Shows / A Moment of Science
A Moment of Science
A Moment of Science is a daily audio podcast, public radio program and video series providing the scientific story behind some of life's most perplexing mysteries.
Episodes
- A Moment of Science
How do aardvarks eat?
Aardvarks are mighty predators in the insect world. How do they do it?
- A Moment of Science
Were myths of unicorns based in reality?
Unicorns are a legend, but there is growing evidence that the legend may have been inspired by a real animal.
- A Moment of Science
Our closest relatives can plan ahead, too
Bonobos, our closest great ape relative, and orangutans, our most distant great ape relative, also appear to be capable of planning ahead.
- A Moment of Science
Do you hear what I hear?
Are there other ways plants respond to their environments that we just can’t perceive?
- A Moment of Science
How much water is in that glass?
How does the shape of a glass affect how much you drink? A scientist set out to examine just this, and the results are rather astounding.
- A Moment of Science
Changing a koala's stomach microbiome
Koalas are more than just picky eaters. A Moment of Science looks into what makes their stomachs so sensitive
- A Moment of Science
Keep your magnets away from that meteorite
Are you looking for a new hobby? Do you love the thrill of discovery? Are you the kind of person who enjoys the great outdoors? Then meteorite hunting might be…
- A Moment of Science
It's easy being green for the palo verde
Not just any old plant has what it takes to survive desert heat.
- A Moment of Science
The orchid with a distinctive body odor
There are orchids that smell like rotting meat and orchids that smell like fish to attract pollinators. This one smells like us.
- A Moment of Science
We carry around our own bacterial clouds
Just like Pigpen and his cloud of dust, we have a cloud of bacteria that follows us everywhere
- A Moment of Science
How do camels avoid getting thirsty?
A camel can travel hundreds of miles, over several days, without stopping to drink. On today's Moment of Science, we'll learn how camels survive the dry desert.
- A Moment of Science
What do alcoholism and having a sweet tooth have in common?
Compared to craving other things, such as alcohol for example, having a yearning for sweets seems relatively harmless.
- A Moment of Science
Warming up with a nice cup of nectar
A warm drink on a cold day is a great combo, and humans aren't the only species to discover this.
- A Moment of Science
The hidden world inside lava caves
Do you live near a dormant volcano? You might have a weird wonderland right beneath your feet.
- A Moment of Science
These caves were formed by lava
Kazumura is a lava cave over forty miles long, the largest in the world!
- A Moment of Science
The sort-of giant cavefish of India
Deep in some underground pools lives a shadowy creature. Its existence has remained hidden away—until now.
- A Moment of Science
What causes heavy rain?
Some days rain falls in a light, calm sweep across the earth. On other days rain falls in a torrential downpour, flooding the ground below. So, what causes…
- A Moment of Science
Swear words increase pain tolerance, but only "traditional" ones
If we stub our toes or get other sudden injuries, sometimes a swear pops out. Could they be helpful?
- A Moment of Science
The chemical that keeps swarming locusts from eating each other
Locusts gather into huge, ravenously hungry migratory swarms.
- A Moment of Science
Shakespearean words on the brain
Hearing or reading language used in this shifted way causes a sudden jump in brain activity.
- A Moment of Science
The spa of the sea
Cleaner wrasse have made it their jobs to clean their fish friends.
- A Moment of Science
The epidemiological consequences of climate change on mosquito niche range
Where and how we interact with mosquitos has become complicated by climate change.
- A Moment of Science
A new layer of Earth's core
Researchers study earthquakes to learn more about our planet's interior, and new information came to light in 2023.
- A Moment of Science
The importance of rediscovery and the nose-horned lizard
A researcher found a nose-horned lizard in 2018, which hadn't been seen for 130 years!
- A Moment of Science
Fungi and plants have a complicated relationship status
Some fungi are useful to plants, some can kill. But it turns out their relationship gets more complex than this.
- A Moment of Science
Our voices match our gestures
Even if we can't see someone while they're talking, our brains still pick up their gestures.
- A Moment of Science
The coywolf hybrid takes over the East coast
Eastern wolves and coyotes have been interbreeding more frequently over the past several hundred years
- A Moment of Science
Do animals use math?
Animals sometimes understand numbers without school or even language.
- A Moment of Science
Variety is the texture of life
Researchers looked into the role texture plays in how full we feel after eating.
- A Moment of Science
How grasshoppers are able to hang around upside-down
How do insects handle being upside-down for so long?
- A Moment of Science
Having a eureka moment can cloud our judgement
A eureka moment is an experience where a solution or idea suddenly appears in your mind and immediately feels true.
- A Moment of Science
Rats use special hairs to sense the wind
A cat’s facial whiskers are one example of a type of long stiff hair found in clusters on the bodies of most mammals.
- A Moment of Science
Bark used as ancient gum
Our ancestors may have made their own version of gum from birch bark.
- A Moment of Science
Do carnivores care that we're here?
While you’re out in nature, do you ever wonder if your presence changes the way animals interact with each other?
- A Moment of Science
Corals' microbiomes are busy during dormancy
For many organisms, winter is a time to rest. But just because it's dormant doesn't mean the northern star coral isn't working.
- A Moment of Science
When psychology meets accounting
What role does psychology play when it comes to how you use your money?
- A Moment of Science
Gigantopithecus: Who were the relatives of Earth's largest ape?
Who exactly was the Gigantopithecus?
- A Moment of Science
How did dust cause an ancient ice age?
Space dust possibly caused an ice age 466 million years ago. How?
- A Moment of Science
Sowing the seeds of future conservation
Seeds are important for many things, from everything bagels to starting a garden, but can they be the key to preserving habitats for monarch butterflies?
- A Moment of Science
Bacteria on, in, and under your skin
Did you know that researchers have discovered that there are at least 250 kinds of bacteria that live on our skin?
- A Moment of Science
Are we able to taste more?
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter. Are there more flavors out there for us to discover?
- A Moment of Science
Bungostegos: The lizard that walked upright on all fours
Learn about Bunostegos akokanensis, an animal that existed before the time of the dinosaurs.
- A Moment of Science
Pterosaurs: Earth's biggest fliers ever
Just three groups of animals with backbones have evolved the ability to fly: birds, bats, and pterosaurs.
- A Moment of Science
How mangrove forests provide flood protection
Mangrove forests add a great visual to the coastline, but they provide great benefits too.
- A Moment of Science
Saber-toothed tigers were big. Really big
Saber-toothed tigers were one of the largest cats to ever exist. How big was that really?
- A Moment of Science
Stormy solar weather in our forecast
Could the Earth face solar storms in our future? What does that look like?
- A Moment of Science
43,000 underwater volcanoes, and counting
A decade ago, we knew of almost 25,000. One study has discovered an additional 19,000. And we know there are even more out there.
- A Moment of Science
Are flying fish really flying?
A simple question for today's A Moment of Science: do flying fish really fly?
- A Moment of Science
The invisible world of ancient manuscripts
If you look at ancient manuscripts, you may notice that beneath the text, there is often a faint outline of other words that have been erased and written over.
- A Moment of Science
Spider webs go way back
Some webs look tangled, while others look like delicate, perfect wheels. The latter are called orb webs.
- A Moment of Science
Self-sharpening sea urchin teeth
Researchers discovered sea urchins keep their teeth sharp all on their own.
- A Moment of Science
It's a miracle! The abilities of the agbayun berry
What if there was a food that could trick the brain into thinking that something sour, like a lemon or lime, was actually sweet?
- A Moment of Science
Some hairstyles can lead to traction alopecia
There are some common hairstyles that can lead to traction alopecia, or hair loss.
- A Moment of Science
Not-so-total recall: Your brain and the Mandela Effect
Does the Monopoly Man wear a monocle? Is the evil queen’s incantation, “Mirror, mirror on the wall?” Does Curious George have a tail?
- A Moment of Science
Why soap and hard water don't mix
Without soap, clothes, dishes, and even your body don't get very clean. But even soap falls short of doing the job in areas with hard water.
- A Moment of Science
Cuttlefish seeing in three dimensions
Find out how scientists learned cuttlefish see in three dimensions with today's A Moment of Science
- A Moment of Science
Why you should thank NASA for rainy-day road safety
Why you should thank NASA for rainy-day road safety on this Moment of Science.
- A Moment of Science
Brain activity related to consciousness in dying people
Scientists noted interesting findings in the brain activity of patients undergoing cardiac arrest.
- A Moment of Science
Cloudy vs clear apple juice: Which do you prefer?
Most people prefer clear apple juice, but cloudy has its own appeal as well.