logo
episode-header-image
Oct 3
20m 5s

Enter One of the World’s Quietest Rooms

Scientific American
About this episode
Inside one of the quietest rooms in the world, host Rachel Feltman meets artist-in-residence Seth Cluett at the historic anechoic chamber at Bell Labs to explore the science of silence and sound perception. From popping balloons in total silence to hearing your own nervous system, we dive into psychoacoustics, audio innovation and the emotional impact of sou ... Show More
Up next
Nov 21
The Hidden Worlds of ‘Nanocosmos’
In his new book, Nanocosmos: Journeys in Electron Space, artist and writer Michael Benson transforms scientific imaging into art, capturing intricate natural designs that inspire awe and wonder. Join host Kendra Pierre-Louis as they explore how science and creativity intersect at ... Show More
24m 20s
Nov 19
Gut Health Tips for the Holidays
Holiday meals can delight our taste buds while the food puts real strain on our digestion. Host Kendra Pierre-Louis talks with Northwestern University gastroenterology expert Kathryn Tomasino about why digestion is influenced not just by diet but also by stress, sleep and mindful ... Show More
16m 57s
Nov 17
The Digital Time Capsule That Survived Two Decades
Our editor in chief David M. Ewalt revisits a remarkable 20-year experiment: an e-mail time capsule designed to deliver digital messages from the past into the future. What began as a tech project at Forbes evolved into a story of human connection—proving that sometimes it’s frie ... Show More
14m 5s
Recommended Episodes
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
Jul 2025
Why Do We Sing? Musicologists and Neuroscientists Seek an Answer
Last year Science Quickly looked across disciplines to piece apart the science of singing. To understand why humans sing, musicologists collaborated on an international study of folk music. To understand how we sing, neuroscientists differentiated how our brain processes speech a ... Show More
24m 49s
Nov 2024
Reflecting on our First Attempt to Speak with the Stars
Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of a transmission from the Arecibo Observatory, intended as our first attempt to send a message to intelligent life across the universe. Journalist Nadia Drake talks about the careful crafting of the signal and her personal connection with the ... Show More
15m 20s
Jul 2025
Greenland’s Ice Sheet Is at Risk—And So Are We
Chief multimedia editor Jeffery DelViscio ventured to Greenland for a month to learn from the scientists studying the country’s ice sheet. He speaks with host Rachel Feltman about his time in the field and his takeaways from conversations with climate scientists. This story was s ... Show More
22m 5s
Oct 22
The Science of a Convincing Sorry
What makes an apology sound sincere? Psychologist Shiri Lev-Ari joins host Rachel Feltman to explore how the effort we put into our words—especially through longer, easier-to-understand language—can signal genuine remorse. New research reveals that even subtle linguistic choices ... Show More
11m 16s
Apr 2025
From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All
Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host Rachel Feltman to take us through the rise of the Internet and the acceleration of advancement in neuroscience that he’s covered t ... Show More
20m 15s
Feb 2025
Saying Farewell to the Spacecraft That Mapped the Milky Way
The Gaia spacecraft stopped collecting data this January after about 11 years and more than three trillion observations. Senior space and physics editor Lee Billings joins host Rachel Feltman to review Gaia’s Milky Way–mapping mission and the tidal streams, black holes and astero ... Show More
17m 20s
Oct 8
Composing chaos
Terry Riley's "In C" is one of the most influential pieces of music of the last century...but you'll never hear it the same way twice. Guest: Evan Ziporyn, composer, clarinetist, and producer of "In C" For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fo ... Show More
27m 56s
Oct 20
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
Feb 2025
Measles Outbreaks, Asteroid Risks and Fish Friends
The black hole at the center of our galaxy is emitting near-constant, random light. The European Space Agency has approved astronaut candidate John McFall, making McFall the first physically disabled candidate to be cleared to fly. The risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth rose ... Show More
7m 20s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami