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Why Some Species Survive Mass Extinctions
Episode 1373
Around 250 million years ago, one of Earth’s largest known volcanic events set off The Great Dying: the planet’s worst mass extinction event. The eru…
11 months, 1 week ago
The Secrets Everyday Rocks Keep
Why does the New York City skyline look the way it does? In part, because of what happened there 500 million years ago, says geologist Anjana Khatwa,…
11 months, 1 week ago
Elections: A Big Math Problem
Ahead of Election Day tomorrow, millions of ballots are being cast in statewide, local and special elections. So, today, we're revisiting an episode …
11 months, 1 week ago
This Week In Science: Spiders, TV Pixels And Storytelling
Episode 1370
Happy Halloween, Short Wavers! In today’s news round-up, we’ve got only treats. Hosts Regina Barber and Emily Kwong fill in NPR’s Ailsa Chang on a de…
11 months, 2 weeks ago
Like Being Scared? Here’s Why
Like haunted houses? Scientists do! That’s because they’re an excellent place to study how humans respond to – and even actively seek out – fear. In …
11 months, 2 weeks ago
Nature Quest: Rebuild Or Relocate Post-Disaster?
Episode 1368
In the face of floods, wildfires and other natural disasters, when should a community relocate to avoid potential harm? Listener Molly Magid asks tha…
11 months, 2 weeks ago
What Works – And Doesn’t – For Hair Loss?
Episode 1367
People may think of hair loss as a guy thing. But by some estimates, half of all women experience hair loss in their lifetime. And when your social m…
11 months, 2 weeks ago
Parasites Have Haunted Us For Millions Of Years
Episode 1366
Parasites have roamed the Earth for a long time. They were here before the dinosaurs: The oldest fossils are more than 500 million years old. Today o…
11 months, 3 weeks ago
Migrating Birds Have a Big, Clear Problem
Episode 1365
Around this time of year, every night, a quiet exodus is occurring. Hundreds of millions of birds are migrating thousands of miles south for the wint…
11 months, 3 weeks ago
We Have the Cure. Why is Tuberculosis Still Around?
Episode 1364
Tuberculosis – the world’s deadliest infectious disease – could be dormant in your system for years before you realize you have it. In the U.S., it’s…
11 months, 3 weeks ago