Science Talk

By Scientific AmericanScience

Science Talk episodes

August 16, 2018 For Some Crows, Migration Is Optional
Crows are what's known as "partial migrants"—as cold weather approaches, some crows fly south whereas others stay put. And that behavior appears to be ingrained. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 min
August 15, 2018 Plants Dominate the Planet's Biomass
About 80 percent of Earth's biomass is plant life, with humans about equal to krill way down the heft chart.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 min
August 14, 2018 Solar Eclipse of 2017 Boosted Science Interest
The Michigan Scientific Literacy Survey of 2017 found that last year's total solar eclipse got Americans more interested in celestial science.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
5 min
August 13, 2018 Crickets Carve Tools to Amplify Their Chirps
The insects fashion and use "baffles"—sound controllers—made of leaves to produce sound more efficiently. Jason G. Goldman reports.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
5 min
August 10, 2018 Computerized Chemical Toxicity Prediction Beats Animal Testing
Researchers programmed a computer to compare structures and toxic effects of different chemicals, making it possible to then predict the toxicity of new chemicals based on their structural similarity to known ones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 min
August 09, 2018 Better Data Could Mean Better Dating
Both men and women tended to pursue mates just 25 percent more desirable than themselves—suggesting they are "optimistic realists." Christopher Intagliata reports.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 min
August 08, 2018 To Evolve Baleen, Lose Your Teeth First
Whale ancestors probably never had teeth and baleen at the same time, and only developed baleen after trying toothlessness and sucking in prey.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 min
August 07, 2018 Corn Variety Grabs Fertilizer from the Air
A variety of corn from Oaxaca, Mexico, has aerial roots that harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing the corn to suck nitrogen straight from the air. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 min
August 02, 2018 Birds Learn Safety from Other Kinds of Birds
Birds become good at avoiding danger by eavesdropping on the alarm calls of other birds—and the learning occurs without even seeing their peers or predators. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
3 min
August 02, 2018 Out with the Bad Science
NPR science journalist Richard Harris talks about his book, Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope and Wastes Billions .
38 min

About Science Talk

From the publisher's feed

Science Talk is a podcast of longer-form audio experiments from Scientific American--from immersive sonic journeys into nature to deep dives into research with leading experts.