The vagus nerve is fundamental to our health and vitality, coordinating critical functions from the precise heartbeat we need to exercise or rest to the balance of appetite and digestion. Made up of 200,000 fibers, the vagus nerve sends thousands of electrical signals every second between your brain and your most important organs. Yet despite its essential r ... Show More
Yesterday
Edward Tenner, "Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge: Essays in Unintended Consequences" (APS Press, 2025)
How did the addition of lifeboats after the Titanic shipwreck contribute to another tragedy in Chicago harbor three years later? How efficient are wild animals as investors, and how do dog breeds become national symbols? Why have scientific breakthroughs so often originated in th ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 6
Pooja Agarwal, Cynthia Nebel, Veronica Yan, "Smart Teaching Stronger Learning: Practical Tips From 10 Cognitive Scientists" (Unleash Learning Press, 2025)
How can I help my students not only learn my course material but also retain and transfer that information? This is a question that has plagued and intrigued teachers for centuries. In Smart Teaching Stronger Learning: Practical Tips for 10 Cognitive Scientists, the authors provi ... Show More
1h 14m
Jun 30
Niayesh Afshordi and Phil Halper, "Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins" (University of Chicago Press, 2025)
A thrilling exploration of competing cosmological origin stories, comparing new scientific ideas that upend our very notions of space, time, and reality.By most popular accounts, the universe started with a bang some 13.8 billion years ago. But what happened before the Big Bang? ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2024
EVSN - Supernovae and Galaxies Being Used to Solve Astrophysics’ Biggest Questions
From May 18, 2021. Two new studies are attempting to solve a couple of big puzzles in astrophysics: Is the Hubble constant actually constant? And why do galaxies have flat rotation curves? Plus, a young star’s circumstellar disk, the search for stellar-mass black holes, magnesium ... Show More
23m 9s
Dec 2024
If ‘Interstellar’ Were Made Today, What Would Be Different?
For its 10th anniversary, the science advisor for “Interstellar” discusses the film’s impact and how new information about gravitational waves could have changed it.The science fiction film “Interstellar” turns 10 years old this month. For many of us, it was our first encounter w ... Show More
18m 59s
Jul 2024
#431: Ancient Universe Revealed by Webb & Space Junk Hits Home
Space Nuts Episode 431: James Webb Discoveries, Space Junk, and Ocean WorldsJoin Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this exciting episode of Space Nuts, where they explore the latest in space science and astronomy.
Episode Highlights:- James Webb Space Telescope Discover ... Show More
32m 34s