The power of the stories we tell about t...

When you see a mushroom popping up from the forest floor, that mushroom is just the tip of the fungal iceberg for a vast world beneath the surface. But the nature of fungal life makes it hard to answer some basic questions. What exactly does it mean to be one individual organism? ... Show More

When humans finally land on Mars, what should they do? A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine lays out the science objectives for a crewed Mars mission. In January, planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton, who co-chaired the report committee, ... Show More

AI is popping up in many corners of society, but how are doctors using it in their practice? We asked our physician listeners to call in, and many of you did. What we heard mirrored broad trends: that more and more doctors are using AI tools for diagnosis, paperwork, and getting ... Show More

<p>Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind fireflies' bioluminescence. They explore how fireflies produce light through a complex series of chemical reactions involving specific molecules like luciferin and enzymes like luciferase. The discussion extends to ho ... Show More

<p>We’re back with another fresh episode of Smologies to light up your life and your butt. World renowned firefly expert Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University joins to share her love of a bug that many think is merely a mythological delight. Learn how these tiny animals illuminate t ... Show More

<p>Let’s light up your life and butt. World-renowned firefly expert Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University gives us some updates to her 2021 episode, sharing her love of a bug that many think is merely mythological. Learn how these tiny animals illuminate the night, the dos and don’t ... Show More

There are more than 2,000 firefly species, found on every continent except for Antarctica — an astonishing diversity of movement and light. Firefly scientist Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh explores the mysteries of these little beetles that light up the night and details her quest to di ... Show More

<p>Insect Love Song: The night is alive with insects. To our human ears their song is mere cacophony, but it's actually a vast web of communication signals. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie decode the Insect Internet for the meanings behind insect song ... Show More

With Halloween just around the corner, we're talking all things glow sticks! What makes glow sticks glow, and what does it have to do with ocean bacteria? Let's take a look at the science of chemiluminescence. Ellen Phiddian is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a BSc (Honou ... Show More

Lots of creatures are able to glow, like fish, mushrooms, fireflies and even some bacteria! This special ability is called bioluminescence and it looks like magic, but it’s actually chemistry. In this episode, we’ll travel to the bottom of the ocean in the ExPLORERR to meet some ... Show More

Once a year they come out, by the thousands. Fireflies. But these aren’t just any fireflies. These are Photinus Carolinas, also known as synchronous fireflies They blink on and off together. It’s an amazing site. On this episode, I head to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to e ... Show More

<p>Science has a handle on fireflies and glowworms, but most bioluminescent animals live in the ocean and are tough to study. Today, researchers are still figuring out why some animals produce light. Dive with Josh and Chuck into this illuminating topic.</p><p> </p> Learn more ab ... Show More

New research uses night vision to see how nocturnal bees navigate the dark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices