Podcast Episodes

Stuart Firestein: A mentor with a nose for science

After a career as a theater manager, Stuart Firestein takes a biology class, which leads him to a completely new life, and a lot of salamander noses.…

13 years ago

Paula Croxson: When your grandmother forgets who you are

When Paula Croxson began to study memory as a neuroscientist, she also learned a new way of thinking about her grandmother's failing memory.

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13 years ago

Jess Zimmerman: The Gorilla In the Room

Writer Jess Zimmerman discovers the dangers of dating a philosopher of neuroscience who thinks he knows what's really happening in her head.

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13 years ago

Jon Ronson: A journalist interviews a robot

Journalist Jon Ronson is excited when he hears about some 'sentient' robots, but when he goes to interview them he finds both less and more than he e…

13 years, 1 month ago

Andre Fenton: The twisting road from basic brain research to helping malaria patients

André Fenton always wanted to do research at the most fundamental level -- to uncover basic truths about memory and how it works, never mind how usef…

13 years, 1 month ago

Robin & Samantha Henig: The rules of writing with your daughter

Robin Marantz Henig and her daughter, Samantha, decided to write a book together about life as a twentysomthing. There was just one problem -- how to…

13 years, 1 month ago

Colin Jerolmack: How a sociologist became The Pigeon Guy

Colin Jerolmack was floundering in grad school until he found deep insights into human nature... from pigeons.

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13 years, 1 month ago

Kelly & Zach Weinersmith: Two nerds fall in love

Biologist Kelly Smith and comic artist Zach Weiner were having trouble dating, until they met online and realized what they each needed was another n…

13 years, 2 months ago

Anica Rissi: Confessions of a fourth-grade science fraud

Anica Rissi realizes the true purpose of her science project: to increase her popularity. But how far is she willing to go?

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13 years, 2 months ago

Tara Clancy: A bartender from Queens learns theoretical physics

Tara Clancy's worry over making bad life choices leads her to think about all the things she doesn't know -- and from there, obviously, to theoretica…

13 years, 2 months ago