A Moment of Science

An illustration from the 1800s of a surgeon's nitrous oxide instrument

Welcome to the Laughing Gas Ball

Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is known today as a part of major surgery. But what did its discoverer have in mind? Read More »

Recent Audio Podcasts

The fish whose blood isn't red

Large ice chunks floating in the cold waters in the Antarctic

Blood is often associated with the color red, but that isn't true for all species. Learn about the special case of fish in the Antarctic.

A mother honey badger carries her young baby in her mouth through a field

Honey badgers might look like friendly mammals, but they're among the fiercest animals on the planet.

A baby with a large red hat that reads "little pudding" yawns while looking at the camera

Do you ever wake up and feel groggy and slow? You're probably experiencing sleep inertia.

A dark brown millipede stretched walking on the dirt ground

Millipedes have many feet, but none until now have truly lived up to their name. Researchers in 2021 have found a true millipede in Western Australia.

A close up of a chameleon with blue and green patterns on its face against a red background

Color is everywhere in the animal kingdom and plays an important role in several behaviors. Learn about the details behind these beautiful displays with today's A Moment of Science!

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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.