Science, Spoken

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

Catastrophic wildfires are spewing smoke all over the West Coast. This website lets you track the respiratory crisis in real time—with a few caveats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Starting at a corner, could you walk around the surface of this Platonic solid without crossing other corners? To get the answer, you need an 81-holed doughnut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hospitals in the US are already stressed. Now, they must brace for a wave of flu patients needing more beds, lab tests, and ventilators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a “body farm,” researchers are exploring whether the nutrients from human cadavers can change the look of plants, which authorities might use to locate missing persons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They migrated north to escape the heat but lost their genetic diversity, making them vulnerable to extinction. Today, some species face the same problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a recent study, scientists could tell if people were intoxicated just by looking at their phones’ motion data. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unoccupied buildings, abandoned during the coronavirus shutdowns, give fungi a great opportunity to move in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

California’s blazes have sent a haze across the United States. An experimental model shows where that cloud ends up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The state's apocalyptic blazes have burned 2,000 square miles in 10 days. Here's how they almost claimed a 130-year-old astronomical icon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sparked by freak thunderstorms, the blazes changed wind patterns and could potentially lead to fire tornadoes and pyrocumulonimbus clouds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Musk tweeted that his “V2” update will blow our minds. But how close is he to putting computer chips in them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formula has come a long way, but it still lacks many nutrients and takes a toll on the environment. A few companies are hoping to provide an alternative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many seniors, veterans, and chronically ill people rely on the USPS for prescriptions and medical supplies. During Covid-19, they can’t just go to a drugstore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reducing the cobalt content in lithium-ion batteries is good for the environment, human rights, and maybe even the performance of the battery itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As temperatures soar into the the triple digits, the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance says such names will spark public awareness and encourage safety measures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rare thunderstorms have peppered the California landscape with conflagrations, pouring smoke into the Bay Area—all as the state struggles with the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices