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Scientific American

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

Science, Quickly

Biologist Nathan Lents joins Science Quickly to explore the vast sexual diversity found across the animal kingdom. His new book, The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships, challenges the binary framework that has long shaped biological research, arguing for a more accurate and inclusive view of sex and gender. From alternative reproductive strategies to overlapping traits, this episode reveals how nature defies neat categories—and why science should, too.

Recommended Reading

Here’s Why Human Sex Is Not Binary

This Backyard Bird Has a Lot to Teach Us about Sex Variability

The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships, by Nathan Lents. Mariner Books, 2025

Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus an exclusive bundle of gadgets and gear to level up your next adventure. See the rules for entry here.

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check this show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

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Nature’s Sexual Spectrum Breaks the Binary

The chikungunya virus is rapidly spreading in China. Could it make its way to the U.S.? Meanwhile in Alaska a glacial lake outburst flooded the nearby Mendenhall River to record levels. And in Ethiopia fossilized teeth reveal a new species of Australopithecus—one that possibly lived alongside one of our closer cousins in theHomo genus—shedding light on human evolution.

Recommended reading:

How the New Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in China Could Reach the U.S.

Why Glacial Lake Outbursts like the One in Alaska May Happen More Often

Entirely New Species of Human Ancestor Discovered

Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus an exclusive bundle of gadgets and gear to level up your next adventure. See the rules for entry here.

Email us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Emily Makowski, Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check this show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chikungunya Outbreak, Glacial Outbursts and a New Human Ancestor

Science writer Sam Kean joins Science Quickly to explore the hands-on world of experimental archaeology—where researchers don’t just study the past; they rebuild it. From launching medieval catapults to performing ancient brain surgery with stone tools, Kean shares his firsthand experiences with re-creating the techniques and technologies of long-lost civilizations. 

His latest book, Dinner with King Tut, dives deep into these wild experiments and the things they have revealed about how our ancestors lived, worked and ate.

Recommended reading:

Scientists Used Prehistoric Tools to Build a Canoe, Then Paddled Across 140 Miles from Taiwan to Japan

Denmark’s Radical Archaeology Experiment Is Paying Off in Gold and Knowledge

Dinner with King Tut, by Sam Kean; Little, Brown, 2025

Sam Kean’s website

Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus an exclusive bundle of gadgets and gear to level up your next adventure. See the rules for entry here.

Email us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dinner with King Tut Explores the Wild World of Experimental Archaeology

Life expectancy has risen dramatically since 1900, reshaping how we understand aging. Scientists now view skin not just as a surface indicator, but as a biological marker of systemic health. In this podcast episode, Scientific American Custom Media explores how longevity science is offering new insights into vitality across the lifespan.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living Longer, Aging Smarter [Sponsored]

In this episode, host Rachel Feltman speaks with freelance science journalist Hannah Seo about a promising new development in male contraception: a hormone-free birth control pill that reversibly stops sperm production has just passed its first human safety trial. Seo explains how the drug works, what makes it different from hormone-based methods and where it stands in clinical development.

 

Recommended reading:

First Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill Shown Safe in Early Human Trial

Male Birth Control Is in Development, but Barriers Still Stand in the Way

“Safety and Pharmacokinetics of the Non-Hormonal Male Contraceptive YCT-529,” by Nadja Mannowetz et al., in Communications Medicine, Vol. 5, Article No. 279. Published online July 22, 2025

Email us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter.

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Condoms and Vasectomies Aren’t Enough—Is a Male Birth Control Pill Next?

Rogue planets drifting through space might be forming their own planetary systems. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission has completed a key radar test ahead of its journey to study Jupiter’s icy moon. Plus, a major shift in U.S. health research funding occurs as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., cancels nearly $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development.

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cosmic Discoveries Soar as Earthly Health Decisions Stir Alarm

Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois brings his background as a meteorologist to the halls of Congress, advocating for science-based policy amid intensifying climate threats. In this episode, he shares how personal experiences with extreme weather shaped his career and why protecting agencies like the National Weather Service is more urgent than ever. Sorensen also discusses the political challenges of defending climate science and makes a compelling case for why more scientists should enter public office.

Recommended reading:

Higher Bills, Hotter Planet: What Trump’s Megabill Means for You

Texas Failed to Spend Millions in Federal Aid for Flood Protection

Flood Forecasts Could Worsen as Trump’s NWS Cuts Take Hold

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-checked ourthe show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate Science Gets a Seat in Congress with Eric Sorensen

The White House has proposed sharp cuts to NASA’s science budget, potentially reducing it to historic lows not seen since the early Apollo era. Beyond space exploration, NASA’s work influences daily life—from accurate weather forecasting to essential climate data for agriculture. Concerned by the effects of these cuts, all living former NASA science chiefs have united in warning of dire consequences for U.S. leadership in science. In this episode, Scientific American senior editor Lee Billings speaks with host Rachel Feltman to discuss why this moment feels especially urgent and what one former NASA science chief thinks about it.

Recommended reading:

White House Budget Plan Would Devastate U.S. Space Science

U.S. Secretary of the Interior: Satellites Will Help Us Fight Climate Change

The Trump-Musk Fight Could Have Huge Consequences for U.S. Space Programs

Email us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former NASA Leaders Are Sounding the Alarm on Budget Cuts

Host Rachel Feltman talks with Andrea Thompson, Scientific American’s senior sustainability editor, to discuss the massive Russian earthquake and the reason it produced such relatively minor tsunami waves. Plus, we discuss the lowdown on the Environmental Protection Agency’s move to repeal of the “endangerment finding,” the advantages of a brisk stroll and an ancient linkup that led to a farmer’s market favorite.

Recommended reading:

Tsunami Warnings Issued after Magnitude 8.8 Earthquake Strikes off Russian Coast

Russia’s 8.8 Earthquake Is One of the Strongest Ever Recorded

Why the Russian Earthquake Didn’t Cause a Huge Tsunami

The Potato’s Mysterious Family Tree Revealed—And It Includes Tomatoes

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia’s Earthquake, Wonders of Walking and Surprising Plant Genetics

Host Rachel Feltman talks with Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American’s senior tech reporter, about his recent exchange with Claude 4, an artificial intelligence chatbot that seemed to suggest it might be conscious. They unpack what that moment reveals about the state of AI, why it matters and how technology is shifting.

Recommended reading:

Can a Chatbot be Conscious? Inside Anthropic’s Interpretability Research on Claude 4

New Grok 4 Takes on ‘Humanity’s Last Exam’ as the AI Race Heats Up

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. 

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is AI Conscious? Claude 4 Raises the Question

Individuals aren’t very good at judging whether someone coughing or sneezing has an infectious condition or is simply reacting to something benign.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can People ID Infectious Disease by Cough and Sneeze Sounds?

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