On Today's Podcast
China's booming biotech, from a brain implant to drug discovery
China's biotech industry is on a rapid rise, with the first approved brain-computer interface and massive growth in drug discovery.
Listen NowJuly 10, 2026
Two experts at the forefront of untangling the gut-brain connection explain its role in IBS, Parkinson’s, and depression. Plus, writer Craig Childs biked from the brightest sky to the darkest in our Book Club pick "The Wild Dark." And, while fog itself is not alive, researchers found that it can contain an ecosystem, including bacteria that eat pollutants.
Researchers Dig In to the Genetics of Burrowing
Complex behaviors, such as the way some mice dig burrows, can be affected by changes to just a handful of genes.
12:04
Inventors Design Lamp Powered Entirely by Gravity
The gravity-powered device uses a weight to generate up to 30 minutes of light as it descends.
17:01
Colossal Quasar Clump Too Huge to Exist, in Theory
Astronomers have discovered a clump of 73 quasars spanning four billion light years at its widest point — that’s like 40,000 Milky Way galaxies lined end-to-end.
17:35
How Do You Fend Off the Flu?
Aside from getting the flu shot, how do you outsmart the wily flu virus? Hoard hand sanitizer? Dodge door knobs? Or quietly slink away from a coughing commuter?
11:59
Dementia Takes the Stage in ‘The Other Place’
Laurie Metcalf is a scientist suffering from the dementia she studies in the play ‘The Other Place.’
23:52
Edward Tufte Wants You to See Better
The “Galileo of graphics” discusses his latest project: helping people to see information through “fresh” eyes.
10:22
Beijing Grapples with Record Air Pollution
Severe smog is raising concerns about the cost of China’s rapid industrialization.
A Spider Charade
The octopus may be the king of camouflage, but if there’s an animal whose name is synonymous with deception, it’s the spider.
Cyberspace Sneaking: Sending Secret Messages Via Skype
Polish researchers have devised a way to send encrypted messages using Skype.
What 17 Months in Isolation Looks Like (On a Mars Mission)
For 520 days, six men lived together in a simulated mission to Mars. Here’s what their home away from home looked like.
Arctic Research: Carhartts, Polar Bears, and Duct Tape
What does a modern Arctic explorer wear to work? And what does the modern explorer (mature male) do if he has to pee?
7:45
Pap Test May Detect More Than Just Cervical Cancer
Routine pap tests may be capable of spotting signs of ovarian and uterine cancers.
27:31
Doctors Turn to Genetics to Search for Cancer’s Achilles Heel
Understanding the genetic drivers of cancer may revolutionize treatment options in the future.
4:14
How E-Waste Is Becoming a Big, Global Problem
More than 2.5 million tons of electronic waste is produced each year in the U.S.
7:00
Getting a Handle on Why Fingers Wrinkle
Only a handful of researchers (ever) have looked into why fingers get pruney after a water bath.
29:43
The Fallacies of Fat
In “Fat Chance,” obesity doc Robert Lustig deconstructs the mythology on fat and exercise.
16:43
Simulating the Red Planet, on the Pale Blue Dot
What’s it like to live—and cook—on Mars? To find out, researchers are simulating Mars missions in Russia and on the slopes of a Hawaiian volcano.
Getting a Grip on Finger Wrinkles
Why do your fingers get pruney after a swim? A new study suggests that wrinkles improve our handling of wet objects.
A Fallacy of Biblical Proportion
An excerpt from “Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.”
