logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
52m 55s

Big Little Questions

Wnyc Studios
About this episode
Here at the show, we get A LOT of questions, tiny questions, big questions, weird questions, poop questions. Today, we’re dumping the bucket out. First aired back in 2017, here’s a show of questions and, sometimes, answers. Cause, we get a lot of questions. Like, A LOT of questions. Tiny questions, big questions, short questions, long questions. Weird quest ... Show More
Up next
Nov 21
Our Common Nature: West Virginia Coal
<p>Today on the show, we’re bringing you an episode from <a href="https://link.podtrac.com/v7mx144d" target="_blank"><i>Our Common Nature</i></a> (https://link.podtrac.com/v7mx144d), a new podcast series where cellist Yo-Yo Ma and host Ana González travel around the United States ... Show More
53m 33s
Nov 14
Quantum Refuge
<p>Qasem Waleed is a 28-year-old physicist who has lived in Gaza his whole life. In 2024, he joined a chorus of Palestinians sharing videos and pictures and writing about the chaos and violence they were living through, as Israel’s military bombardment devastated their lives. But ... Show More
48m 17s
Nov 7
The Wubi Effect
<p>When we think of China today, we think of a technological superpower. From Huawei and 5G to TikTok and viral social media, China is stride for stride with the United States in the world of computing. However, China’s technological renaissance almost didn’t happen. And for one ... Show More
56m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 6
What's worth remembering?
We like to think of memory as a record of the past. But that’s not really what it is. Memory doesn’t keep the past — it can also remake it. It stitches fragments into stories, and those stories — true or not — are what we end up calling our life, and sometimes, our collective his ... Show More
58m 54s
Aug 29
Cosmic Queries – The Deep
<p>Why are we here? Who are we? What is the meaning of life? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice answer fan-submitted Cosmic Queries on a range of topics that stem from the deepest thoughts, ideas, and feelings we share about our place in the universe. </p><p><i>Orig ... Show More
47m 9s
Sep 2024
AMA | September 2024
<p>Welcome to the September 2024 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patreon supporters</a>&nbsp;(who are also the ones asking the questions). We ... Show More
3h 50m
Aug 2024
Unusual Archaeology: Contemplating the Cosmos (Part 2)
Gazing up at the night sky is a universal human experience, likely as old as our species itself. But how did our ancient ancestors feel about what they saw in the heavens, and how did it shape their lives? In Episode Two of our three-part Fascination miniseries on unusual archaeo ... Show More
23m 26s
Aug 27
Ep. 413: August Q&A, Plus New Releases from Holthinrichs and Jack Mason
<p>This week on the Worn & Wound podcast, it’s another round of listener Q&A. Zach is joined by Kat Shoulders and Garrett Jones as they field questions from our Worn & Wound+ Slack channel and YouTube audience. As always, the questions are great and a huge range of topics are cov ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 8
Chris Hadfield’s Fictional Universe Is Rooted in Real Space History
What happens when a real-life astronaut turns to fiction? In this episode, Chris Hadfield shares how decades of spaceflight and global diplomacy inspired his latest novel, Final Orbit, a cold war thriller packed with historical intrigue and technical precision. Host Rachel Feltma ... Show More
10m 52s
Sep 2
A landscape of consciousness | Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Hilary Lawson
<p>Will we ever reach a conclusive, agreed-upon theory of consciousness?</p><p>Over the millennia of recorded history, countless stories, theories, and arguments have emerged to explain the origins of consciousness. And yet, here we are in 2025 - post-Plato, post-Descartes, post- ... Show More
41m 19s
Sep 29
Why TikTok matters
This week, Sean talks with Emily Baker-White, author of Every Screen on the Planet, about why TikTok feels uniquely addictive, how it turned social media into a push-not-pull entertainment feed, and what happens when human editors inside the company can override the algorithm. A ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 25
Science’s Greatest 180s
Science doesn’t always get it right the first time—and that’s part of the journey. In this anniversary episode, we explore how ideas about nerve damage, sustainable materials and alien life have done a full 180. Recommended Reading Celebrating 180 Years of Scientific American 180 ... Show More
8m 4s