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1341: Amid shifting politics, can we build stable global health systems?
Episode 1341
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has become the third-largest on record. And while the regional response is …
3 months ago
1340: How does the gut-brain connection work?
Episode 1340
Gut feelings, trusting your gut, butterflies: We have lots of expressions about how our brains and our bowels are intertwined. But how well do we und…
3 months ago
1339: Investigating ‘flow state’ with the bassist from Phish
Episode 1339
The band Phish has toured for over 40 years. One of the draws of their legendary live shows—which can go on for 8 hours—is finding moments of “flow,”…
3 months ago
1338: How the US patent system keeps drug prices high
Episode 1338
Americans pay roughly three times as much for prescription meds as people in other wealthy nations. But why?Tahir Amin argues it’s largely to do with…
3 months ago
1337: What was science like in America 250 years ago?
Episode 1337
If you hear “colonial America” and “science,” one name probably comes to mind: Benjamin Franklin. But he wasn’t the only one thinking big thoughts an…
3 months, 1 week ago
1336: An artificial cell eats, grows, and reproduces. Is it alive?
Episode 1336
Researchers have engineered an artificial cell out of chemicals and biomolecules that, at a basic level, can eat, grow, duplicate its own genetic cod…
3 months, 1 week ago
1335: Growing lunar potatoes + Dealing with razor-sharp moon dust
Episode 1335
Imagine this: You’re an astronaut, you’ve landed on the moon, and as you’re taking one small step for mankind, you kick up a bunch of lunar dirt. Now…
3 months, 1 week ago
1334: Even Nobel Prize winners deal with imposter syndrome
Episode 1334
Around 25 years ago, Ardem Patapoutian set out to investigate the fundamental biology behind our sense of touch. Through a long process of gene elimi…
3 months, 1 week ago
1333: Squirrel poop drops Ice Age clues + The neuroscience of laughter
Episode 1333
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, deep in the mountains of the Yukon, a ground squirrel pooped. That scat stayed frozen for millenia—until very rec…
3 months, 1 week ago
1332: Promising new treatments for pancreatic cancer and ALS
Episode 1332
Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms of cancer, and it can be difficult to catch early. But there’s some good news: Clinical trials of a …
3 months, 2 weeks ago