Could We Speak to Dolphins? A Promising LLM Makes That a Possibility
Dolphins have a broad vocabulary. They vocalize with whistles, clicks and “burst pulses.”This varied communication makes it challenging for scientists to decode dolphin speech. Artificial intelligence can help researchers process audio and find the slight patterns that human ears may not be able to identify. Reporter Melissa Hobson took a look at DolphinGemma, a large language model created by Google in collaboration with the Wild Dolphin Project and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The project seeks to unravel the clicks from the whistles and to understand what dolphins chat about under the waves.
Recommended reading:
Read our article about DolphinGemma: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-ai-let-us-chat-with-dolphins/
Watch our video about the project: https://www.tiktok.com/@scientificamerican/video/7499862659072871723
Keep up with Hobson’s reporting:
http://www.melissahobson.co.uk/
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Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was co-hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Alex Sugiura with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
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19:07
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for everything from metabolism to mental health.
Check out Martin Picard’s full article in the June issue of Scientific American.
Tell us what you think! Take our survey for the chance to win some SciAm swag!
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, Naeem Amarsy 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.
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27:04
How to Make Gold, Flamingo Food Tornado, and Kosmos-482 Lands
Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos-482 lands, though no one is certain where. Physicists turn lead into gold. Overdose deaths are down, in part thanks to the availability of naloxone. Flamingos make underwater food tornadoes. Chimps use leaves as a multi-tool.
Recommended reading:
A New, Deadly Era of Space Junk Is Dawning, and No One Is Ready https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/spacex-dropped-space-junk-on-my-neighbors-farm-heres-what-happened-next/
Physicists Turn Lead into Gold—For a Fraction of a Second https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/large-hadron-collider-physicists-turn-lead-into-gold-for-a-fraction-of-a/
Overdose Deaths Are Finally Starting to Decline. Here’s Why. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/overdose-deaths-are-finally-starting-to-decline-heres-why/
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, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by associate mind and brain editor Allison Parshall. Our show is edited by Alex Sugiura with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
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8:09
Could Freezing Arctic Sea Ice Combat Climate Change?
The year-round sea ice in the Arctic is melting and has shrunk by nearly 40 percent over the past four decades. Geoengineering companies such as Real Ice are betting big on refreezing it. That may sound ridiculous, impractical or risky—but proponents say we have to try. The U.K. government seems to agree, investing millions into experimental approaches such as Real Ice’s. Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Fellow Alec Luhn is taking us with him to the Arctic to see what it takes to freeze sea ice in the already freezing cold.
Recommended reading:
Read Luhn’s feature in the June 2025 issue of SciAm, which will be released on May 20:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/alec-luhn/
Follow Luhn on Instagram @alecluhn_ and BlueSky @alecluhn.bsky.social
U.K. Funds Geoengineering Experiments as Global Controversy Grows https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-k-funds-geoengineering-experiments-as-global-controversy-grows/
Geoengineering Wins Reluctant Interest from Scientists as Earth’s Climate Unravels
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/geoengineering-wins-reluctant-interest-from-scientists-as-earths-climate/
Tell us what you think! Take our survey for the chance to win some SciAm swag!
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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 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, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Alex Sugiura with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
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25:29
How a West Texas Outbreak Threatens Measles Elimination Status
Measles was technically “eliminated” in the U.S. in 2000 thanks to high measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. While prior outbreaks have made headlines, a slew of cases in West Texas is more than just newsworthy—it could cause the U.S. to lose elimination status. Associate health and medicine editor Lauren Young explains what elimination means, why measles cases are rising and how to prevent further transmission.
Recommended reading:
Measles Was ‘Eliminated’ in the U.S. in 2000. The Current Outbreak May Change That
Five Reasons Measles Outbreaks Are Worse Than You Think—And Why Vaccination Matters
How to Check If You’re Immune to Measles
Tell us what you think! Take our survey for the chance to win some SciAm swag!
http://sciencequickly.com/survey
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, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman with guest Lauren Young. Our show is edited by Alex Sugiura with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
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Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.
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