On Today's Podcast
How do you figure out if microplastics are affecting pregnancy?
Microplastic researchers are trying to find answers about pressing health concerns while navigating the challenges of a new field of science.
Listen NowAugust 21, 2026
Microplastics have been found throughout the body, including in placentas and reproductive organs. What does that mean for pregnancy? Plus, little red dots appear all over images from the James Webb Space Telescope. They may belong to a new cosmic category called black hole stars. And, environmentalists and tribes are using state-level public trust doctrines to fight development.
4:31
A Climate Tradeoff for Fuel-Efficient Engines?
Fuel-efficient direct injection engines are taking over the market for new vehicles. Here’s why they might be an imperfect solution.
17:35
Sorting Out Your Recycling Questions
Darby Hoover from the Natural Resources Defense Council answers your blue and green bin questions.
17:11
The Health Costs Of Racism
Research suggests that even hearing about racist incidents can cause mental and physical health problems for people of color.
12:20
Tracking Online Terrorist Networks With Mathematical Models
Researchers tracked the growth and decline of online extremist networks through models typically used to map complex systems in the natural world.
17:38
Will Pokémon Go Push Augmented Reality Forward?
Tracking the ways that augmented reality could transform how we interact with the digital world.
7:49
Sex Differences in Pain Perception, and More
In this week’s news roundup, Buzzfeed’s Virginia Hughes talks about how the sexes may perceive pain differently, and how one scientist is calling for more female mice in pain studies.
Women in Science: An Illustrated Who’s Who
Illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky’s new book is a clever introduction to women scientists through history, starting with the ancient polymath Hypatia.
Burping Bioacoustics
Explore the field of bioacoustics by recording and analyzing the sound waves of human burps.
The Big Sort: An Insider’s Tour Of A Recycling Plant
Every day at the Sims Municipal Recycling facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, roughly 800 tons of recyclables meander through a tangle of machines, scanners, and conveyor belts.
Hearing Color Through A Cyborg
At the electronic music festival Moogfest, self-described cyborg artist Neil Harbisson showed an audience what it’s like to hear color.
6:12
The Art, and Science, of the Biodesign Challenge
A competition challenges art and design students to face the brave new world of biotechnology.
17:29
Building Better Violins…With Science
Self-taught scientist and luthier Carleen Hutchins brought new scientific rigor to violin-making.
4:50
Does Human Specimen Research Always Need Consent?
Why scientists don’t want to ask your permission to study your old blood samples.
11:34
As the Climate Warms, What Toll Will Heatwaves Take?
With an eye on New York City, an epidemiologist looks at how many deaths extreme heat could cause, and how we can prevent them.
7:25
A Jovian Arrival, Titan’s Chemistry, and a Goat’s Gaze
Researchers have found that Saturn’s moon Titan could have the right chemical conditions to create precursors to life. Plus, what a goat’s gaze has in common with puppy behavior.
10:13
A Geological Tour From 30,000 Feet Up
Flyover Country, a new app, will help you spot geological features during your next long-haul flight.
17:29
A New Threat to Cell Phone Videos?
Apple patents a technology that could stop our phones from recording concerts. How does it work, and could this be abused?
17:20
Protecting The Historic Human Record In Space
How could historically significant satellites, spacecraft, and landing sites be preserved in space?
A Peek at the Possibilities of Biodesign
An air purifier filled with spider webs, a toilet insert that filters estrogen, a cactus-like water harvester—these were just a few of the ambitious and creative ideas presented at the first Biodesign Challenge, which took place on June 23, 2016.
A Peek at the Possibilities of Biodesign
Art and design students envision the future of biotech.