On Today's Podcast
A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations
In a story from August, neurologist Bruce Dobkin discusses how he started hearing a phantom choir singing on a loop after he received a cochlear implant.
Listen NowDecember 19, 2025
A newly identified amoeba can survive at the temperature of a medium-well steak. Plus, a distant lava planet shows signs of an atmosphere. And, this Christmas Bird Count, we salute the fabulous, underappreciated, common species. Here’s to you, house sparrow.
17:11
The Scientific Tale Of Author Beatrix Potter
Outside of Mr. McGregor’s garden and in her own life, Beatrix Potter—author of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”—had a curious eye for the nature world around her.
6:23
Pluto Rolls Over (the Dwarf Planet, Not the Dog)
In this week’s news roundup, science editor Sophie Bushwick talks about how a massive ice-filled basin may have caused the dwarf planet to tip, and other science stories in the news.
5:52
All the (Fake) News That’s Fit to Share
In the wake of the 2016 elections, social media platforms and online news hubs are trying to put a damper on the viral spread of false information.
17:24
What Causes The Common Cold?
Meet the viruses you have to thank for that stuffy nose.
20:25
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘Arrival’
How would real scientists achieve mutual understanding with an alien race?
20:37
Food Failures: Add A Dash Of Science To Your Thanksgiving Recipes
The science behind roasting a browner bird and sweetening sweet potatoes.
5:08
Mushrooms as Tough as Leather
A San Francisco start-up has developed a fungal material that can sub for leather, wood, and even plastic.
How to Choose the Best Apples for Cooking
Varieties that are best for eating aren’t the best for cooking, and vice versa.
16:28
This Cold And Flu Season, Get To Know Your Enemy
We answer your questions about the cold virus.
The Fungi In Your Future
A new start-up reimagines fungi as a multi-faceted, “programmable” material.
The Fungi in Your Future
From bricks, to furniture, to leather, mushrooms can be made into a wide variety of materials.
How to Make Your Own Pop-Up Creature
Learn how to make your own pop-up character from a master pop-up book engineer.
Earth’s Next Frontier: The Anthropocene
Scientists say the earth has entered a new geological epoch: The Anthropocene. Author David Biello on what humans will have to do to make the planet endure.
Crazy Eights: The Extraordinary Eyes of the Jumping Spider
How does the jumping spider use its eight eyes to make sense of the world?
Investigating Community Food Webs: The Ecological Importance of Spiders
Students design and construct their own webs out of yarn and paper plates, test how effective they are at capturing Ping-Pong “pests,” and see how the removal of pests affects crop yield.
7:36
The Democratic Movements of Sperm Whales, and a Victory for Non-Human Rights
In this election week edition of the News Roundup, science writer Brandon Keim joins us to talk politics in the animal kingdom.
4:30
Fighting an Invasive Species By Adding It to the Menu
Will our appetite for lionfish be big enough to save an ecosystem?
9:31
The Cure For Election-Related Stress? Believe Your Political Adversaries Can Change
A change in outlook could help you avoid the long-lasting negative impacts of a stress-filled election season.