Science, Spoken

Finnish researchers just published the first big test of the “biodiversity hypothesis”—that exposure to the microbes in dirt is good for young immune systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It … let's just say it would not be good. Here, let's do the math. Â Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For centuries, scientists thought meteorites were too fantastical to exist. A new book reveals that they hold even more mysteries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Using a network of sensors, researchers found that the Los Angeles high-rises most likely to rock in a future quake aren’t downtown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Instead of shutting down all of New York City, this time officials are taking a block-by-block approach to home in on areas with increasing case numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dozens of case reports have hinted that the coronavirus might trigger the onset of diabetes in people with no history of the disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mikie Sherrill’s new bill would tie federal reimbursement to testing result times—and reward labs for extra quick turnarounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scientists 3D-printed sea turtle eggs and stuffed transmitters inside. When poachers pulled them out of nests, the devices tracked their every move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During Day 3 of WIRED25, the public health rock star emphasized the importance of masks, distancing, handwashing … and a positive outlook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Day 3 of WIRED25, Audrey Tang explains how the Asian nation used open data and transparent governance to empower its citizens to code their own way out of a pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patients have long reported the sudden inability to smell. But restrictions on in-person exams are complicating efforts to figure out what's going on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Curling is one of the world's most precise sports. An ice-going, stone-throwing robot just mastered it. Â Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Day 2 of WIRED25, coder Avi Schiffmann talks about his plans for a site that aggregates candidates' positions—in a way users can understand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A clever new system called Whale Safe listens for the cetacean chorus to alert vessels to slow down, potentially preventing deadly ship strikes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The return of non-Covid respiratory illnesses is putting a new strain on testing supplies around the world—and is a preview of what’s in store for the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For one thing, let's build a model of air drag and how it affects the ball differently when it's traveling faster and slower than the speed of sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thousands of migrating birds have died, perhaps starved by drier conditions related to climate change or by having to fly inland to avoid wildfire smoke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the San Francisco Bay Area locked down, urban noise levels plummeted. In response, the white-crowned sparrow changed its tune. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Researchers have long experimented with “lean burn” engines, which boost efficiency and reduce the emissions from combustion. But getting them to ignite is tricky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A growing number of studies are raising concerns about the coronavirus’ long-term effects on the heart. Athletes especially need to heed the warnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blazes on the West Coast are spewing a haze clear across the country. Along the way, the complex chemistry of what we inhale gets even more complex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite a lack of scientific studies on its efficacy for Covid-19, interest in the treatment has surged alongside case numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shape memory alloys and a kind of plastic crystal chill quickly under force or pressure. They could lead to eco-friendly fridges and air conditioners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you wash denim, tiny fibers shed and flow into the environment. Scientists just found that Arctic waters are now loaded with little bits of jeans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sure, it was wildfire smoke that made parts of California and Oregon change hue. But inside that smoke was alchemy—the chemistry and physics of molecules and wavelengths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices