1166: Bearded Vulture Nests Hold Trove Of Centuries-Old Artifacts
Picking through a dozen vulture nests, scientists discovered hundreds of artifacts, including a sandal that could be more than 700 years old.
13m Nov 13, 2025
13m
1165: Why The Bassist From Phish Is Funding Research Into ‘Flow State’
Phish bassist Mike Gordon is teaming up with neuroscientists to try to understand the transcendent experience of musical flow state.
18m Nov 12, 2025
18m
1164: Even Nobel Prize Winners Deal With Imposter Syndrome
Neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian immigrated to the US, found belonging in science, and did groundbreaking work on sense of touch.
36m Nov 11, 2025
36m
1163: Study Finds COVID mRNA Vaccines Boost Cancer Treatment
New research found that mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 could enhance cancer treatments and help patients live longer.
13m Nov 10, 2025
13m
1162: Were Dinos On Their Way Out Before The Asteroid Hit? Maybe Not
Two new studies suggest that, contrary to longstanding beliefs, dinosaurs were not on the decline before the Chicxulub asteroid impact.
19m Nov 07, 2025
19m
1161: Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Resolution On A TV?
At what point does the resolution on a TV display outpace what human eyes can actually see? Researchers investigated.
18m Nov 06, 2025
18m
1160: Can A Billion-Dollar Barricade Keep Carp Out Of The Great Lakes?
A giant infrastructure project aims to block invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan, but Chicago’s polluted water already keeps them out.
19m Nov 05, 2025
19m
1159: Inside The Race To Save Wild Axolotls
Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City is the only place where axolotls live in the wild, and they face growing threats.
13m Nov 04, 2025
13m
1158: Endometriosis Is Common. Why Is Getting Diagnosed So Hard?
A scientist diagnosed with endometriosis is working to answer fundamental questions about the disease and pave the way for better treatments.
18m Nov 03, 2025
18m
1157: Why Hasn’t Wave Energy Gotten Its Sea Legs Yet?
It’s hard to convert energy from the ocean into electricity, thanks to a tough regulatory environment and, well, the ocean.
19m Nov 01, 2025
19m
1156: A Halloween Monster Mashup, And A Spooky Lakes Tour
Tales of the amazing capabilities of bats, spiders, and snakes. Plus, a guided tour of some of the world’s spookiest lakes.
30m Oct 31, 2025
30m
1155: What Happens To Your Digital Presence After You Die?
Our digital presences will outlive us all. How can we best manage files, social media accounts, and recordings of ourselves after we die?
19m Oct 30, 2025
19m
1154: Why Morbid Curiosity Is So Common—And So Fun
Why do we find joy in the scary and the macabre? Two psychology experts weigh in on humans' affinity for horror and desire to get spooked.
18m Oct 29, 2025
18m
1153: Peanut Allergies In Kids Are Finally On The Decline
A 2017 change in guidance recommended exposing children to allergens “early and often,” likely preventing tens of thousands of allergy cases.
12m Oct 28, 2025
12m
1152: How Do Bacteria Talk To Each Other?
In a story from May, how understanding the ways bacteria communicate could lead to better disease treatments for humans.
23m Oct 27, 2025
23m
1151: A Lab-Grown Salmon Taste Test And More Foodie Innovations
Cell-cultured salmon is showing up on menus. How does it compare to the real thing? Plus, food innovations from cultivated meat to mung beans.
31m Oct 24, 2025
31m
1150: What Did It Feel Like To Be An Early Human?
A new documentary puts viewers in the shoes of Neanderthals and early humans, giving an intimate glimpse into humans’ evolutionary history.
19m Oct 23, 2025
19m
1149: TikTok Is Shaping How We Think About ADHD
In a story from March, how mental health information on social media can be both revelatory and misleading—and how we can make sense of it.
19m Oct 22, 2025
19m
1148: Footage Shows How Narwhals Use Tusks To Hunt And Play
In a story from March, researchers used drones to study the mysterious arctic animals and learn new things about narwhal behavior.
13m Oct 21, 2025
13m
1147: Have Astrophysicists Spotted Evidence For ‘Dark Stars’?
Data from the Webb Space Telescope may hold evidence of ancient "dark stars," which would’ve been powered by dark matter, not nuclear fusion.
13m Oct 20, 2025
13m
1146: AI Was Supposed To Discover New Drugs. Where Are They?
While some AI-designed drugs have made it to clinical trials, none of them have been approved. Why has it been harder than experts thought?
18m Oct 17, 2025
18m
1145: How Math Helps Us Map The World
In "Mapmatics," a mathematician tells the stories of how math helps us track epidemics, map the seafloor, and plot a complex delivery route.
18m Oct 16, 2025
18m
1144: The Science Of Replacing Body Parts, From Hair To Hearts
In “Replaceable You,” Mary Roach describes mind-boggling efforts to replace human body parts—and why it’s proven to be so difficult.
19m Oct 15, 2025
19m
1143: It’s Not Just You—Bad Food Habits Are Hard to Shake
The authors of “Food Intelligence” answer listener questions and discuss how our food systems make staying healthy an uphill battle.
19m Oct 14, 2025
19m
1100: 100 Years Later, Quantum Science Is Still Weird
This year marks the 100th anniversary of two papers that sparked the field of quantum mechanics.
19m Oct 13, 2025
19m
1142: An Off-The-Grid Nobel Win, And Antibiotics In Ancient Microbes
When the Nobel committee called, Fred Ramsdell did not pick up. Plus, searching ancient archaea for solutions to modern antibiotic resistance.
19m Oct 11, 2025
19m
1141: World Space Week And Promising Climate Tech Companies
We check in on some exciting space missions and projects from IMAP to LIGO. Plus, climate tech companies that have our attention.
26m Oct 10, 2025
26m
1140: The Story Behind The Largest Dam Removal In U.S. History
A new book goes behind the scenes of the removal of four dams along the Klamath River, and the massive restoration effort that’s followed.
21m Oct 09, 2025
21m
1139: How Archaeologists Try To Smell, Hear, And Taste The Past
In “Dinner With King Tut,” Sam Kean shows how experimental archaeology can recreate the stinky, slimy, and tasty parts of ancient history.
19m Oct 08, 2025
19m
1138: Moth Survival Strategies And A Rodent Thumbnail Mystery
Moths’ evolutionary split between bright warning colors and subtle camouflage depends on the context. Plus, mysteries of the rodent thumbnail.
19m Oct 07, 2025
19m
1136: As The CDC Falters, How Do We Fill Public Health Gaps?
Former CDC director Tom Frieden discusses how communities and health systems can move forward as the US public health system is dismantled.
12m Oct 06, 2025
12m
1135: Anthropologists Have A Bone To Pick With New Skull Finding
A reconstruction of an ancient skull suggests that humans could have evolved half a million years earlier than thought. Not so fast, some say.
13m Oct 03, 2025
13m
1137: Remembering Primatologist Jane Goodall
Trailblazing chimp researcher and conservationist Jane Goodall died this week at 91.
18m Oct 02, 2025
18m
1134: What Do We Know About SSRI Antidepressant Withdrawal?
Without robust long-term data, physicians and patients continue debating the severity and significance of SSRI withdrawal symptoms.
19m Oct 02, 2025
19m
1133: Asha de Vos’ Journey From Deck Hand To Marine Science Leader
Growing up, Asha de Vos didn’t know of any Sri Lankans studying marine mammals. So she became the first.
19m Oct 01, 2025
19m
1132: Why Painters Are Obsessed With The Duck Stamp Art Contest
Duck stamps help fund wetland conservation across the country. The art that adorns them is chosen through a beloved (and intense) competition.
19m Sep 30, 2025
19m
1131: Can Better Equipment Eliminate Concussions In Sports?
Head injuries are considered a normal risk of high-impact sports like football. Better helmets and guidelines aim to make athletes safer.
19m Sep 29, 2025
19m
1130: Is Tylenol Use During Pregnancy Connected To Autism?
We dig into the details of the science of Tylenol and autism with a researcher who led one of the largest studies on the topic.
12m Sep 26, 2025
12m
1129: How AI Advances Are Improving Humanoid Robots
Roboticist Karen Liu combines machine learning and animation to teach robots to move and respond more like humans.
18m Sep 25, 2025
18m
1128: The High-Tech Lab Unlocking Secrets Of Coral Reproduction
At a lab in the heart of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, scientists are breeding corals to be more resilient to rising ocean temperatures.
18m Sep 24, 2025
18m
1127: The Humble Microbe Could Help Us Understand Life Itself
Unlocking the basic science of microbes, especially those that live in extreme environments, could help us find life elsewhere in the universe.
13m Sep 23, 2025
13m
1126: Raising A New Generation Of Bat Conservationists In West Africa
Bats are understudied in West Africa. An ecologist couple is building a network of bat conservationists to boost research and conservation.
19m Sep 22, 2025
19m
1125: How Conservation Efforts Brought Rare Birds Back From The Brink
The merlin, sandhill crane, and pileated woodpecker were once rare in North America. Environmental conservation fueled their resurgence.
18m Sep 19, 2025
18m
1124: Teamwork Between Species Is The Key To Life Itself
“The Call of the Honeyguide” traces the mutualisms found throughout nature, from hunting pairs to the microbes all around us.
19m Sep 18, 2025
19m
1123: If An Asteroid Were Headed For Earth, Would We Be Ready?
Sooner or later, a sizable asteroid could impact a populated area on Earth. How is the US, and the world, preparing?
19m Sep 17, 2025
19m
1122: A Trailblazing Geneticist Reflects On Her Life And Work
Dr. Mary-Claire King was the first to link a gene to hereditary cancer risk with the identification of BRCA1. She was just getting started.
48m Sep 16, 2025
48m
1121: What The Label Of ‘Genius’ Tells Us About Our Society
In “The Genius Myth,” Helen Lewis argues that who we call a genius reveals more about our values than any objective measure of brilliance.
19m Sep 15, 2025
19m
1120: The Human Obsession With Aliens Goes Way, Way Back
A new book charts the millennia-old history of our fascination with aliens, and how myth transformed into research.
25m Sep 12, 2025
25m
1119: A Delicious But Invasive Mushroom Could Affect Fungal Diversity
Golden oyster mushrooms have escaped from home growing kits into the wild. Plus, the ancient origin story of the humble potato plant.
20m Sep 11, 2025
20m
1118: A Photographer Captures Nature In Mind-Boggling Detail
Ever seen the hairs on a bee’s eyeball? Or the contours of a hummingbird's tongue? Science photographer Anand Varma takes us behind the lens.
19m Sep 10, 2025
19m