June 30, 2023
Ira Flatow celebrates Cephalopod Week live in Miami with two scientists who study squids and octopuses. Plus, the endangered Przewalski’s horse and black-footed ferret are the faces of cloning for conservation. Plus, same-sex animal pairings are common in nature. But fungi might be the queerest kingdom of all.
Why You Should Thank Your Local Wasp
From pest control to pollination, what might be considered pesky insects actually play essential environmental roles.
Listen To Ethereal Sounds Derived From Space
NASA’s Sonification Project aims to turn astrophysics data into sound, enabling visually impaired people to engage with outer space.
Meet The Blind Birder Reimagining Accessibility In The Outdoors
In the Colombian Andes, a professional birder has developed trails to help visually disabled people take part in hiking and birding.
The Sweet Song Of The $7 Violin
The 3D-printed violins are affordable and still sound beautiful, making them great instruments for young learners.
The Sweet Song Of The Largest Tree On Earth
The ancient Pando tree inspired a sound artist to record the leviathan’s many movements.
How The Humble Beaver Shaped A Continent
European settlers nearly wiped out the North American beaver. Bringing them back may soften future floods and fires.
12:19
Scientists Can Now Hear The Background Hum Of The Universe
Although scientists have theorized about this cosmic hum for years, they finally heard it by tracking pulses from spinning stars.
12:13
How Fungi Are Breaking The Binary: A Queer Approach To Ecology
An interdisciplinary group of scientists, researchers, and artists are using queerness as a lens to better understand the natural world.
17:24
Scientists Think Cloning Could Help Save Endangered Species
The endangered Przewalski’s horse and black-footed ferret are the faces of cloning for conservation.
5:51
Twenty Years On, The Little CubeSat Is Bigger Than Ever
The tissue box-sized satellite made space research easier, and cheaper.
11:17
Remembering Engineer And Author Henry Petroski
The prolific and poetic author tackled everything from the safety of bridges to humanity’s follies.
33:52
Celebrating The Weird, Wonderful World Of Cephalopods
Did you know most cephalopods can only live for a year? Or that they rely heavily on taste to sense their environment?
Why This Sound Artist Recorded Nature And Human Life For 40 Years
Jim Metzner, a pioneer of science radio, looks back on his lifetime of nature recordings, now heading for the Library of Congress.
12:15
A See-Through Squid Success Story
Researchers will be able to study neural structure in a genetically modified line of albino squid that are essentially see-through.
11:56
How Art Can Help Treat Dementia And Trauma
A new book investigates the relatively new field of neuroaesthetics, which researches the effects that artistic experiences have on the brain.
5:10
Testing Mars Rovers In Utah’s Red Desert
Student innovators compete in a rover-testing challenge at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.
12:05
When The Promise Of Social Media Becomes Perilous
New York Times journalist Max Fisher’s new book charts social media’s meteoric rise.
34:41
Remembering Roger Payne, Who Helped Save The Whales
Researcher Roger Payne died earlier this month, leaving behind a legacy of whalesong recordings that inspired global conservation efforts.
17:19
When Eye-Grabbing Results Just Don’t Pan Out
Is a drive to publish in prestigious scientific journals leading researchers to overstate their findings as the next big breakthrough?
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