Podcast Episodes

A (Monday Night) Football Mystery

Monday night football is back! What better way to celebrate than a close look at some of the physics powering the sport? Specifically, the spiral pass. If you've ever watched part of a professional f…

Published on 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Why U.S. Sunscreens Don't Measure Up

The United Nations estimates that there were over 1.5 million new cases of skin cancer in 2022. That number might have you reaching for the nearest tube of sunscreen. And it might also have you wonde…

Published on 4 months ago

A Lock of Hair Could Rewrite Knowledge Of The Inca Empire

Episode 1333

The Inca Empire in South America was one of the most powerful pre-Columbian societies. It was known for the architecture of Machu Picchu, an extensive road network and a system of terraces for agricu…

Published on 4 months ago

Nature Quest: What Does Climate Change Sound Like?

Episode 1332

Feel like summers are hotter than they used to be? It’s not just your imagination. Climate researchers say that average annual temperatures around the country have been trending upwards for the past …

Published on 4 months ago

Sea Camp: To Mine Or Not To Mine

Deep sea mining for rare earth elements could start as early as 2026, even as 38 countries have called for a moratorium on it. The metals that companies are targeting are used in many green technolog…

Published on 4 months ago

Could labs replace your natural chocolate?

Chocolate may fill grocery store shelves around the world, but the raw product that powers chocolate is far more selective. The majority of chocolate farms are found in West Africa and South America …

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago

The Yellowstone Wolf Controversy

Episode 1329

Thirty years ago, park rangers reintroduced grey wolves into Yellowstone National Park. They wanted to restore the ecosystem and get the elk population, which had decimated the plant community, in ch…

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago

Toxic? These Animals Don't Care

Episode 1328

Imagine, you’re a toxic toad hanging around South America. No other animals are gonna mess with you, right? After all, you’re ~toxic~! So if anyone tries to eat you, they’ll be exposed to something c…

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago

Why mapping the entire seafloor is a daunting task, but key to improving human life

Scientists have mapped less than 30% of the world's seafloor. Experts say that getting that number up to 100% would improve everything from tsunami warnings to the Internet and renewable energy. That…

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago

Alive Or Not Alive... Is A Tricky Question

Episode 1326

In this Back To School episode we consider the "List of Life": the criteria that define what it is to be a living thing. Some are easy calls: A kitten is alive. A grain of salt is not.

But what about …

Published on 4 months, 2 weeks ago