An all-ages trip to the frontiers of
knowledge. Bytesize Science translates
scientific discoveries into intriguing stories
about science, medicine, energy, food,
and much more.
knowledge. Bytesize Science translates
scientific discoveries into intriguing stories
about science, medicine, energy, food,
and much more.
Bytesize Science
An all-ages trip to the frontiers of knowledge.
- Episode 43 – Presto! Fast color-changing material may lead to better sunglasses
Find out how color-changing sunglasses work, and how a team of scientists in Japan have figured out a way to make sunglasses work even better.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by DoKashiteru (via ccMixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by zerolagtime, thanvannispen and man. - Episode 42 – A Colorful New Weapon in the Battle of the Bugs
New weapons in the Battle of the Bugs can be really important for soldiers fighting in areas of the world infested with the most dangerous kinds of bugs. One potential new weapon involves fluorescent feces.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by galeku, Halleck, scarbelly25 and Freqman. - Episode 41 – Painting superbugs into a corner
Scientists have come up with a unique new paint that literally paints germs into a corner, a corner where they can’t escape.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by Percy Duke, thanvannispen and acclivity. - Episode 40 – New nanogenerator may charge iPods and cell phones with a wave of the hand
A team of scientists have developed technology that produces energy from simple movements. Imagine if all you had to do to charge your iPod or cell phone was to wave your hand stretch your arm or take a walk?
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by kjackson, Halleck, crk365, man, rutgermuller, pushtobreak and trip2000. -
You’ve probably heard that the U.S. economy isn’t doing so hot. We’re in a recession — a pretty big one at that — and there are many adults out there that have lost their jobs and are facing a big career change. It turns out that these folks might learn a helpful lesson from honey bees.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by thanvannispen and acclivity.
- Episode 38 – Clothing to crow about: Jeans of wheat and feather dresses
Imagine waking up tomorrow and throwing on some clothes made from chicken feathers. It might sound like a strange dream. But in reality, clothing made from feathers, wheat, and other renewable materials could be on store shelves in the future.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by fogma, kjackson, mich3d and UncleSigmund.
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- Episode 37 – Catching some rays with the butterfly’s solar panels
Find out what insect has it's own solar panels!
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by fogma, zerolagtime, pushtobreak, dobroide and UncleSigmund. - Episode 36 – Hold that tissue: Allergy help may be on the way
German chemists have developed a way to tell people with allergies exactly what kind of pollen is in the air, instantly, and how much there is flying around. The test could help people avoid high levels of pollen that trigger allergies.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin Macleod (via incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by Slanesh, HerbertBoland, SFX Bible and fogma. - Episode 35 – Chemical Magic in the Mouth
It's not a pleasant thought, but you’ve got billions of tiny critters living in your mouth. An entire ecosystem of bacteria live in there, and many of them have important roles in chewing and digestion. Now, scientists have found that bacteria in the mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of certain foods.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by admiralbob77 (via ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by koops and zerolagtime. - Episode 34 – A “smart yarn”: clothing with a brain
Sweatpants, blue jeans, and T-shirts with a brain? It sounds difficult to imagine, but scientists are now working to make these unusual kinds of clothing a reality. Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by M12 (via ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sound by xythe, halleck, ERH, thecheeseman, simon.rue and jobro.
- Episode 33 – Healthy make-over: Food coloring goes natural
Santa might soon leave candy canes and holiday cookies that are a little duller, but better for your health as food color manufacturers go natural. That’s because food manufacturers worldwide are increasingly turning to more natural colors in an effort to replace brightly-colored yet potentially harmful artificial colorings now used in some foods and beverages.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu noisecollector, kjackson and koops. -
Good quality stereo speakers are usually big, bulky, and heavy, but people put up with their size to get sound with a BOOM. But now, scientists may have come up with a way to shrink speakers without sacrificing that sonic kick.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu ljudman, jppi, daveincamas and pitx. -
Find out how chemists are speeding up swimmers with high-tech new swimwear. The final episode in our four part celebration of National Chemistry Week.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu and SoundSnap.com include sounds by SFX Bible, Fred Weinberg, Shriek Productions, man, FranciscoPadilla and Radio Mall. -
Have you ever wondered what happens when we sweat? Or why we even sweat at all? Listen to this episode to find out! Part three of four episodes celebrating National Chemistry Week.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu and SoundSnap.com include sounds by SFXsource, luffy and sagetyrtle. -
Chemistry has helped improve sports gear dramatically over the years, making your favorite games faster, more exciting, and much safer. Part two of four episodes celebrating National Chemistry Week.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu and SoundSnap.com include sounds by Totya, SFX bible, Stuart Duffield, thanvannispen, Justine Angus, UncleSigmund, Shriek Productions, Blastwave FX and SFXsource. -
Find out how chemists have improved the stuff below every athlete’s shoes — artificial turf. Part one of four episodes celebrating National Chemistry Week.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by unclesigmund, thanvannispen, Freesound, acclivity, Sruddi1, scarbelly25 and reinsamba. -
In a finding that’s sure to get cheese lovers yakking, researchers in Nepal and Canada report that cheese from the milk of yaks, a big, hairy cow-like animal, may be better for you.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by acclivity and koops. -
Scientists say that eating chicken, fish or vegetables once per week in place of red meat can help the environment.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by mich3d, suonho, kjackson, fogma and acclivity. -
For years, scientists have tried to build an electronic tongue, a robot that could taste and smell food like we do. But before machines learn to taste their food, they first need to learn how to chew it. Scientists recently designed an artificial mouth that mimics the first vital steps of human digestion -- chewing, saliva release and the initial breakdown of food.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Jamius and Koops. -
For almost 70 years, doctors have given people antibiotic medicines to help people defeat invading germs, or microbes. But there is a constant tug-of-war between these microscopic monsters and people.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ljudman, Matt G and UncleSigmund. -
Earthlings are about to visit Mars again to search for traces of life. But since we can’t go in person, we are sending another robot spacecraft. Named Phoenix, the vehicle is scheduled to land on Mars on May 25 after a 420 million mile, 9-month voyage from Earth. An article on the Phoenix by Elizabeth K. Wilson appears in the May 25 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the American Chemical Society's weekly newsmagazine.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ERH, suonho, DJ Chronos, Sruddi1 and Freqman. -
Scientists are working on ways of using gator blood to put the bite on germs that make cuts get infected and turn red and puffy with pus and pain.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by smcameron, hazure, thanvannispen, acclivity and Koops. -
Now for some shocking news about plants: Scientists in Arizona report that exposing plants to low doses of electricity can boost levels of useful plant chemicals. Their finding could lead to cheaper and faster ways to produce useful plant-based materials such as medicines and pesticides.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes electricity sounds by Halleck, apple crunch by Koops, farm sounds by acclivity, buzzing fly by galeku, laser sound by inferno and applause by SandyRB. -
For almost 25 years, chemists and other scientists have tried to build an electronic nose that can take a whiff of the air, food or other objects and say whether the odor is nasty or nice.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes factory sounds by kokuya, dog bark by mich3d and electricity sound by Halleck -
Have you ever heard someone say they have an allergy to eggs? Thousands of children and adults cannot eat that egg-straordinary food. Thankfully, chemists in Germany and Switzerland now are reporting some good news for the egg-allergic.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes chicken sound by mich3d, cricket sounds by reinsamba, scream sound by cdrk and stomach gurgle by nannygrimshaw. -
For more than 100 years, scientists have tried to discover the full chemical recipe for the pitcher plant’s digestive juices. Now two Japanese scientists have finally figured out this complex cocktail of digestive juices.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes zoo noises by freesound, fly audio by galeku and dobroide, splash by junggle, gurgle by Halion and bubbles by suonho. -
Researchers have created a new blend, or hybrid, of rice by mixing a common species with a wild one. The result is high in protein and might help feed millions of poor and malnourished people around the world.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes crowd sounds by Freqman, pop sound by Traveler and applause sounds by SandyRB. -
Scientists in Wisconsin have discovered an ingredient that prevents the formation of ice crystals that can spoil the smooth, silky texture of ice cream and other frozen foods. The substance, which acts like an antifreeze, is non-toxic and doesn’t change the taste of foods, the researchers say.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes yeah kids sound by Totya, scream by thanvannispen, applause sounds by SandyRB. -
Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the contributions of African American scientists. So this week, we turn our focus on how their amazing work has improved peoples’ lives throughout history.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes chip crunch by FreqMan, truck backup sound by Corsica_S, gas stove audio by WIM, buzzing fly by dobroide, yeah kids sound by Totya. -
The bright, reflective shine of fish skin is a source of endless fascination for fishermen and aquarium owners. But what gives these swimmers their striking appearance?
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Chill by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes coin drop by seejacksurf, wind chimes by acclivity, seagull audio by hazure, harp sound by zerolagtime, underwater sounds by suonho, laser by inferno and gasp by freqman. -
It seems unlikely, but scientists have discovered evidence that France may have been a hot, wet tropical rainforest 55 million years ago!
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Sancho Panza gets a Latte and Whimsy Groove by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes needle skip and gasps by Freqman, rainforest ambient sounds by reinsamba and dinosaur roar by acclivity. -
Scientists are beginning to decode the secret chemical language that bacteria use to chat. This discovery could lead to new treatments for bacteria that shrug off existing medicine. Every year, these so-called 'superbugs' make more than 90,000 people in the United States very, very sick.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Highlights reel by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes ticking clock sound by acclivity, bell toll by dobroide and party sounds by Freqman. -
Scientists in Korea have solved a big mystery about the water strider: How on Earth does this bug manage to leap onto the water without sinking?
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Cherry Blossom by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes pool splash by patchen, slap sound by scarbelly25, pained grunt by Sruddi1, underwater sounds by suonho, rowing sounds by hazure, bounce audio by FranciscoPadilla, water drop sound by junggle, camera shutter sound by Heigh-hoo, robot noise by Harri and racecar sound by prosounder. -
Scientists have discovered a new weapon in the battle against bad breath: chewing gum or mints made with from material found in the bark of the sweet magnolia tree.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; song entitled Plain Loafer by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes ship sound by milo, toilet flush by megamart, toothbrush sound by samplecat, yeah vocals by totya and scream by thanvannispen. -
Boiled peanuts: the science of South Carolina’s official snack food.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes boiling sound by Dobroide, “woohoo” vocal by UncleSigmund and “eating chips” sound by FreqMan. -
Dragon's blood may sound like part of a magic potion that is used to fend off enemies in an epic battle. It actually is a bright red plant sap that has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine.
Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Noble Race by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes dinosaur roar by acclivity, scream sound by cdrk, harp audio by zerolagtime, violin sound by dobroide, balloon inflation and deflation sounds by Halleck, stomach gurgle by nannygrimshaw and toothbrush sound by samplecat. -
Scientists in Massachusetts learn the sneaky secrets of cephalopods, nature's ultimate camouflage artists.
Intro theme and various sound effects by Adam Dylewski; scheming weasel by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes pool splash sound by patchen, underwater sounds by suonho, squish sound by Jamius and balloon inflation sound by Percy Duke. -
Some stomachs simply cannot get enough of one sweet treat; chocolate. Find out why!
Intro theme by Adam Dylewski; Dvorak Polka by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes kiss sound by roscoetoon, burp sound by jppi_Stu, male scream by thanvannispen, gurgling stomach sound by nannygrimshaw and brute vocal by Xythe. -
Thanks to a new gadget that gulps pollution right out of the air, scientists may be able to reduce the environmental damage caused by the hundreds of millions of cars worldwide.
Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; Lasting Hope and Space Explorers music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes slurping sound by FranciscoPadilla, car ignition and horn sounds by Han1, single cough sound by zippi1, group cough sounds by Leady, gas stove sound by WIM, water drop sound by junggle, pool splash sound by patchen, brute vocal by Xythe and vacuum sound by tweeterdj. -
Sci-fi movies and comic books are not the only place you can find “hair-raising” mutants with super-powers. With the help of some special bacteria, scientists are giving plants mutant roots with abilities that may one day make super-heroes turn green with envy. These roots may become biofactories — natural factories that churn out fuels, food flavorings, and even medicine.
Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; The Way Out music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes male scream by thanvannispen, factory sounds by kokuya, car ignition sound by Han1, underwater sounds by suonho and applause sounds by SandyRB. -
The next time you rip a CD onto that shiny new iPod or cozy up with a DVD movie, give this some thought: Scientists have found a surprising new job for compact discs and players. Those silvery wafers of plastic may be taking a spin in a laboratory near you!
Intro theme by Adam Dylewski; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes ripping sound by batchku, music by bebeto, pop sound by anbo, buzzing sound by swuing, record scratch by jungle, laser sound by inferno and wooping vocal by UncleSigmund. -
Scientists find a way to make a tasty African veggie called cassava more healthy.
Intro theme and sound effects by Adam Dylewski; “Whimsy Groove” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes crowd sounds by SandyRB. -
Shows at family adventure parks featuring Shamu — an orca or killer whale — have made these gigantic mammals one of the most famous marine animals. Shamu’s wild brothers and sisters, however, face many threats to their survival in the open ocean.
Intro theme by Adam Dylewski; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes shore sounds by Volivieri, ambient music by Genghis Attenborough, foghorn sound by Kathol and seagull sounds by Hazure.