An enormous meteorite’s impact 3.26 billion years ago may have made conditions on Earth more hospitable for life in the long run. Washington State is the sixth state to report cases of bird flu in humans. Weight-loss procedures and treatments could lead to an uptick in scurvy cases if patients and physicians aren’t vigilant about vitamin C. And scientists ar ... Show More
Today
Mystery cat farts, measles and malicious cyberattacks
In this episode of Science Quickly, we cover a tragic measles death that highlights the dangers of declining vaccination rates, examine a wave of cyberattacks that are turning supermarket freezers into heaters and investigate one of science’s most important questions: Do cats far ... Show More
12m 29s
Nov 5
Could ultrasound interrupt the brain’s addiction loop? [Sponsored]
Addiction hijacks the brain’s reward circuitry, and current treatments often struggle to break its grip. In this episode, neuroscientist and neurosurgeon Ali Rezai of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute explains how an experimental, noninvasive focused-ultrasound treatment ... Show More
15m 51s
Jan 2025
Bird flu threat, and what the Romans really did for us
In the news podcast this week, the first human death from bird flu in the US has made virologists vigilant about its potential threat. Also, we learn about the potentially billions of tonnes of sequestered hydrogen on Earth that could be used for clean energy, and hear of the pro ... Show More
33m 37s
Oct 2025
Mosquitoes Invade Iceland, Earth Darkens, and Bird Flu Returns
Mosquitoes settle in Iceland for the first time as climate change reshapes the Arctic, and Earth’s darkening albedo may be accelerating global warming. Host Rachel Feltman also dives into rising bird flu cases, foodborne urinary tract infections linked to contaminated meat and a ... Show More
10m 4s
Apr 2025
Childhood Illnesses Surge, Magnetic Poles Wandered, and a Colossal Squid Is Found
Measles cases are going up—and a federal scientist has warned that case counts have probably been underreported. Another vaccine-preventable illness, whooping cough, sees a troubling increase in cases. Ancient humans found sun-protection solutions when Earth’s magnetic poles wand ... Show More
8m 15s
Jul 2025
Summer Meteor Showers, Short Summer Days and Ancient Arthropods
If last Tuesday seemed to fly by, you can blame the rotation of Earth. Try to look up this week to see the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids meteor showers. Plus, we discuss FEMA cuts and ancient arthropods. Recommended reading: Texas Failed to Spend Millions in ... Show More
8m 49s
Oct 2025
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
Sep 2025
Marsquakes, Vaccine Politics and Mammoth Microbiomes
This week’s roundup dives into Mars’s lumpy mantle, a nasal spray that may help prevent COVID and the growing confusion around vaccine access in the U.S. Plus, researchers link phone use while on the toilet to hemorrhoid risk, uncover ancient mammoth microbiomes and explain why s ... Show More
9m 45s
Jun 2007
ARMAGEDDON - Super Volcanoes, Meteorites and Earthquakes
This week a rabies-based Trojan Horse that smuggles drugs across the blood-brain barrier, why first-borns are brighter, progress with Parkinson's and a lunar telescope more powerful than Hubble. Plus in this week's ARMAGEDDON-focused show we look at supervolcanes, earthquakes and ... Show More
57m 12s