In this episode, first aired in 2014, we examine three very different kinds of black boxes — spaces where we know what’s going in, we know what’s coming out, but can’t see what happens in that in-between space.
From the darkest parts of metamorphosis to a sixty-year-old secret among magicians, and the nature of consciousness itself, we shine some light on th ... Show More
Dec 2021
The building blocks of the universe
Most of the matter in the universe is dark matter, an invisible, untouchable, mysterious substance. Scientists don’t know what exactly dark matter is, despite decades of searching. But recently, they got a new clue in the form of an extremely tiny dancer.
This episode is a remix ... Show More
53m 54s
Jul 2023
The Black Box: In AI we trust?
AI can often solve problems in unexpected, undesirable ways. So how can we make sure it does what we want, the way we want? And what happens if we can’t?
This is the second episode of our new two-part series, The Black Box.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a grea ... Show More
30m 45s
Jul 2023
The Black Box: Even AI’s creators don’t understand it
AI has the potential to impact our society in dramatic ways, but researchers can’t explain precisely how it works or how it might evolve. Will they ever understand it?
This is the first episode of our new two-part series, The Black Box.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainabl ... Show More
34m 58s
Feb 2022
Merging supermassive black holes, and communicating science in the age of social media
On this week’s show: What we can learn from two supermassive black holes that appear to be on a collision course with each other, and the brave new online world in which social media dominates and gatekeeps public access to scientific information First up, Staff Writer Daniel Cle ... Show More
29m 51s
Nov 2022
Shower Ideas, Medicinal Chocolate, Black Holes Burping
Today we explore the science behind getting great ideas in the shower, how regular chocolate consumption can slow down cognitive decline, and how a black hole recently burped out the remnants of a star it absorbed four YEARS ago! Shower Ideas “The Science of Why You Have Great Id ... Show More
16m 2s