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.
7:19
Cassini’s Final Year, And Juno’s First
One mission is winding down. Another has just begun. A look at what’s next for each.
12:22
Do You Know What’s in Your Medical Record?
The first step to taking ownership of your medical data is to ask for it. Then it’s up to you how to share and store it.
17:27
Tracking the Daily Rhythms of the Microbiome
How do the circadian rhythms of gut bacteria affect the rest of the body?
17:37
How to Bring Back the Dead (Animals)
An anatomist’s eye and an artist’s touch are key to creating enduring taxidermy.
What Happens If We Detect Extraterrestrial Intelligence?
Finding communicative aliens is a long shot, but if we do, here are a few next steps to consider.
Memories in the Mud
Create a simulated sediment core and use it to identify the number of tropical cyclones that swept through the area near Belize’s Blue Hole. Learn how scientists use sediment cores to get information about weather events dating back 1500 years.
11:50
In Indigenous Genes, Evidence Of Colonization’s Plagues
Members of one Canadian Indigenous community have different immune genes than their forebears. Plus, how researchers and Indigenous communities can create more mutually beneficial relationships.
17:25
Skyscraper Bridges, Floating Airports, And A Dome Over Midtown
An alternate history of New York City architecture lives on in “Never Built New York.”
47:35
Celebrating Science With Silliness: The 2016 Ig Nobel Prizes
An annual awards ceremony honors scientific research that first makes you laugh, but then makes you think.
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.