Theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein joins the show! The weirdest things we learned this week range from non-trinary particles to kleptoplasty. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook ... Show More
Yesterday
Drunk Monkeys, Heroic Rats, Forehead Teeth
Carly York joins the show to talk about the most heroic rats you'll ever meet. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about some drunk monkeys, and Rachel gets into sharks' toothy foreheads. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and sto ... Show More
45m 39s
Sep 24
Skateboard Archeology, Dire Wolf Bones, The Great Fear
Annalee Newitz joins the show to talk all about how 18th century gossip spread like an actual infectious disease. Plus, Laura delves into how dire wolf bones could help our modern pups, and Rachel talks about the archaeologists who are studying more modern stuff, like skate parks ... Show More
54m 44s
Sep 10
Airborne Butt Cam, Snake Panic, Oops! All Cloacas
Sarah Gailey joins the show to discuss why one scientist put the cutest little monocles on a bunch of chameleons. (And also to talk about their new book, Spread Me, out now wherever you buy books!) Plus, Rachel talks about the great Missouri snake panic, and Lauren talks about an ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 2024
Bonus: Fun Fact or Fake Factoid?! A Chemistry and Trivia Showdown
In this bonus game edition of 'Chemistry For Your Life', host Melissa, co-host Jam, and guest Claire embark on an entertaining journey of debunking or verifying popular 'fun facts' submitted by their listeners. The game, titled 'Fun Fact or Fake Factoid', involves dissecting quir ... Show More
28m 6s
Sep 19
Algorithmic Social Media Is Driving New Slang
From viral slang such as “skibidi” to the rise of so-called brain rot, linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic, aka the “Etymology Nerd,” and associate editor Allison Parshall, who covers the mind and brain, unpack how social media and algorithms are reshaping the way we commun ... Show More
26m 55s
Oct 6
Enceladus’s Alien Ocean, Ancient Fungi and the Flavor of Influenza
Saturn’s moon Enceladus reveals complex organic molecules that could hint at extraterrestrial life. Researchers also uncover fungi’s ancient reign over Earth and warn that second COVID infections may pose greater risks to young people. Plus, ants ferment yogurt, and flu detection ... Show More
9m 47s