Talia Berkowitz discusses the use of a math app at home to boost math achievement at school, Catherine Matacic talks about the fate of animals near Chernobyl, a potential kitty contraceptive, and where spiders got their knees. Hosted by Sarah Crespi.
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May 28
Disembodied human brains, immortal bits of sea cucumber, and fame in Galileo’s time
First up on the podcast, a company is using whole brains—maintained with specialized life support—to study new drugs. Freelance science journalist Sara Reardon joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the advantages and ethical considerations of keeping brains intact but inactive. N ... Show More
45m 22s
May 21
USAID cuts linked to violence, unexpected parallels between humans and bacteria, and how to rule the world
First up on the podcast, Senior International Correspondent Richard Stone joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the surprising commonalities between our immune systems and the tools bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses. These unexpected parallels have become rich ground ... Show More
41m 21s
May 14
Fighting deepfakes, and using bacteria to deliver medicine inside the body
First up on the podcast, Meagan Cantwell produced a segment with Contributing Correspondent Kai Kupferschmidt on the fight against deepfakes. Kupferschmidt talks with Hany Farid, professor at the University of California, Berkeley, about the never-ending battle against fake image ... Show More
31m 54s
Sep 2025
Marsquakes, Vaccine Politics and Mammoth Microbiomes
This week’s roundup dives into Mars’s lumpy mantle, a nasal spray that may help prevent COVID and the growing confusion around vaccine access in the U.S. Plus, researchers link phone use while on the toilet to hemorrhoid risk, uncover ancient mammoth microbiomes and explain why s ... Show More
9m 45s
Aug 2025
Why numeracy counts in everyday life, with Ellen Peters, PhD
From deciding whether to buy a house to weighing the risks and benefits of taking a new medication, many important life decisions hinge on understanding numbers, statistics and probability. Ellen Peters, PhD, author of “Innumeracy in the Wild: Misunderstanding and Misusing Number ... Show More
35m 22s
Apr 2024
Lotion Spider Brouhaha, ADHD Superpowers, Earth's Evil Twin
Scientist and Twitch streamer Knimbley joins the show today to talk about how astronomy and Elden Ring intertwine! Plus, Jess returns to talk about lotion spiders, and Rachel explains how ADHD used to offer a real survival benefit in the olden days. The Weirdest Thing I Learned T ... Show More
59m 9s
Nov 2024
What we—and AI—can learn from nature's intelligence
Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances C ... Show More
49m 38s
Jul 2025
Daily Science Brief - July 29, 2025 - Vaccine Dental Floss
During the weeks from July 28 through Aug 8---while we take our summer vacation---we're going to be posting the daily news episodes from Bobby's daily science podcast, Daily Science Brief. If you like this short-form podcast and want to hear more, search for Daily Science Brief o ... Show More
10m 38s
Jul 2024
Les statistiques, c'est vraiment des maths ? (ta minute mathématique #2)
🎙️ Ta minute mathématique, ton nouveau rendez-vous de l'été. Une minute pour une notion simple de mathématique abordées sous forme de question que tu as toujours voulu poser sans jamais oser le demander.Rendez-vous tous les samedis pendant l'été.Aujourd'hui : les statistiques, c ... Show More
1m 52s