On Today's Podcast
Slow Breaking News: A Giant Tortoise Revival
With science and good luck, 158 young tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Plus, an ancient sea turtle stampede.
Listen NowMarch 13, 2026
AI-generated songs are breaking onto the charts, and music labels are pivoting from lawsuits to partnerships with AI startups. What comes next? Plus, what’s the science behind the much-hyped idea that you can “reset” your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve? And, with science and good luck, 158 young tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galápagos.
How Do ‘Killer Snails’ Kill Their Victims?
Model the hunting adaptations and a rich peptide venom cocktail of predatory cone snails in this exploration of the organism’s structure and function.
6:58
Was Our Moon Once Habitable?
There may have been times in our moon’s history in which it could have sustained liquid water and microbial life.
4:56
Onetime Miracle Ingredient, Now An Environmental Problem
States across the country are holding public hearings on what to do about contamination with a class of persistent chemicals known as PFAS.
11:39
The Genetics Of Becoming An Ant Queen
Scientists found that an insulin-like gene plays a role in determining what ant becomes a queen in a colony.
9:13
Tracking Tweets To Forecast Smoky Skies
Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service say social media can help them predict smoke dangers in areas not routinely monitored for air quality.
7:52
This Dust Cloud Has A Silver Lining—Fewer Hurricanes
Why an African dust storm can mean fewer severe storms in the Atlantic.
17:02
Liquid Water Under The Martian Surface
Researchers announce a large underground lake on Mars just as the planet gets a close-up.
30:18
Adapt Or Die In The Urban Jungle
Just how and why do city mice and country mice diverge? It’s urban evolution in action.
Shakespeare’s Starlings And The City
Introduced to North America by a Shakespeare enthusiast, starlings become a test case of urban evolution in this excerpt of “Darwin Comes To Town.”
The Origin Of The Word ‘Quark’
It’s a tale of particle physics, Aristotle, and James Joyce.
6:48
Blissed Out On Earth’s Blingy Core
Plus, the search for virtual particles and a distant planet gets swallowed by its sun.
5:30
Massive Toxic Algae Bloom Stinks Up Florida Towns
Foul smelling algae is plaguing three Florida counties, spurred on by billions of gallons of polluted water, rising water levels, and higher temperatures.
17:34
A Dangerous Fungal Superbug In Hospitals Worldwide
There’s a new infectious yeast in town and we’re almost out of drugs for it.
12:14
How Much Food Would A Dino Eat For Dinner?
Scientists grew plants under prehistoric atmospheric conditions to see how much nutrition sauropods would have received from their vegetarian diets.
4:49
SciFri Book Club: ‘A Brief History Of Time’ Begins Now
The time is now: A reminder to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read.
12:15
Jupiter Wins The Moon Lottery
The largest planet in our solar system officially racked up a total of 79 moons this week, including one newly discovered “oddball.”
11:13
Following The Burnt Crumbs To The Rise Of Bread
By analyzing bits of burnt bread, scientists determined that breadmaking may pre-date the agricultural revolution.