SSS 2010-05-19

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This'll just take a minute. Want to feed a hungry world? According to David Gracer, add bugs to the menu. Gracer is, he says, a normal guy whos also an entomophagist, an advocate fo

SSS 2010-01-15

For astronomers who study the large-scale structure of the universe, dwarf galaxies have proven quite vexing. Because the leading model of cosmology has been unable to account for their relative lack of substance. Now scientists writing in the journa

SSS 2010-01-18

Your feet may love running shoes. But what about the rest of your body? New research finds that running shoes actually increase the pressure on ankles, knees and hipsmore than high heels can during walking. Thats according to a study in the Journal o

SSS 2010-01-19

Most of us blink without thinking. But people whove sustained strokes or combat injuries can lose their ability to blink. Which is important for lubricating and cleaning the eye. Surgery is an optiona small piece of muscle transplanted from the leg c

SSS 2010-09-16

You know how grandma's always criticizing your new haircut or choice of clothing? Well, it might not hurt to listen. Because old folks who can't hold their tongues may give the best advice. Thats according to a study in the Journal of Experimental So

SSS 2010-09-17

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? Baseball players sometimes cheat! One popular method has been to cork the bat. You drill out some of the core of the bat, and replace the heavy wood with light cork. You

SSS 2010-09-20

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science, Im Cynthia Graber. Thisll just take a minute. Songbirds sing to entice mates, and the timing of those songs is often regulated by sunlight. But that timing is getting thrown offby streetlamps. Thats acc

SSS 2010-04-16

Invasive species can decrease biodiversity and drive resident species to the brink of extinction. But how do these interlopers fare so well in unfamiliar territory? One idea is that theyve escaped their enemies, for example, the parasites that keep t

SSS 2010-04-15

Last week, scientists announced the discovery of a remarkably well-preserved skeleton of what might be a new species of an ancient hominid that lived almost 2 million years ago. The bones were found in 2008. This February, they were analyzed by one o

SSS 2010-03-16

They say that who you hang out with says a lot about who you are. Well, the microbes that hang out on your fingers can point to exactly who you are. Because scientists at the University of Colorado in Boulder have been able to identify individuals ba

SSS 2010-03-17

The American Museum of Natural Historys Hayden Planetarium hosted a discussion of the future of manned space flight on March 15th. Retired Air Force General Lester Lyles was asked about the militarys interest in space: Its the high ground. Its the ul

SSS 2010-03-18

Humans are pegged to a 24-hour cycle. We're locked into it not just by day and nighttheres the master timepiece in the brain called the circadian clock. But it doesn't make sense to live by a 24-hour clock in the Arctic, where it's dark or light for

SSS 2010-11-19

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? Look at a map and you can tell right away where New York ends and New Jersey begins. But that official border is not a true reflection of how the community is really sha

SSS 2010-11-18

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Christopher Intagliata. Got a minute? Astronomers have already discovered hundreds of exoplanets. But make way for the new kid, which is orbiting a kind of star that models say it shouldnt. Researche

SSS 2010-08-20

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Molly Webster. Got a minute? Everyone from Freud to Tina Fey has tried to understand why some things are funny. Now, new research concludes that one key to comedy is for a situation to violate a mo

SSS 2010-08-25

Youve probably seen dogs working security at airports, sniffing for drugs, bombs and contraband food. Now our best-friend biosensors might have a new task: ferretting out the scent of bird flu. And they may not be alone on the job. Researchers from t

SSS 2010-08-26

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science, Im Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. Gimme the chocolate milkshake and the cheeseburger deluxe. Thats the cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, fries and statin pill, coming right up. That

SSS 2010-08-27

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. Are you listening to me through headphones? Because heres a sample of what might be harming the ears of teenagers. Just kiddingthe last thing we want t

SSS 2010-08-30

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata. Got a minute? Engineers are always plugging away to get better energy efficiency out of our products -- like cars that guzzle less gas or light bulbs that burn brighter on f

SSS 2010-08-31

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. We humans love excuses to gather for a rousing evening of communityfeaturing lots of food. Now researchers have evidence for the earliest known group f