Podcasts – A Moment of Science

If you glance back at the rear window while driving through a rain shower, you'll notice that while raindrops batter the front windshield, they seem to avoid the back window as long as the car is moving. 

Beer bottles are colored for very specific reasons. if the light-sensitive hops that give the drink flavor are exposed to too much light, the beer will be “light struck,” and will take on a foul taste.

Scientists think that as many as a billion people around the world could be newly exposed to the diseases spread by mosquitoes within the next fifty years as global temperatures rise and mosquitoes thrive.

In 2019 two American researchers reported discovering the fossil remains of a carnivorous mammal larger than a modern lion, and even larger than a prehistoric saber-toothed tiger. It lived 22 million years ago in what’s now Africa.

According to a study by scientists at McGill University, areas with more prey have more predators overall than areas with relatively sparse prey. However, an abundance of prey does not result in as many predators as might seem likely.

Humans spend about a third of their lives asleep. Sleep seems essential for all animals that have a nervous system, but nobody really knows why.

Scientists tested male field crickets in competitions where they paired males with similar body mass and size, but different head sizes. They found that males with larger heads won more fights than males with smaller heads.

A new study argues that the Dr. Seuss character The Lorax could have been inspired by a real monkey.

The human brain contains about 86 billion nerve cells, or neurons. They signal to one another electrochemically to control our behavior.

Coffee has so much more caffeine than tea that the body can absorb a lot of it quickly. Tea, on the other hand, makes the body work hard to absorb its caffeine.

In 2019, researchers discovered a tiny spider in the Peruvian Amazon rain forest that has a behavior that’s surprisingly similar to the Marvel superhero Spiderman.

Research shows that health models and emissions models join up if people were to consume less meat worldwide, by cutting from their diet 2-3 portions of meat per week.

Crows are always on the lookout for others to rob, and they alter their tactics depending upon whether their victim is related or not.

Scientists have known for some time that octopuses make use of shells and other objects they find to hide from predators.

If you cut a grape in half and put the two halves in the microwave so that they’re touching each other, it will produce a glowing fireball.