On Today's Podcast
What an mRNA melanoma vaccine may mean for cancer treatment
Moderna and Merck say an mRNA vaccine reduced melanoma recurrence in a clinical trial. Could this usher in a new era of cancer treatment?
Listen NowSeptember 4, 2026
Moderna and Merck say an mRNA vaccine reduced melanoma recurrence in a clinical trial. Food recalls abounded this summer, but was it unusual? Scientists are trying to decode the hallucinogenic properties of a mushroom that makes people see tiny humans. Plus, why some modern cars catch fire. And, the game-changing work of a researcher who sees math as a “native tongue.”
17:31
Tips and Hacks for Navigating Recreational Drones
From pocket-size drones to camera-equipped quadcopters, drone educator Steve Cohen navigates us through tips for buying and building personal drones.
7:41
Can Studying Dolphins Give Insight Into Human Disease?
Dolphins can switch in and out of a metabolic syndrome that resembles pre-diabetes in humans.
8:21
Bacterial Hunger Games
Is it time to stop killing bacteria, and start pitting them against each other?
11:37
A Twist In The Tale Of Native American Origins
Two studies detect a DNA link between Indigenous Amazonians and native Australians and New Guineans.
17:20
Closer to Earth, 2.0, and a New Horizons Update
NASA’s Kepler program has located a planet close in size to Earth, orbiting in the habitable zone of a star similar to our own sun. Plus, new data about Pluto.
10:08
Do Know-It-Alls Really Know It All?
Scientists find that self-described experts are more likely to claim knowledge of phony information.
6:19
In a Mountain of Data, Signs of a New Class of Particles
Scientists working on CERN’s LHCb experiment report that they’ve found evidence of a so-called pentaquark particle.
How Silver-Haired Ants Beat The Desert Heat
Ant-Man’s cool. But this ant is cooler, thanks to metallic-looking hairs that help it beat the African desert heat.
Looks Fishy, Tastes Fishy. But Where’s the Fish?
For vegetarians, allergy sufferers, and the epicurious among us, chefs are getting creative with seafood substitutes.
What Do You Know About Science?
Unleash the geek, and let us know how familiar you are with a variety of scientific concepts.
11:40
iBubble Wrap, Fossilized Owl Vomit, and Deadly Temperature Swings
Brandon Keim, a freelance science reporter, shares this week’s top science news.
17:19
New Horizons Reveals Unexpected Worlds
Ice mountains and gaping canyons are just a few of the surprising features the New Horizons spacecraft beamed back this week.
16:37
Redefining the Kilogram
All the scales in the world are calibrated against a 125-year-old chunk of metal in a vault on the outskirts of Paris. Now scientists are looking to redefine the standard of what “kilogram” really means.
11:52
Can Video Games Be Used As Teaching Tools?
Are Minecraft’s digital building blocks the teaching tools of the future?
17:26
A Sci-Fi Writer Keeps His Eye on ‘Spaceship Earth’
In his new novel, “Aurora,” sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson puts the dream of interstellar colonization under the microscope.
8:20
Total Meltdown: The Rate of Ice Cream Collapse
A food scientist explores how the microstructure of ice cream controls the rate at which it melts.
8:23
Why Do Screams Make You Shudder?
Human screams have a unique audio quality not found in other types of speech.
Well, Hello, Pluto!
Our most up-close-and-personal shot of the (dwarf) planet yet.
12:22
‘Biological Aging,’ Debunking Signs of Cometary Life, Triceratops Kin
Rachel Feltman of “The Washington Post” joins us for a roundup of the top science stories this week.