Podcast
Science Quickly
Hosted by Scientific American · EN
Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.
50episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Disclosure Day and the science of alien language
3d ago00:15:47Tap to summarizeIn the new movie Disclosure Day, aliens communicate through a series of strange clicks and pops. But what could an alien language actually be like? In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman puts that question to linguist Jeffrey Punske. We explore why fictional aliens in Hollywood and beyond tend to sound the way they do, what real human languages can teach us about communication and why math could be humanity’s best shot at first contact. Recommended Reading: Steven Spielberg shares his favorite sci-fi story ever What Disclosure Day gets wrong about the search for aliens Join our Summer Reading Challenge 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Marielle Issa and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The science of World Cup grass
5d ago00:17:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, we explore the science behind preparing natural grass for the 2026 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup, a project in which researchers have worked to transform stadiums that typically use artificial turf into sites with elite playing surfaces. Turf experts have spent years testing grass species, refining growing methods and solving the logistical challenges of transporting and installing fields across North America. Their goal is to create consistent, high-performance pitches that can withstand intense play—and that are so seamless that the world’s best soccer players never have to think about the grass beneath their feet. Recommended Reading: The Surprising Math and Physics behind the 2026 World Cup Soccer Ball 2026 FIFA World Cup players and fans at risk of extreme heat, climate scientists warn Join our Summer Reading Challenge 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Marielle Issa and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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World Cup health monitoring ramps up as Mars mission ends and AI rules shift
1w ago00:09:15Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, we look at how World Cup host cities are tracking potential disease outbreaks with wastewater surveillance, discuss the loss of NASA’s long-running MAVEN orbiter at Mars, unpack a new order pushing AI companies to share models with the government and explore a striking new map that reveals just how vast ancient Rome’s road network really was. Recommended Reading: NASA’s Mars mission MAVEN is lost forever Trump’s new AI executive order drastically shifts the administration’s stance on the tech New map reveals lost roads of the Roman Empire Join our Summer Reading Challenge 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Marielle Issa and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What’s in a name? When it comes to PCOS, a lot
1w ago00:15:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman interviews physician Anuja Dokras about the long road to changing the name of the condition PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. The conversation covers why “PCOS” was misleading, what the common condition actually involves and how an international group of researchers, including Dokras, landed on a more accurate name. Recommended Reading: ‘PCOS is inaccurate’—why scientists renamed polycystic ovary syndrome “Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process,” by Helena J. Teede et al, in Lancet. Published online May 12, 2026 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Emily Makowski and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The math behind your daily annoyances
2w ago00:13:01Tap to summarizeFrom the mystery of why elevator waits feel endless to the surprisingly tricky problem of splitting a pizza (or even a sandwich) fairly, this episode explores how math shapes everyday experiences in ways you might not expect. Host Rachel Feltman talks with physicist and editor Manon Bischoff about what hidden patterns lie behind daily frustrations, how shuffling a deck of cards involves mind‑bending odds and why math isn’t just for geniuses—it’s for anyone curious about how the world works. Recommended Reading: Mathematicians found out why waiting for the elevator takes forever The mathematically correct way to slice a pizza The humble ham sandwich inspired a math theorem for sharing food fairly 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Aaron Shattuck and Shayna Posses. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why this Ebola outbreak is so different
2w ago00:11:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman and Scientific American senior desk editor for health and medicine Tanya Lewis break down the fast-growing Ebola outbreak—caused by a viral species with no approved vaccine—in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. And they explain why U.S. cuts to foreign aid and a sharp reversal in American policy are making a dangerous situation even worse. Recommended Reading: The rare Ebola virus behind the current outbreak, explained An Ebola outbreak is spreading fast. Should you be worried? Ebola vaccines exist, but not for the strain in the current outbreak Scientists race to develop Ebola drugs as outbreak surges 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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You think you’re using your phone. It’s using you back
2w ago00:23:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, author Vanessa Chang discusses her book The Body Digital: A Brief History of Humans and Machines from Cuckoo Clocks to ChatGPT. The book explores how technologies—from handwriting to smartphones and AI—don’t just extend human capability but subtly reshape our bodies, behaviors and relationships, raising urgent questions about connection, design and the meaning of being human in an increasingly algorithmic world. Recommended Reading: The Body Digital. Vanessa Chang. Melville House, 2025 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Can we build a world that works for all?
3w ago00:18:29Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman interviews leading thinker Jeremy Lent about his latest book Ecocivilization: Making a World That Works for All, which challenges the idea that humans are inherently selfish. Lent emphasizes our natural tendency toward cooperation and interconnectedness and proposes a shift to a new “operating system” based on these values. The conversation highlights real-world examples and practical steps individuals can take to help build a more equitable, regenerative future. Recommended Reading: Ecocivilization: Making a World That Works for All. Jeremy Lent. Melville House, 2026 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The fake disease that fooled AI
3w ago00:14:41Tap to summarizeHave you ever turned to an artificial intelligence chatbot for medical advice? In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman speaks with researcher Almira Osmanovic Thunström about an experiment in which she created “bixonimania,” a fake disease that AI chatbots easily absorbed and repeated to users. The experiment reveals the pitfalls of using AI to interpret medical results—a habit that’s becoming increasingly common these days. Recommended Reading: “Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real,” by Chris Stokel-Walker, in Nature. Published online April 7, 2026 A third of Americans say they’ve asked AI to decode their medical results 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nukes on the moon?
4w ago00:16:49Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman speaks with science journalist Robin George Andrews about NASA’s push to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. They explore why nuclear power could be key to sustaining long-term lunar missions, what the technical hurdles of operating a reactor in such an extreme environment are and why experts say the agency’s ambitious timeline may be moving too fast. Recommended Reading: Why NASA wants to build a nuclear reactor on the moon NASA needs nuclear power for its moon base. Here’s the White House plan to get it NASA announces nuclear-powered Mars mission by 2028 NASA Commits to Plan to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon by 2030 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, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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