On Today's Podcast
How To Tap Into The Hidden Histories Of Rocks
Geologist Anjana Khatwa explains how embracing wonder and awe adds to our scientific understanding of the rocks that form our planet.
Listen NowNovember 28, 2025
The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate unusual scientific research—this year including lizard pizza preferences and fingernail growth. Plus, in a conversation from August, exercise researchers discuss what physical activity does to mental health. And, in a story from February, a journalist explains the afterlife of our trash, and why most “recyclable” plastic actually isn’t.
25:41
Retelling the Story of the BP Oil Spill
A play explores the loss of human and animal life after the Deepwater Horizon exploded in 2010. Plus, what do we know about the Gulf of Mexico’s recovery since then?
8:26
Can Geometry Root Out Gerrymandering?
Can the shape of a congressional district tell us everything we need to know about its fairness?
16:52
To Infinity and Beyond With Mathematician Eugenia Cheng
Infinity is not classified as a normal number, and some infinities are bigger than others. Mathematician Eugenia Cheng explores these and other conundrums of this complex concept.
29:06
Superblooms Are a ‘Smorgasbord’ for Bees
The wildflower explosion in the Southern California desert provides plentiful food for wild bees. In this springtime special, we take a pollinator’s view of spring, and talk about which wildflowers to spot this season.
Rainy Day? Microbes May Be At Play
A closer look at how some species of airborne bacteria can influence precipitation and lightning.
The Many Uses Of Tessellation And Miura Folds
Make an origami fold that can compress rigid materials, and study the tessellation it creates!
Making It in a Futuristic, Flooded New York
Author Kim Stanley Robinson imagines a version of New York City that’s swamped by sea level rise.
6:50
A Proposed Science Budget, Hacking Via Sound, and a Fluorescent Frog
A budget proposal from the White House lays out deep cuts for several science agencies.
5:27
Would You Be On Board With a Self-Driving Ambulance?
A recent study found that the idea of autonomous emergency vehicles made potential patients nervous.
26:33
Kim Stanley Robinson Tackles How to Keep a Drowning City Afloat
In his new novel, “New York 2140,” author Kim Stanley Robinson tackles how a drowning city might adapt and thrive after disastrous sea level rise.
8:21
How Climate Change Threatens Your Breakfast
As the globe warms, maple syrup, tea, and other specialty foods could suffer from lower quality and lower nutritional value.
11:54
Visualizing The Beauty Of Vibrato
Researchers use the tools of quantum physics to quantify the vibration of sound.
17:19
Why Are We Here? Physics Has Answers
Physicist Lawrence Krauss on the substance of the universe, the Higgs Boson, and how we know what we know.
17:19
Do Weather Instruments Need a Robot Repairman?
A robotic spacecraft could improve weather forecasting by fixing satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
What to Expect From Trump’s Environmental Policy
Two environmental law experts discuss threats to the EPA and other agencies.
Gourmet Cooking With Humble Roots
Chef and author Mads Refslund approaches cooking through a low-waste lens.
7:31
Synthetic Yeast, Fake Science News, and the Tully Monster
Researchers have now synthesized over a third of the yeast genome.
27:53
Trump Versus the EPA
How the president and Congress have been quietly and successfully tearing down U.S environmental and climate change policy.
4:37
Making Social Interaction More Like a Game
Apps like Snapchat encourage interaction with features such as “streaks.” But is there a downside to gamifying communication?