SSS 2010-12-16

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. 'Tis the season when were eating. And we want to be sure that the kitchen staff are following protocols that keep us from getting sick. So how best to h

SSS 2010-12-14

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. In the spring of 1912 an iceberg in the Atlantic took down the Titanic. Now, some humble bacteria are trying to finish the job. Scientists analyzing rust f

SSS 2010-10-28

Whether you're a hunt-and-peck typist or a Rachmaninoff of the keyboard, you will make mistakes. But it's not just your eyes catching typos when you see them on the screen. Your hands know when you mess up too. Thats according to a study in the journ

SSS 2010-10-25

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. Take a deep breath. Taste anything? Actually, your lungs may, because scientists have discovered that the same receptors that exist on the tongue to tast

SSS 2010-10-20

You're trying to exercise willpowerto avoid eating that second piece of cake or buying an electronic toy you don't really need. Try firming up your muscles. Any muscles. Now you can walk awayas long as walking away is truly in line with your overall

SSS 2010-11-30

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. Got a minute？ The November 26th issue of the journal Science included a study showing that the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago allowed puny mammals to get really

SSS 2010-11-26

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science.I'm Cynthia Graber.This will just take a minute. Back in April, 2009, this podcast covered research finding that a simple writing exercise helped minority students improve their grades. Now, a new study

SSS 2010-11-24

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Steve Mirsky. Got a minute? As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, one major question looms large for millions of large Americans: Are my fat pants fat enough? Thanksgiving marks the start of the h

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 2010-11-10

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. You've got a text message. You open it up. How are you? it asks. That seems like an almost throw-away question. But that simple message once a week, ma

SSS 2010-12-03

Theyre everyones worst nightmare when it comes to swimming in the ocean: great white sharks. Thats despite the fact that the number of fatal shark attacks annually can usually be counted on the fingers of one still attached hand. But a new study find

SSS 2010-12-01

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. To many who stare up at the heavens, the stars may seem simply uncountable. Of course that's not the attitude of astronomers. But they've made a discov

SSS 2010-11-12

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. If you've ever had to pick up and carry a tired child through the mall, you know that walking sometimes tuckers out the toddlers. Now scientists think th

SSS 2010-11-03

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute. Maybe your dad said, The harder you work for something, the more youll appreciate it. Well, father really did know best, because a new study finds that the

SSS 2010-11-02

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata. Got a minute? Toss a piece of leaf onto a spider web. The spider is indifferent. Because leaves don't squirm like captured flies. But Australia's assassin bug turns the tabl

SSS 2010-11-01

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute. If youre like me, you get a jolt of energy from socializing, and hanging out with large groups of friends, because were extroverts. But if were too socia

SSS 2010-10-19

We tend to think of cavemen as pretty serious carnivores, hunting game and then roasting the yummy bits over a roaring campfire. But scientists just reported discovering traces of starch on some ancient stone tools. Which suggests that there were pro

SSS 2010-10-15

Many of our medicines originate in plants. But were not the only ones who tap into nature.Theres increasing evidence that some animals seek out specific plants for their medicinal qualities. A new study shows that monarch butterflies may be among the

SSS 2010-12-13

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata. Got a minute? Galileo first spotted Saturn's rings 400 years ago. But since then, scientists have been stumped about how they got there. Because the rings are almost pure wa

SSS 2010-10-11

This is Scientific Americans 60-Second Science. Im Christie Nicholson. Got a minute? Is it an old wives tale or can deaf people actually see better? Scientists have long thought that the structure of our brain is fixed. For instance, from birth the a