60秒科学:Do Rainforests Create Rain?

Rainforests exist because it rains a lot and that makes the forests grow, right? Well, not so fast. What if its not the rain that makes the forestswhat if its the forests that actually generate the rain? Thats the contention of a paper in BioScience

60秒科学:Math:The Eyes Have It

I still tend to move my fingers, almost subconsciously, when doing arithmetic. Well, that might not be so strange, according to research published in the May 8th issue of the journal Science. The report says that math and movement through space use

60秒科学:Vitamins Block Some Exercise Benefits

Exercise is good for you. Antioxidants are good for you. But put them together and its not as good as youd think. Because a recent study shows that some vitamins block the beneficial effects of exercise. A good workout not only gets your heart pumpi

60秒科学:Weak Have Stronger Hearing

If you ever got picked on in the schoolyard, you might have wished for some sort of superpower: like unbeatable speed or maybe just the ability to completely disappear. Now scientists at the College of Wooster in Ohio say that you might have had a s

60秒科学:Perfect Pitch Related to Language

Can you name those notes? Probably notperhaps one in 10,000 speakers of European languages has perfect pitch, the ability to recognize a note without having heard any reference note first. But theres a much better chance you could successfully name

60秒科学:Dragon's Bite Bloodier Than Believed

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator. Its long been thought that some of its hunting prowess was due to a mouth teeming with bacteria. An attack that didnt immediately kill the dragons victimoften a deer, but someti

60秒科学:Elderly Who Forget Age Remember Better

Senior citizens, dont believe the hype. Because a new study finds that older folks who accept that seniors memories get worse do worse on memory tests. The finding was published in the journal Experimental Aging Research. Scientists interested in th

60秒科学:Bad Nose for Bird Flu

With swine flu the big infectious disease story, you dont hear much about bird flu these days. And you may not have to look past your own nose for the reason. Because a new study finds that bird flu viruses may have trouble getting a good foothold i

60秒科学:Survey:17 Percent Have Piddled Pool

Friends who had a swimming pool also had a little sign posted that said, We dont swim in your toilet. Please dont pee in our pool. Despite such widespread admonitions, four fifths of those questioned believe that their fellow swimmers are guilty of

60秒科学:Overeating Alone Explains Obesity Epidemic

Americans have gained a lot of weight in the past few decades. Is it our sedentary lifestyle? The increase in processed foods and sweeteners? Supersized portions? Researchers from the World Health Organization in Australia say its very simple: we ea

60秒科学:Can Hybrid Cars Be Too Quiet?

Hybrid cars are good for the environment. But scientists say that they might be bad for pedestrians. Because hybrids are so quiet, it can be hard for walkers to hear them until its too late. Listen to this. [quiet car sound] Thats a Toyota Prius mov

60秒科学:eBay Lessens Antiquities Looting

When eBay first came onto the scene more than a decade ago, archaeologists were petrified: easily buying and selling antiquities online might increase the looting and trafficking of archaeological treasures. Now theyre letting out a sigh of relief.

60秒科学:Antennae Key to Butterfly Navigation

Antennae Key to Butterfly Navigation A study in the journal Science shows that monarch butterflies' sun-related directional sensing is governed by antennae, not the brain. Cynthia Graber reports Every year, millions of monarch butterflies fly thousan

60秒科学:网上购物 图片为虚眼见为实

Undergrads indicated a willingness to pay a premium for goods they could touch rather than merely look at on a Web page. 对于能接触到而非仅仅在网页上看到的东西，大学生愿意多付一些钱去购买。 Customers Say They'd Pay M

60秒科学:成为一名优秀的海盗船长

现代海盗数量不多，索马里海域的除外，但很多男孩受电影和小说影响仍怀揣着海盗梦。那么，成为一名优秀的海盗船长需要具备哪些条件呢? On this International Talk Like a Pirate Day, one eyewitness a

60秒科学:在棒球棍上耍聪明?麻烦学学物理先~~

What distance a power hitter gains using a lighter corked bat he loses in collision efficiency. But a singles hitter may get solid contact more often with the lighter, illegal bat. Steve Mirsky reports 强力的击球手用软木填塞球棍得到的那

60秒科学:老者吐真言Elderly with Cognitive Decline Off

Elderly people with loss of executive function--lessening of inhibitions--are more likely to offer useful, but tactless, advice. Christopher Intagliata reports 上了年纪的人失去了决策的作用后自身抑制力的减弱更有可能提出有用

60秒科学:冰能给山拔高,你相信吗?

Moving glaciers can cause erosion on mountains, but the coldest glaciers, frozen in place, protect mountains and allow them to grow taller. Cynthia Graber reports 冰川移动会侵蚀山地（冰川移动通常会导致出现角峰和冰斗谷），但

60秒科学:医生不愿公布其优厚报酬

Some surgeons making more than $1 million in consulting fees did not disclose that fact in journal articles related to devices on which they consulted. Cynthia Graber reports 一些外科医生可以得到100多万美元的器械咨询费，但是他们

60秒科学:看着长一点的产品更抢手

把两种点心放在一起，结果总是看起来长些的那个更抢手。 Given a choice of two snacks, study subjects picked the one they looked at slightly longer. Christopher Intagliata reports On September 10th we reported that people will p