On Today's Podcast
The lucky breaks that make our Earth home
An astrophysicist explores all that it took for life to exist on Earth, from the formation of stars to self-organizing molecules.
Listen NowApril 17, 2026
Tracy Scott’s dad walked on the moon. Now, she studies the lives and families of other Apollo-era astronauts. Plus, recordings from a decades-long research project in Florida are helping scientists decode dolphin whistles. And, inventor Simone Giertz rose to YouTube fame with comically bad robots. Now she designs comically useful objects for our very normal problems.
Botanicals In Blue: A Victorian Woman’s Take On Algae
Anna Atkins, the first person to publish a book of photography, showed a predilection for botany.
Great Salt Lake’s Earthen Spiral
You can only see this artwork when the water level of Utah’s Great Salt Lake is below average levels.
12:11
Uterus Transplant, Missing Lizard Link, and a Sea Level Solution
Failure of the first uterus transplant in a patient in the United States, and an outside-the-box approach to coping with rising sea levels.
2:20
How Many Digits Of Pi Do We Really Need?
Mathematician James Grime of the YouTube channel Numberphile has determined that 39 digits of pi should suffice.
17:23
The Homogenous History of Processed Cheese
A dairy scientist unwraps the history of processed cheese, and the simple chemistry that DIY chefs can use to make it at home.
13:43
The Ultimate Parallel Processor: Quantum Bits
The world’s most time-consuming calculations could someday be solved by quantum computers.
21:26
Ask an Ophthalmologist: Bringing Your Eye Questions Into Focus
Ophthalmologists Lisa Park and Anne Sumers address queries about eyes and vision.
16:48
The Bacteria Behind Your Favorite Blues, Bries, and More
Microbiologist Rachel Dutton discusses the bacterial battle behind the tastes and textures of cheese.
07:55
Researchers Set Their Sights on Ocular Stem Cell Therapy
Researchers used stem cells to grow eye tissues in petri dishes and regenerate lenses inside of the body.
To Stave Off Extinction, Make Half of Earth a Nature Reserve
E.O. Wilson says that the political and practical mechanisms to make half the world into a nature reserve already exist.
How to Make the Ultimate Nacho Cheese Sauce
Melting salts are key to this tasty recipe.
Making Squeaky Cheese Curds
Perfecting the squeak requires a mesh of long, elastic protein strands that rub against your teeth enamel.
Connecting the Dots on Climate Change
There’s more science than first meets the eye in these vivid watercolor paintings.
No Whey! Six Surprising Facts About Cheese
Bet you didn’t know these deliciously cheesy facts.
Get Cheesy: Make Curds and Mozzarella
Learn to make cheese curds and experiment with different types of milk to determine how fat, protein, and sugar content affect the yield and quality of curds.
11:50
Cancer Immunotherapy, Fear in the Natural World, and Abolishing Time Zones
Fine-tuning cancer immunotherapy and the good and bad of eliminating time zones.
17:26
Inside NASA’s Planetary Defense Office
How does NASA plan to protect the planet against an asteroid or comet strike?
15:54
To Stave Off Extinction, Protect ‘Half-Earth’
In his new book, “Half-Earth,” Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson argues that we must set aside half the planet for nature.