A new book uses science and hindsight to figure out how to survive history’s greatest disasters. Plus, megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived. How accurate is the science in the movie Meg 2: The Trench?
Yesterday
What urban design tells us about democracy
The way ancient societies like the Greeks, Maya, and Khmer Empire built their cities can tell us a lot about how a place was governed. Did rulers live in ornate palaces or alongside other residents? Are there large, open spaces for community gatherings? In a new study, archaeolog ... Show More
17m 44s
Apr 23
Listening for the cosmic ‘dark ages,’ from the lunar far side
What did the universe look like before any stars turned on? Astronomers call that time the “dark ages,” and while they think it may be possible to see remnants of it in very low frequency radio signals, hearing those signals from Earth can be challenging. One possibility is to pu ... Show More
12m 33s
Apr 22
How do you describe nature? Two poets help us
To mark Earth Day, we asked you to tell us about your favorite places on the planet. You took us to the woods near Traverse City, Michigan, to a lake in Oklahoma, to Long Island Harbor where you spent your summers as a kid. Basking in a sea breeze and admiring a sunset are basic ... Show More
23m 33s
Oct 2025
Gerta Keller, "The Last Extinction: The Real Science Behind the Death of the Dinosaurs" (Diversion Books, 2025)
The story behind Dr. Gerta Keller’s world-shattering scientific discovery that dinosaur extinction was NOT caused by asteroid impact, but rather by volcanic eruptions on the Indian peninsula, a discovery that highlights today’s existential threat of greenhouse gasses and climate ... Show More
59m 52s
Oct 2025
Gerta Keller, "The Last Extinction: The Real Science Behind the Death of the Dinosaurs" (Diversion Books, 2025)
The story behind Dr. Gerta Keller’s world-shattering scientific discovery that dinosaur extinction was NOT caused by asteroid impact, but rather by volcanic eruptions on the Indian peninsula, a discovery that highlights today’s existential threat of greenhouse gasses and climate ... Show More
59m 52s
Oct 2023
Trenton W. Holliday, "Cro-Magnon: The Story of the Last Ice Age People of Europe" (Columbia UP, 2023)
During the Last Ice Age, Europe was a cold, dry place teeming with mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, reindeer, bison, cave bears, cave hyenas, and cave lions. It was also the home of people physically indistinguishable from humans today, commonly known as the Cro-Magnons. Our knowle ... Show More
42m 33s
Dec 2021
Top Human Origins Discoveries of 2021
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">2021 was a big year in science! Fossil discoveries introduced new relatives to our family tree, new findings added fascinating twists to the human story, and breakthroughs in research methods opened new worlds to explore. In this episode, five s ... Show More
31m 16s
Jun 2018
What’s the Tiniest Dinosaur?
Two small creatures are at the heart of today’s questions, sent in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk.The Tiniest Dinosaur
"What is the tiniest dinosaur?" asks young listener Ellie Cook, aged 11.Our hunt takes us from the discovery of dinosaurs right up to the present day, which is being ... Show More
26m 46s
May 2019
Dinopocalypse Redux
<p>Using high-powered ballistics experiments, fancy computer algorithms, and good old-fashioned ancient geology, scientists have woven together a theory about the extinction of the dinosaurs that is so precise, so hot, so <em>instantaneous</em>, as to seem unimaginable. Today, we ... Show More
45m 22s