For millennia, people have been reporting stories of mysterious spheres of light that glow, crackle, and hover eerily during thunderstorms. They’ve been spotted in people’s homes, and are even said to be able to pass through windows. No one knows how ball lightning forms — but that’s not stopping scientists from attempting to recreate it in their labs.
For f ... Show More
Today
What happened to the giant bugs?
Once upon a time (around 300 million years ago), Earth was home to massive dragonfly-like insects and two meter long millipede-like creatures. Why did they die off? Guests: Ned Snelling, professor of experimental physiology at the University of Pretoria; Jon Harrison, professor o ... Show More
27m 15s
Sep 16
What happened before the big bang?
It's a question that seems impossible to grapple with, but scientists won't take no for an answer. In this collaboration with Scientific American, we take on the big bang and a whole bunch of seemingly impossible questions. Guests: Rachel Feltman, host of the Science Quickly podc ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2016
Will-o'-the-Wisp: A Light in the Swamp
<p>There was a time when strange lights appeared in the marshlands. Commoners might have known the eerie luminescence as “Will-o’-the-Wisp” or “Hinky Punk,” while the learned pondered the mysteries of “Ignis Fatuus.” Superstitions aside, what natural phenomenon was at work here, ... Show More
1h 20m
Apr 2020
Curious About Lightning And Thunder
<p>In episode 79, we learn about lightning and thunder. What causes lightning? How hot is lightning? Can you have lightning without rain? Can you have thunder without lightning? Olivia interviews Greg, a meteorologist, to ask him some questions about lightning and thunder an ... Show More
20m 46s
Feb 2023
Lightning Protection: Lasers, Rockets or Rods?
Every year, lightning is estimated to cause up to 24,000 deaths globally. It starts forest fires, burns buildings and crops, and causes disruptive power outages. The best, most practical technology available to deflect lightning is the simple lightning rod, created by Benjamin Fr ... Show More
12m 18s