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.
Welcome To Oceans Month
Throughout the month of June, we’ll dive into the stories of the deep.
Your Guide To The Summer Sky 2018
Time to dust off those binoculars! Dean Regas tells us what to look out for this summer.
No Assembly (Or Hardware) Required
Researcher Lining Yao programs biological materials to act like robots and brings them to life on stage.
Big Ideas, Tiny Museum
Traditional museums can be intimidating and are usually in wealthier neighborhoods. A new company that makes portable museums is hoping to change that.
6:45
A Trip To The Moon, Hurricane Antimatter, And A Wrong-Way Asteroid
A satellite launched this week would aid in planned Chinese lunar exploration.
4:56
Bringing Electronic Health Records Into The Modern Age
While many medical providers have adopted electronic health records, most of those records mimic the style and utility of the old paper files.
9:29
The Portable Science Museum
This company is shrinking the museum to an accessible, bite-sized learning experience.
I Was Awake All Night. So How Did This Drool Get On My Shirt?
A sleep doctor explains our misperceptions about our own sleep.
12:29
Forget Weather, These Bots Make Good Conversation
Virtual assistants designed to build rapport are making the way for a generation of more trustworthy AI.
17:44
A Bot You Can Trust
Not every robot will look human or talk like us. How will roboticists build trust and mutual understanding?
17:39
Artificial Intelligence Gets A Musical Makeover
Computer scientists, artists, and designers are creating orchestras that play themselves, and algorithms that compose original music and lyrics.
24:09
Ask A Sleep Doctor: The Questions That Keep You Up At Night
A sleep specialist talks about the science of getting a good night’s sleep.
Drawing Congressional Districts Is Like Sudoku
It’s just simple math, on a map, and on steroids.
5:48
Mending Human Hearts, With Help From Graphene
Graphene shows promise as the “wonder material” of the biomedical world.
29:55
Consciousness, Chemically-Altered
In his new book, “How to Change Your Mind,” Michael Pollan writes about a new revolution in the scientific study of psychedelic drugs.
00:07:28
The Mysteries Of Memory, A New Blue Dot, And A Robotic Fly
A surprising study suggesting that RNA could play a role in a snail’s memory leads this week’s news roundup.
4:33
City Cyclists Crowdsource The Safest Path
A Pittsburgh cyclist designed a navigation app to help other bikers find the safest roads to travel.
Michael Pollan On The “Psychedelic Renaissance”
The story of how psychedelics are being used to treat depression, addiction, and even fear of death.
28:52
Consciousness At The Center Of ‘Westworld’s’ Maze
We’re a long way from human-mimicking AI. But can artificial intelligence ever truly achieve human levels of consciousness?
17:24
Student Scientists Tackle Real World Questions
A 3D-printed prosthetic foot and the feasibility of using mealworms to recycle plastics were some of the projects presented at the finals of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.