Science Quickly

In this episode, we dive into the climate stakes behind Venezuela’s vast but troubled oil reserves and the country’s mounting tensions with neighboring Guyana. Climate reporter Amy Westervelt breaks down why the region’s heavy crude oil, aging infrastructure and escalating border dispute are colliding with the reality of a rapidly warming planet—and what rising seas, oil expansion and fragile ecosystems mean for millions of people across the Caribbean.Recommended Reading:“The U.S.-Venezuela-Guyana Oil Triangle,” by Amy Westervelt, in Drilled. Published online January 4, 2026Why Does Venezuela Have So Much Oil? GeologyE-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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak 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.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seed oils have become a target of wellness influencers and high-profile public officials. They say that these widely used and relatively inexpensive oils, which include canola, soybean and sunflower oil, are toxic. But do we really need to panic? Host Kendra Pierre-Louis speaks with food science expert Eric Decker to unpack what seed oils actually are, how their fats compare with those from other sources and whether claims about their toxicity hold up to scientific scrutiny.Recommended Reading:RFK, Jr., Upsets Food Pyramid, Urging Americans to Eat More MeatE-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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak 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.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how woodpeckers pound away without breaking their neck? We’ve got the answer—plus, why this flu season has broken a record, how AI is learning to predict disease from your sleep, and what CES 2026 showed about the biggest tech trends, including “physical AI” in the form of robots and other devices.Recommended Reading:This Year’s Flu Season Just Surpassed a Grim New RecordHarsh Flu Season May Be Driven by New Variant KHow Woodpeckers Turn Their Entire Bodies into Pecking MachinesAt CES 2026, AI Leaves the Screen and Enters the Real World​​Stevie Wonder’s Rule for AI at CES: ‘Make Life Better for the Living’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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Jennifer Hackett, Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, colloquially called GLP-1 medications, have gone from relatively obscure diabetes treatments to blockbuster weight-loss medications. But is the hype backed up by science? In this episode, freelance science journalist Bethany Brookshire joins host Kendra Pierre-Louis to talk about how these drugs mimic natural hormones, why they’re so effective and what the latest research about their broader health effects says. Plus, we discuss what a recently rolled-out GLP-1 pill, the first of its kind approved for obesity, could mean for the future of weight loss.Recommended Reading:Wegovy Weight-Loss Pills Are Now Available in the U.S.—Here’s What That Means“Doctors Are Worried about Prescribing GLP-1s to Certain Patients,” by Bethany Brookshire, in National Geographic. Published online November 20, 2025“The Unexpected Ways Ozempic-like Drugs Might Fight Dementia,” by Bethany Brookshire, in National Geographic. Published online June 17, 2025 “Is There Really an Ozempic Baby Boom? The Unexpected Ways GLP-1s Could Influence Fertility,” by Bethany Brookshire, in National Geographic. Published online November 4, 2025E-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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak 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.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent federal public health changes could affect children’s health, from vaccine access to essential medical care. In this episode, senior editor Dan Vergano breaks down what shifting national guidelines may mean for kids, why pediatric care is especially vulnerable and how states and medical experts are responding to protect families. Learn how these evolving health policies could shape long‑term outcomes for children and what’s at stake for public health in the U.S.Recommended Reading:U.S. Axes Number of Recommended Childhood Vaccines in Blow to Public HealthTrump Administration Moves to Severely Curtail Access to Gender-Affirming Care for MinorsU.S. Plan to Drop Some Childhood Vaccines to Align with Denmark Will Endanger Children, Experts SayE-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 Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak 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.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices