Podcast Episodes

Bats surf storm fronts, and public perception of preprints

First up this week, as preprint publications ramped up during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, so did media attention for these pre–peer-review results. But what do the readers of news reports…

Published on 11 months, 4 weeks ago

On the trail with a truffle-hunting dog, and why we should save elderly plants and animals

First up this week, Newsletter Editor Christie Wilcox talks with host Sarah Crespi about truffle hunting for science. Wilcox accompanied Heather Dawson, a Ph.D. student at the University of Oregon, a…

Published on 1 year ago

Top online stories of the year, and revisiting digging donkeys and baby minds

First up this week, Online News Editor David Grimm shares a sampling of stories that hit big with our audience and staff in this year, from corpse-eating pets to the limits of fanning ourselves.

Next…

Published on 1 year ago

Science’s Breakthrough of the Year, and psychedelic drugs, climate, and fusion technology updates

First up this week, Breakthroughs Editor Greg Miller joins producer Meagan Cantwell to discuss Science’s 2024 Breakthrough of the Year. They also discuss some of the other scientific achievements tha…

Published on 1 year ago

Making Latin American science visible, and advances in cooling tech

First up this week, freelance science journalist Sofia Moutinho joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss making open-access journals from South and Latin America visible to the rest of the world by creatin…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Leaf-based computer chips, and evidence that two early human ancestors coexisted

First up this week, making electronics greener with leaves. Host Sarah Crespi talks with Newsletter Editor Christie Wilcox about using the cellulose skeletons of leaves to create robust, biodegradabl…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Testing whales’ hearing, and mapping clusters of extreme longevity

First up this week, where on Earth do people live the longest? What makes those places or people so special? Genes, diet, life habits? Or could it be bad record keeping and statistical flukes? Freela…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Resurrecting a ‘flipping ship,’ and solving the ‘bone paradox’ in ancient remains

First up this week, a ship that flips for science. Sean Cummings, a freelance science journalist, joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the resurrection of the Floating Instrument Platform (R/V FLIP)…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Watching continents slowly break apart, and turbo charging robotic sniffers

First up this week, Staff Writer Paul Voosen talks with host Sarah Crespi about his travel to meet up with a lead researcher in the field, Folarin Kolawole, and the subtle signs of rifting on the Afr…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

The challenges of studying misinformation, and what Wikipedia can tell us about human curiosity

First up this week, Contributing Correspondent Kai Kupferschmidt joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the difficulties of studying misinformation. Although misinformation seems like it’s everywhere, re…

Published on 1 year, 2 months ago