On Today's Podcast
What A Tea Party With A Bonobo Taught Us About Imagination
Is the capacity to imagine unique to humans? Scientists thought so—but a pretend tea party with a bonobo named Kanzi suggests otherwise.
Listen NowFebruary 13, 2026
An evolutionary biologist weighs in on mating and dating in the age of apps. Is pair bonding passé? Is single the new married? Plus, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, or RHIC, has ceased operation. What’s next for particle physics? Add, researchers are homing in on how kids reap long-term health benefits from getting dirty, whether cuddling furry pets or playing with friends.
11:37
A Twist In The Tale Of Native American Origins
Two studies detect a DNA link between Indigenous Amazonians and native Australians and New Guineans.
17:20
Closer to Earth, 2.0, and a New Horizons Update
NASA’s Kepler program has located a planet close in size to Earth, orbiting in the habitable zone of a star similar to our own sun. Plus, new data about Pluto.
10:08
Do Know-It-Alls Really Know It All?
Scientists find that self-described experts are more likely to claim knowledge of phony information.
6:19
In a Mountain of Data, Signs of a New Class of Particles
Scientists working on CERN’s LHCb experiment report that they’ve found evidence of a so-called pentaquark particle.
How Silver-Haired Ants Beat The Desert Heat
Ant-Man’s cool. But this ant is cooler, thanks to metallic-looking hairs that help it beat the African desert heat.
Looks Fishy, Tastes Fishy. But Where’s the Fish?
For vegetarians, allergy sufferers, and the epicurious among us, chefs are getting creative with seafood substitutes.
What Do You Know About Science?
Unleash the geek, and let us know how familiar you are with a variety of scientific concepts.
11:40
iBubble Wrap, Fossilized Owl Vomit, and Deadly Temperature Swings
Brandon Keim, a freelance science reporter, shares this week’s top science news.
17:19
New Horizons Reveals Unexpected Worlds
Ice mountains and gaping canyons are just a few of the surprising features the New Horizons spacecraft beamed back this week.
16:37
Redefining the Kilogram
All the scales in the world are calibrated against a 125-year-old chunk of metal in a vault on the outskirts of Paris. Now scientists are looking to redefine the standard of what “kilogram” really means.
11:52
Can Video Games Be Used As Teaching Tools?
Are Minecraft’s digital building blocks the teaching tools of the future?
17:26
A Sci-Fi Writer Keeps His Eye on ‘Spaceship Earth’
In his new novel, “Aurora,” sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson puts the dream of interstellar colonization under the microscope.
8:20
Total Meltdown: The Rate of Ice Cream Collapse
A food scientist explores how the microstructure of ice cream controls the rate at which it melts.
8:23
Why Do Screams Make You Shudder?
Human screams have a unique audio quality not found in other types of speech.
Well, Hello, Pluto!
Our most up-close-and-personal shot of the (dwarf) planet yet.
12:22
‘Biological Aging,’ Debunking Signs of Cometary Life, Triceratops Kin
Rachel Feltman of “The Washington Post” joins us for a roundup of the top science stories this week.
17:43
New Horizons Prepares for Pluto Close-Up
The New Horizons probe is about to capture its prize: a close-up of Pluto.
9:47
Is Climate Change the Plight of the Bumblebee?
Climate change has caused bumblebee habitats in North America to retreat by as much as 190 miles in some areas.
6:51
Lollipops Meet Lasers in This Lab
Science documentary producer Emily Driscoll stopped by a Willy Wonka-like math lab to see what lollipops can teach us about fluid dynamics.