A Moment of Science

An illustrated rendering of a whatcheeria, resembling a large but compact lizard swimming underwater

An ancient animal that grew up fast

Children grow up fast, and that's true for more animals than just humans. Read More »

Recent Audio Podcasts

Insects are a good source of antioxidants

A bright green grasshopper against a slightly out of focus white surface

It might not be common in the US right now, but eating insects have several benefits and could become more popular in the near future.

Green kudzu plant leaves cover every inch of a large area, climbing up trees as well

Just like animals, plants are driven to reproduce. Find out more about one of their methods of transportation, zoochory.

A view of the ocean's horizon from a seaside cliff, with a seagull flying

What do you look for in a home? Even creatures of the sea want to live somewhere nice, and their needs aren’t that different from yours.

A closeup of a fossilized shell with a tight spiral of small ridges preserved in rock

Our age, the Anthropocene era, is distinctive in many ways. The fossils we leave behind might show this in the future.

An adult elephant leads two babies across the African landscape

Why do mammals live together? There's some benefits to living with others.

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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.