On Today's Podcast
Pope Leo's encyclical on AI, and the Vatican science advisors
On the release of Pope Leo’s encyclical about AI, we peek inside the Vatican academy that helps inform the Pope’s scientific views.
Listen NowMay 22, 2026
Low-frequency noises that humans can feel, but not hear, may be behind the spooky feeling of old houses. Plus, a processing plant in Mississippi is leaking massive amounts of the herbicide paraquat into the air. Its biological link to Parkinson’s is becoming clear. And, a bioethicist walks us through the complexity of clinical trials, from their core scientific questions to patient selection to FDA approval.
The Goat Brigade: Preventing Wildfires in Southern California
A herd of “elite” brush-clearing goats demonstrate why they are a versatile tool to shield against wildfires in Southern California.
Chocolate Crystal Concoctions
Act like an experimental chocolatier and determine how different melting and cooling procedures impact the shine, hardness, and texture of finished chocolate.
The Eye Of The Sahara
The Richat Structure can be seen from space and might be 100 million-years-old.
12:01
How Touch Helps Us Emotionally Experience the World
Researchers describe a type of nerve that helps us understand social interactions and emotion.
8:27
Laser Blast Can Regrow Teeth, in Rats
Zapping dental stem cells with lasers appears to switch on production of new dentin, the hard stuff under tooth enamel.
16:13
Why Do Some Songs Stick in Our Heads?
“Earworms” are song fragments that get stuck in our mind.
8:45
The Lineup of Cancer Threats Is Changing
A recent study projects that by 2030, pancreatic cancer will become the second most deadly type of cancer in the U.S. after lung cancer.
11:53
A Decade After the Genome, Scientists Map the ‘Proteome’
Nearly all the body’s cells contain identical DNA. So why does a neuron grow up so differently than a liver cell? Proteins, says Akhilesh Pandey, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.
11:00
How Can Airline Tracking Improve?
How can a commercial airliner go missing, and what can we do to improve tracking technology?
22:55
What’s ‘I,’ and Why?
In “Me, Myself, and Why,” science writer Jennifer Ouellette probes the science of self.
Why Do Songs Get Stuck in Our Heads?
Why some tunes lodge in our brains isn’t so clear. Here are a few theories.
Blog: These Student Filmmakers Have Science Stories to Tell
Student video competitions engage the minds of future science communicators.
11:50
Is It Possible to Make Matter From Light?
Scientists mapped out the plan for a potential “photon-photon collider” that could convert light into matter.
17:21
The Debate Over Net Neutrality
What does the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality plan mean for consumers?
17:01
Why Science and the Humanities Are Better Together
Biographer Walter Isaacson explains why the future belongs to those who can merge the arts and the sciences.
29:15
Are Microbes Winning the Antibiotic Arms Race?
We’re running out of antibiotics, and drug companies have little incentive to develop new ones. Can we save the ones we already have?
10:36
Customizing Your Cryptocurrency With Altcoins
ZeroCash, Litecoin, and SolarCoin are digital currency alternatives to Bitcoin.
6:01
New Meteor Shower May Offer Skygazers a Treat…Or Not
Late Friday night, Earth will sail through debris left by the comet 209P/LINEAR. Scientists are calling the shower the Camelopardalids.
Beware the Antibiotic Winter
An excerpt from “Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues.”