On Today's Podcast
Data about your body is up for sale. Who's buying it?
Your personal biometric data—from your face, to your gait, to your weight—is constantly being collected and sold. Who’s buying it, and why?
Listen NowMay 1, 2026
Birds are living dinosaurs whose ancestors include T. rex and giant penguins. Understanding their past can help us imagine their future. Plus, an executive order issued by President Trump aims to fast-track research for psychedelics, including ibogaine. What is it? And, measuring microplastics can be hard, partly because they’re everywhere—including the lab. One researcher is working on solutions.
Yes, We Heard Your Noise Complaints
Leaf blowers, hand dryers, and beeping phones are among listeners’ most reviled sounds. But are they damaging to your ears?
Slow Breaking News: A Giant Tortoise Revival
With science and good luck, 158 young tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Plus, an ancient sea turtle stampede.
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.
Is There Science Behind The ‘Nervous System Reset’?
What’s the science behind the much-hyped idea that you can “reset” your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve?
AI Music Is On The Charts. Where Does It Go From Here?
AI-generated songs are breaking onto the charts, and music labels are pivoting from lawsuits to partnerships with AI startups. What comes next?
The Surprising Science Of Why Sneakers Squeak
The forces that cause sneakers to squeak also create mini-earthquakes (shoe-quakes, if you will) and tiny lightning bolts.
Can ‘Suggestion-Box Science’ Make Public Health More Useful?
An epidemiologist’s visit to her hometown helped her understand how to put positive community impact at the center of public health research.
Fixing Society’s Toughest Problems? ‘It’s On You’
How did we come to think of society’s toughest problems as something for individuals to manage rather than governments to regulate?
The Long Push To Blame Systemic Problems On Individuals
“It’s on You” chronicles how corporations and behavioral economists pushed for huge, systemic problems to be fixed by personal choices.
3D Images Of Galaxies Will Rock You (Ft. Queen)
Astronomer and Queen guitarist Brian May teams up with astrophysicist Derek Ward-Thompson to bring the cosmos to 3D.
Slow Release Of Federal Science Funds Holds Up Research
Some money allocated for scientific research has been restored to the federal budget, but the White House OMB has been slow to release it.
The Evolution Of An Enzyme Engineer Who Changed Chemistry
Frances Arnold’s game-changing technique of “directed evolution” creates enzymes with unusual capabilities. Her own evolution made it possible.
Artemis Program Faces More Delays
The Artemis II rocket was rolled off the launchpad this week, and NASA rescheduled the program’s larger goal of landing humans on the moon.
The Art And Science Of Staving Off Cognitive Decline
A new comedic play and a 20-year neurology study explore what we can do to prevent dementia and cognitive decline.
Earth’s Ancient Hydrogen, And Fossilized Vomit
A new simulation shows large amounts of hydrogen in our planet’s core. And, what scientists found in 290-million-year-old vomit.
Into The Woods, From Chestnut Genetics To Tiny Forests
Genetic research could speed the restoration of the American chestnut tree. Plus, “rewilding” small spaces with fast-growing miniforests.
The Miniforest Movement Gains Ground In The U.S.
A 50-year-old planting method from Japan is jump-starting native forest ecosystems in small plots, from schoolyards to parking lots.
EPA Rescinds The Legal Basis For Regulating Greenhouse Gases
The endangerment finding forced the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Now, the agency says it doesn’t have the authority to do that.
Are My THC Gummies Going Away?
A federal law aims to close the legal loophole that lets stores sell THC products from hemp. Why are laws around cannabis so confusing?
What’s Accumulating In The Dirty Snowbanks Of NYC?
One intrepid reporter dug into some of NYC’s dirty sidewalk snow and found a combination of poo, heavy metals, and other unsavory items.