Episode 298
Big news has just broken - astronomers claim they’ve detected the strongest evidence for alien life yet. The news has got the world’s media fired up with excitement - but is this really a “revolutionary moment”?
Astronomers studying the atmosphere of a distant planet called K2-18b say they have detected a molecule called DMS that is only produced ... Show More
Aug 1
Ozempic and Wegovy slow down biological ageing; creation of synthetic bacterium; geology of the Russian earthquake
Episode 314 Weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have been shown to slow down - or even reverse - the ageing process. In a trial of 84 people taking semaglutide, their biological age dropped by 3.1 years on average, with some organs becoming almost 5 years younger. Based on this ... Show More
28m 24s
Jul 25
AI wins first gold at maths Olympic games; How mitochondria are linked to sleep; Famous psychology trick works on octopuses too
Episode 313 AI has won gold at the world’s hardest maths event. For the first time, AI programs that use entirely natural language like ChatGPT, have used general reasoning to solve incredibly difficult tests at the International Maths Olympiad in Australia. Humans are still in t ... Show More
28m 48s
Mar 2025
Why don’t vampires cast reflections? | Eric Nuzum
Exploring the history and evolution of vampire lore, author Eric Nuzum traces the origins of these spooky stories, from misunderstandings of death to the sparkly pop culture icons we know today. Beyond the fangs and garlic, he digs into the deeper, everyday fears that vampires re ... Show More
12m 22s
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
Oct 2024
The real vampires of the animal world
According to legend, vampires are creatures with pale skin and sharp teeth who drink blood. These creepy ghouls are not real, but in this episode, we'll meet some vampire animals that do exist!
Join Molly and co-host Quinn as they learn about all kinds of bloodsuckers, from m ... Show More
26m 30s
Oct 2024
Why don’t vampires cast reflections? | Eric Nuzum
Exploring the history and evolution of vampire lore, author Eric Nuzum traces the origins of these spooky stories, from misunderstandings of death to the sparkly pop culture icons we know today. Beyond the fangs and garlic, he digs into the deeper, everyday fears that vampires re ... Show More
11m 36s