Episodes

June 20, 2022

Mon. 06/20 - Peecycling

Would you use your own pee in your garden? Or donate it to a local farm? Some folks around the world see it as the future of fertilization. Plus, some scientists want to rename summer “danger season.” And astronomers have di…
June 17, 2022

Fri. 06/17 - Space-Based Solar Power

Ahead of Juneteenth, a reminder of what emancipation did and didn’t do. Plus, a newly discovered group of polar bears who are able to survive on less sea ice than should be possible. And a promising milestone achieved in the…
June 16, 2022

Thu. 06/16 - An AI RBG

The Large Hadron Collider has been booted up once more, but will it ever find anything as huge as the Higgs boson again? Plus, an AI model that’s turning Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s words into a magic eight ball. Beyoncé has annou…
June 15, 2022

Wed. 06/15 - Is This the Origin of the Black Death?

A new lead on the origin of the Black Death. Plus, monkeypox will soon––thankfully––be getting a new name. And Internet Explorer is being put to rest today. RIP.
June 14, 2022

Tue. 06/14 - The Once and Future Mall

The history and future of the design of the American shopping mall. Plus, a new test that can more accurately assess your immunity to COVID-19. And Coca-Cola is releasing a new Jack & Coke canned cocktail. Meanwhile, fans ha…
June 13, 2022

Mon. 06/13 - Why You Can't Remember Books You Read

Why is it so hard to remember details from books we’ve read and TV shows we’ve watched? Plus, why is food cooked outside on an open flame so dang delicious? And, vaccines for American children under the age of five may final…
June 10, 2022

Fri. 06/10 - COVID-Sniffing Dogs & Delayed Positive Test Results

Why are some people experiencing delayed positive tests from COVID-19? And, new tests on the block, from expensive at-home hubs to COVID-sniffing dogs. Plus, a proposal in the UK to raise the legal purchase age for cigarette…
June 9, 2022

Thu. 06/09 - Heat Waves May Get Names, Like Hurricanes

Heat waves in the future could come with their own names, and we might be able to keep safe from them thanks to advances in smart window technology. Plus, Europe’s largest ever land dinosaur has just been discovered. And why…
June 8, 2022

Wed. 06/08 - So Long, Sit-Ups

Has the sit-up been canceled? Plus, the century-long history of growing nonnative plants in Antarctica and how it will help astronauts fill their bellies when they fly to the moon and beyond. And, why mice are afraid of bana…
June 7, 2022

Tue. 06/07 - Humans' Unique Sleep Patternzzzzzz

Why is it that humans get less sleep than all other primates? And are “short sleepers” really a thing? Plus, “mountains” of sugar have been discovered all over the world, hiding beneath meadows of seagrass. And, bad news for…
June 6, 2022

Mon. 06/06 - Gummi Bears: A 100 Year Look Back

It’s the hundredth anniversary of the humble gummy bear, but did you know they’ve only been in America since the 80s? Plus, could one source of water ice on the moon be ancient volcanoes? And, something strange is afoot in t…
June 3, 2022

Fri. 06/03 - This Is Your Voice On Mars

Some wild animal species might be evolving four times faster than we thought. Plus, what your voice would sound like on Mars. And the summer job in Wisconsin that makes teenagers jump off a moving boat to deliver mail.
June 2, 2022

Thu. 06/02 - How To OutHorse Your Email

Turns out your liver is quite a bit younger than expected. Plus, people with food allergies may be at a lower risk of catching COVID-19. Iceland’s new campaign to help you rein in your work-life balance while on vacation. An…
June 1, 2022

Wed. 06/01 - Self-Cloning Plant the New Biggest on Earth

A new contender for the world's largest plant is bigger than Cincinnati and named after Posiedon. Plus, a round-up of everything launching into space this weekend. And, fresh on the heels of the new Baz Lehrman biopic, the c…
May 31, 2022

Tue. 05/31 - Unionized Ghosts, Cat Burglars, & Quantum Bubbles

A supremely weird “trivia” cartoon on Netflix. Plus, physicists made bubbles of gas atoms colder than space . And why the Buzzfeed News’ union contract includes legal protection against ghosts.
May 30, 2022

Mon. 05/30 - Angry Angry Hamsters

Scientists accidentally created super aggressive mutant hamsters. Meanwhile other scientists have devised a method for pulling drinking water out of thin air with a super affordable thin gel. Different strokes for different …
May 27, 2022

Fri. 05/27 - Viruses Are Behaving Weirdly

Why viruses are starting to act in unexpected ways. Plus, the Sex Pistols re-rerelease “God Save the Queen” just in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and at least one DIY collective is running an anti-jubilee punk festiv…
May 26, 2022

Thu. 05/26 - Winnie the Pooh: Horror Villain

The first human genome from a victim of the eruption in ancient Pompeii has been sequenced. Plus, a global mushroom art scavenger hunt is afoot. And Winnie the Pooh is joining the gritty origin story bandwagon with a new hor…
May 25, 2022

Wed. 05/25 - Don't Forget To Take Your Daily Tomato

Why NASA is sending a bunch of brewer’s yeast up to space on Artemis 1. Plus, scientists have created genetically-edited tomatoes pumped up with vitamin D. And a COVID-19 memorial that will be purposefully burnt down on Satu…
May 24, 2022

Tue. 05/24 - Monkeypox: How Concerned Should We Be?

Everything you need to know about monkeypox––what is it, how is it spread, and how concerned should we be? Plus, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is returning to Earth on Wednesday, after just a few hiccups on its first success…
May 23, 2022

Mon. 05/23 - The Forest At The Bottom Of A Sinkhole

The ancient forest that was discovered at the bottom of a giant sinkhole in China. Plus, a moth species not seen since 1912 was found in the luggage of a passenger at the Detroit airport. And the first patient has been injec…
May 20, 2022

Fri. 05/20 - 1930s Shopping Cart Haters

The history of the humble shopping cart, and why people absolutely did not like them when they first came out. Plus, a parasite that might make you more attractive—but like, don’t try it. And a tiny pub in an English village…
May 19, 2022

Thu. 05/19 - In Defense of "Like"

Why do we judge each other so harshly for saying “like,” even though most of us say it way more often than we’d admit to? Plus, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is launching mere hours after recording… probably. Here’s everythi…
May 18, 2022

Wed. 05/18 - Music Made From DNA Sequences

The history and future of making music out of DNA sequences, particle vibrations, and more. Plus, a new study indicates that cats recognize the names of their cat friends and their human roommates; they’re just ignoring you …