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Science Quickly

Scientific American

Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.

science

All Episodes

25:25

The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/26

In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore the profound questions the exhibit raises about creativity, consciousness and the meaning of making music. E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should

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11:05

Mary Roach on the Science of Swapping Human Parts

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/24

In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman explores the age-old quest to replace failing human body parts with science writer Mary Roach. From ancient surgery to modern medical marvels, Roach shares insights from her new book Replaceable You, revealing why replicating our original anatomy is still one of medicine’s greatest challenges.Recommended Reading Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy, by Mary Roach. W. W. Norton, 2025 E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have

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10:49

Vaccine Shakeups, Brain Injury Warnings and Boozy Chimps

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/22

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee has been reshaped, with new recommendations on the horizon. Meanwhile studies reveal subtle brain changes in contact sports players and highlight ongoing risks of repetitive head injuries. Climate change is linked to a surge in heat-related deaths across Europe, while surprising research uncovers chimpanzees’ daily ethanol consumption and ants that produce hybrid offspring.Recommended Reading Here’s What Happened at

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26:55

Algorithmic Social Media Is Driving New Slang

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/19

From viral slang such as “skibidi” to the rise of so-called brain rot, linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic, aka the “Etymology Nerd,” and associate editor Allison Parshall, who covers the mind and brain, unpack how social media and algorithms are reshaping the way we communicate.Recommended Reading The Internet Is Making Us Fluent in Algospeak E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new every day:

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13:26

The Role Our Microbiome Plays In Our ‘Gut Feelings’

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/17

Scientists are tuning in to a surprising conversation happening inside us—between our gut and our brain. Host Rachel Feltman chats with Maya Kaelberer, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s department of physiology, to explore how intestinal cells and microbiomes might be shaping our moods, cravings and mental health in ways we’re only beginning to understand.Recommended Reading “A Gut Sense for a Microbial Pattern Regulates Feeding,” by Winston W. Liu et al., in Nature

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9:37

Kissing Bugs, Koalas and Clues to Life on Mars

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/15

A paper published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argues that Chagas disease is now endemic in the U.S. Koalas may finally be spared from a deadly epidemic. Meanwhile NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has uncovered tantalizing clues about potential ancient microbial life on the Red Planet. Hear about all that and more in this week’s news roundup.Recommended Reading Treating Koala STDs May also Quash Their Essential Gut Microbes New Black Hole Measurements Show More Ways Stephen

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15:37

Unpacking the Brain’s Role in Inventing Your Perception

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/12

Human brains don’t just perceive reality—they invent it. In this episode of Science Quickly, cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Yon speaks with host Rachel Feltman about how perception is an active process of prediction in which the brain constructs theories about the world that can sometimes lead us astray. Drawing from his book A Trick of the Mind, he reveals why this “hallucination” of reality is not a flaw but a fundamental feature of how we navigate the world.Recommended Reading A Trick of

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14:09

How a Tick Bite Can Make You Allergic to Meat

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/10

A tick bite can trigger a rare allergy to red meat and animal products, forcing major lifestyle changes. Scientist Lee Haines joins host Rachel Feltman to break down what causes alpha-gal syndrome, why it’s spreading and how to spot the signs.Recommended Reading Red Meat Allergy Caused by Tick Bite Is Spreading—And Nearly Half of Doctors Don’t Know about It This Tick Can Make You Allergic to Meat, and It’s Spreading “A Red Meat Allergy from Tick Bites Is Spreading—And the Lone Star Tick Isn’t

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9:45

Marsquakes, Vaccine Politics and Mammoth Microbiomes

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/08

This week’s roundup dives into Mars’s lumpy mantle, a nasal spray that may help prevent COVID and the growing confusion around vaccine access in the U.S. Plus, researchers link phone use while on the toilet to hemorrhoid risk, uncover ancient mammoth microbiomes and explain why squirrels’ thumbnails matter more than you think. Recommended Reading Can You Get a COVID Vaccine This Year? Here’s What We Know Experts Warn of Growing Threats amid CDC Resignations New Nasal Vaccines Offer Better

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14:02

Inside the Turmoil at the CDC

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/05

In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman is joined by associate editor for health and medicine Lauren J. Young to unpack the growing unrest at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention following the departure of the agency’s director Susan Monarez. As criticism mounts against Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—including a scathing essay from nine former CDC leaders and a resignation demand from more than 1,000 past and current HHS staffers—the episode

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13:06

Hurricane Forecasting 101

Science Quickly ·

2025/09/03

Meteorologists have made big strides in predicting hurricane paths, but many people still misinterpret the forecast maps. In this episode, senior news editor for sustainability Andrea Thompson joins host Rachel Feltman to unpack what those maps actually show—and why staying informed as a storm evolves is more important than ever. Recommended Reading How to Decode a Hurricane Forecast Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to

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23:24

Katrina Was Predicted: Revisiting Warning Signs 20...

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/29

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Scientific American revisits the storm’s tragic legacy and the scientific warnings that went unheeded. Senior editor Mark Fischetti shares his experience reporting on the city’s vulnerability years before the levees broke, and our senior Earth and environment editor Andrea Thompson reflects on how hurricane preparedness has changed since.Recommended Reading See the Restore the Mississippi River Delta website Drowning New

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18:03

The Deep Sea’s Mysterious Oxygen Source

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/27

Trillions of potato-sized rocks scattered across the deep ocean floor are rich in metals such as cobalt and copper—making them a target for mining companies eager to fuel the clean-energy transition. But recent research suggests these rocks may also be supporting marine life in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. In this episode, scientist and journalist Clare Fieseler and filmmaker Jason Jaacks join host Rachel Feltman to explore the surprising science behind these deep-sea rocks and

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8:04

Science’s Greatest 180s

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/25

Science doesn’t always get it right the first time—and that’s part of the journey. In this anniversary episode, we explore how ideas about nerve damage, sustainable materials and alien life have done a full 180.Recommended Reading Celebrating 180 Years of Scientific American 180 Years of Standing Up for Science How Scientists Finally Learned That Nerves Regrow Proof That Adult Brains Make New Neurons Settles Scientific Controversy Plastics Started as a Sustainability Solution. What Went

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20:29

Could Peanut Allergies Be Cured?

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/22

Peanut allergies have surged dramatically in recent decades, and scientists are still working to understand why. In this episode, journalist Maryn Mckenna, who recently authored an article on the subject, and host Rachel Feltman explore the latest research on causes, treatments and prevention strategies. Recommended Reading Can Peanut Allergies Be Cured? Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus an exclusive

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15:17

Nature’s Sexual Spectrum Breaks the Binary

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/20

Biologist Nathan Lents joins Science Quickly to explore the vast sexual diversity found across the animal kingdom. His new book, The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships, challenges the binary framework that has long shaped biological research, arguing for a more accurate and inclusive view of sex and gender. From alternative reproductive strategies to overlapping traits, this episode reveals how nature defies neat categories—and why science

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10:50

Chikungunya Outbreak, Glacial Outbursts and a New...

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/18

The chikungunya virus is rapidly spreading in China. Could it make its way to the U.S.? Meanwhile in Alaska a glacial lake outburst flooded the nearby Mendenhall River to record levels. And in Ethiopia fossilized teeth reveal a new species of Australopithecus—one that possibly lived alongside one of our closer cousins in theHomo genus—shedding light on human evolution.Recommended reading: How the New Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in China Could Reach the U.S. Why Glacial Lake Outbursts like the

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14:49

Dinner with King Tut Explores the Wild World of...

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/15

Science writer Sam Kean joins Science Quickly to explore the hands-on world of experimental archaeology—where researchers don’t just study the past; they rebuild it. From launching medieval catapults to performing ancient brain surgery with stone tools, Kean shares his firsthand experiences with re-creating the techniques and technologies of long-lost civilizations. His latest book, Dinner with King Tut, dives deep into these wild experiments and the things they have revealed about how our

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9:53

Condoms and Vasectomies Aren’t Enough—Is a Male Birth...

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/13

In this episode, host Rachel Feltman speaks with freelance science journalist Hannah Seo about a promising new development in male contraception: a hormone-free birth control pill that reversibly stops sperm production has just passed its first human safety trial. Seo explains how the drug works, what makes it different from hormone-based methods and where it stands in clinical development.Recommended reading: First Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill Shown Safe in Early Human Trial Male

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16:33

Former NASA Leaders Are Sounding the Alarm on Budget...

Science Quickly ·

2025/08/06

The White House has proposed sharp cuts to NASA’s science budget, potentially reducing it to historic lows not seen since the early Apollo era. Beyond space exploration, NASA’s work influences daily life—from accurate weather forecasting to essential climate data for agriculture. Concerned by the effects of these cuts, all living former NASA science chiefs have united in warning of dire consequences for U.S. leadership in science. In this episode, Scientific American senior editor Lee Billings

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325 results

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