On Today's Podcast
The punk rock life of cephalopods
This Cephalopod Week, we’re talking death spirals, cannibalism, and giant squid dissection.
Listen NowOctober 2, 2026
The tiny, three-pound tilcayo is the first cat species to be described in a century, and, yes—it is as cute as you’d think. Are natural history museums going extinct? John Wilson’s latest feature film, “The History of Concrete” is an idiosyncratic journey about more than just concrete. Plus, to prepare for an overseas game, the LA Rams tried a Hail Mary jet lag strategy.
The BioArcade
Biologist Oliver Medvedik and computer programmer Keith Comito developed a kit where live single-celled organisms play a game called the BioArcade.
How Is a Spider Like a Disco Ball?
This spider, likely a member of the Thwaitesia genus, was photographed in Singapore.
Quantum: An Ode to Particle Physics
Drawing on his experience as Artist-in-Residence at CERN, Gilles Jobin’s dance performance, Quantum, presents an abstract meditation on the motion of particles and laws of physics.
Squishy Circuits
Use two play dough recipes to create “squishy circuits” and explore electricity.
11:42
Supermassive Dinosaur Would Have ‘Feared Nothing’
Scientists estimate the dinosaur Dreadnoughtus schrani would have weighed as much as a Boeing 737.
33:47
To Master Test Material, Give Your Brain a Break
Salvador Dali and Thomas Edison took very brief naps when they were stuck on artistic and scientific problems.
11:44
The Wilderness Act Turns 50
Fifty years ago this week, legislation set aside over nine million acres of official wilderness.
7:25
From Exotic Garden to Eco-Haven
A former millionaire’s estate is becoming an environmental haven and training ground.
9:41
Hello, Stranger, Wanna Share a Cab?
Researchers found that potentially 95 percent of cab rides in New York City could have been shared.
16:57
Randall Munroe Asks, ‘What If?’
In his new book “What If?”, xkcd comic artist Randall Munroe answers his readers’ hypothetical questions with math and science.
Could You Hit a Baseball Pitched Near the Speed of Light?
An excerpt from the xkcd creator’s new book, “What If?”
How Pinball Helps Explain Ways We Think and Learn
An excerpt from “A Mind for Numbers.”
Insect Microfossils Provide Prehistoric Insights
Discovered at La Brea Tar Pits, the pupa helps reveal clues to what the environment was like in Southern California during the Pleistocene Epoch.
17:20
Unraveling the Mysteries of Black Holes
High energy x-rays provide a rare glimpse into the behavior of black holes.
8:29
Electric Bacteria Form Nanowires, Shoot Out Electrons
USC’s Moh El-Naggar says engineers hope to harness bacterial energy using fuel cells.
17:14
Less Flashy Fossils Offer Paleoclimate Clues
Uncharismatic microfauna, such as insects and mollusks, are giving scientists at La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles a glimpse of the city’s cool, humid past.
12:27
From The Lab To The Silver Screen: The Birth of CGI
Animator Tom Sito explains how scientists and engineers kickstarted Hollywood’s digital animation revolution.
17:23
Science In The Writers’ Room
Hollywood T.V. and film writers explain how they balance scientific accuracy and storytelling.
17:22
Making Hollywood’s Digital Doubles
Now that Hollywood’s visual effects wizards can create convincing “digital actors,” will we still need the real thing?