Today

How Venezuela’s Heavy Crude Shapes Climate Risks

In this episode, we dive into the climate stakes behind Venezuela’s vast but troubled oil reserves and the country’s mounting tensions with neighboring Guyana. Climate reporter Amy Westervelt breaks down why the region’s heavy crude oil, aging infrastructure and escalating border ... Show More

18m 34s

Jan 14

The Great Seed Oil Panic

Seed oils have become a target of wellness influencers and high-profile public officials. They say that these widely used and relatively inexpensive oils, which include canola, soybean and sunflower oil, are toxic. But do we really need to panic? Host Kendra Pierre-Louis speaks w ... Show More

17m 20s

Jan 12

Woodpeckers Rock the Lab, AI Steps Out of the Chat Box, and Flu Hits Hard

Have you ever wondered how woodpeckers pound away without breaking their neck? We’ve got the answer—plus, why this flu season has broken a record, how AI is learning to predict disease from your sleep, and what CES 2026 showed about the biggest tech trends, including “physical AI ... Show More

11m 3s

Sep 2024

How do pain killers relieve pain?

#195 <a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/chemforyourlife/crewneck-sweatshirt?ref_id=26703">New College-Style Sweatshirt!</a> In this episode of Chemistry For Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, a common ... Show More

43m 22s

Aug 2024

Ask a Neuroscientist: Why is Adderall addictive to SOME people and not others? (and other questions)

Question and Response 58 In this bonus episode of Chemistry For Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam are joined by Claire, an expert in pharmacology and neuroscience, to discuss the inner workings of antidepressants and answer additional questions from the ... Show More

37m 50s

Mar 2023

220 - How to Deal with Chronic Pain with Dr. Andrea Furlan

Our guest today is an award-winning pain specialist with decades of experience helping patients with chronic pain achieve a better quality of life. Dr. Andrea Furlan is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, an Associate Professor in the Department of ... Show More

1h 13m

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

Sep 2025

Inside the Turmoil at the CDC

In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman is joined by associate editor for health and medicine Lauren J. Young to unpack the growing unrest at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention following the departure of the agency’s director Susan Monarez. As criticis ... Show More

14m 2s

Sep 2025

Can You Eat or Meditate Your Way to Less Pain?

An estimated 51 million Americans live with chronic pain. But our understanding of pain has evolved and so has the ways we can treat and reduce pain. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how both diet and meditation can affect the way we experience pain. Our show is produced by Eryn Mathews ... Show More

13m 16s

Oct 24

Why Medication Safety in Pregnancy Is Still a Mystery

When the U.S. president claimed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could cause autism in a person’s offspring, it reignited a deeper conversation about how little we know about medication safety for pregnant people. In this episode, Scientific American senior health editor T ... Show More

12m 29s

Nov 12

Can AI Ease the Pain of Loss?

Griefbots—artificial-intelligence-powered chat tools that simulate conversations with the deceased—are helping some people navigate loss in unexpected ways. Science writer David Berreby shares his firsthand experience with these digital companions and explores what they reveal ab ... Show More

13m 10s

Feb 2025

Exploring the Hidden Life in the Air around Us with Carl Zimmer

Scientists now agree that COVID spreads via airborne transmission. But during the early days of the disease, public health officials suggested that it mainly did so via close contact. The subsequent back-and-forth over how COVID spread brought science journalist Carl Zimmer into ... Show More

16m 47s

Sep 2025

The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music

In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore t ... Show More

25m 25s

Your Next Pain Prescription Could Come w...