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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

Zoya Teirstein, a senior staff writer at Grist, joins host Kendra Pierre-Louis to talk about this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, which wrapped up in Brazil last week. Plus, new studies debunk claims that fluoride harms children’s cognitive development and show evidence that urban raccoons may be evolving traits linked to tameness.

Recommended Reading

“At COP30 in Brazil, Countries Plan to Armor Themselves against a Warming World,” by Zoya Teirstein, in Grist. Published online November 19, 2025

“Here Are the 5 Issues to Watch at COP30 in Brazil,” by Zoya Teirstein, Naveena Sadasivam and Anita Hofschneider, in Grist. Published online November 6, 2025

Fluoride in Tap Water Not Linked to Lower Child IQ, Massive Study Finds

Raccoons Are Showing Early Signs of Domestication

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi 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

Tamer Raccoons, COP30 Recap, New Fluoride Research

In his new book, Nanocosmos: Journeys in Electron Space, artist and writer Michael Benson transforms scientific imaging into art, capturing intricate natural designs that inspire awe and wonder. Join host Kendra Pierre-Louis as they explore how science and creativity intersect at the smallest scales of our universe.

Recommended Reading

Nanocosmos: Journeys in Electron Space, by Michael Benson. Abrams Books. Published October 28, 2025. 

This episode was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American’s board of editors.

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi 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

The Hidden Worlds of ‘Nanocosmos’

Holiday meals can delight our taste buds while the food puts real strain on our digestion. Host Kendra Pierre-Louis talks with Northwestern University gastroenterology expert Kathryn Tomasino about why digestion is influenced not just by diet but also by stress, sleep and mindful eating. Together they share practical tips for enjoying Thanksgiving and other holiday feasts without the stomach aches.

Recommended Reading

Northwestern Medicine Diaphragmatic Breathing for GI Health. Northwestern Medicine, December 5, 2022

This episode was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American’s board of editors.

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi 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

Gut Health Tips for the Holidays

Our editor in chief David M. Ewalt revisits a remarkable 20-year experiment: an e-mail time capsule designed to deliver digital messages from the past into the future. What began as a tech project at Forbes evolved into a story of human connection—proving that sometimes it’s friendship, not servers, that keeps information alive across decades.

Recommended Reading

The Unlikely Story of an E-mail Time Machine

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi 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.

This episode was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American’s board of editors.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Digital Time Capsule That Survived Two Decades

Host Kendra Pierre-Louis speaks with reporter Rowan Moore Gerety about how mRNA vaccines, first successfully developed to protect against COVID, are now being tested to treat cancers such as pancreatic cancer. Together, Pierre-Louis and Moore Gerety explore the science behind these therapeutic vaccines and share the story of a survivor whose remission underscores their potential to transform cancer care.

Recommended Reading

New Cancer Vaccines Could Treat Some Types of Pancreatic, Colorectal and Other Deadly Forms of the Disease

Why mRNA Vaccines Are So Revolutionary—And What’s at Stake if We Lose Them

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi 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

Can Vaccines Help Defeat Cancer?

Griefbots—artificial-intelligence-powered chat tools that simulate conversations with the deceased—are helping some people navigate loss in unexpected ways. Science writer David Berreby shares his firsthand experience with these digital companions and explores what they reveal about mourning, memory and the limits of technology. 

Recommended Reading

David Berreby’s substack

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi 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

Can AI Ease the Pain of Loss?

In this episode of Science Quickly, Rachel Feltman introduces interim host Kendra Pierre-Louis, a climate journalist with a strong aversion to mayonnaise—and a knack for turning that disgust into fascinating science reporting. Pierre-Louis shares insights into the psychology of taste, the cultural language of food textures and the way that categories of such textures, including creamy foods such as mayo, can trigger visceral reactions.

Recommended Reading

“Mayonnaise Is Disgusting, and Science Agrees,” by Kendra Pierre-Louis, in Popular Science. Published online October 31, 2017

“Texture Is the Final Frontier of Food Science,” by Kendra Pierre-Louis, in Popular Science. Published online February 13, 2021

Kendra Pierre-Louis’s website. 

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi 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

Why Some Foods Gross Us Out

Headaches are among the most common human experiences—yet science still struggles to explain them. Journalist Tom Zeller, Jr., joins host Rachel Feltman to explore the cultural, gender-related and scientific blind spots that have stalled research into migraine, cluster and tension-type headaches.

Recommended Reading

Tom Zeller, Jr’s website

The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction––And a Search for Relief, by Tom Zeller, Jr. Mariner Books, 2025

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 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

The Science of Headaches

Many of us are taught from a young age that being “good” means being obedient—but that conditioning can make it hard to speak up when it counts. In this episode, Cornell University professor Sunita Sah explains how defiance can be a powerful tool for challenging injustice, asserting boundaries and reclaiming our voice.

Recommended Reading

Sunita Sah’s website

Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, by Sunita Sah. One World, 2025 

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 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

Why Defiance Can Be a Virtue

Hurricane Melissa stunned meteorologists with its rare intensity, reaching wind speeds that are more typical of Pacific supertyphoons and maintaining Category 5 strength for more than 24 hours. Scientific American senior editor Andrea Thompson breaks down what made the storm so unusual, how it impacted Jamaica and Haiti and what it might signal about the future of hurricanes. Plus, we discuss quick updates on viral infections and heart health, black hole collisions and chimpanzee rationality.

Recommended Reading

Hurricane Melissa Images Reveal a Monster Storm for the Record Books

How Hurricane Melissa Became One of the Most Intense Atlantic Storms on Record

With Melissa, 2025 Becomes Only the Second Season with More Than Two Category 5 Hurricanes

Why Hurricane Melissa Could Be the Worst Storm to Ever Hit Jamaica

Chimps Can Weigh Evidence and Update Their Beliefs Like Humans Do

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 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

How Hurricane Melissa Became a Meteorologic Outlier

TikTok’s algorithm has become a cultural force, shaping what more than a billion users see and share, but its future may be shifting. As the platform prepares for a U.S.-only spin-off, Kelley Cotter, an assistant professor in the department of human-centered computing and social informatics at Pennsylvania State University, joins Science Quickly to explore how changes in ownership could affect the algorithm’s influence and transparency and the kinds of content we consume.

Recommended Reading

“TikTok Sale Puts App’s Algorithm in the Spotlight—A Social Media Expert Explains How the For You Page Works and What Changes Are in Store,” by Kelley Cotter, in the Conversation. Published online September 22, 2025

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 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

How TikTok’s Algorithm Could Shift with a U.S. Spin-off

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