Science, Spoken

We're bringing an extra episode from our show Security, Spoken. New research shows the number of deepfake videos is skyrocketing—and the world's biggest search engines are funneling clicks to dozens of sites dedicated to the nonconsensual fakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're bringing an extra episode from our show Business, Spoken. Book publishers are experimenting with chatbot editions of new titles, providing "conversational companions" for readers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anthropic and other big AI startups are teaching chatbots “tool use,” to make them more useful in the workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Noland Arbaugh is the first to get Elon Musk’s brain device. The 30-year-old speaks to WIRED about what it’s like to use a computer with his mind—and gain a new sense of independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're bringing an extra episode from our show What's New. Ecologist Thomas Crowther’s research inspired countless tree-planting campaigns, greenwashing, and attacks from scientists. Now he’s back with a new plan for nature restoration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Authorities and conservation groups are investigating the deaths of dozens of howler monkeys in Tabasco, where extreme heat and land-use change appear to be threatening the vulnerable species. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Increasing solar activity over the next year could bring more opportunities to see fantastic displays of the northern lights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not only do heat pumps work fine in cold weather, they’re still more efficient than gas furnaces in such conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Research at Microsoft shows it’s possible to make AI models small enough to run on phones or laptops without major compromises to their smarts. The technique could open up new use cases for AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Viruses called phages offer a promising treatment option for bacterial infections when antibiotics stop working, but they have limitations.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not only is black carbon terrible for human health, but ever-fiercer wildfires are covering the Arctic with the dark particles, accelerating melting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Climate change is robbing some hydro dams of water while oversupplying others—forcing managers to employ new forecasting technology and clever strategies to capitalize on what they have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Green spaces significantly cool our ever-hotter cities. New research suggests more trees could cut heat-related ER visits in LA by up to two-thirds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We wanted to bring back a favorite episode from 2023: A deep learning model has joined a vigorous debate over whether volcanoes began dinosaur doomsday well before the asteroid hit. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A store in Singapore is selling lab-grown chicken, but it only contains 3 percent animal cells. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The preliminary results of a clinical trial of using heat exposure to combat depression are in—and are fueling cautious optimism that sauna practice could become an accepted treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The hospital that carried out the procedure two months prior says there’s “no indication” that the transplant was related to his death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Platelets help blood clot, but they have a short shelf life. With blood in short supply, synthetic platelets could help meet demand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two cicada broods, XIX and XIII, are emerging in sync for the first time in 221 years. They’re bringing the banquet of a lifetime for birds, trees, and humans alike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anyone found guilty of selling or manufacturing cultivated meat in Alabama will face up to a three-month jail sentence and $500 fine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s not the technology itself. It’s that we don’t yet have enough trained workers to install heat pumps for full-tilt decarbonization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seven years behind schedule, on Monday Starliner will send two astronauts to space on a mission for NASA. The troubled company still has lots of catching up to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Synthetic DNA could be used to spark a pandemic. A move by President Biden aims to create new standards for the safety and security of mail-order genetic material. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China's brain-computer interface technology is catching up to the US. But it envisions a very different use case: cognitive enhancement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A fashion influencer’s struggles to unblock her Instagram account highlight a long-standing problem with Meta’s lackluster customer service. Users and regulators say the company must step up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices