Today

What happens when Arctic ice melts and forests lose protection?

In this episode of Science Quickly, we examine a proposal to roll back protections for millions of acres of U.S. roadless forests, explore how climate change is opening a new Arctic shipping route and discuss new research suggesting that extreme weather can shape how Americans vi ... Show More

11m 56s

Aug 21

Can magic mushrooms help treat anorexia?

A small clinical trial suggests that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, may help some people with anorexia when combined with intensive therapy. Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman speaks with health journalist Alexandra Pattillo about what early research ha ... Show More

24m 27s

Aug 19

Is AI making the creativity crisis worse?

Astrophysicist, folklorist and author Moiya McTier joins Science Quickly to discuss her new book Mothers of Invention, a sweeping look at the history of human creativity. From the Greek muses and the invention of writing to the rise of generative artificial intelligence, McTier e ... Show More

15m 59s

Jan 2025

Do Pain and Joy Have a Universal Language?

Ouch! Ah! Aïe! The words we use when we stub our toe or receive a pinch may point to a common way to express pain across languages. Associate news editor Allison Parshall explores what linguistic commonalities in expressions of pain and joy might mean for our shared biology. Plus ... Show More

19m 3s

Mar 2023

How We Feel Pain

How do we feel pain? What parts of the brain control our reaction to painful sensations? And how is stem cell technology revolutionising the search for better treatments for chronic pain? In this episode of How We’re Wired, join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin as she u ... Show More

39m 44s

Mar 2022

Why Pain Hurts So Good, Growing Mutant Gardens, Emo Teen Puppies

Leigh Cowart, science reporter and author of Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose, joins Weirdest Thing for the season finale! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Faceboo ... Show More

52m 53s

Jul 2015

Brain Teasing Fast File - Not Feeling Pain

In this episode Benny and Mal think how great it would be if humans were invincible to pain. But pain can help warn us of damage to our bodies so might we end up with more injuries?Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform ... Show More

2m 22s

Jul 2021

Routine Checkup: The Science Of Pain

Pain researchers have a joke that when someone is asked to rate their pain from 1 to 10, the most common response is 11. Dr. Jeffrey Mogil, a neuroscientist and pain researcher interested in how genetics, social factors and sex differences affect pain, believes this joke to be ba ... Show More

47m 9s

Jun 2025

Ouch! That Feels Great

<p>We generally think of pain as something to be avoided. But psychologist <a href="https://www.psych.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/paul-bloom">Paul Bloom</a> says that as much as we're wired to avoid suffering, we also seek it out. This week, we begin a two-part min ... Show More

51m 15s

Jul 2022

Spice, Spice, Baby! Why Some Of Us Enjoy The Pain Of Spicy Foods

Today, we talk about spicy food and its intersection with pleasure and pain as part of our "Taste Buddies" series — Short Wave's ode to "taste." In this episode, Host Emily Kwong talks to food reporter Ruth Tam and researchers Julie Yu and Nadia Byrnes about the science behind ou ... Show More

14m 15s

Jul 2025

Elementary | Which tone was that again?

Science is fun! So are sports! But what happens when you want to discuss one in Chinese, but you instead use words describing the other? Sounds like you have a problem with tones, but not to worry! ChinesePod is here to help! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1436

17m 43s

Do Pain and Joy Have a Universal Languag...