On Today's Podcast
mRNA Vaccine For Pancreatic Cancer Continues To Show Promise
In the wake of funding cuts to mRNA vaccine research, we revisit a February story about a promising vaccine for pancreatic cancer.
Listen NowAugust 22, 2025
Humans drove wolves nearly to extinction in the American West. Reintroducing them in 1995 was, and still is, controversial. Plus, the FDA and HHS plan to eliminate petroleum-based food dyes as part of the MAHA agenda. What does science say about their effects on health? And, astronomers found a supernova whose lighter outer layers had been stripped away, revealing an inner shell rich in silicon and sulfur.
8:57
Getting The Dirt On The World Of Competitive Soil Judging
In this international competition, contestants compete to analyze, identify, and describe the layers of soil in a landscape.
16:52
Diving Into The Biggest Ideas In The Universe
Can mere mortals learn real physics, without all the analogies? Spoiler: A professor of natural philosophy says yes, but there may be math.
Sean Carroll Wants You To Talk About Physics Like A Baseball Game
The renowned cosmologist wants to make the ideas of modern physics accessible to anyone who’s willing to do a bit of extra thinking.
Advances In Understanding Depression Offer Potential New Treatments
While more than one in ten Americans take antidepressants, some scientists think popular depression treatments don’t fully address the leading causes of depression.
12:09
Why The Owner Of Patagonia Gave Away The Whole Company
All the money went to a trust and nonprofit to fund climate change and conservation efforts.
15:44
Understanding Metabolism Genes Might Improve Depression Treatment
A professor of psychiatry studies the genes responsible for metabolizing medication to predict if patients will respond to depression treatment.
11:57
Pulling Water From Thin Air? It’s Materials Science, Not Magic.
A new material being developed by scientists at UT Austin can rapidly absorb liters of water from dry desert air.
9:18
An AI Partnership May Improve Breast Cancer Screenings
A longtime researcher in the field of breast imaging dives into the benefits and limitations of AI cancer screenings.
7:45
A Smoky Aftertaste: Keeping Wildfires Out Of Your Wine Glass
Scientists are working hard to make sure your Oregon Pinot Noir doesn’t change taste after smoke exposure.
8:09
Artemis Update: What Will It Take To Make It Back To The Moon?
The chief engineer for the Space Launch System gives an update on the Artemis mission’s huge rocket, and the engineering challenges of returning to the moon.
8:53
This Astrophysicist Holds Star Data In The Palm Of Her Hand
Astrophysicist Nia Imara’s career merges art and astronomy to figure out how stars are born.
17:02
Depression Isn’t Caused By Low Serotonin. So How Do Antidepressants Work?
Antidepressants work, but researchers still don’t fully understand why. Experts discuss what we do and don’t know about how antidepressants affect the brain.
12:14
COVID-19’s Lingering Toll On The Heart
New research from Germany finds a majority of recovering COVID patients may still have heart damage a year later. Plus new insights into the magic tricks of the immortal jellyfish, and other stories.
7:21
Why Are Dead Fish Piling Up Across The San Francisco Bay?
Untreated sewage discharge in the warming waters may have caused a dangerous algal bloom.
9:45
As The World Decarbonizes, Sulfuric Acid May Be In Short Supply
Sulfuric acid, now facing a supply shortage, is an important part of manufacturing, from fertilizer to the batteries green energy requires.
7:09
The New G.O.A.T. Of Park Systems Is An Actual Goat
Known for their indiscriminate diet, goats are helping conservation managers remove invasive plants from parks.
39:09
The Hot And Cold Past Of The Air Conditioner
From the 1904 World’s Fair to deadly heat waves, we’re taking a look back at more than a century of AC. This story was originally published in 2021.
16:46
Remembering Frank Drake, Who Listened To The Cosmos
Remembering the inventive scientist and SETI pioneer who found a way to calculate the probability of discovering extraterrestrial life.
8:17
As Temperatures Get Warmer, Fish Are At Risk
Massive die-offs could become the norm in the upper midwest as climate change-related factors place fish at risk.
Bring The Artemis Mission Home With Hands-On Activities
Grab some supplies and try these hands-on STEM activities right at home to celebrate the Artemis mission to the Moon.