February 17, 2017
Is there a new battery that can beat lithium ion in electric vehicles? We plug into the world of battery research to find out. Plus, how to squeeze more power out of the electrical grid.
February 10, 2017
Ever heard of pancake ice, or frazil ice? We explore and celebrate the different icy phenomena at our poles, and also on other worlds. Plus, an update on the lead levels in Flint three years after the water crisis began.
February 3, 2017
New advances in stem cell research may make it possible to grow human organs in animals. Plus, scientists may have created a new phase of hydrogen that could revolutionize energy. And the challenges of astrobiology — how to look for life, when you’re not sure what the life might look like.
January 27, 2017
California Governor Jerry Brown talks about how states can take the lead on issues like climate change and clean energy. And a strategy for building an immunity to fake news.
January 20, 2017
A hard look at how the Trump administration and GOP-dominated Congress may affect scientific research and policy. And physicist Carlo Rovelli explains how our understanding of reality has changed over centuries.
January 13, 2017
What effect has the Obama administration had on science? Plus, we discuss two new NASA missions that will investigate the metal world of asteroids.
January 6, 2017
A 140-year-old seed study and an evolution project more than 66,000 generations old—we take a look at long-lived experiments. Plus, how to talk about climate change if you want to convince someone it’s happening.
December 30, 2016
Gravitational waves, the rise of fake news, and Cassini’s mission to Saturn—the big science stories of 2016. And we talk with bubbleologists about the fizz in your champagne flute.
December 23, 2016
Apollo 13 mission commander Jim Lovell tells the story of the flight’s survival after an explosion in space. Plus, Disney animators discuss how they created the shapeshifting effects of water in the hit film “Moana.”
December 16, 2016
A deep dive on the hurdles still facing women scientists in 2016, from sexual harassment down to the grant gap. Plus, possible solutions to stem the flow of prescription pain pills contributing to the opioid epidemic.