Iron-toothed dragons, and improving electron microscopy
First up this week, we hear about caves on the Moon, a shake-up at Pompeii, and the iron-lined teeth of the Komodo dragon. Reporter Phie Jacobs joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss these news stories an...
1 Aug 202427min
Targeting dirty air, pollution from dead satellites, and a book on embracing robots
Tackling air pollution—indoors and outdoors, how burned-up satellites in the atmosphere could destroy ozone, and the latest in our series of books on a future to look forward to First up this week, S...
25 Jul 202446min
New treatments for deadly snake bites, and a fusion company that wants to get in the medical isotopes game
First up this week, Staff Writer Adrian Cho talks with host Sarah Crespi about a fusion company that isn’t aiming for net energy. Instead, it’s looking to sell off the high-energy neutrons from its fu...
18 Jul 202430min
How rat poison endangers wildlife, and using sound to track animal populations
Rodenticides are building up inside unintended targets, including birds, mammals, and insects; and bringing bioacoustics and artificial intelligence together for ecology First up this week, producer ...
11 Jul 202434min
What’s new in the world of synthetic blood, and how a bacterium evolves into a killer
First up this week, guest host Kevin McLean talks to freelance writer Andrew Zaleski about recent advancements in the world of synthetic blood. They discuss some of the failed attempts over the past c...
4 Jul 202431min
Targeting crop pests with RNA, the legacy of temporary streams, and the future of money
Guest host Meagan Cantwell talks to Staff Writer Erik Stokstad about a new weapon against crop-destroying beetles. By making pesticides using RNA, farmers can target pests and their close relatives, l...
27 Jun 202449min
The hunt for habitable exoplanets, and how a warming world could intensify urban air pollution
On this week’s show: Scientists are expanding the hunt for habitable exoplanets to bigger worlds, and why improvements in air quality have stagnated in Los Angeles, especially during summer, despite c...
20 Jun 202432min
How dogs’ health reflects our own, and what ancient DNA can reveal about human sacrifice
On this week’s show: Companion animals such as dogs occupy the same environment we do, which can make them good sentinels for human health, and DNA gives clues to ancient Maya rituals and malaria’s gl...
13 Jun 202441min
