Science Talk

By Scientific AmericanScience

Science Talk episodes

November 11, 2015 What Makes Sand Dunes Sing
Engineers at Caltech discovered that for sand dunes to produce sound they need a dry layer on top that amplifies internal frequencies during sand movement. Christopher Intagliata reports

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4 min
November 10, 2015 Brain Rhythms Sync to Musical Beat
The human brain's neurons fire in sync to music, and trained musicians are better at it than are amateurs

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4 min
November 10, 2015 Teaching Machines to Learn on Their Own
Stephen Hoover, CEO of Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center, talks with Scientific American tech editor Larry Greenemeier about the revolution underway in machine learning, in which the machine eventually programs itself

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8 min
November 06, 2015 Brain Responds to Driving Routes Repeatedly
Learning detailed navigation information causes the hippocampus to interact with other regions of the brain involved in location

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4 min
November 05, 2015 Arctic Marine Mammals Swim Up to the Microphone
As Arctic sea ice melts, an underwater recording project reveals that the submerged ecology is undergoing change, with humpbacks and killer whales staying north later in the year. Christopher Intagliata reports

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4 min
November 03, 2015 Decoy Mating Call Battles Citrus Pest
Researchers developed a call that effectively mimics the citrus psyllid's mating song, which could be a weapon against a devastating crop scourge. Christopher Intagliata reports

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4 min
November 02, 2015 Methane Plumes Bubbling along U.S. Northwest Coast
Researchers report a spike in the number of methane plumes along the Northwest coast emanating from depths of about 500 meters, a possible indication that submerged frozen methane is becoming available

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4 min
October 29, 2015 Cultural Goofs Gear Up Gray Matter
People exposed to incongruent situations, such as Halloween-themed plates at a Labor Day picnic, performed better on cognitive-reasoning tests and were less likely to make impulse purchases or overeat

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4 min
October 28, 2015 Whale Poop Drives Global Nutrient Cycling
Whales fertilize ocean surface waters with key nutrients like phosphorus, which move through the food chain, and eventually, onto land. Christopher Intagliata reports

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4 min
October 26, 2015 Road Runoff a No-No for Coho
Researchers have found the first direct evidence that coho salmon near U.S. Northwest cities are being killed by chemical runoff from roads and parking lots that reach streams

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3 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.