Science, Spoken

As relentless rains pounded LA, the city’s “sponge” infrastructure helped gather 8.6 billion gallons of water—enough to sustain over 100,000 households for a year. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Millions of Ukrainians are suffering the mental health implications of two years of Russian bombs and shells. The country’s recovery depends on building systems to help treat the trauma. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Upside Foods is putting plans for its Illinois-based cultivated-meat factory on hold and laying off staff to focus on its existing plant. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An alternative to environmentally harmful plastic is already within reach: seaweed. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Farmers and scientists are getting better at growing more crops on less land, but they’re not focusing on plants that people eat. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A slalom skier just achieved a remarkable result in the Alpine Ski World Cup—coming from last place to win. As mountains get warmer and conditions less predictable, expect more freak occurrences like this. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It started as a big old ball of dust, so how did it end up like a giant pancake? Get the true story using fake forces. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They may be tiny, but phytoplankton and aerosols power pivotal Earth systems. Scientists are about to learn a whole lot more about them at a critical time. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You need a heat pump, ASAP. Now nine states are teaming up to accelerate the adoption of this climate superhero. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From data access to scientific merit, Dr. Norman is working to make astronomy—and all STEM fields—more inclusive. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WIRED experimented with a new form of voice assistant that can browse the web and perform tasks online. Siri, Alexa, and other virtual helpers could soon be much more powerful. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Houston-based rBIO has invented a new process to churn out insulin at higher yields using custom-made bacteria. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Beef is wooing science teachers with webinars and lesson plans in an attempt to change kids’ perceptions of the industry. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Distributed acoustic sensing” looks for disturbances in fiber to detect earthquakes and even insects. Can it also improve rail safety? Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Details are scarce, but Elon Musk says initial results are “promising.” Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the world’s foremost training ground for saving space from disasters, disputes, and—perhaps one day—colonizers named Musk. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Several gene therapies aim to restore a protein necessary for transmitting sound signals from the ear to the brain. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The winter sport is becoming more treacherous as the world warms and icefalls become less and less stable. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New research finds that the groundwater systems that hydrate your life are in rapid, sometimes accelerating decline around the globe. Here’s how to stop the retreat. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday, Cameroon became the first nation to establish routine childhood malaria immunizations. The race is on to give protection to as many people as possible. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Strand Therapeutics has figured out a way to turn the molecule on and off in certain tissues to more precisely treat tumors. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After doubts were raised about a 31-year-old dog, Guinness World Records has paused its records for the world’s oldest dogs, leaving one super-old dog in limbo. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Researchers want to use genetically engineered pig organs to help support people with liver failure. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cases of scabies, a highly contagious parasitic skin disease, are on the rise across Europe. The UK in particular is struggling with a shortage of treatments. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The numbers are in: 2023’s global temperatures not only soared, but smashed the previous record set in 2016. This year could be even hotter. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices