species of malaria-spreading mosquito—meaning the scent compounds, or the birds themselves, might help deter disease. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Mucus Lets Dolphins Emit Their Clicks Jul 14, 2016

Show notes

A model of the dolphin vocal apparatus shows that they need a coating of mucus to produce their distinctive sounds.

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Bees Rank Pollen by Taste Jul 13, 2016

Show notes

The discerning insects returned to flowers with sweetened pollen, but avoided revisiting flowers with bitter pollen. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Menu Featured Mammoth but Diners Were Mocked Jul 12, 2016

Show notes

A genetic analysis of leftovers from an exotic dinner in 1951 reveals that the diners got less than they were promised.

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Wildlife Can Bear with Hunters and Hikers Jul 08, 2016

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A new study suggests the best predictor of wildlife abundance in public lands is not human activity, but factors like forest connectivity and nearby housing density. Jason G. Goldman reports.

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Farmed Trout Bred to Fatten Up Fast Jul 06, 2016

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An aquaculturist used selective breeding to create strains of farmed fish that fatten up fast on cheap, plentiful feeds such as soybeans and corn. Emily Schwing reports.

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Highway Sounds Might Mask Life-Saving Birdcalls Jun 30, 2016

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The call of the tufted titmouse conveys important information about the presence of potential predators. But only if other birds can hear it. Karen Hopkin reports.

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Made Ya Look, Monkey Jun 28, 2016

Show notes

Over their lifetimes, macaques follow the same trajectory as humans in the amount of interest they have in observing what another individual is looking at.

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Drowsy Driving Kills 6,400 Americans Annually Jun 27, 2016

Show notes

Charles Czeisler, director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, talked about the dangers of drowsy driving at a recent Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Forum called Asleep at the Wheel.

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Social Spider Groups Need Bold and Shy Members Jun 24, 2016

Show notes

Social spiders in artificially assembled groups of all bold or all shy members fared less well against predators than a group with some shy and some bold members.

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