A scientist asked people to sit in a silent room for 15 minutes. Almost half of them decided to give themselves a painful electric shock instead. What is it about our brains that makes our relationship with silence so strange? And should we learn how to listen to it?
This is the third episode of our new four-part series, The Sound Barrier.
Guests: ... Show More
Apr 15
The Hitchhiking Microbe’s Guide to the Galaxy
Can microbes travel through space on meteorites? It’s an idea called “lithopanspermia,” and to work out if it’s even feasible, some researchers decided to shoot microbes — with a gun. Guests: K.T. Ramesh, professor of science and engineering at Johns Hopkins University; Lily Zhao ... Show More
26m 18s
Apr 13
Why did we go back to the moon?
For the first time in over 50 years, humans have gone to the moon and back. And this time, NASA says we're going to stay. NASA's planning for more missions, a permanent moon base, and even a mission to Mars. But there's a pretty big question hanging over all these dreams: Can hum ... Show More
31m 33s
Apr 1
Is male birth control finally here?
Typically, the burden of birth control falls on whoever has a uterus, but it seems like that might change — and soon! Guest: Annalisa Merelli, contributing writer at STAT. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show ... Show More
27m 59s