Science, Spoken

Want to be more sociable or less of a doormat? There's an (experimental) app for that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bad news: Trees emit methane, a greenhouse gas. Good news: Some are home to bacteria that can't get enough of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The copter safely whirled its way up and back down, demonstrating the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Understanding how other animals dream could help us figure out why it’s so important to the human brain, and why it may have been preserved throughout history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chamise may not look (or smell) like much, but it's actually a kind of crystal ball for understanding how badly California might burn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mining companies and marine scientists want to know whether harvesting blobs of useful materials from the seafloor harms ocean life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At any given time, 1,100 tons of microplastic are floating over the western US. New modeling shows the surprising sources of the nefarious pollutant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Krispy Kreme is offering a year of treats to anyone who gets the Covid-19 vaccine. What if they worked off the energy on pedal-powered bike generators? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Studies from all over the globe show short-term improvements in urban air quality, but experts are skeptical about how long they’ll last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hall thrusters have been used in satellites for years. Now, they'll play a crucial role in reaching a metallic asteroid called Psyche. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scores of plans to verify immunity are in the works. But there are even more questions about how they’ll use data, protect privacy—and who gets certified first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The device may make it easier to quickly test newborns and could open the door to at-home monitoring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lightning strikes in the far north could double by 2100. That means more wildfires, which could release massive amounts of planet-warming gas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plant fossils from Columbia reveal the forests of the Cretaceous period were sparser and less humid than their modern-day counterparts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NASA tracks the microbes that live on the space station, and sometimes it discovers new ones. Those hardy bugs may offer clues about surviving long missions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An analysis of the 10-foot-long teeth shows that as the Arctic warms, narwhal diets are changing, and their bodies are accumulating more mercury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Social isolation as been linked to poorer physical and mental health, but scientists are finally starting to understand its neurological impact. Â Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ambi Robotics is using years of research in robot manipulation to teach machines how to get a grip. The secret? Giving them suction cups for fingers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moss balls sold for aquariums can hide Zebra mussels, invasive mollusks that quickly overtake waterways. The US government would like you to kill them, please. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Called Stretch, the machine may look wildly different than its famous cousins Spot and Atlas, but it shares a ton of their DNA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thousands of eagles and other fowl have died from a mysterious condition that attacks their nervous systems. Now, after decades of investigation, we know why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Underground peat fires refuse to die, even when flooded with water. So scientists developed a new weapon to put them down for good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new study shows that concussions and other head traumas can have long-lasting effects on our health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A secret Cold War project led to signs of ancient life—and a new warning about the future of the climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Humans dump an estimated 10 billion gallons of potential biofuel into landfills every year. Researchers found a way to capitalize on it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices