logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
26m 13s

A brainless yellow goo that does math

Vox
About this episode

Slime molds can navigate mazes, control robots, and make complicated decisions, all without a central nervous system. If this weird gooey blob can think, does that mean scientists are thinking about intelligence all wrong?

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.

Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com

We read every email.

Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Ice Sheet Time Machine
The US military carved a tiny city into the Greenland ice sheet. What they found, and lost, and found again, and what it tells us about climate change. Guests: Paul Bierman, geoscientist at the University of Vermont and author of When The Ice Is Gone; Richard Alley, geoscientist ... Show More
31m 40s
Aug 25
Animals in the year 20202025
What do scientists think animals might be like millions of years from now? (First published in 2021) Guests: Benji Jones, senior correspondent at Vox; David Willard, ornithologist at Chicago's Field Museum; Liz Alter, marine biologist at San José State University; Jingmai O'Conno ... Show More
27m 19s
Aug 18
Nightmare at the end of the universe
Dark energy is the strange stuff that makes up the vast majority of the universe and will ultimately lead to the end of everything. Unless it doesn't exist at all. Guests: Adam Riess, astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, and Nathalie Palanque-Delabrouille, director of the ... Show More
26m 9s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
47 - Boltzmann Brains: Could Reality Be An Illusion? (Rebroadcast)
A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain? This is a rebroadcast of a past favorite.For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuni ... Show More
28m 2s
Jun 2024
Do our brains really tell the whole story about us?
You know how sometimes you might indulge in a bit too much junk food, or maybe the kids aren’t acing their tests, or perhaps you’re navigating the single life? Hold up—before you start to worry, there’s a seemingly scientific explanation for all of it, and it points to one place: ... Show More
4m 15s
Jun 2024
Making the World Sparkle Again
Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, the brain seems evolutionarily designed to focus on the new and unexpected, on novel threats and opportunities. In our daily lives, this means we take wonderful things for granted. W ... Show More
50m 31s
Jul 2020
Sleep deep with Neuroscience | BrainTools #0
Restless nights? Walking around like a sleepless zombie? Welcome to the BrainTools podcast, practical Brain science for everyday people. In this episode of the BrainTools Podcast you're going to learn the neuroscience of sleep: why we sleep, the sleep-deprived brain and how sleep ... Show More
1 h
May 2024
What the Hell Is at the Edge of Space?
With the powers of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists discovered some super weird things in the early Universe, and it's making some nerds question our theory of everything. This story comes to us from our friends at Unexplainable at Vox Media. Find Unexplainable’s transc ... Show More
21m 59s
Oct 2023
EVSN - SETI and the Very Large Array
From Sept 11, 2023. While we could spend an entire episode on Earth, there is just too much going on in the universe to linger anywhere too long. From our world, we journey out to look at the super massive black hole in the core of M87, and then Beth Johnson will join us with an ... Show More
53m 41s
Jun 2024
197 - Computer Chips In Your Brain
On today’s episode: Orchids might be supportive, loving parents! We’ve been hearing lots of news about Neuralink’s brain implants, so let’s talk about how it works and what’s going on. All that and more today on All Around Science... RESOURCES Third thumb! Orchids support seedlin ... Show More
58 m
Feb 2024
G: The World's Smartest Animal
This episode begins with a rant. This rant, in particular, comes from Dan Engber - a science writer who loves animals but despises animal intelligence research. Dan told us that so much of the way we study animals involves tests that we think show a human is smart ... not the ani ... Show More
50m 20s
Feb 2024
#390: Wormholes, Black Holes, and Blue Giants: Your Space Questions Answered
Are you ready to uncover the mind-bending secrets of our universe? Join us as we reveal the unexpected truth about the formation of habitable planets and the potential for multiple habitable worlds within a single solar system. You won't believe how many habitable planets could e ... Show More
53m 2s
Jun 2024
Why Trying Too Hard Can Backfire On You
Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumerable benefits. But like all aspects of human behavior, you can sometimes get too much of a good thing. This week, we talk with philosopher Ted Slingerland about techniques to preven ... Show More
52m 17s