Blog Archive

Episode 92 › What happened to the mice of Universe 25? (Bonus episode)

The strange true story that inspired the Rats of NIMH... Read More ›

Episode 91 › Is solar reflective pavement the cure for hot cities?

This simple solution has a surprising unintended consequence. Read More ›

Episode 90 › What’s inside a Martian meteorite?

Organic compounds in a meteorite from Mars reveal its history. Read More ›

Episode 89 › Is eating sugar a gut instinct?

A new Nature paper shows why artificial sweeteners just don't cut it. Read More ›

Episode 88 › What happened in the Stanford Prison Experiment? (Bonus episode)

And how did this experiment find its way into so many conversations? Read More ›

Episode 87 › Did Oumuamua come from a destroyed planet?

This interstellar asteroid’s origins may have been cataclysmic. Read More ›

Episode 86 › Does traffic spread like a virus?

What do traffic and COVID-19 have in common? Read More ›

Episode 85 › Why is Uranus losing its atmosphere?

Voyager 2 discovered a plasmoid with a story to tell. Read More ›

Episode 84 › Why do water balloons pop?

There's advanced science behind this playground activity. Read More ›

Episode 83 › How can we suppress COVID-19?

Suppression methods could play a critical role in alleviating the virus’ impact. Read More ›

Episode 82 › Why do gray whales strand during solar storms?

A stunning correlation that asks more questions than it answers. Read More ›

Episode 81 › What has InSight discovered on Mars?

The lander has uncovered Marsquakes, dust devils, and more. Read More ›

Episode 80 › Can you stimulate consciousness?

Brain implants could put you in and out of deep sleep. Read More ›

Episode 79 › Why do extragalactic “fast radio bursts” repeat

A new discovery has been made about these mysterious deep space signals. Read More ›

Episode 78 › Do penguins speak like humans?

Penguin songs surprisingly follow some universal linguistic laws. Read More ›

Episode 77 › How should you talk to babies?

'Parentese' is not just baby talk, it actually boosts child development. Read More ›

Episode 76 › How did Mount Vesuvius' victims die?

The ancient volcanic eruption caused more suffering than previously thought. Read More ›

Episode 75 › How fast is the world's fastest spin?

A tiny grain of sand got going 300 billion RPM, but why? Read More ›

Episode 74 › Does tongue fat cause sleep apnea?

New research shows a simple way to improve sleep apnea. Read More ›

Episode 73 › What's OSIRIS-REx doing at asteroid Bennu?

This 'groundbreaking' satellite is already changing the way we see asteroids. Read More ›

Episode 72 › The Best of Science 2019

The papers we didn't get to in 2019... Read More ›

Episode 71 › Christmas Special: Why do we believe in Santa?

Who knew this was an active area of research? Read More ›

Episode 70 › Does Europa actually have water plumes?

We finally directly observed this elusive discovery. Read More ›

Episode 69 › Why does Enceladus have "tiger stripes"?

Saturn's icy, life-promising moon has some intriguing scars. Read More ›

Episode 68 › Is eating healthier better for the planet?

Changing your diet could be a win-win situation. Read More ›

Episode 67 › How does hibernation work genetically?

Bears undergo some serious internal changes throughout the year. Read More ›

Episode 66 › Is there a universal “bit rate” of speech?

Talking faster might not mean saying more. Read More ›

Episode 65 › Can we save the penguins?

Are the goals of the Paris Climate enough to save their breeding grounds? Read More ›

Episode 64 › Can lasers hack your voice device?

Lasers might trick your smart home devices and impersonate you. Read More ›

Episode 63 › Did Google really achieve quantum supremacy?

A bold claim that could change the future of computing. Read More ›

Episode 62 › Could Skin-On make your smartphone ticklish?

You've heard of touch screens, get ready for skin interfaces. Read More ›

Episode 61 › Can physical exertion lead to mental burnout?

Training too hard could actually affect your brain function Read More ›

Episode 60 › Nobel Prize edition: what was the first exoplanet?

The far-out research behind the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics Read More ›

Episode 59 › Is "Planet 9" actually a black hole?

New research proposes this strange, exciting possibility... Read More ›

Episode 58 › How is the darkest black created?

A surprise Read More ›

Episode 57 › What’s the difference between vegetarians and meat-eaters?

The surprising healthy and unhealthy effects of going meatless Read More ›

Episode 56 › Is intermittent fasting healthy?

Are there facts or is it just a fad? Read More ›

Episode 55 › Can you find a supernova in Antarctic snow?

Radioactive iron may hold the clues... Read More ›

Episode 54 › Are self-citations a problem for science?

How can you really track the impact of research? Read More ›

Episode 53 › How does an artificial tongue taste whiskey?

And how well can it differentiate between drinks? Read More ›

Episode 52 › Can you hide secret messages in music?

And would you hear it if you could? Read More ›

Episode 51 › Do you really need 10,000 steps a day?

And where did this number even come from? Read More ›

Episode 50 › How is Neuralink hacking the brain?

The company's first paper released many new details... Read More ›

Episode 49 › Was Stonehenge built using pig fat?

Neolithic people sure knew how to play with their food. Read More ›

Episode 48 › Can your brain see into the future?

Well, it all depends on how you define future...but yeah! Read More ›

Episode 47 › How can you measure the expansion of the universe?

...and how do you even start to measure it? Read More ›

Episode 46 › Does caffeine make you burn fat?

Activation of a special type of fat by caffeine molecules could hold the answer... Read More ›

Episode 45 › Can seals learn to sing and talk?

How did spoken language evolve? Seals may hold some of the clues... Read More ›

Episode 44 › Is the Critical Brain Hypothesis Correct?

Cells in your brain may always be on the verge of an "avalanche"... Read More ›

Episode 43 › Does human endurance have a hard limit?

Just how much energy can the human body exert? Read More ›

Episode 42 › Did supernovae make us walk upright?

Could radiation from stars have prompted ancient humans to walk upright? Read More ›

Episode 41 › How deep does bomb carbon go?

How deep must we go in the ocean before we no longer see human traces? Read More ›

Episode 40 › Are synthetic genomes in our future?

Can we change the building blocks of life and create synthetic organisms? Read More ›

Episode 39 › Are moonquakes reshaping the Moon?

There's been renewed interest in the moon, but what do we still have left to learn about it? Read More ›

Episode 38 › How bad is the Replication Crisis?

Science depends on the repeatability of experiments, but it turns out many high-profile studies are not repeatable... Read More ›

Episode 37 › Is there a wrong side of the time zone?

Daylight Savings Time gets a bad rap every year when it's time to turn the clocks forward, but DST has a friend no one warned you about... Read More ›

Episode 36 › Can you bring a dead brain back to life?

Within minutes after death, brain tissue begins to degrade...but could new techniques extend their life? Read More ›

Episode 35 › Do mosquitoes hate Skrillex?

Dubstep could make a great bug repellant. Read More ›

Episode 34 › How do you image a black hole?

The incredible science behind this groundbreaking photo. Read More ›

Episode 33 › Are eggs really bad for you?

This breakfast controversy keeps getting worse. Read More ›

Episode 32 › Does space affect male and female astronauts differently?

Man or woman, space is a tough place to live. Read More ›

Episode 31 › Did F-words come from a change in diet?

A new study is shaking up the field of linguistics. Read More ›

Episode 30 › Why does pain hurt?

Your grunting and whining could be coming from just a few neurons. Read More ›

Episode 29 › Is Titan's organic atmosphere coming from its core?

The only known moon with an atmosphere has remained mysterious for decades. Read More ›

Episode 28 › How did tardigrades become immortal?

These resilient little creatures may hold the keys to human longevity. Read More ›

Episode 27 › Are female brains really 'more youthful'?

Male brains may age sooner than their female counterparts. Read More ›

Episode 26 › Can you understand talking brain waves?

You may one day be able to speak using only your thoughts. Read More ›

Episode 25 › How did the Curiosity rover weigh a mountain on Mars?

Scientists converted a simple instrument into a scale for mountains. Read More ›

Episode 24 › How can 3D printed filters improve chemotherapy?

A breakthrough technology could make chemo less harmful and more effective. Read More ›

Episode 23 › What's making Maine's giant ice disk spin?

A 300-foot ice disk is spinning in a river and scientists aren't sure why. Read More ›

Episode 22 › Can an LED control your nervous system?

A new field called Optogenetics could revolutionize human gene therapy. Read More ›

Episode 21 › Did Leonardo da Vinci have strabismus?

A rare eye condition may have helped the genius with painting. Read More ›

Episode 20 › How often did humans breed with Neanderthals?

Our ancestors did the cross-species deed, and it's in your DNA. Read More ›

Episode 19 › Does negative mass explain dark matter?

95% of the universe is "dark matter," but what is that exactly? Read More ›

Episode 18 › How does an ion plane actually fly?

A new plane design from MIT could revolutionize aerospace. Read More ›

Episode 17 › Did climate change cause the Great Dying?

The foreboding science behind history's worst mass extinction event. Read More ›

Episode 16 › Can you prove you're human in one word?

A new "minimal Turing test" is harder to beat than you think. Read More ›

Episode 15 › How hard was the Insight landing on Mars?

The "6 minutes of terror" came from years of work. Read More ›

Episode 14 › Is paralysis a thing of the past?

Spinal stimulation may be able to work miracles. Read More ›

Episode 13 › Is Oumuamua an alien spacecraft?

A controversial Harvard study that I want to believe. Read More ›

Episode 12 › Does cloud seeding work?

A simple technique lets scientists alter the weather. Read More ›

Episode 11 › How many faces do you know?

If you're bad with faces, you may have a new scientific excuse. Read More ›