Episodes

In an interview from 2002, Jane Goodall gave Ira a lesson in how to speak with chimps. Plus, highlights from the 33rd First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, which celebrate the silly side of science. And, stories that share the research of a few Ig Nobel winners.

An editor and a children’s author weigh in on this year’s best STEM books for kids. Plus, researchers examined four popular chatbots and found they perpetuated debunked, harmful ideas from race-based medicine. And, a textile professor and knit expert explains why many sweaters today are of poorer quality than sweaters in the past.

Chef Dan Souza from Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen answers your cooking questions. Plus, how AI is transforming education, and students and faculty alike can use it responsibly. And, an engineering professor and author explains how modern life depends on vast, complicated systems you probably never think about.

Carl Sagan introduced the world to the idea of nuclear winter caused by nuclear weapon fallout. Is it still a threat? Plus, a deaf advisory group worked with a hospital to improve how it cares for them. And, is the secret to life really just within five elements? Author Stephen Porder explains in a new book.

Understanding the placenta and its relationship to pregnancy loss. Plus, phenylephrine, listed as a decongestant in many cold medicines, doesn’t work. What can you use instead? And, the new book ‘Most Delicious Poison’ explores how common toxins have shaped life on Earth.

Astrobiologist Dr. Aomawa Shields describes how a quest for life in the cosmos helped her find meaning on Earth. Plus, an aerodynamicist breaks down the recent engineering changes to F1 cars. And, paleontologists pieced together a food chain from Paja Formation fossils, showing an additional level of apex predators.

When math is based on abstract concepts, how do we know it’s correct? Plus, the mRNA innovations used to fight COVID-19 could be harnessed for nasal spray vaccines. And, astronomer Dean Regas offers tips for safe viewing of Saturday’s eclipse.

Meet the man doctors call when they’re stumped. Plus, a new study takes on a decades-old question about lightning on the planet Venus. And, 12 HIV-positive artists and scientists were paired together to make art about the disease.

A neuroscientist discusses how your brain filters visual inputs. Plus, two stories about jellyfish—tracking a freshwater jelly that’s spreading across the US, and the surprising finding that one species of jelly may be able to learn. And, researchers are learning that placebos might be more effective when patients are told they’re receiving them.

Climate scientist Michael Mann talks about how important it is to take action now—before we see climate change’s worst consequences. Plus, research suggests that comedy is a powerful way to mobilize people. And, after this summer’s heat, marine biologists are scrambling to help protect the rapidly dying reef in the Florida Keys.