On Today's Podcast
Help! This new dwarf planet needs a name
Scientists using the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory have located a possible new dwarf planet beyond Neptune. What would you name it?
Listen NowNovember 6, 2026
A food historian and a nutrition researcher dig into the protein-maxxing trend—and explain why you might want to up your fiber intake instead. Researchers trapped an antimatter particle and held it at extremely cold temperatures for months. Plus, why armadillos are moving north, and how a tiny, see-through fish that can regenerate its brain is becoming a model species.
Love, Octopus-ly
Full-time biologist—part-time cephalopod matchmaker, Richard Ross invites us into his secret home lab where he studies the mating rituals of the lesser Pacific striped Octopus.
The Giant Squid’s Biggest Mystery
Estimating how many giant squid are lurking in the deep ocean seemed unfathomable…until now!
Make A Secret Marshmallow Message
Use the chemistry of the Maillard reaction to spell out an edible secret marshmallow message as you toast your treat!
Unravelling CRISPR In The Café
A sketch at a café meeting sets Jennifer Doudna on the path to developing one of the most consequential gene editing tools.
7:07
A New Astronaut Class Begins The Journey To The Stars
Plus, the health effects of your bread choices, wolves’ sense of equality, and more news from the week in science.
4:42
Finding An Earthly Home For The Thirty Meter Telescope
The instrument’s original site plans set off a controversy. Another site is available, but relocation won’t be easy.
9:18
Is Your Sunscreen Living Up To Its Promise?
A new report says only one quarter of SPF products on the market are up to snuff.
7:50
The Sunscreen Of The Future
A customizable melanin-like material could offer better protection from the sun.
11:54
Can You Hold An Algorithm Accountable?
Regulating algorithms could offer better insight into why they fail.
17:10
The Road To CRISPR
Biochemist Jennifer Doudna describes her work on developing the CRISPR-Cas9 technique and the ethical concerns of using the revolutionary tool.
10:03
Weighing A Star With Gravity: Einstein’s ‘Impossible’ Experiment
A century ago, we used general relativity to weigh the sun. A research team has finally done the same for a star outside our solar system.
6:05
The Hottest Known Exoplanet Is (Probably) Slowly Melting Away
Researchers find a doomed planet orbiting a massive hot star.
16:20
Fossil Finds Could Mean A Wider ‘Cradle Of Humanity’
Hominin fossils dating to 300,000 years ago have been found at a site in Morocco.
The Wisdom Of Teeth
Hidden inside each set of ancient teeth are clues about their owner’s behavior, ancestry and hints about what really made up the paleo diet.
Are You A Young Inventor? File A Patent
Tips and advice on how young inventors can protect their intellectual property.
Rising Seas Are Washing Away Graves In The Marshall Islands
For the residents of this island nation, climate change is already here.
7:44
Trump Pulls US From Climate Agreement
President Trump pulled the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, plus CRISPR human trials, a NASA sun orbiter, and more.
4:13
Winners And Losers In Warming Northeast Waters
Climate change can create more habitat for some species of fish. But will fisheries adapt?
22:44
Spreading The Word About The ‘Mother Of Wi-Fi’
Actress Hedy Lamarr was so much more than a beautiful face. Here’s why her story needs to be told.
29:40
Why Are Allergies So Dang Hard To Get Rid Of?
A look at why our immune systems turn on us, and why we’re still powerless to stop the attack.