Nov 19

Lost on the road to enlightenment

So many of us have been told that meditation can make us less stressed, more productive, and happier. But for a small group of people, it has a dark side. What’s going on? Guests: Willoughby Britton, associate professor at Brown University; Richard Davidson, professor at the Uni ... Show More

35m 17s

Nov 17

Is animal grief real?

A dog on its owner’s grave. A killer whale carrying around its dead calf. A goose that isolates when its mate dies. These behaviors in animals may look like human mourning, but should scientists call them "grief"? (First published in 2023) Guests: Jennifer Vonk, comparative/cogn ... Show More

26m 11s

Nov 12

The Sound Barrier #4: Listen to the universe

When Wanda Diáz-Merced lost her sight as a college student, she thought her dreams of becoming an astronomer were over — until she learned to listen to space instead. Wanda is one of several pioneering scientists listening to space. For this episode, we also spoke to Robert Wilso ... Show More

37m 25s

Sep 17

The Role Our Microbiome Plays In Our ‘Gut Feelings’

Scientists are tuning in to a surprising conversation happening inside us—between our gut and our brain. Host Rachel Feltman chats with Maya Kaelberer, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s department of physiology, to explore how intestinal cells and microbiomes ... Show More

13m 26s

May 2025

Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for e ... Show More

27m 4s

Jan 2023

BS 204 Guy Caldwell: The Role of Molecular Biology in Neuroscience

<p>This month's episode is an encore presentation of an interview with <a href="https://bsc.ua.edu/profiles/guy-a-caldwell/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Guy Caldwell</a> from the University of Alabama. Dr. Caldwell explains how tools from molecular biology make it possibl ... Show More

1h 15m

Oct 22

The Science of a Convincing Sorry

What makes an apology sound sincere? Psychologist Shiri Lev-Ari joins host Rachel Feltman to explore how the effort we put into our words—especially through longer, easier-to-understand language—can signal genuine remorse. New research reveals that even subtle linguistic choices ... Show More

11m 16s

Oct 22

The Science of a Convincing Sorry

What makes an apology sound sincere? Psychologist Shiri Lev-Ari joins host Rachel Feltman to explore how the effort we put into our words—especially through longer, easier-to-understand language—can signal genuine remorse. New research reveals that even subtle linguistic choices ... Show More

11m 16s

Feb 2025

Does Telepathy Exist? w/ Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell

This week, Scott is joined by Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell—an integrative medical doctor, neuropsychiatrist, and researcher of extraordinary states of consciousness. Dr. Powell's research explores the neuroscience behind psychic phenomena, telepathy, and the incredible abilities of a ... Show More

1h 2m

Apr 2025

From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All

Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host Rachel Feltman to take us through the rise of the Internet and the acceleration of advancement in neuroscience that he’s covered t ... Show More

20m 15s

Feb 2023

Focus - When Our Senses Intermingle

How can some people taste sounds? What’s happening in the brain of those who feel other’s sensations as their own? And why might we have evolved some of these extraordinary abilities in the first place? In this focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham a ... Show More

32m 25s

Nov 2024

Spooky Science

It’s our Halloween special from a rain-soaked Jodrell Bank in Cheshire. We find out what you can see in a dark, dark Halloween night sky with space-watcher and Professor of astrophysics Tim O’Brien. Also this week, we meet some blood-sucking leeches, the horrors of pumpkin waste ... Show More

28m 11s

Oct 6

Enceladus’s Alien Ocean, Ancient Fungi and the Flavor of Influenza

Saturn’s moon Enceladus reveals complex organic molecules that could hint at extraterrestrial life. Researchers also uncover fungi’s ancient reign over Earth and warn that second COVID infections may pose greater risks to young people. Plus, ants ferment yogurt, and flu detection ... Show More

9m 47s

Your gut’s feelings