On Today's Podcast
A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations
In a story from August, neurologist Bruce Dobkin discusses how he started hearing a phantom choir singing on a loop after he received a cochlear implant.
Listen NowDecember 19, 2025
A newly identified amoeba can survive at the temperature of a medium-well steak. Plus, a distant lava planet shows signs of an atmosphere. And, this Christmas Bird Count, we salute the fabulous, underappreciated, common species. Here’s to you, house sparrow.
The One That Didn’t Get Away
James Prosek paints the final moments of his saltwater subjects.
11:12
Volcano ‘Screams’ Before Eruption
Some volcanoes experience a large number of pre-eruption earthquakes.
17:11
Capturing the Sounds of Biodiversity
Researchers created a monitoring system to automatically record and analyze soundscapes of an area.
5:59
Eruptions on the Sun Set Off ‘Solar Tsunamis’
Scientists use the waves to measure the sun’s magnetic field, which is sometimes weaker than a fridge magnet.
10:40
Astronomers Spot Another Moon Around Neptune
The newly discovered moon, currently named S/2004 N 1, is just 12 miles across.
11:52
Fish Oil: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Researchers linked higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids to a higher risk of prostate cancer.
33:34
DIY Summer Hacks, From the Pool to the Grill
Try your hand at homemade sunscreen, water bottle rockets, and “cooler corn.”
Give Yourself A Hand With DIY Gripper
What high-tech materials are required for making a robotic hand that can pick up almost anything? Coffee grounds and a latex balloon.
T-Rex’s Rep, a Flying Bike, Living the High Life, and Mosquito Appetites
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
8:27
Not-So-Sweet Side Effects of Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners may negatively affect how the body metabolizes sweet foods.
21:11
Protecting Your Online Privacy
Worried about your online privacy? There are services that can help secure your information.
10:38
U.K. Team Plans E.T. Search
A newly formed group in the UK will join the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
5:50
Desktop Diaries: Jill Tarter
“People have described my office as an eight-year-old’s daydream,” says SETI scientist Jill Tarter.
8:22
Tracking Shifting Sands Along the Nation’s Coast
Hurricane Sandy tore through New York’s Fire Island, setting off debate about coastal management.
16:48
Surf’s Up for Pathogenic Viruses and Bacteria, Too
A gulp of seawater can expose swimmers to pathogens like norovirus, salmonella, and adenovirus.
8:21
Mysterious Radio Bursts, Sent From Deep Space
Physicists say the distant radio blasts could be traces of evaporating black holes.
12:03
Trying to Energize the Push for a Smart Grid
Can the country build an electrical system that can better adapt to a range of changing conditions?
Desktop Diaries: Jill Tarter
As the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute’s first employee, Tarter has accumulated E.T.-themed office ornaments for the last 30 years—including a bottle of wine to be opened “only upon detection of Extraterrestrial signal.”
Building Better Broccoli, a Nose Spray for Alzheimer’s?, Bedtime Blunders, and More
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
Operation Strawberry: One Artist’s Mission to Revive a Heritage Fruit
Through social networking and word of mouth, artist Leah Gauthier is helping preserve the Marshall strawberry, a fragile, juicy, heirloom plant. Just call her Jane Strawberryseed.