Podcasts – A Moment of Science

According to podiatrists, flip-flops provide no arch support and cause the foot to roll inward. And, because the only thing keeping flip-flops on feet is that little rubber thong, you end up gripping them mainly with the toes.

Today's episode is about walking stick insects. You probably know them for their curious appearance. They resemble the twigs of the plants they feed on.

Research conducted at Lorna Linda University Health shows that children who grew up with parents who had a “warm” parenting style have an advantage over children who grew up with parents who had a “cold” parenting style when it comes to health and aging.

The assassin bug eats other insects. It has raptorial forelegs similar to a praying mantis, meaning it's covered in teeth-like extensions used for grasping prey.

Today on A Moment of Science, we explore the precise meaning of the word "bug," and how it differs from the term "insect."

In 2019, a new study led by researchers at the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center used satellite data to show that increasingly large seasonal pools of melt water might widen cracks in an Antarctic ice sheet and cause it to break up.

Like other tarantulas, the cobalt blue tarantula is nocturnal. It makes its home in southeast Asia's tropical forests, where it likes to live alone in a burrow dug into the ground.

Convection is a common process in nature, and occurs when warmer air or liquid lies under a cooler layer. This is what happens in a coffee cup: the coffee on top is cooled by evaporation, and since cooler is also heavier, gravity pulls it toward the bottom.

In a recent experiment, rats changed the mental map of their surroundings after getting a reward.

Scientists found that human organs have small amounts of stem-like cells that can divide really quickly to replace tissue lost during organ failure.

On the beach at Île de Ré, a small island off the west coast of France, there are square waves. This is the result of two sets of wave intersecting at right angles.

Jabuticaba is a fruit native to Brazil. It’s the size and color of a plum, with a white pulp and several seeds. It’s also known for its health benefits and sometimes gets called a “super fruit.”

Five million year old rabbit fossils found on the island of Minorca were six times the size of today's rabbits. 

Scientists working with two species of damselfish on Australia's Great Barrier Reef discovered that when water temperatures increased by as little as three degrees, fish personalities changed.

Look at the back of a spoon and your reflection appears right side up.  Look into a spoon's bowl, and your reflection's upside down. How come?