60-second Science

Charles Czeisler, director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, talked about the dangers of drowsy driving at a recent Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Forum called Asleep at the Wheel.      

Social spiders in artificially assembled groups of all bold or all shy members fared less well against predators than a group with some shy and some bold members.     

Reducing fat from chocolate can gum up manufacturing equipment, making low-fat chocolate hard to produce—but an electric field can help. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When immune cells rush to the site of a mosquito bite, viruses hijack the cells and turn them into viral factories—in mice, at least. Christopher Intagliata reports.

In the first known example of a mutualistic relationship between two mammal species in which neither is a primate, mongooses feast on ticks and other parasites infesting warthogs.  

A lizard's stripes may make them look like they’re moving slower than they really are, confusing predators that tend to aim at the head but may wind up with the tail.    

More particulate matter in the air can build stronger, longer-lasting thunderstorms over the tropics, leading to more extreme storms. Christopher Intagliata reports.

The microbes found in crushed grapes were linked to certain chemical fingerprints in the finished wine. Christopher Intagliata reports.

In mice, intestinal microbes respond to a high-fat diet by producing acetate, which triggers the release of a hormone that makes mammals feel hungry, causing them to eat even more.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildlife researcher Joel Berger dons a polar bear outfit to study the reactions of musk oxen to the threat of bears increasingly driven onto the land for food.  

What looked like human-made structures underwater off Greece turned out to be millions-of-years-old concretions deposited by bacteria.  

An energy-efficient alternative to LEDs has greater focusing power, for microscopes and spotlights. Christopher Intagliata reports.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damselfish had trouble sniffing out survival clues by their fellows in damaged coral. Jason Goldman reports.

Serving wine in larger glasses boosted sales 10 percent in an English bar, possibly because customers think they're imbibing less per glass. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Shy sticklebacks were more likely to emerge from under cover when an equally wary fellow was already out there, rather than when a bold individual was present.  

Dogs may have been domesticated from wolves twice, first in Europe, and again in Asia. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Researchers say carbon storage sites should be tested for microbial life, which could potentially convert CO2 to methane—a more potent greenhouse gas. Christopher Intagliata reports.

A wearable device records the sounds of knees cracking, which could reveal clues about the condition of the joint. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an analysis of 14 presidential debate transcripts, two thirds of accusations of question-dodging had no merit. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Remnants of a beer-making operation some 5,000 years old have been found in northern China.