Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchScientific American in 1925: Solar Eclipses, Seances and Some Strange Inventions
We’re taking a break from our usual weekly news roundup to do a little time travel. In 1925 Scientific American covered a total solar eclipse that fe…
10 months, 1 week ago
How to Become an Urban Naturalist
Wild NYC author Ryan Mandelbaum takes host Rachel Feltman through New York City’s Prospect Park to find urban wildlife. They explore the city’s many …
10 months, 2 weeks ago
Our Fear and Fascination around Snakes
When writer Stephen S. Hall was a child, he would capture snakes—much to his mother’s chagrin. Now the science journalist is returning to his early f…
10 months, 2 weeks ago
Childhood Illnesses Surge, Magnetic Poles Wandered, and a Colossal Squid Is Found
Measles cases are going up—and a federal scientist has warned that case counts have probably been underreported. Another vaccine-preventable illness,…
10 months, 2 weeks ago
From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All
Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host…
10 months, 3 weeks ago
A Disinfectant That’s More Powerful Than Bleach—And Safe for Your Skin
Hypochlorous acid is a promising disinfectant that is difficult to commercialize because it is not very shelf-stable. Senior features editor Jen Schw…
10 months, 3 weeks ago
A Long Day on Uranus, a Better Method of Making Coffee and Dinos Fossils in Decline
Caffeine-motivated researchers find that pour height may be the key to a perfect cup of coffee. A new study of plastics finds that less than 10 perce…
10 months, 3 weeks ago
How Are Prenatal Blood Tests Detecting Cancer?
Noninvasive prenatal blood testing, or NIPT, is a routine screening that is offered during pregnancy and looks for placental DNA to diagnose chromoso…
11 months ago
Treating Bacterial Vaginosis as an STI Could Improve Outcomes
Bacterial vaginosis (BV), an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the vagina, affects nearly one in three people with a vagina. While you can get BV …
11 months ago
How the Science of Safety Helps Tackle Global Risks [Sponsored]
We're surrounded by risks of all sizes, every day. Some people might be risk-takers, while others do whatever they can to avoid them. But how can we …
11 months ago