Science Quickly

In July the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced changes to how key parts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) will be implemented, including a new definition of what it means to “harm” an endangered species. To discuss the history of the ESA, the impact its made on at-risk wildlife and the importance of habitat preservation, Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman talks to marine biologist Lynne Barre, who recently left the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after a 25-year career at the agency. They talk about the gray whale comeback that the ESA helped bring about, the earlier Supreme Court dissent that the current administration is using to define “harm” and the government workforce problem that could put animals at risk.

Recommended Reading:

Protecting Plants and Animals at Risk Must Start before They Need the Endangered Species Act

Can We Save Every Species from Extinction?

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, Allison Rodgers 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.

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Miscarriage is often treated as a problem rooted in the pregnant partner, but emerging research suggests sperm may play a bigger role than many people realize. Science journalist Sarah Elizabeth Richards joins Science Quickly to discuss how growing evidence links sperm DNA damage to recurrent pregnancy loss, why decades-old tests for such damage are only now gaining wider recognition and how lifestyle changes may help improve sperm health and pregnancy outcomes.

Recommended Reading:

Damaged sperm might be the true cause of repeated miscarriages

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 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

In this episode of Science Quickly, we examine a proposal to roll back protections for millions of acres of U.S. roadless forests, explore how climate change is opening a new Arctic shipping route and discuss new research suggesting that extreme weather can shape how Americans view their future. Plus, scientists uncover the secrets of shrew noses and narwhal tusks.

Recommended Reading:

How melting Arctic ice has created a new Silk Road

Trump moves to end protections for 44 million acres of U.S. forests

Extreme weather is making Americans feel powerless

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 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

A small clinical trial suggests that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, may help some people with anorexia when combined with intensive therapy. Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman speaks with health journalist Alexandra Pattillo about what early research has found, why scientists think psychedelics could help loosen the rigid thought patterns associated with eating disorders, and why experts say larger studies are needed before the treatment can be considered a proven option

Recommended Reading:

Could psilocybin be the key to treating anorexia?

Americans are increasingly open to using psychedelics for medical reasons

Trump’s psychedelics executive order could accelerate new treatments—including for children

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 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

Astrophysicist, folklorist and author Moiya McTier joins Science Quickly to discuss her new book Mothers of Invention, a sweeping look at the history of human creativity. From the Greek muses and the invention of writing to the rise of generative artificial intelligence, McTier explores how people create, innovate and tell stories and what today’s “creativity crisis” might mean for the future of art and originality.

Recommended Reading:

Mothers of Invention. Moiya McTier. Grand Central Publishing, 2026

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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 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