A Moment of Science

Square wave formations off the French coast with a tower in the foreground

Why do square waves happen?

Normally you’d just see waves coming in parallel to the shore. But what if there were also waves moving perpendicular to the shore? Read More »

Recent Audio Podcasts

Humans have been hanging out with cats for almost 10,000 years

A cat sitting on the Great Temple of Ramses II, next to a statue of a bird

A grave in Cyprus from 7500 BC shows a furry feline and human owner buried together. It’s the oldest known site of a tame cat.

An ankylosaur skull on a black background, jaw hanging open

How did dinosaurs keep cool?

A pain scale with increasingly upset faces to rank patient's discomfort

Did you know it’s possible to have a gene mutation that really does make bumping into furniture or even getting surgery totally painless?

Two people in large coats with backpacks hiking towards a snowy mountain peak

What makes walking uphill so much harder?

A giraffe outside with large trees in the distance behind it

Have you ever wondered why giraffes have such long necks?

Older stories »

A Moment of Science Blog

Surprising Science: How Fungi Can Help Conquer The Final Frontier

The fibers of mycelium in mushrooms cover a large area

Today's Surprising Science looks at the emerging field of astromycology and how fungi might just hold the key to our space exploration efforts.

Carlo Bononi’s Incoronazione della Virgine

Our last Surprising Science took us out of this world to learn more about how scientists determine potentially habitable planets. Today, we’re back on Earth to look at how some of our smallest life forms are impacting the art world.

How does introducing a new species impact an environment? The unique case of the Lazarus lizard shows there's more than one possible outcome.

Scientific breakthroughs can come from some surprising sources. Today's episode of Surprising Science looks at how different branches can create breakthroughs in other fields.