On Today's Podcast
Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics
Physicist Sean Carroll takes on black holes, Schrödinger’s cat, and other big physics concepts that had our audience wondering.
Listen NowDecember 26, 2025
Physicist Sean Carroll takes on black holes, Schrödinger’s cat, and other big physics concepts. Plus, we revisit some of our top stories of 2025, covering research into how death metal singers safely produce extreme vocalizations, how algorithms and social media are changing language, and what we can learn from people thriving in the coldest parts of the world.
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Oliver Sacks: ‘Hallucinations’
In his latest book, neurologist Oliver Sacks explores the strange world of hallucinations, and documents his own experiments with psychedelic drugs.
Scientists Solve Mystery of Earth’s Shifting Poles
A look beneath Earth’s surface at what may be causing the planet’s poles to wander back and forth.
Hurricane Sandy Claims Thousands of NYU Lab Mice
Thousands of mice at one of New York University’s research facilities were lost due to flooding.
Climate Change Takes Flight in New Novel
An ecological anomaly is at the center of the story in Barbara Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior.”
Desktop Diaries: Oliver Sacks
Writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks explains what his desk means to him. From lumps of metal to lemurs, Sacks describes some of his treasures.
As Storm Recovery Continues, Looking to the Future
With Sandy leaving destruction in her wake, a look at how cities might plan for future storms.
Past is Present in ‘An Enemy of the People’
Themes of power, integrity, and truth still resonate in a new production of Ibsen’s classic play.
Genetic Clues May Help Unravel Cause of Crohn’s
Better treatment options are being developed, but the cause of Crohn’s disease is still unknown.
How Reliable Are Electronic Voting Machines?
Can electronic voting machines be hacked? An expert gives us a pre-election update on voting technologies.
Sandy’s CT Scan, and Other Vital Images
Satellites looked at Sandy this week, and they also looked in.
Scared to Death… Literally
An earthquake, terrorist attack, or even a hole-in-one can cause a heart-stopping surge of adrenaline.
Medusa’s Gaze and Vampire’s Bite
Think monsters are make-believe? In his new book, science journalist Matt Kaplan writes of real-life zombies in Haiti, and how rabies infection could explain the vampire’s aversion to garlic and sunlight.
Plunging Into the Science of BASE Jumping
The physics and neuroscience of jumping off cliffs.
In Twitter We Trust: Can Social Media Sway Voters?
Scientists are examining how social media can influence the opinions of voters.
The SciFri Book Club Falls For Mr. Feynman
The Science Friday Book Club discusses the classic book “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”
Plunge Into the Science of BASE Jumping
BASE stands for the objects the practitioners of the sport jump from: buildings, antennas, spans, earth. Wingsuits are sometimes involved; parachutes, always.
Scientists in the Dark Over Birth of the Moon
Two new studies present very different ideas about how the Moon was formed—a riddle that one scientist says may never be solved.
Making Sense of Presidential Polls
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the presidential polls? A neuroscientist and statistician talk about how to make sense of the election—and why not all votes are created equal.