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Hello,

0:03

sixty second science fans. This is Jeff Delvisio.

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I'm the executive producer of the podcast. First,

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I really just thank you for all being loyal listeners

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for however long you've been listening. And

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just in case that's from the very start, you've

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been with us now for sixteen years three

0:18

months and seven days counting

0:20

today. That's near prehistoric

0:23

and podcast years. In that time,

0:25

we published well over three thousand episodes

0:27

on every imaginable science and

0:29

health topic. But on September fifth two

0:31

thousand six, we started it all off

0:33

with Beatles. Karen Hopkins who's

0:35

been with us the whole way. Honestly, she really

0:37

has. She just did a segment last week on how your

0:39

female pooch is definitely judging you. Described

0:42

how MIT researchers were making water saving

0:44

materials based off the nature tech built

0:46

into the Namib desert beetle. Here

0:49

for nostalgic is that segment in

0:51

full.

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This is scientific Americans sixty 60Second

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science. I'm Karen Hawkins. This will just

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take a minute. Oh. Myologist JBS

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Hall Dane once said that the creator, if he

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exists, has an inordinate fondness of

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beetles. Well, soda researchers at

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MIT. Inspired by the Nammib

1:11

desert beetle, MIT engineers Robert

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Kown and Michael Reugner have produced a new

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material that can trap and control

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tiny volumes of water. The Namibia

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desert in Southern Africa is one of the driest

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spots on Earth. Its inhabitants survive

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by extracting precious moisture from the light

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morning fog that periodically sweeps

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across the desert sands. The beetle's wings

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are studded with hydrophilic bumps that

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collect water droplets and hydrophobic

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channels that funnel the droplets into the bugs

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mouth. The MIT scientists used a similar

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design for their beetle mimicking material described

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in an online version of the journal nano

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Such materials could be used to help move

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small liquid samples around a lab on a chip

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or to make tens that could provide shelter

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and a cool drink to people who camp in the desert.

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The water harvesting material might not represent

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intelligent designs, but ensure a good example

1:57

of intelligent imitation. Thanks for the

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minute. For scientific Americans, sixty

2:01

second science, I'm Karen Hopkins. Fascinating

2:06

and actually sixty seconds long.

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Which really is why I'm here talking to

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you all today. The podcast that

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you've loved and listened to for so long is

2:15

getting a major update. We're gonna

2:17

start with changing the name to reflect reality.

2:20

We're really into reality around here. The

2:22

show hasn't been just a minute for a long time.

2:24

So we're gonna stop saying that it is. But

2:26

the show itself isn't going anywhere, exactly

2:29

the opposite. In the New Year, we'll be

2:31

back with a fresh new name and look. We'll

2:33

be publishing more often every Monday, Wednesday,

2:35

and Friday to start, and we'll take you on Sunday

2:37

journeys that still respect your time, so they'll

2:39

be quick, but we'll also expand the

2:41

breadth of what we cover. It's going to

2:43

be really fascinating and fun, and we want

2:45

you all there for the ride. While

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we prep for the big relaunch, we're gonna take an

2:50

extended holiday Plus a

2:52

little bit. Don't worry, we'll be back

2:54

in your podcast feed in early twenty twenty three

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with new exciting shows, a dive into

2:58

fascinating science, and still leave you in

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wonder. But with plenty of time left

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in your day for everything else. We'll

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see you all then, and thanks. For

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the show now formerly known sixty second

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signs, I'm Jeff Dolasy.