Every day, untold numbers of strange organisms rise from the middle of the ocean to its surface. They may be playing a crucial role in slowing climate change, so scientists are struggling to understand this migration ... before it’s too late.
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Yesterday
What's the oldest story ever told?
An astrophysicist uses the motion of the stars to argue that a single story has been told for 100,000 years. A cognitive anthropologist has questions. Guests: Ray Norris, astrophysicist; Manvir Singh, cognitive anthropologist at the University of California, Davis For show transc ... Show More
27m 18s
Sep 2
Stopping the science that could stop the world
When scientists write their own rules for life, how do they know what could go wrong before it’s too late? This is the final episode of our new three-part series, Life from Scratch. Guests: Kate Adamala, associate professor at the University of Minnesota; David Relman, professor ... Show More
36m 12s
Aug 31
A breakthrough in synthetic life
Synthetic biologist Kate Adamala has been making major headlines as her lab creates cells that feed, divide, and grow — all from nonliving parts. It may sound like sci-fi, but Kate believes that these “not quite alive” cells are key to a renewable future. This is the second episo ... Show More
34m 16s
Aug 2020
Lab 028: There’s Something in the Water
The ocean covers 70% of the earth's surface, but we know so little about it and how it affects our lives. In this Lab, Titi and Zakiya bring the ocean to your front door, exploring how the ocean is impacted by climate change and how it fights back. Guest: Dr. Ayana Elizabeth John ... Show More
39m 26s
Mar 2023
Ocean World Tour: Whale Vocal Fry, Fossilizing Plankton and A Treaty
Reading the science headlines this week, we have A LOT of questions. Why are more animals than just humans saddled — er, blessed — with vocal fry? Why should we care if 8 million year old plankton fossils are in different locations than plankton living today? And is humanity fina ... Show More
10m 37s
Aug 2025
The Giants Lurking In The Deep Sea
The bathypelagic zone of the ocean is 1,000 to 4,000 meters below the surface. Sometimes it's called the midnight zone, because it's too deep for sunlight to reach. Most animals here are much smaller than their shallow-water counterparts. But occasionally, researchers find the ra ... Show More
13m 20s