On Today's Podcast
Could bird flu still spark a pandemic?
As local reports of dead birds rise, the greatest human risk continues to fall on some of the most vulnerable: farm workers.
Listen NowMarch 20, 2026
Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary." Plus, how a particle accelerator, a robot, and 2,000 ants came together to paint a picture of biological diversity. And, a mathematician analyzed 150 years of women’s fashion to understand 20-year trend cycles, and how “optimal distinctiveness” drives change.
16:27
Studying Earth to Learn About Mars
Planetary scientists and future explorers are trying to learn about our neighboring planet without ever leaving Earth.
21:35
Great Salt Lake Is No ‘Dead Sea’
Parts of the giant lake are 10 times saltier than the ocean—but life has found a way to thrive.
17:34
James Webb Space Telescope Wings It
The telescope’s massive mirror will unfurl on a newly completed set of wings.
6:20
The Bird That Struts Its Stuff
Every year at this time, the greater sage-grouse performs a striking dance routine each morning at dawn.
The Case Of The Barfing Blue Jay
For some predators, chowing on a monarch butterfly can have digestive repercussions.
Go West, Young Man, and Grow Up With the Dinosaurs
A writer follows a childhood passion, surrounding herself with dinosaurania, in this excerpt from “My Beloved Brontosaurus.”
Every Spring, This Bird Struts its Stuff
Across Utah, the Greater sage-grouse performs a striking dance routine each morning at dawn.
These Dinosaurs Should Appear in Jurassic Park 4
Author and dino-lover Riley Black suggests several reptilian relics that deserve the spotlight.
Why Do I Get Nostalgic?
That bittersweet longing for the past can have an important impact on the present.
12:16
Red Meat’s Heart Risk Goes Beyond the Fat
A chemical in red meat, L-carnitine, may increase the risk of heart disease in people and mice.
28:17
Down the Gullet: A Guided Tour of Your Guts
In Gulp., science writer Mary Roach travels through the intestines–and out the other end.
6:16
Poring Over The Science Of Coffee
Harold McGee explains the chemistry in your cup of joe.
11:53
Looking to Nature for Antibiotic Inspirations
Microbiologists are learning bacteria-killing tricks by studying phage viruses.
12:40
The Teenage ‘Troublemaker’ Fighting for Science
Zack Kopplin is campaigning to keep creationism off the science class syllabus.
20:38
Monitoring the Monarchs
Monarch expert Lincoln Brower discusses the decline in monarch butterfly populations.
Concocting The Perfect Cup Of Coffee
Brew-masters pore over the chemistry and craft of making a good cup of joe.
Mapping the Monarchs
Any orange-and-black beauties in your neck of the woods? Add a photo to our Spring Monarch Migration 2013 Google map.
The Story of Saliva
Why do newborns drool excessively? How many pints of saliva does a person generate daily? (Hint, it’s more than one.) And more spit mysteries excerpted from “Gulp: Adventures Down the Alimentary Canal.”
Will There Be Another Ice Age?
If carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, we likely have a long thaw ahead of us.
Milkweed for Monarchs
People can help monarch butterflies by planting milkweed, a plant the insects rely on for breeding and feeding.