On Today's Podcast
Why Morbid Curiosity Is So Common—And So Fun
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.
Listen NowOctober 24, 2025
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.
4:18
Traffic Poses A New Threat To Yosemite’s Famous Bears
Bear sightings at Yosemite National Park are down, but the park’s infamous traffic poses a new threat.
8:40
How A ‘Zombie Gene’ Helped Elephants Evolve Protection From Cancer
Researchers have identified a gene in elephants that can detect and kill cells that have damaged DNA.
11:43
How Fire Ants Avoid Traffic Jams
Sometimes, it’s better to let others take charge.
8:22
The Earth Invented Nuclear Reactors Before We Did
The Earth has been safely storing its own natural nuclear waste for two billion years. What can we learn from that?
25:39
How A Humble Microbe Shook The Evolutionary Tree
The discovery that a methane-burping microbe was not a bacterium, added a new, third branch to the tree of life: The Archaea.
24:46
Can We Outbuild Future Coastal Flooding?
The Army Corps of Engineers is investigating sea gates and other barriers to protect New York from a future Sandy. But others have doubts.
The Roots Of The Tangled Genetic Tree
In this excerpt from David Quammen’s “The Tangled Tree,” meet the people who saw that evolution is more complex than you’d think.
The Invisible Forest Under The Sea
Half of the planet’s oxygen comes from tiny plant-like organisms under the ocean’s surface.
7:23
The Good—And Bad—Of A Geoengineered Climate
Could humans geoengineer their way out of the climate crisis? Plus California wildfire weather, gooey corn, and other science headlines in this week’s News Round-up.
4:26
Revealing The Ruins Below
The U.K.’s lawn-killing summer has an archaeological upside.
22:29
One Force Driving Deadlier Wildfires? People
A population boom in forests and other wild areas is leading to deadlier, more destructive blazes. How do we cope with worsening wildfires?
11:54
Who Wrote That Beatles Song? This Algorithm Will Tell You
A statistician developed an algorithm to figure out who wrote disputed Beatles songs.
26:17
Science In Motion
Where science and art intersect, dance can help bring new understanding and metaphors for researchers and the public.
20:55
From Skyscrapers to Sand Thieves—Digging Into The World Of Sand
Each year, we use nearly 50 billion tons of sand and gravel worldwide. Is that sustainable?
The Man Who Builds Beaches
In this excerpt from “The World in a Grain,” beach sand is gold. Illegal sand mining and rising seas are shrinking beaches, but this man is working to replenish them.
7:34
After A Radical Brain Surgery, A Normal Life
After surgery that removed one-sixth of his brain, a 10-year old boy is living a remarkably normal life—a tribute to the plasticity of the human brain.
3:55
After New Jersey Floods, Rebuild Or Retreat?
Instead of rebuilding after repeated flooding, New Jersey is offering some homeowners a buyout.
10:51
Alan Alda Opens Up About His Parkinson’s Disease
Alan Alda discusses how science informs his perspective on the diagnosis and view of the future.