Episodes

Doctors are reviving ideas from the pre-antibiotic age to fight drug-resistant bacteria. And a look at how bumblebees know where to buzz.

A provocative new study suggests Alzheimer’s could be the toxic side-effect of infection. And our listeners predict the future of online news—in a flashback to 1994.

What do the fundamentals of physics reveal about the human experience? Plus, lessons from the fraught history of human genetics.

Celebrating spring science with observations of wild birds, bees, and edible mushrooms. Plus, the story of Srinivasa Ramanujan—the “man who knew infinity.”

How GPS might be changing our cognitive maps of the world. And what scientists learn from animal “selfies.”

A tour of the quantum world, where physics gets philosophical. And genomics pioneer Craig Venter discusses how the field has changed since the mapping of the first human genome.

Primatologist Frans de Waal on the underestimated intelligence of animals, and an Earth Day tribute to endangered coral.

Orchids attract pollinators—and home gardeners—through deception. And composers help scientists listen in on their data.

How are fiction writers addressing a warming world? A look at the rise of “climate fiction.” Plus, “space archaeologist” Sarah Parcak on her latest ancient find.

Can a game make you laugh—or cry? We tap into the emotional side of video games. Plus, a soil scientist swoons for the microbial scent of spring.