Ocean plastic gets covered with algae and other marine organisms, making it smell delicious to sea turtles--with potentially deadly results.&nbsp; &nbsp;

60-Second Science

Ocean Plastic Smells Great to Sea Turtles

The growth layers in a 70-million-year-old clam shell indicate that a year back then had more than 370 days, with each day being only about 23.5 hours.

Ancient Clam Shell Reveals Shorter Day Length

As oceans heat up, the ubiquitous noise of snapping shrimp should increase, posing issues for other species and human seagoing ventures.

Snapping Shrimp Make More Noise in Warmer Oceans

In an example of how sea noise can harm species, exposed shore crabs changed camouflaging color sluggishly and were slower to flee from simulated predators.

Stress from Undersea Noise Interferes with Crab Camouflage

Studies on very old vegetation in the Amazon basin show active management hundreds of years ago on species such as Brazil nut and cocoa trees.

Indigenous Amazonians Managed Valuable Plant Life

By breaking 900 classical piano compositions into musical chunks, researchers could track Ludwig van Beethoven&rsquo;s influence on the composers who followed him. Christopher Intagliata reports.&nbsp;

Computers Confirm Beethoven's Influence

Here are a few brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one from off the California coast about the first heart rate measurement done on a blue whale.

Science News Briefs from around the World

Life&rsquo;s Little Mysteries is the newest Audioboom original podcast and co-production with Live Science. This podcast is for everyone and anyone who loves science and wants to know more about everything around us. Join hosts Mindy Weisberger and Jeanna Bryner of Live Science as they give you the lowdown on all things big and small that truly make you wonder. Life&rsquo;s Little Mysteries has new episodes every Monday. Subscribe to Life&rsquo;s Little Mysteries on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifes-little-mysteries/id1496044775 .

Introducing Life's Little Mysteries

Increasing or decreasing the altitude of aircraft by a&nbsp;few thousand feet to avoid thin layers of humidity could make a major reduction to contrails&rsquo; contribution to climate change.

Jet Altitude Changes Cut Climate-Changing Contrails

Inbreeding in Thoroughbreds has increased significantly in the past 45 years, with the greatest rise occurring in the past 15 or so of them.

Thoroughbred Horses Are Increasingly Inbred

Hippos that escaped from drug kingpin Pablo Escobar&rsquo;s private zoo are reproducing in the wild.&nbsp;And with increasing numbers, they could threaten ecosystems.

Pablo Escobar's Hippos Could Endanger Colombian Ecology

Art created by Australian Aboriginal people used organic carbon-free pigments, but wasp nests above or below the art can be used for radiocarbon dating that supplies boundaries for the age of artworks.

Wasp Nests Help Date Aboriginal Art

Ice cores from a Tibetan glacier reveal the first deposits of industrial revolution pollution,&nbsp;starting in layers dated to about 1780.

Industrial Revolution Pollution Found in Himalayan Glacier

A new study in mice concludes stress can cause gray hair&mdash;and credits overactive nerves with the change in hue. Karen Hopkin reports.&nbsp;

Fight-or-Flight Nerves Make Mice Go Gray

A very fine grind can actually hamper espresso brewing, because particles may clump more than larger particles will.

Espresso May Be Better when Ground Coarser

Leading science journalists provide a daily minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of science. For a full-length, weekly podcast you can subscribe to Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American . To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast

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60-Second Science

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