SSS 2011-02-01

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im John Matson, Got a minute? Imagine a pinball machine on multi-ball modeonly the balls are the size of planets. The early solar system was such a rough-and-tumble place. That chaotic environment produ

SSS 2011-02-02

Companies spend billions on advertising every year. But they're not just pushing productsthey're selling their brand's personality, too. Think: Red Bull. What comes to mind? Most people say things like speed...power...hyper...extreme. Well, a pair of

SSS 2011-02-03

Orchids are among the most successful flowering plants, with more than 22,000 species around the world. And thats not just because of the obsession they inspire in their human fans. Researchers spent 10 years studying orchids in South Africa, where t

SSS 2011-02-04

Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has introduced a bill that would chop a half trillion dollars out of the federal budget. And although Paul was trained as an ophthalmologist, his axe doesn't show any mercy to science. For example, Paul would

SSS 2011-02-08

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Christopher Intagliata. Got a minute? Walking through airports, youve probably crossed paths with a few K-9 cops. But those dogs arent just following their noses. They may be led astray by where thei

SSS 2011-02-09

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. Many of us have plenty of leisure time to devote to trying out the latest Wii game or even watching others play poker on TV. But this focus on play is

SSS 2011-02-10

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? Good news for chilly doctorsyou can wear long sleeves with impunity inside hospitals, because University of Colorado researchers find that docs pick up just as much bacter

SSS 2011-02-11

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. Ahhh, the great outdoors. Great for your health, too. Because studies suggest that the more we visit local parks, the more fit we are. Researchers at Pen

SSS 2011-02-14

Imagine Van Gogh's paintings of yellow sunflowers. Now imagine the flowers brown. Eh, not so good. Sadly, we may someday see what that would look like. Because the bright yellow paints on the canvas are slowly turning muddy. Now, an international tea

SSS 2011-02-15

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? Remember the Seinfeld where George buys Jon Voights car? Or the one where Elaine bids on JFKs golf clubs? Why would anyone spend money, often a lot of money, on a common o

SSS 2011-02-16

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. Stand at the bottom of a big hill and you can exhaust yourself just thinking about climbing it. But a new study suggests it's not as bad as it looks. Bec

SSS 2011-02-07

Patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery need implants of new, healthy blood vessels. So do those who receive repeated hemodialysis due to kidney failure. The best option is to use the patient's own veins or arteries, but thousands of patients don

SSS 2011-02-17

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. Usually, we trust common sense to solve problems. Is a runny mixture too thick? Add some fluid. Thatll make it runnier. Except when the fluid makes it th

SSS 2011-02-21

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? It took until about 1800 or 1825 to put the first billion people on the planet. We added the most recent billion in 12 or 13 years. We anticipate two billion more by 205

SSS 2011-02-18

According to a variety of studies my languages may be providing mental benefits beyond the ability to chat with locals when I travel. Judith Kroll, from Penn State University, discussed findings from a number of her labs papers on February 18th at a

SSS 2011-02-28

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? There have been tremendous declines in fertility. The key has been the prevention of unwanted births, really around the globe. John Casterline directs the Initiative in

SSS 2011-02-25

I'm pleased that some economists and sociologists are beginning to talk about, for example, alternative measures of human well-beingalternative that is to GDP, on which the world runs. So said John Sulston at the AAAS meeting in Washington on Februar

SSS 2011-02-24

If you splashed down in the Atlantic, you'd flounder on which way to swim. But a hatchling loggerhead turtle would know just where to paddleby reading the Earth's magnetic field. Scientists knew turtles can pinpoint latitude this way, because the fie

SSS 2011-02-23

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? The ability to digest milk as adults, and as infants, actually, is due to the expression of an enzyme called lactase. That's the University of Pennsylvania's Sarah Tishk

SSS 2011-02-22

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? A new development in malaria: Plasmodium vivax, the worlds most common malaria parasite, now infects people previously considered to be resistant. Peter Zimmerman from Cas