On Today's Podcast
Creating 'world models' for robots + An AI math shakeup
How do you create a model to help AI understand the physical world? Plus, the latest AI-driven advancements in math.
Listen NowAugust 14, 2026
At the peak of linguistic diversity, humans may have spoken up to 10 times as many languages as we do today. An immunologist who’s been on both sides of vaccine hesitancy talks about what drives it, what gets missed, and how to build trust. Plus, a new journal documents species “lost to science,” and a conservation project aims to locate lost firefly species in the U.S. and Canada.
16:38
Up Close With the Lunar Eclipse
The lunar eclipse on Tuesday, April 15, will be visible from all over North and South America.
11:32
Scientists Study Vole Romance Under the Influence
To learn how alcohol affects relationships, scientists mix prairie voles a drink.
17:29
Reawakening Limbs After Years of Paralysis
Paraplegics were able to stand and move their legs again with the help of a spinal implant.
16:36
With Her Kids’ Help, Jean Craighead George’s ‘Ice Whale’ Sees Print
The final novel from “My Side of the Mountain” author Jean Craighead George takes children underneath the Arctic Ocean.
Yogurt, Breakfast of Champions?
Research suggests that yogurt containing active bacterial cultures could have multiple health benefits.
Gecko-Inspired Adhesive
A reusable tape made of micro fibers has the remarkable ability to self-clean.
An Artist Memorializes Frogs’ Struggle for Survival
Artist Brandon Ballengée’s portraits of deformed frogs turn scientific specimens into “stained glass windows.”
11:54
How Will Russian-U.S. Politics Affect Our Relationship in Space?
NASA suspended a majority of its communications with Russia in response to the conflict in Crimea.
27:16
Roger Penrose: Cosmic Inflation Is ‘Fantasy’
What’s wrong with modern physics—and could alternative theories explain our observations of the universe?
6:30
Inside Insight: Clearing and Staining Fish
Clearing and staining gobies, stingrays, and sharks has revealed to scientist Adam Summers critical data, as well as the beauty of each fish’s unique form.
11:59
Diving Into the Underground Ocean of One of Saturn’s Moons
Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, may have an underground ocean the size of Lake Superior.
34:47
The Origins of Violence
An anthropologist, a psychologist, and a crime writer ask: Are humans hard-wired for violence?
Inside Insight: Clearing And Staining Fish
Clearing and staining gobies, stingrays, and sharks has revealed to Adam Summers critical data and the beauty of each fish’s unique form.
11:51
Join the Science Club: Build an Art Machine
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Build a machine that can make art.
17:12
Robot Builders with Bugs for Brains
The bugs meet the bots in the world of swarm robotics.
8:20
The Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Plains—of Iowa
Texas and California dominate the U.S. in wind power generation—but Iowa isn’t far behind.
8:17
Racing Towards Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
Toyota plans to release a hydrogen fuel cell car in California by 2015.
11:55
Dwarf Planet Found at the Edge of the Solar System
Dwarf planet 2012 VP-113 takes approximately 4,000 years to orbit the sun once.
22:45
Engineering Life Through Synthetic Biology
From designer yeast genomes to batteries made from bacteria, an update on synthetic biology.