Why Do We Love Chocolate?
Our love affair with chocolate is nothing new, but in recent years scientists have tried to uncover the source of our cocoa cravings. Scientific American editor Dina Fine Maron digs through the available evidence, looking for a morsel of truth.
How Your Favorite Web Site Gets Taken Out
Every week brings us news of another Web site taken out by hackers or even foreign governments. At the heart of all this digital mischief is the denial of service attack, which floods a Web site with fake requests. Scientific American tech editor Larry Greenemeier shows us how its done.
5 Everyday Objects Developed from NASA Technology - The Countdown #41
NASA is known for hi-tech wizardry when it comes to spacecraft, but some of its technology has floated back down to earth and made it into objects we use everyday. Here are five that surprised us!
5 Things You Need to Know About Rosetta, the Comet Chaser - The Countdown #40
We've put robots on both the moon and mars, but scientists have never tried to soft-land a robot on a comet--until now. In this episode of The Countdown, we cover everything you need to know about the European Space Agency's groundbreaking Rosetta mission.
Instant Egghead Outtakes 2013
A collection of outtakes from Scientific American's Instant Egghead series. A full list of episodes featured can be found here.
Top 5 Space Stories of 2013! - The Countdown #38
In this special episode of The Countdown we highlight the coolest, biggest and most important space stories of 2013.
5 Signs Of Life On Mars - The Countdown #37
Could Mars support life? In this episode of The Countdown, we run through five intriguing lines of evidence that the red planet was not always as desolate as it appears, and may even be habitable today.
Can Microbes Clean Up Our Oily Mess?
With an estimated 70 oil spills every day in the U.S. and tons of plastic littering our oceans, humans could use some help cleaning up. Scientific American editor David Biello explains how bacteria and other microbes are lending a hand.
Are Genes Really Selfish?
Biologist Richard Dawkins coined the phrase "the selfish gene" with his best-selling book of the same name. "Selfish," however, was an unfortunate word choice, because genes lack a will and can actually drive altruism. SA editor Eric Olson explains.
5 Things You Should Know About Comet ISON - The Countdown #36
The Countdown is a biweekly video podcast highlighting the top space news stories of the past two weeks. In this episode: Five facts about Comet ISON.
Who Owns Outer Space?
A 1967 United Nations treaty states that outer space isn't up for grabs.This hasn't stopped at least one entrepreneur from selling land on our closest celestial neighbors. SA editor Clara Moskowitz explains.
An Asteroid with Six Tails! - The Countdown #35
The Countdown is a biweekly video podcast highlighting the top space news stories from the past two weeks. In this episode: A Six-Tailed Asteroid, India's Mars Mission, Earth-like Exoplanets, Mapping the Russian Meteor's Path, and Lunar Topography.