Science Talk

Science Talk

By Scientific AmericanScience

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Science Talk episodes

September 16, 2019 Kids Are Not Hurt by Screen Time
A study finds no deleterious effects on mental health when kids spend their leisure time texting and engaging in other online activities.

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5 min
September 13, 2019 Lab-Grown Human Mini Brains Show Brainy Activity
As the little structures grow, their constituents specialize into different types of brain cells, begin to form connections and emit brain waves. They could be useful models for development and neurological conditions.

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5 min
September 12, 2019 Eavesdropping Puts Anxious Squirrels at Ease
Squirrels constantly scan their surroundings for hawks, owls and other predators. But they also surveil for threats by eavesdropping on bird chatter. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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4 min
September 11, 2019 Earth's Magnetic Field Initiated a Pole Flip Many Millennia before the Switch
Lava flow records and sedimentary and Antarctic ice core data show evidence of planetary magnetic field activity 20,000 years before the beginning of the last pole reversal.

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5 min
September 10, 2019 Humpback Whales Swap Songs at Island Hub
At the Kermadec Islands, humpbacks from all over the South Pacific converge and swap songs. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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4 min
September 09, 2019 Food Expiration Dates May Mislead Consumers
Better food labeling could prevent people from throwing away a lot of “expired” food that’s still perfectly edible.

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5 min
September 05, 2019 Farmland Is Also Optimal for Solar Power
The conditions of sunlight, temperature, humidity and wind that make cropland good for agriculture also maximize solar panel efficiency.

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4 min
September 04, 2019 Chemical Tweak Recycles Polyurethane into Glue
It’s not easy to recycle polyurethane, so it’s usually tossed out or burned. But a chemical tweak can turn polyurethane into glue. Christine Herman reports.

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3 min
September 03, 2019 Cholesterol Climbs after Crows Chomp Cheeseburgers
Wild animals that live near humans have higher cholesterol than their rural counterparts—and our food could be to blame. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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5 min
August 30, 2019 How Hurricanes Influence Spider Aggressiveness
As Hurricane Dorian approaches Florida, consider that feeding style means that aggressive tangle-web spider colonies produce more offspring after severe weather, while docile colonies do better in calm conditions.

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4 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.