Science Quickly

Dec 20 2024 1721 ep. 5 mins 7.6k

Science Quickly Podcast artwork

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

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

The New Conservationists: Thanks to Conservation Efforts, Pandas, Wolves and Panthers Are Making a Comeback (Part 4)

Dec 20 2024 23 mins

Tens of thousands of animal species are facing extinction, mostly because of human activity. But thanks to conservationists, there are some animals that are making a comeback. This is part four of “The New Conservationists,” a four-part series about the evolving world of animal conservation. Listen to part one, part two and part three. Recommended reading: – The Panda Factori

The New Conservationists: Meet the Next Generation of Conservationists (Part 3)

Dec 18 2024 19 mins

Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, shifts our perspective on the modern conservationist. With low wages and expectations of free work, conservation science lacks diversity as a field—but dedicated graduate students and new programs are trying to change that. Isaac Aguilar, a graduate student in the geology division at the California Institute of Technology, te

The New Conservationists: AI is Making Meaning from the Sounds and Visuals of Wildlife (Part 2)

Dec 16 2024 17 mins

Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, takes us on into the field. Conservationists and animal behaviorists were once restricted to wildlife data gathered manually. Now new technologies are expanding the amount of passively collected data—and machine learning is helping researchers cut through the noise. This is part two of The New Conservationists, a four-part se

The New Conservationists: Where Do Zoos Fit into the Conservation Puzzle? (Part 1)

Dec 13 2024 18 mins

Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, takes us on a trip to the zoo. People are divided on zoos, but as Papp explains, the thoughtful work that goes into caring for animals makes modern zoos conservation powerhouses. This is part one of The New Conservationists, a four-part Friday Fascination series about the evolving world of animal conservation. Recommended readi

AI-Generated Audio Is Entering the Podcast World

Dec 11 2024 24 mins

If you were intrigued—or disturbed—by the artificial intelligence podcast on your Spotify Wrapped, you may wonder how AI audio works. Audio Overview is a feature of the tool NotebookLM, released by Google, that allows for the creation of short podcasts with AI “hosts” summarizing information. But questions remain about the accuracy, usefulness and environmental impacts of t

Leaded Gasoline, Orca Hats and ‘Disease X’

Dec 09 2024 8 mins

An outbreak of an unknown illness has occurred in the Democratic of the Congo, which has already been dealing with the spread of mpox. A new study finds that leaded gasoline could be responsible for 151 million cases of mental health disorders, with impacts highest among members of Generation X. Upping your daily movement could protect you from cardiovascular events. Plus, we look

Iron Deficiency and Anemia May Be More Common Than We Know

Dec 06 2024 10 mins

Low iron levels can cause fatigue and impact mental health, but doctors often miss cases of iron deficiency and anemia. Pediatric hematologist Angela Weyand, a clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, points to one population that could be at a higher risk—young women with heavy menstrual bleeding. In one study from a national databa

Anthony Fauci Is Worried about Bird Flu—And How Our Divisions Could Help It Hurt Us

Dec 04 2024 21 mins

Anthony Fauci speaks with Tanya Lewis, senior editor for health and medicine at Scientific American, about his remarkable career, as detailed in his new book On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service. They discuss the experiences he faced while guiding the U.S. through the pandemic, the lessons learned by public health practitioners and the challenges posed by future threats,

A Psychologist’s Tips for Avoiding Overconsumption This Black Friday

Nov 27 2024 15 mins

Black Friday sales have gone from one-day in-person shopping bonanzas to a multiday deals extravaganza. It’s tempting to give in to the seasonal pressures to shop, but knowing the tricks companies use to make sales so appealing can help us avoid overconsumption. Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, a professor of consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University in England, explains how to spot

What RFK, Jr., Could Mean for Public Health, and How Tobacco Use Has Dropped Unevenly

Nov 25 2024 10 mins

Donald Trump has nominated RFK, Jr., to run the Department of Health and Human Services, a position that includes oversight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Senior health and medicine editor Tanya Lewis explains what that would mean for antivaccine policies, food safety and unproven therapies