Yesterday

Why we’re still obsessed with vampires

In this Halloween special episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman explores why our fascination with vampires refuses to die. We dive into the spooky history of vampires—from tuberculosis outbreaks in the 18th and 19th centuries to sexy pop culture icons—and examine what o ... Show More

20m 18s

Oct 29

Reducing Treatment Burden While Preserving Sight [Sponsored]

New approaches aim to extend treatment durability and improve long-term vision outcomes in wet AMD. Scientific American Custom Media recently sat down with Dr. Nadia Waheed, Ocular Therapeutix’s chief medical officer, to discuss the real-world burden behind the standard of care a ... Show More

12m 47s

Oct 28

Why science is on the ballot in the midterms

What does science have to do with the midterms? In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman speaks with Scientific American breaking news reporter Adam Kovac about candidates with science backgrounds, the future of Medicare for All, the role of evidence in policymakin ... Show More

14m 14s

Oct 2024

Spooky Lakes and the Science of Haunted Hydrology

Artist and author Geo Rutherford created Spooky Lake Month to highlight the strange and eerie waters of the world. She first fell in love with the Great Lakes during graduate school in Milwaukee. Rutherford was an early educational video creator, but it was a video about spooky l ... Show More

13m 47s

Oct 2025

Haunted Hydrology (SPOOKY LAKES) with Geo Rutherford

<p>Mudbank bones. River wrecks. Salty seas. Pink ponds. Poison dust devils. Steamy streams.. It’s Haunted Hydrology with your favorite Spooky Lakes ambassador, the artist and author Geo Rutherford who is widely known as Geodesaurus. Geo covers the dark history of The Great Lakes, ... Show More

1h 13m

Oct 2024

Exploring the Science of Spookiness at the Recreational Fear Lab

Why do so many of us love a good scare? Whether it’s horror movies, haunted houses or creepy podcasts, there’s something thrilling about feeling spooked—especially around Halloween. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman dives into our fascination with fear and morbid curiosity wit ... Show More

17m 32s

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

Sep 2021

Spooky Rivers, Eyes Wide Shut, Pet Crocodiles

Producer Jess Boddy joins Rachel for a listener voicemail Q&A episode! The weirdest things we learned this week range from a killer creek to naked mole rat facts at breakfast. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and st ... Show More

37m 37s

Aug 2025

The Deep Sea’s Mysterious Oxygen Source

Trillions of potato-sized rocks scattered across the deep ocean floor are rich in metals such as cobalt and copper—making them a target for mining companies eager to fuel the clean-energy transition. But recent research suggests these rocks may also be supporting marine life in w ... Show More

18m 3s

Nov 2023

Scary science

In the week where many celebrated Halloween we are wondering about that tingle down your spine, the dryness in your mouth, the racing pulse - might it actually be good for you? We also look into a special frequency of sound, just below our human hearing range, that might cause ra ... Show More

50m 16s

Spooky Lakes and the Science of Haunted ...