The pumpkin's ancestor was an incredibly bitter, tennis-ball-sized squash—but it was apparently a common snack for mastodons. Christopher Intagliata reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming Soon to Your Podcast Feed: Science, Quickly

Feb 6th, 2023 5m 13s

A new era in Scientific American audio history is about to drop starting next week—get ready for a science variety show guaranteed to quench your curiosity in under 10 minutes.

The 60-Second Podcast Takes a Short Break--But Wait, There's More

Dec 21st, 2022 3m 18s

Scientific American ’s short-form podcast has been going for 16 years, three months and seven days, counting today. But it’s time for us to evolve.

Is Your Phone Actually Draining Your Brain?

Dec 20th, 2022 6m 59s

A new study puts the “brain drain hypothesis”—the idea that just having a phone next to you impacts your cognition—to the test to see if the science passes muster.

Why Your Dog Might Think You're a Bonehead

Dec 16th, 2022 3m 44s

The verdict is in: female dogs actively evaluate human competence.

Alaska's Protective Sea Ice Wall Is Crumbling because of the Climate Crisis

Dec 14th, 2022 6m 45s

A massive storm slammed into Alaska’s western coast, and there was no ice to stop it.

It's the Bass That Makes Us Boogie

Dec 9th, 2022 5m 35s

Concertgoers danced more when music was supplemented with low-frequency bass tones.

How Vaccines Saved Money and Lives and China's Zero-COVID Protests: COVID, Quickly Podcast, Episode 44

Dec 6th, 2022 7m 36s

Vaccines saved New York City billions of dollars, and China faces public fury over its strict virus-control policies.

'Chatty Turtles' Flip the Script on the Evolutionary Origins of Vocalization in Animals

Dec 2nd, 2022 6m 39s

Recordings of more than 50 species of turtles and other animals help scientists reassess the origins of acoustic communication in vertebrates.

Tardigrades, an Unlikely Sleeping Beauty

Nov 30th, 2022 5m 49s

Researchers put this ancient critter through a subzero gauntlet to learn more about what happens to their internal clock while surviving the extreme.

A Burned Redwood Forest Tells a Story of Climate Change, Past, Present and Future

Nov 23rd, 2022 6m 46s

From the ashes of the giants of Big Basin Redwoods State Park arise a history of fire suppression and real questions about what happens to the forests in a drought-stricken West Coast going forward.

Antivirals Could Reduce Long COVID Risk and How Well the New Boosters Work: COVID, Quickly Podcast, Episode 43

Nov 22nd, 2022 4m 46s

In this new episode of our coronavirus podcast, we discuss a study that looked at the effects of Paxlovid on long COVID symptoms, and we also talk new bivalent boosters and immunity.

A Honeybee Swarm Has as Much Electric Charge as a Thundercloud

Nov 15th, 2022 5m 9s

New research shows that bees “buzz” in more than the way you might think.

These Punk Rock Penguins Have a Bizarre Breeding Strategy

Nov 11th, 2022 2m 38s

New Zealand’s erect-crested penguin lays two eggs but rejects the first one—the opposite of how most birds prioritize their offspring.

The Viral Triple Threat and Why You Need a Booster: COVID, Quickly, Episode 42

Nov 8th, 2022 6m 43s

COVID, flu and RSV are surging. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.

What You Need to Know about Iran's Surveillance Tech

Nov 4th, 2022 5m 42s

Scientific American technology editor Sophie Bushwick explains how Iran is using surveillance tech against vulnerable citizens.

Delivering Equitable Lung Cancer Care [Sponsored]

Oct 28th, 2022 5m 46s

As recent advances improve the prospects of detecting and catching lung cancer early, a new challenge arises: how to ensure people worldwide, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances, benefit from new clinical tools.

New Halloween 'Scariant' Variants and Boosting Your Immunity: COVID, Quickly, Episode 41

Oct 25th, 2022 7m 31s

In a new episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we talk about the variants that are likely to be around this winter and how boosters help even if you’ve already had the disease.

These Hawks Have Figured Out How to See the Bat in the Swarm

Oct 21st, 2022 4m 13s

New research shows that birds of prey attempting to grab a bat from a roiling mass of the flying mammals have developed a way to cope with the confusion.

Naps Not Needed to Make New Memories

Oct 14th, 2022 5m 26s

Rats kept awake after exploring novel objects remembered the original items but not where they’d seen those objects, raising interesting questions about human sleep.

How the Pandemic Shortened Life Expectancy and New Drugs on the Horizon: COVID, Quickly, Episode 40

Oct 11th, 2022 8m 16s

In this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, we talk about why we’ve had years shaved off our average collective life since 2020. Also, we talk about “mabs” and why you might want to know what they are.

Engineering the Treatment of Early-Stage Lung Cancer [SPONSORED]

Oct 7th, 2022 6m 3s

Early-stage lung cancers are not only difficult to diagnose—they’ve also proved difficult to curatively treat.

Rediscovered Red Wolf Genes May Help Conserve the Species

Oct 5th, 2022 4m 14s

A surprising new gene discovery in coyotes may help conserve the critically endangered wolf.

What the Disease Feels Like, and Presidents Can't End Pandemics: COVID, Quickly, Episode 39

Sep 27th, 2022 7m 32s

On this episode of the COVID, Quickly podcast, Josh Fischman gets COVID, and President Joe Biden says the pandemic is over.

These Spiders Use Their Webs like Huge, Silky Ears

Sep 23rd, 2022 5m 53s

A study of orb-weaving spiders shows that the arachnids’ webs pick up a range of sounds—and that they are always “listening” for vibrations coming in over them.