On Today's Podcast
A virus hunter in Nigeria has thoughts on the Ebola outbreak
A Nigeria-based molecular biologist breaks down the current Ebola outbreak, and what's needed to improve disease monitoring across Africa.
Listen NowJune 5, 2026
Up to 94% of Neanderthals suffered at least one traumatic injury in their lifetime. How did their healthcare keep up? Plus, a Nigeria-based molecular biologist breaks down the current Ebola outbreak, and what's needed to improve disease monitoring across Africa. And, despite the scorching, toxic conditions on the planet Venus, some scientists want to look there for life—in the clouds.
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.
12:02
Forget-Me-Not: How Prions Maintain Memory
Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel discusses the role of prions in maintaining long-term memories.
28:04
The Ultimate Geek Road Trip
“The Geek Atlas” author John Graham-Cumming helps us plot the ultimate geek road trip, with sites spanning the history of science, technology, and mathematics.
5:14
Astronomers Play Hide-and-Seek with Supermassive Black Holes
Researchers estimate that there are millions of supermassive black holes hidden in the universe.
Track A Plant’s Movement
Are your plants moving without you knowing it? Catch your plant’s secret movements, called tropisms, in this hands-on activity.
The Antenna That Detected the Big Bang
An excerpt from “The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science and Technology Come Alive.”