On Today's Podcast
Why are we changing the way we keep time?
Timekeeping scientists around the world voted to stop using leap seconds, but what does this mean for us?
Listen NowOctober 23, 2026
CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna discusses the evolution of gene-editing technology and what it takes to be a good scientist. Timekeepers around the world voted to stop using leap seconds, but what does that mean for us? Plus, how "problem bears" help test engineers evaluate consumer products, author Kazuo Ishiguro on emotional truth in our age of AI, and the science of apple varieties.
5:29
Former Michigan Governor, Other Officials Charged for Flint Water Crisis
The charges, which came as a surprise to many residents, come seven years after the health crisis began.
17:26
How Soil Could Save The Planet
A new farming technique could make soils, and their microbes, better at capturing carbon.
12:10
Orange Is The New Black—For Bats
Researchers are rushing to preserve a newly discovered bat species in West Africa.
6:57
Greenland’s Microbial Melt-Down
Scientists find that bacteria and sediments darken ice, impacting how the Greenland ice sheet is melting.
9:50
Life Of A Coronavirus Scientist During A Pandemic
These scientists have studied coronaviruses for years. Here’s how the pandemic has impacted their lives and research.
17:09
Searching For Extraterrestrial Life Like ‘Sherlock Holmes’
A strange celestial visitor in 2017 has this Havard astrophysicist convinced of intelligent life outside our solar system.
11:57
After Flint’s Crisis, An Algorithm Helps Citizens Find Lead Pipes
Millions of Americans need to replace their pipes. Here’s how to tell if your home or neighborhood needs to test its tap water.
What Do Volcanoes Sound Like? Make Your Own Volcano Kazoo
Make a straw kazoo and model real volcano sounds! Explore waveforms and infrasound, learn how scientists predict eruptions, and create your own volcanic sound effects.
When Galactic Tourism Goes Awry: Exploring New Suns
On January 28, join us to explore how cities might transform if Earth was a tourist destination for intergalactic travel.
Enhancing Moods, One Brain Chip At A Time: Exploring New Suns
On February 4, join us to explore how relationships and culture might change when some are implanted with mood-enhancing brain chips.
How Companies Denied Their Role In Climate Change
Michael Mann seeks to debunk the lies that have derailed attempts to curb climate change and arms readers with a real path forward to preserving the planet.
11:58
West Virginia Leads In Race To Distribute Vaccines
Why has New York struggled to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, while West Virginia excelled?
16:21
The New Vision For Vaccines
How will the apparent success of the mRNA approach change the path of vaccine production in the future?
11:49
How The West Is Battling COVID-19 And Valley Fever
Clinicians say they are under a “triple threat” with the flu, the pandemic, and the fungal disease, valley fever.
17:09
How To Spot A Conspiracy Theory
Here’s how machine learning models and folklore analysis can help us detect—and perhaps defang—conspiracy theories.
17:14
A New President, An Ongoing Climate Crisis
Author and climate scientist Michael Mann lays out what President Biden can do in his first 100 days to show he’s serious about climate policy.
17:14
How Did A Vaccine Get Developed In Less Than A Year?
How decades of vaccine research, financial investment, and a bit of luck gave scientists the tools to quickly create—and test—vaccines for COVID-19.
12:11
Trump’s New EPA ‘Transparency’ Rule Could Hamper Science
Critics say the new rule could be used to hamper new environmental regulations.
8:52
Can Cells Rewind The Wrinkles Of Time?
A new study suggests it may be possible to reprogram cellular aging.
12:13
Strap In, It’s Going To Be A Big Year For Space News
From missions to Mars to civilian space flight, we round up what we can look forward to this year in space news.