Today

Could humans learn to speak in music?

What would it take to create a language made entirely of music? In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American’s Allison Parshall explores the science and linguistics behind musical languages, from real-world constructed languages to the intricate note-based communicatio ... Show More

23m 59s

Aug 10

A moon crash, water hacks and a new mRNA flu shot

A wayward SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon, offering scientists a rare chance to study a lunar impact, while cyberattacks targeting U.S. water utilities raise concerns about critical infrastructure security. We also unpack the record-breaking Cyclospora outbreak driving shoppe ... Show More

14m 13s

Aug 7

Is Gen Z making smoking cool again?

In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American’s Adam Kovac joins host Rachel Feltman to explore why some experts worry cigarettes may be making a comeback among Generation Z. They discuss how social media, celebrity influence and growing anxiety among young people may h ... Show More

13m 55s

Apr 2025

Cutting USAID Threatens Public Health around the World

The U.S. Department of State recently announced plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. While some of USAID’s functions will continue under the Department of State, there is real concern that the cuts will jeopardize public health efforts acros ... Show More

11m 59s

Apr 2025

131. The Global Health Crisis: USAID cuts, Trump, and the limits of AI (Atul Gawande)

How many people are going to die as a result of American support for USAID programs being removed? What are the limits of thinking of AI as the silver bullet for healthcare? How do we bring the doubling of the human lifespan to everyone alive without bankrupting our societies? TR ... Show More

1h 4m

Feb 2025

Is science in danger?

Funding cuts and research censorship have shaken the foundations of America’s health and science agencies, leaving researchers shocked, confused, and afraid. In this episode of Unexplainable, we ask, what does this mean for the future of science? This episode was hosted and produ ... Show More

23m 25s

Sep 2025

Call the shots: vaccine cuts imperil global health

America’s health secretary, RFK Jr, is known for his opposition to vaccines, particularly mRNA jabs, that have the potential to treat a large swathe of diseases. Slashing funding will have long term implications beyond America. Our correspondent visits Britain’s biggest and newes ... Show More

21m 26s

Sep 2025

Call the shots: vaccine cuts imperil global health

America’s health secretary, RFK Jr, is known for his opposition to vaccines, particularly mRNA jabs, that have the potential to treat a large swathe of diseases. Slashing funding will have long term implications beyond America. Our correspondent visits Britain’s biggest and newes ... Show More

21m 26s

Jun 2025

One Thing: Under RFK Jr.’s HHS, Who Decides the Facts?

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement that the Covid-19 vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women has sparked concern among many health experts. We hear from one of them who thinks this is just the latest i ... Show More

18m 39s

Mar 2025

IRC: USAID Cuts are Deadly

The legal battle over the Trump administration's gutting of USAID began this week with a federal judge ruling against DOGE-initiated cuts. Though Elon Musk insists "no one has died as a result" of DOGE's actions, the reality on the ground is already painting a very different pict ... Show More

55m 56s

Apr 2025

RFK Jr's cuts to US health

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to streamline what he calls a bloated health bureaucracy. Job cuts at the FDA, CDC and NIH this week saw pharma stocks drop and raised concerns about the country's readiness to fight health threats like the measles outbreak. On this episode of R ... Show More

21m 3s

Cutting USAID Threatens Public Health ar...