On Today's Podcast
If An Asteroid Were Headed For Earth, Would We Be Ready?
Sooner or later, a sizable asteroid could impact a populated area on Earth. How is the US, and the world, preparing?
Listen NowSeptember 12, 2025
Octopuses can use their suckers to detect harmful microbes on the surface of objects like crab shells, or their own eggs. Plus, a new book charts the millennia-old history of our fascination with aliens, and how myth transformed into research. And, golden oyster mushrooms have escaped from home growing kits into the wild. Could they affect fungal diversity in North American forests?
Why Do Cyclists Shave Their Legs?
Does it make you faster—or just help you fit in? We asked four cycling experts what leg-shaving actually does for athletes.
What The Sigma Is Algospeak?
You might think sticking out your gyatt for the rizzler is chopped, but “Algospeak” author Adam Aleksic says we should let Gen Alpha cook.
17:30
How Agatha Christie Used Chemistry To Kill (In Books)
A new book explores the poisonous concoctions in Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries and the science behind how they kill.
17:30
Climate Change Is Upending The Home Insurance Market
Across the country, premiums are rising and insurers are pulling out of markets that are most at risk for climate change-fueled disasters.
12:29
How Millions Of Flies Can Help Stop The New World Screwworm
The New World Screwworm is creeping north, threatening cattle in Mexico and the US. Fighting flies with flies has worked before.
Instead Of A Vaccine For Lyme, How About A Vaccine For Ticks?
When ticks bite us, they release thousands of proteins through their saliva. Could a vaccine for the right ones stop ticks from latching on?
Is This PTSD Treatment Too Good To Be True?
A controversial treatment offers a painless route to ridding veterans of their trauma responses. But does it really work?
Pequeña ciudad paga el precio de PFAS en el agua potable
Una base militar contaminó el agua de Newburgh, Nueva York, con PFAS por años. Ahora, un estudio devela los impactos en la salud.
How A Teacher Became The Center Of A Debate Over Evolution
In 1925, a teacher deliberately broke a law stating that evolution could not be taught in Tennessee classrooms. His trial rocked the nation.
And Then The Sub Went Silent
Oceanographer Victoria Orphan’s dream was coming true—she was onboard the Alvin submersible. But the trip was anything but smooth sailing.
How These Spiders At The Bottom Of The Sea Run On Methane
With the help of methane-munching-microbes, these translucent sea spiders gobble up a potent greenhouse gas to stay alive.
17:07
Why Is The Scopes Trial Still Relevant 100 Years Later?
A century after a teacher went on trial for teaching evolution, the role of science in the classroom and in society remains in contention.
17:01
Why Don’t We Have A Vaccine For Lyme Disease?
Tick seasons are getting worse, raising concerns about the risk of Lyme disease. Dogs can get vaccinated for it. Why can’t humans?
12:12
How PFAS From A Military Base Has Sickened Nearby Residents
Newburgh, New York, is one of 10 communities involved in a CDC-led study to understand the effects of PFAS—forever chemicals—on health.
5:30
Mammoths Stampede Into Sports… As Mascots!
A hockey team and a baseball team are adopting the mammoth as their mascot. A paleontologist shares why these wooly wonders bring the spirit.
11:27
A Robot Performed Surgery All By Itself
For the first time, a robot practiced surgery on a pig cadaver—without a human controlling its every movement.
As Disasters Escalate, What’s The Future Of FEMA?
The president has said he wants to leave disaster response to the states. Plus, how much can climate change be blamed for extreme flooding?
In ‘Jurassic World,’ A Speculative Glimpse At Dinosaur Love
In the one good scene in “Jurassic World Rebirth,” 100-foot-long titanosaurs do some G-rated mating.
Everything Else Is Boring
Karmella Haynes doesn’t need to fit in—in life or in work. So when a research space didn’t exist for her, she created it.
The Seafaring Life Of ‘Modern-Day Captain Nemo,’ Robert Ballard
In a story from 2022, undersea archaeologist Robert Ballard shares adventures from beneath the waves and his love for deep sea exploration.