On Today's Podcast
Understanding the gynecological health crisis facing Black women
Black women face systemic issues accessing gynecological care. A physician-scientist outlines her vision to improve healthcare disparities.
Listen NowMay 8, 2026
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? Plus, the sci-fi thriller “Hole in the Sky” imagines an alien first-contact scenario set in the heart of Cherokee Nation. And, the SuperCDMS SNOLAB experiment, located deep in a nickel mine, aims to detect signs of dark matter particles passing through the Earth.
12:18
Can International Diplomacy Help Combat the World’s Superbugs?
The U.N. will meet next week to discuss the growing problem of antibiotic resistance around the world.
17:08
A ‘David and Goliath’ Story for Personal Computers
How the “Silicon Cowboys” of Compaq’s early days took on the behemoth IBM with a 28-pound portable computer.
16:38
Apps That Turn Your Workout Into a Game
Activity trackers like the Fitbit and the Apple Watch aim to make fitness more fun by incorporating elements of gameplay. But does it work?
35:13
How To Make A Golden Record
Two of the creators of the Voyager Golden Record remember how they crafted a message for alien civilizations.
The Golden Record Decoded
Voyager 1 and 2 will drift for billions of years in the emptiness carrying a Golden Records, inscribed with our message to any intelligent spacefaring civilization that discovers it.
The Comeback Kits: Saving California’s Island Foxes
Several subspecies of island fox have shown the fastest recovery of any mammal on the Endangered Species List.
Breakthrough: A Re-Sounding Remedy
Under the care of hearing researcher Rene Gifford, Allyson Sisler-Dinwiddie became one of the first test subjects of a new technique to improve cochlear implants, devices that use electrodes to stimulate cells in the inner ear.
6:44
Reaching for a Space Rock, Nanoparticles in the Brain, and a Missing Audio Jack
Journalist Amy Nordrum outlines the week in science, including NASA’s mission to collect a piece of an asteroid.
5:28
Is a Seaweed Boom a Boon?
Why more seaweed production could be good for the ocean and people—if done right.
17:07
Breakthrough: Hearing A Whole New World
In the first video of our new series, an audiologist describes overcoming her hearing loss. Plus, how new research could expand the aural world for patients with hearing loss.
16:59
Revealing Envy, Laughter, and Curiosity Through Data
What can small, everyday data reveal about our thoughts and emotions?
29:31
This Is Your Brain on Jackson Pollock
In his new book, neuropsychiatrist Eric Kandel explores the relationship between neuroscience and abstract art.
16:22
A Wine’s Tint Can Color Your Perception
The color of wine can prime your brain to expect a certain aroma and taste—a detail that’s useful to both winemakers and psychologists.
Why Do We Use Shock Therapy?
Electroconvulsive therapy is generally a safe and effective treatment for depression and other mental illnesses.
50 Years of Star Trek, and the Influence of Science Fiction
Live long and prosper.
Five Back-To-School Books For Science-Loving Kids
A handful of good reads for the shark fans, budding architects, and other curious kids in your life.
7:29
A Space-Launch Loss, Blood and the Brain, and Thought-Controlled Medical Nanobots
Science journalist Sophie Bushwick explains some of the week’s top stories in science, including Thursday’s explosion of a SpaceX rocket in Florida.
4:06
The Touch, the Feel of Plastic
A new fabric made of plastic kitchen wrap could keep you cool, but would you wear it?
17:31
Understanding Canine Communication
How do dogs pick up on our tones, gestures, and moods?