SSS 2009-08-10

The so-called birthers cant accept that President Obama is really a natural-born American citizen. Part of whats behind this seemingly irrational belief may lie in whats called implicit social cognitionthe deep-rooted assumptions we all carry around,

SSS 2009-08-11

Its been called the vine that ate the south. Kudzu grows so fast it can completely cover a cabin in the woods in a couple of days. The invasive plant takes over another 150,000 acres every year. Which costs another $6 million to control. But plant pa

SSS 2009-08-12

Youve given some thought to oxygen, carbon, uranium. But youve probably never mused about the element ytterbium, symbol Yb. A new study by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, says that ytterbium could find a rol

SSS 2009-08-13

Thin plastic bags are the ultimate throwaway item. Used once to tote groceries, the thin white bags often go on to second lives as permanent pollution and an eyesore. So a host of countries, cities and other governments have banned them or forced con

SSS 2009-08-14

Early modern humans didnt just chip away at stones to create their tools. They treated stone with fire in a sophisticated fashion, according to research published August 14th in the journal Science. About 72,000 years ago, our ancestors along coastal

SSS 2009-08-17

Youre not under arrest, despite the fact that you probably have some drugs in your pocket. Because theres a good chance your paper money contains trace amounts of cocaine. According to a study presented August 16th at the American Chemical Societys n

SSS 2009-08-18

How do you know if someones your friend? Ask your cell. Because your phone knows who your friends are. Sometimes even before you do. Or so says a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists who study social networks have

SSS 2009-08-19

About 10 years ago, I followed some researchers waist deep into the waters of the Everglades. In the middle of the night. We kept a vigilant eye out for alligators and for venomous snakes. But the animals that actually posed the greatest danger were

SSS 2009-09-01

It sounds paradoxical, but in wealthy countries, there's nothing like a recession to boost the population's health. According to a report in the September 1st Canadian Medical Association Journal, when our paychecks get lighter, we do more than tight

SSS 2009-09-02

Music is known to make us happy, or calm, or sad. But do other animals respond to dulcet tones, as well? In studies, our primate cousins prefer silence to our music. But maybe we were playing the wrong tune. Psychologist Charles Snowdon and musician

SSS 2009-09-03

When crested pigeons spot a predator, they give a little whistle. But the sound doesnt come from their beaks. And according to a study published by The Royal Society, that whistle warns the rest of the flock to flee. Theres safety in numbers, and a f

SSS 2009-08-06

Orchids are botany's great mimics, all in the service of getting pollinated. Some have evolved to resemble female wasps to attract males. Others produce odors that smell like potential mates or like more attractive flowers. Now a study published in t

SSS 2008-02-08

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. Last month the journal Science reported that a Swedish company was planning on using the body heat generated by commuters in a Stockholm train station to

SSS 2008-02-12

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I am Adam Hintertheur, got a minute? These days it seems no one's job is safe from computerized replacements, now it is time to add coffee experts to that list. Scientists at the Nestl Research Center

SSS 2008-02-13

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I am Karen Hopkin. This'll just take a minute. Seems like every other week brings news that global warming is gonna be bad for some poor animal or other. But plants? Well, I guess I was thinking that p

SSS 2008-02-14

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science .I'm Cynthia Graber. This'll just take a minute. It's Valentine's Day, even for barnacles which are stuck to rocks. But evolution has endowed these stationary creatures with some curious abilities accor

SSS 2008-02-15

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? On February 14th, the Union of Concerned Scientists issued a call for the protection of federal scientists. The UCS press conference took place in space made available by

SSS 2008-02-18

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. got a minute? Earth-like planets have the potential to form around manyand perhaps mostof the nearest stars that are like our sun. Michael Meyer of the University of Arizona announced t

SSS 2008-02-19

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Merskey. Got a minute? Some strong comments from John Holdren, director of the science technology and public policy program in Harvards JFK school of government. Saturday, the annual meeting

SSS 2008-03-03

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Psych, I'm Christopher Intagliata, got a minute? While at Stanford in the mid-1960s, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest author Ken Kesey started adding a peculiar ingredient to his home-cooked venison stew--LSD. N