On Today's Podcast
Are new treatments for celiac disease on the horizon?
More than 3 million Americans suffer from celiac disease, an illness with no current treatment. Is help on the way?
Listen NowSeptember 25, 2026
Concerns about AI safety are growing. Two researchers explain the unintended consequences of training AI models and what questions remain. Underwater archaeologists are uncovering artifacts from early human settlements that were inundated by glacial meltwater at the end of the last ice age. Plus, research on concussions, and new treatments in the works for people with celiac disease.
11:52
Evidence Mounts for Liquid Water on Mars
NASA reveals new evidence for a large lake that could have existed for millions of years on Mars.
17:22
Alan Alda Challenges Scientists to Answer: What Is Sleep?
Alan Alda’s Flame Challenge asks scientists to answer the big questions that keep them up at night to 11-year-olds around the world.
16:20
Food Failures: Cookie Science Secrets
In this episode, “Cooking for Geeks” author Jeff Potter gives home bakers tips on how to achieve cookie perfection using different sugars, fats, and flours.
20:28
DIY Holiday Gift Hacks
Avoid the long lines and hack your holiday gifts, from homemade perfume to 3-D printed ornaments.
26:00
The Best Science Books of 2014
Science writers Deborah Blum and Annalee Newitz join Ira to share their favorite science books of 2014.
The Underwater Robot That Could
Using data from a robot, scientists have created the first detailed, 3-D maps of Antarctic sea ice thickness.
Why I Riffed on Orion
If you really want a space mission to happen, you’ve got to do more than hope. You’ve got to sit down and seriously plan like they did in the ’60s.
Beyond the Butter: Twists on the Same Ol’ Ingredients
Two foodies offer baking ingredient twists—and scientific insight into why they work.
Fungal Freeways
Marcus Roper of UCLA explains how fungal networks function with remarkable efficiency and prevent microscopic traffic jams.
Simulate Net Forces to Predict an Object’s Motion
Use a simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations to model force in a tugging competition and a pushed skateboard.
21:26
Climate Deal or Not, Fight Against Global Warming Has Begun
Last year, for example, new solar plants outpaced coal installations in the U.S., and carbon-trading schemes across state and national borders have already begun.
7:42
How Long Does a President’s Legacy Last?
In 1991, 53 percent of students tested could recall Lyndon Johnson as the 36th president; that number dropped to 20 percent by 2009, according to a new study released in Science.
16:50
Paola Antonelli: ‘Design Is More Than Cute Chairs’
For MoMA curator Paola Antonelli, “design” includes computer interfaces, video games, and maker kits.
12:07
You Are ‘When’ You Eat
In mice, eating within an 8-12 hour window helped to prevent and even reverse obesity and type 2 diabetes.
17:13
Test Launch Marks New Phase for NASA
NASA is in early stage test flights for Orion, its updated crew capsule, but the spaceflight landscape is changing.
7:21
What’s Killing West Coast Starfish?
Scientists have linked an unprecedented starfish die-off along the West Coast to a virus.
9:08
Near City Streets, an Insect Cleaning Crew
Ants and other insects could be able to remove thousands of pounds of food waste from street medians and city parks each year.
Seals Deep Dive for Ocean Data
Seals sporting telemetry tags are providing scientists with data on the ocean environment.
The Design Arcade
Join the Museum of Modern Art’s Senior Curator of Architecture and Design, Paola Antonelli, on an exclusive tour of the video games in their collection.
David Livingstone’s Beetles
A museum curator has discovered a box of beetles containing specimens collected during a famous expedition.