WIRED

Science, Spoken

Science EN ↓ 2374 episodes

Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: play.prx.org

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WIRED

Episodes

Ring Vaccination Beat Smallpox. Could It Work for Monkeypox? 02.08.2022 14:17

The strategy prioritizes inoculating an infected person’s closest contacts, but it can’t succeed without good contact tracing and enough vaccines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nuclear Power Plants Are Struggling to Stay Cool 01.08.2022 12:01

Climate change is reducing output and raising safety concerns at nuclear facilities from France to the US. But experts say adapting is possible—and necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Europe Has Descended Into the Age of Fire 29.07.2022 9:18

Climate change has primed the landscape to burn. But human migration has made Europe’s wildfires increasingly catastrophic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Glacier Collapses Are a Growing but Hard-to-Predict Threat 28.07.2022 11:53

After 11 people were killed and eight hospitalized by a glacier in early July, Italian scientists are asking how future tragedies can be avoided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gender-Affirming Care Improves Mental Health—and May Save Lives 27.07.2022 15:17

Scores of bills in US states aim to block medical treatments for trans youth. But research shows that these bans could have dire consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What Turtles Can Teach Humans About the Science of Slow Aging 26.07.2022 12:18

7/26 New data shows that several types of the shelled reptiles can slow—and even stop—aging if the environmental conditions are right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why the Arctic Is Warming 4 Times as Fast as the Rest of Earth 25.07.2022 10:16

The loss of sea ice is exposing darker waters, which absorb more of the sun’s energy. It’s a devastating feedback loop with major consequences for the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Heat Waves Are Messing Up Your Sleep 22.07.2022 9:38

Higher nighttime temperatures don’t just make it harder to drift off, they can disrupt your sleep cycles and leave you with low-quality rest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Reengineered Aluminum Help Fill the Demand for Copper? 21.07.2022 9:08

As the world converts to electric vehicles and renewable energy, molecular tweaks to aluminum could improve its conductivity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas’ Precarious Power Grid Exposes a Nasty Feedback Loop 20.07.2022 12:12

Air conditioning saves lives. But as the planet warms, more AC use stresses the grid and drives up emissions, accelerating climate change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What Humans Can Learn From the Sea Cucumber’s Toxic Arsenal 18.07.2022 10:42

Sea cucumbers are squishy and soft. They also employ lethal strategies to protect themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Turkey Probably Hasn’t Found the Rare Earth Metals It Says It Has 15.07.2022 10:23

The deposits discovered reportedly contain enough resources to meet global demand for 1,000 years—surpassing even China’s reserves. But experts are skeptical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is There Good News for Monarch Butterflies? Scientists Disagree 14.07.2022 10:29

A recent study suggests that gains during the summer breeding season are making up for losses during migration. But the insects’ fate is far from assured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abortion Pills May Force States and the FDA Into a Standoff 13.07.2022 11:20

Under the Constitution, federal laws overrule state ones. But challenges to medication abortion will test the agency’s ability to make nationwide regulations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scientists Are Trying to Grow Crops in the Dark 12.07.2022 8:52

Powering plant growth with solar panels instead of photosynthesis could be a more efficient way of using the sun’s energy for food. But it’s not all good news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Secrets of Covid ‘Brain Fog’ Are Starting to Lift 11.07.2022 12:16

Scientists are getting closer to understanding the neurology behind the memory problems and cognitive fuzziness that an infection can trigger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why the Search for Life on Mars Is Happening in Canada’s Arctic 08.07.2022 8:37

Scientists show how microbes living in a salty spring near the North Pole might resemble those that could have survived on the Red Planet—or in ocean worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What the DNA of Ancient Humans Reveals About Pandemics 07.07.2022 11:38

Genomic analysis of ancient remains has shed light on the origins of the black death and offers insights into the coevolution of humans and diseases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Behold the Weird Physics of Double-Impact Asteroids 06.07.2022 9:18

Mars is littered with craters made by binary asteroids. These collisions are as intriguing as they are powerful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forget Lasers. The Hot New Tool for Physicists Is Sound 04.07.2022 9:50

From acoustic tweezers to holograms, engineers are taking inspiration from the field of optics—and riding the sound wave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Covid Shots for Little Kids Are Finally Here. Now for the Hardest Part 01.07.2022 9:50

Hesitancy, bureaucracy, inequity, and the need to explain new formulas could slow down vaccine delivery to the last unprotected group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do Birth Control Pills Affect Your Mood? Scientists Can’t Agree 30.06.2022 10:38

Over 100 million women are estimated to use oral contraceptives, but studies on the pill’s mental health effects raise more questions than answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Year’s Extreme Weather Is Just Getting Started 29.06.2022 11:09

Climate change and natural variabilityÂ are making 2022 a year of big weather events—so get ready for more heat waves, droughts, and hurricanes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How the Sugars In Spit Tame the Body’s Unruly Fungi 28.06.2022 10:37

Mucus keeps the microbiome healthy. Now scientists have clues about how it stops good microbes from going bad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Black Carbon Cost of Rocket Launches 27.06.2022 9:24

Researchers say that the rising number of space launches around the world will warm parts of the atmosphere and thin the ozone layer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices