Mar 30

NASA’s nuclear spacecraft, Iran war climate fallout and a promising new Lyme shot

In this episode of Science Quickly, we dig into NASA’s bold push toward a nuclear‑powered mission to Mars and plans for a long‑term lunar base, examine how the Iran war has triggered massive carbon emissions and a looming climate cost from the needed reconstruction and break down ... Show More

10m 58s

Mar 27

You’ve been lied to about pain—here’s the truth

In this episode of Science Quickly, pain scientist Rachel Zoffness reveals why pain isn’t just a body problem but also a brain‑driven warning system that we’ve been misunderstanding for decades. She and host Kendra Pierre‑Louis unpack wild examples, hidden factors that dial pain ... Show More

22m 39s

Mar 25

Can AI do math, or does it just act like a calculator?

In this episode of Science Quickly, Kendra Pierre-Louis and SciAm reporter Joe Howlett explore a new math challenge designed to test whether today’s AI models can truly tackle cutting‑edge proofs. They break down how the experiment works, what early results say about AI’s mathema ... Show More

16m 24s

Feb 2025

Tuberculosis Outbreak, RFK, Jr.’s Confirmation Hearings and Polar Bear Hair

This week we’re recapping Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearings. Highly pathogenic H5N9, a strain of bird flu, was found in U.S. poultry. A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas is making headlines—but how severe is the spread? Health equity reporter Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga ... Show More

11m 44s

Jun 2025

How to Fight Bird Flu If It Becomes the Next Human Pandemic (Part 3)

Creating a bird flu vaccine requires several layers of bioprotective clothing and typically a whole lot of eggs. H5N1 avian influenza infections have gone from flocks of chickens to herds of cattle and humans. Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute are taking their ... Show More

32m 51s

Oct 2024

Scurvy, Bird Flu and a Big Old Meteorite

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 cas ... Show More

9m 27s

Jun 2025

CDC Vaccine Panel Fired by RFK, Jr., Oceans Grow More Acidic, and Pangolins Threatened by Hunting

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has fired the experts on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel, sparking concern among public health officials. Ocean acidification has crossed a critical threshold, posing serious risks to marine life around the globe. An ... Show More

10m 14s

Jan 2025

Outbreaks of Norovirus, a Death from Bird Flu and Wildfires in L.A.

Norovirus cases are up this year, with 91 reported outbreaks nationwide. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases are up in China and India. There has also been an increase in the U.S., but HMPV is currently a cause for concern in the nation, where its relative commonality gives many p ... Show More

13m 21s

Oct 2025

What’s Driving Experts Away from the CDC?

Several top public health experts have resigned from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing a troubling shift away from science-based decision-making. Former director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Demetre Daskalakis joins h ... Show More

16m 28s

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

Aug 2025

Chikungunya Outbreak, Glacial Outbursts and a New Human Ancestor

The chikungunya virus is rapidly spreading in China. Could it make its way to the U.S.? Meanwhile in Alaska a glacial lake outburst flooded the nearby Mendenhall River to record levels. And in Ethiopia fossilized teeth reveal a new species of Australopithecus—one that possibly li ... Show More

10m 50s

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

Oct 2025

Global Superbugs Surge, Chikungunya Hits Long Island, and Satellites Leak Data

This week on Science Quickly, we cover the global rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a rare U.S. case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus and new research on anti-inflammatory supplements. Plus, scientists warn of satellite vulnerabilities—from Earth’s weakening magnetic ... Show More

8m 52s

Tuberculosis Outbreak, RFK, Jr.’s Confir...