On Today's Podcast
‘Project Hail Mary’ brings a new kind of alien to the big screen
Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the big-budget movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary."
Listen NowMarch 20, 2026
Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary." Plus, how a particle accelerator, a robot, and 2,000 ants came together to paint a picture of biological diversity. And, a mathematician analyzed 150 years of women’s fashion to understand 20-year trend cycles, and how “optimal distinctiveness” drives change.
What Happens If We Detect Extraterrestrial Intelligence?
Finding communicative aliens is a long shot, but if we do, here are a few next steps to consider.
Memories in the Mud
Create a simulated sediment core and use it to identify the number of tropical cyclones that swept through the area near Belize’s Blue Hole. Learn how scientists use sediment cores to get information about weather events dating back 1500 years.
11:50
In Indigenous Genes, Evidence Of Colonization’s Plagues
Members of one Canadian Indigenous community have different immune genes than their forebears. Plus, how researchers and Indigenous communities can create more mutually beneficial relationships.
17:25
Skyscraper Bridges, Floating Airports, And A Dome Over Midtown
An alternate history of New York City architecture lives on in “Never Built New York.”
47:35
Celebrating Science With Silliness: The 2016 Ig Nobel Prizes
An annual awards ceremony honors scientific research that first makes you laugh, but then makes you think.
17:11
The Scientific Tale Of Author Beatrix Potter
Outside of Mr. McGregor’s garden and in her own life, Beatrix Potter—author of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”—had a curious eye for the nature world around her.
6:23
Pluto Rolls Over (the Dwarf Planet, Not the Dog)
In this week’s news roundup, science editor Sophie Bushwick talks about how a massive ice-filled basin may have caused the dwarf planet to tip, and other science stories in the news.
5:52
All the (Fake) News That’s Fit to Share
In the wake of the 2016 elections, social media platforms and online news hubs are trying to put a damper on the viral spread of false information.
17:24
What Causes The Common Cold?
Meet the viruses you have to thank for that stuffy nose.
20:25
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘Arrival’
How would real scientists achieve mutual understanding with an alien race?
20:37
Food Failures: Add A Dash Of Science To Your Thanksgiving Recipes
The science behind roasting a browner bird and sweetening sweet potatoes.
5:08
Mushrooms as Tough as Leather
A San Francisco start-up has developed a fungal material that can sub for leather, wood, and even plastic.
How to Choose the Best Apples for Cooking
Varieties that are best for eating aren’t the best for cooking, and vice versa.
16:28
This Cold And Flu Season, Get To Know Your Enemy
We answer your questions about the cold virus.
The Fungi In Your Future
A new start-up reimagines fungi as a multi-faceted, “programmable” material.
The Fungi in Your Future
From bricks, to furniture, to leather, mushrooms can be made into a wide variety of materials.
How to Make Your Own Pop-Up Creature
Learn how to make your own pop-up character from a master pop-up book engineer.
Earth’s Next Frontier: The Anthropocene
Scientists say the earth has entered a new geological epoch: The Anthropocene. Author David Biello on what humans will have to do to make the planet endure.