Science Talk

By Scientific AmericanScience

Science Talk episodes

October 31, 2014 Bacteria Lowers Mosquito Transmission of Malaria, Dengue
Mosquitoes that harbor a soil microbe called Chromobacterium Csp_P have a harder time catching dengue virus and the malarial parasite. Christopher Intagliata reports

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3 min
October 30, 2014 Mammals Might Have Slept Through Dino Destroyer
The ability to engage in extended hibernation might be what saved ancestral mammals from extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. Karen Hopkin reports

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3 min
October 28, 2014 Online Personalization Means Prices Are Tailored to You, Too
Christo Wilson, a computer scientist at Northeastern University, says prices online are "super subjective" and vary according to your past clicks and purchases or whether you are shopping on a mobile phone. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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4 min
October 22, 2014 Fecal Transplanters Fish Out Key Ingredient
The bacterium Clostridium scindens, a member of the gut’s microbiome, appears to ward off the hospital-acquired infection C. difficile. Christopher Intagliata reports

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4 min
October 21, 2014 Coyote Size Forces Smartness
Topping out at about 20 kilograms, a coyote has to be able to hunt both smaller and bigger prey, and avoid being prey itself, a combination that selects for intelligence. Steve Mirsky reports

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4 min
October 17, 2014 Plant Thorns Increase When Defense Needed
In areas with few herbivores acacia plants don't bother to churn out many of the off-putting thorns. Cynthia Graber reports

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3 min
October 16, 2014 Lemur Latrine Trees Serve as Community Bulletin Boards
Primatologists spent almost 1,100 hours watching lemurs do their business on their designated tree and concluded that urine and glandular secretions serve as posted messages. Steve Mirsky reports

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4 min
October 15, 2014 Carnivorous Plant Inspires Anticlotting Medical Devices
By copying aspects of the slick surfaces of insect-catching pitcher plants, researchers created tubes that can carry blood without promoting the formation of blood clots or bacterial attachment. Cynthia Graber reports

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3 min
October 15, 2014 Let's Get Small: A Panel on Nanoscience
Scientific American senior editor Josh Fischman joins nanoscience researchers Shana Kelly, Yamuna Krishnan, Benjamin Bratton, along with moderator Bridget Kendall from the BBC World Service program The Forum

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34 min
October 13, 2014 Less Well-Off Donate Bigger Income Percentage
Wealthier people on average gave a lower percentage to charity in 2012 than they did in 2006, while the less affluent increased their giving. Cynthia Graber 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.