Science Talk

By Scientific AmericanScience

Science Talk episodes

July 15, 2015 Pluto Mission Finally Calls Home
At 8:52 P.M. Eastern time, July 14, 2015, an all's-well signal from the New Horizons spacecraft finished its 4.5-hour, three-billion-mile trip from near Pluto through the solar system to alert mission control on Earth that it was in working order and had succeeded in gathering data

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6 min
July 14, 2015 Pluto, Ready for Your Close-Up!
At just before 7:50 A.M. today, July 14, 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft made its closest approach to Pluto. After a 9.5-year, three-billion-mile voyage, the ship got within about 7,750 miles from the surface

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27 min
July 14, 2015 Rain and Irrigation Can Make Crops Temporary Bacteria Farms
Researchers suggest farmers should consider harvesting when fields are dry, to prevent dangerous bacteria blooms from contaminating food. Christopher Intagliata reports

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4 min
July 13, 2015 Hitchhiking Worms Survive Slug Guts Transport
Nematode worms hitch rides inside the guts of slugs and other invertebrates, and emerge alive and well after exiting with the rest of the digestive track's products. Karen Hopkin reports

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3 min
July 09, 2015 Roman Builders May Have Copied Volcanic "Concrete"
The rock of the Campi Flegrei Caldera, west of Naples, Italy, has an intricate network of mineral fibers—just like the famed Roman concrete. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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4 min
July 08, 2015 Dark Matter Dominates Just-Discovered Galaxies
Astronomers have discovered more than 800 so-called "ultradiffuse galaxies" that are virtually invisible because they have relatively few stars and are mostly dark matter. Clara Moskowitz reports

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3 min
July 06, 2015 Best Male Nightingale Vocalists Make Best Fathers
Male nightingales use singing virtuosity to signal prospective mates that they will be the most doting dads. Sabrina Imbler reports

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3 min
July 02, 2015 Improved Solar Storm Tracking Lengthens Prep Time for Tech Disruption
We currently have a maximum of about 60 minutes to prepare for tech disruptions on Earth due to coronal mass ejections from the sun, but an improved forecasting system could lengthen that lead time by hours. Maria Temming reports

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3 min
July 01, 2015 Marijuana Muddies Memory and Mixes with Alcohol to Make Trouble
People who smoke pot and drink are twice as likely to do both at the same time than to do just one, with the combo associated with bad decision-making; and chronic pot smokers who had not indulged in a month were still more likely to have faulty memories than were nonsmokers. Erika Beras reports

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4 min
June 30, 2015 Bird Literally Weighs Its Food Options
Mexican Jays compare peanuts to determine which one has the most meat inside before choosing one for a meal. Karen Hopkin reports

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3 min

About Science Talk

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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.