Eyes In The Sky: The Science Behind Modern Balloons
This month, the news cycle has been dominated by updates about suspicious objects being detected in the stratosphere. This bonanza started with a balloon from China, and escalated as four more objects—not all confirmed as balloons—have been shot down from the sky.
Although this might sound like a new proble ... Show More
Jun 10
AI + turfgrass science in the most high-tech World Cup yet
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest one yet, and FIFA is trying to make it the most high-tech, too. The federation has partnered with tech giant Lenovo to launch Football AI Pro, which is designed to analyze over 2,000 different metrics and deliver real-time insights to coache ... Show More
19m 56s
Aug 2024
Have Swiss scientists made a chocolate breakthrough?
Chocolate is very important to Switzerland’s economy: with more than 200,000 metric tonnes produced each year, sales are worth almost $2 billion. But there are challenges – not just over sustainability, but over exploitation. And the volatile price of cacao.We meet the researcher ... Show More
17m 39s
Aug 2024
Peanut Allergy, Ancient Cancer Treatment, Cuckoo Evolution
Today, you’ll learn about why giving babies foods with peanuts could crack the peanut allergy problem, a wild discovery of cancer treatment 4,000 years ago, and the sneaky way cuckoos evolve to look like other birds so they can live in their nests. Peanut Allergy “Giving young ch ... Show More
10m 53s
Oct 2024
How Can Math Help Beat Cancer?
<p>When we think about medicine’s war on cancer, treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy spring to mind first. Now there is another potential weapon for defeating tumors: statistics and mathematical models that can optimize the selection, combination or timing of t ... Show More
42m 52s
May 2024
Bigger Brains, Reef Songs, AI Speech
Today, you’ll learn about why our brains are getting bigger and why that’s a good thing, how the sweet songs of the reef could help save it, and an AI device that gives a voice to the voiceless. Bigger Brains “Human brains are getting larger. That may be good news for dementia ri ... Show More
11m 9s
Sep 2025
Episode 59: Dr. Paul Chirik on Modern Alchemy
Dr. Paul Chirik, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry and the Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Princeton University, researches something he calls “modern alchemy.” As many of the world's most effective chemical catalysts are made from rare and precious metals, Dr ... Show More
17m 43s
Aug 2021
Meat Disgust, Cosmic Rays for Medicine, Immortal Battery
Learn about how meat-eaters really feel; using cosmic rays in medical diagnoses; and the Oxford Electric Bell mystery.People who eat meat think it's gross, which suggests new ideas for cutting consumption by Kelsey DonkEven Some Meat-Eaters Are Disgusted By Meat — And Encouraging ... Show More
13m 3s
Aug 2025
Could Peanut Allergies Be Cured?
Peanut allergies have surged dramatically in recent decades, and scientists are still working to understand why. In this episode, journalist Maryn Mckenna, who recently authored an article on the subject, and host Rachel Feltman explore the latest research on causes, treatments a ... Show More
20m 29s