Broadcasts

Neuroscientists are manipulating memories in mice in an effort to develop treatments for brain disorders. Plus, picking through a dozen vulture nests, scientists discovered hundreds of artifacts, including a sandal that could be more than 700 years old. And, Nobel prize winner Ardem Patapoutian tells the story of how he immigrated to the US, found belonging in science, and did groundbreaking work on sense of touch.

Two new studies suggest that, contrary to longstanding belief, dinosaurs were not on the decline before the Chicxulub asteroid impact. Plus, a giant infrastructure project aims to block invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan, but Chicago’s polluted water already keeps them out. And, Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City is the only place where axolotls live in the wild, and they face growing threats.

Why do we find joy in the scary and the macabre? Two psychology experts weigh in on humans’ affinity for horror and desire to get spooked. Plus, tales of the amazing capabilities of bats, spiders, and snakes. And, a guided tour of some of the world’s spookiest lakes.

A new documentary puts viewers in the shoes of Neanderthals and early humans, giving an intimate glimpse into humans’ evolutionary history. Plus, cell-cultured salmon is showing up on menus. How does it compare to the real thing? And, how mental health information on social media can be both revelatory and misleading.

While some AI-designed drugs have made it to clinical trials, none of them have been approved. Why has it been harder than experts thought? Plus, in “Mapmatics,” a mathematician tells the stories of how math helps us track epidemics, map the seafloor, and plot a complex delivery route. And, the authors of “Food Intelligence” answer listener questions and discuss how our food systems make staying healthy an uphill battle.

We check in on some exciting space missions and projects from IMAP to LIGO. Plus, in “Dinner With King Tut,” Sam Kean shows how experimental archaeology can recreate the stinky, slimy, and tasty parts of ancient history. And, behind the scenes of the removal of four dams along the Klamath River, and the massive restoration effort that’s followed.

Without robust long-term data, physicians and patients continue debating the severity and significance of SSRI withdrawal symptoms. Plus, growing up, Asha de Vos didn’t know of any Sri Lankans studying marine mammals. So she became the first. And, anthropologists have a bone to pick with a new skull finding.

We dig into the details of the science of Tylenol and autism with a researcher who led one of the largest studies on the topic. Plus, roboticist Karen Liu combines machine learning and animation to teach robots to move and respond more like humans. And, at a lab in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, scientists are breeding corals to be more resilient to rising ocean temperatures.

Dr. Mary-Claire King was the first to link a gene to hereditary cancer risk with the identification of BRCA1 in the 1990s. She was just getting started. Plus, sooner or later, a sizable asteroid could impact a populated area on Earth. How are we preparing? And, the merlin, sandhill crane, and pileated woodpecker were once rare in North America. Environmental conservation fueled their resurgence.

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?