meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Science Quickly

NASA Astronauts Finally Return, Seals Hold Their Breath, and Penguin Poop Stresses Out Krill

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.2639 Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Two NASA astronauts are finally back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay in space. What kept them up there so long? Meanwhile scientists have discovered that gray seals have a built-in oxygen gauge that helps them hold their breath for more than an hour. And in the Antarctic, researchers found that penguin poop seriously stresses out krill. Catch up on these stories and more in our Monday news roundup. Recommended reading: After 286 Days in Space, NASA Astronauts Return to Earth with a Splash  E-mail us at [email protected] 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 Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Understanding the human body is a team effort. That's where the Yachtel group comes in.

0:05.8

Researchers at Yachtolt have been delving into the secrets of probiotics for 90 years.

0:11.0

Yachtold also partners with nature portfolio to advance gut microbiome science through the global grants for gut health, an investigator-led research program.

0:20.1

To learn more about Yachtolt, visit yawcult.co.

0:22.7

.jp. That's Y-A-K-U-L-T.C-O.J-P. When it comes to a guide for your gut, count on Yacolt. Happy Monday listeners.

0:40.4

For Scientific American Science quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman.

0:43.7

Let's kick off the week by catching up on some science news you may have missed.

0:58.5

We'll start out with a space update that we've been waiting about nine months for.

1:01.2

And splashdown. Crew 9 back on Earth.

1:07.8

Butch Wilmore and SUNY Williams are finally back on Earth.

1:11.2

The two NASA astronauts, who were meant to spend about a week on the International Space Station but have been there since June, splashed down in a SpaceX capsule

1:16.2

last Tuesday evening. Welcome home, Butch and Sudi. If you're wondering why it took so long to

1:22.1

bring them back after their arrival vehicle's initial technical difficulties, the answer isn't

1:26.9

very exciting.

1:27.9

It basically comes down to scheduling issues.

1:31.0

First, NASA had to bump two other astronauts off an upcoming mission so that their return

1:35.3

vehicle would have room for Butch and Sunni.

1:38.2

Once that mission made it to the station, it had to stay put until the next mission came

1:42.5

up to relieve the prior crew of their duties.

1:45.5

Space is hard, as folks so often say, and multiple ISS missions are bound to mean multiple delays.

1:52.2

In other space news, last week scientists unveiled images of a planetary system 130 light years away

1:58.4

snapped by the James Webb Space Telescope.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Scientific American, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Scientific American and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.