On Today's Podcast
How Is AI Being Used In The Iran War?
The Pentagon has given AI a powerful role in the Iran war. We dig into the DOD conflict with Anthropic, and the state of autonomous weapons.
Listen NowMarch 13, 2026
AI-generated songs are breaking onto the charts, and music labels are pivoting from lawsuits to partnerships with AI startups. What comes next? Plus, what’s the science behind the much-hyped idea that you can “reset” your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve? And, with science and good luck, 158 young tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galápagos.
15:58
A Web of Doubt
Author Charles Seife spots the falsehoods and fakes that make their way onto the information super highway.
A Glowing Volcano
This Indonesian volcano burns blue at night, but that’s not lava you’re seeing.
Sock Puppets on Steroids: The Internet’s Fake Personalities
An excerpt from “Virtual Unreality: Just Because The Internet Told You, How Do You Know It’s True?”
In a Flash: Firefly Communication
Fireflies communicate with a “language of light” that scientists still don’t completely understand.
The Chemistry Behind How Fireworks Get Their Colors
Investigate what colors metal salts can make as you burn them and discover how chemical reactions make brilliant fireworks colors.
Physics Secrets for Hula Hooping
In this activity from Science Buddies, kids will create their own hula hoops and investigate how the hoops’ masses affect how they spin. Which do you think will spin better, a heavy hoop or a lighter one?
12:03
Shedding Light on the Science of Sunscreen
How does sunscreen protect our skin from harmful radiation, and what is the meaning behind SPFs?
20:39
Food Failures: Avoiding Grilling and Barbecue Pitfalls
Marinade myths, charcoal chemistry, and the elusive “smoke ring”—the science behind barbecue and grilling.
13:24
Getting A Grasp On The Clever Cephalopod
The nautilus, the “living fossil” of cephalopods, can uncover the origins of the complex brain of modern cephalopods.
12:21
3-D Mammography Detects More Cancers, But Will It Save Lives?
A new study suggests that 3-D mammography detects more cancers than traditional digital mammography. But the technology is expensive, and there’s no indication yet that it catches more dangerous cancers, or is saving more lives.
31:02
Making Art From the DNA You Leave Behind
Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg calls attention to genetic surveillance with artworks made from strangers’ DNA.
3:05
Arnold Relman, Health System Critic, Dead at 91
Relman called the American health care system a “new medical-industrial complex.” We remember him here with two archival clips.
Behaviors of the Venomous, Blue-Lined Octopus
This venomous octopus packs a punch, but it’s more likely to hide than launch a poisonous attack.
How Does an Octopus Change Its Body to Blend In With Its Environment?
Watch footage of a live octopus to model different ways that these animals can camouflage themselves by changing their body’s texture, shape, size, and color.
How Tails Help a Kite to Fly
In this activity from Science Buddies, you will experiment with how a kite’s tail affects how it flies.
29:38
Reinventing How City Dwellers Get Around
Portland, Oregon, is a hotbed for transit innovation. Will other cities catch on?
16:13
What Happens After the Robot Apocalypse?
In “Robogenesis,” sci-fi author Daniel H. Wilson imagines the world post-robot uprising.
17:23
Untangling the Web of Spider Science
Arachnologist Greta Binford traces the evolution of spiders by examining their venom.
12:03
At Reed College, Nuclear Education That’s Really ‘Hands-On’
At Reed College, undergraduates keep a nuclear reactor running.
16:24
Beer Science: Crafting the Perfect Pint
Two of Oregon’s craft brew experts pore over hops, yeast, malt, and the microbiology of beer.