Today
Scott Solomon, "Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change Our Bodies and Minds" (MIT Press, 2026)
How living in space will affect future generations—and what the potential unintended consequences of space settlements are.We are on the cusp of a golden age of space travel in which, for the first time, it will be possible for large numbers of people to venture into space. Some ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 28
Raffaele Danna, "The Craft of Indo-Arabic Numerals: How Practical Arithmetic Shaped Commerce and Mathematics in Western Europe, 1200–1600" (Harvard UP, 2026)
In the thirteenth-century Mediterranean, commerce transformed as merchants shifted from Roman to Indo-Arabic numerals—an alternative that better facilitated complex calculations. It has long been known that this transition stemmed from Europe’s increasing exchanges with India, Pe ... Show More
1h 4m
Apr 22
Masud Husain, "Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him About the Brain" (Canongate, 2025)
What makes us who we are?Through the stories of seven of his patients, acclaimed Oxford University neurologist Masud Husain shows us how our brains create, change and can even restore our identity. Husain introduces us to a man who ran out of words, a woman who lost all inhibitio ... Show More
58m 40s
May 2023
The Gentrification of Queer Desire
Writer Huw Lemmey (Chubz, Red Tory, Unknown Language) speaks with Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore about her most recent book The Freezer Door and searching for connection in a world that enforces bland norms of gender, sexuality, and friendship.
Produced by Sam Kelly; Mixed by Samant ... Show More
58m 9s
Jun 2018
Bowie, "2001" and The Secret History of Sci-Fi Rock
Author Jason Heller breaks down his the new book "Strange Stars," which traces the weird, fascinating synergy between classic rock and science fiction, with host Brian Hiat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
47m 45s
Oct 2023
Jonathan Swift - Gullivers Reisen
"Gullivers Reisen" ist vor allem als Kinderbuchversion weltberühmt geworden, als Abenteuerreise ins Land der Zwerge und Riesen. Der irische Schriftsteller Jonathan Swift hatte mit seinem Roman, der 1726 erschien, anderes im Sinn: nämlich eine Satire auf Politik und Wissenschaft ( ... Show More
22m 30s
Jul 2016
Summer Reading 2016: Time Enough at Last
<p>It's a summer tradition, so once more the hosts of Stuff to Blow Your Mind share their fiction and nonfiction reading recommendations with listeners. That means science, science fiction, horror, children's books and more -- all with a distinct STBYM flavor.</p><p> </p> Learn m ... Show More
59 m
Feb 2023
Sennett and Foucault on Sexuality and Solitude (1979)
In 1979, sociologist and NYIH founder Richard Sennett, and philosopher Michel Foucault, discussed the connections between the history of sexuality and self consciousness. In this episode from the Vault, the two discuss their research and, by extension, the underpinnings of the id ... Show More
1h 7m
In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code (Bay Back Books, 2013), he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are...
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone. ... Show More
<p><em>The Disappearing Spoon</em>, a <a href= "news/the-disappearing-spoon" data-cke-saved-href= "/news/the-disappearing-spoon">podcast collaboration</a> between the Science History Institute and <em>New York Times</em> best-selling author Sam Kean, returns for its third season ... Show More
