ScienceStuff

How do you make sure A.I. has humanity's best interest at heart? Jorge explores humanity's future with two "A.I. Alignment" experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stuck in traffic? There's someone to blame, but it's not who you think it is. Jorge cruises to an answer with two traffic science experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're some of the smartest animals on Earth. Could we ever have a conversation with them? Jorge takes the plunge with two dolphin experts to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can computers crack jokes? Are comedians in trouble? Jorge talks to an AI expert to find the punchline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it genetic or random? And why do we have a preferred hand anyway? Jorge gets the right answers from some left-handed experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Math is a key player in every major sport these days. Is it helping teams win, or is it making games boring to watch? Jorge talks to a "Moneyball" expert to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jorge talks to three scientists involved in the Artemis Moon Program to find out why we're going back there after 50 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do asteroids have precious metals we can mine? Or is one of them going to hit us and make us go extinct first? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can watching someone paint make you feel better? Scientists have proof that watching Bob Ross can significantly improve your mood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3000 years is a long time. How do we know what was on the menu? And would we eat it today? Jorge talks to an archaeologist about ancient foods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do our joints snap, crackle and pop? And why can't we stop doing it? Jorge investigates the evolution, psychology and physics of this annoying habit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens to the things we remember when we can't remember them anymore? Jorge talks to two psychologists about the science of forgetting and the fascinating world of amnesia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people can remember 100,000 digits of pi, or everything that's ever happened to them. How do they do it? And can anyone learn this skill? Jorge goes down memory lane to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do chihuahuas chuckle? Or jaguars joke? Jorge kids around with animal experts to find out if animals can be funny (on purpose). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA is sending astronauts back to the moon. But why? What deep mysteries still hide on the far side of the moon? Jorge jumps over the moon to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI is everywhere these days. What happened to make it so powerful all of a sudden? And what is all this AI content doing to our brains? Jorge talks to three experts to find the answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there hope for the eternal procrastinator? Jorge gets some tips for living with procrastination from three expert psychologists. Learn more about our experts' work:  procrastinus.com (Dr. Piers Steel)  fuschiasirois.com (Dr. Fuschia Sirois) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We finally got around to it: an episode about procrastination. Why do we do it? Is it really bad? And is there such as a thing as productive procrastination? Jorge talks to three psychologists about the science of putting things off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the skinny on why we lose our hair? Is it genetic or avoidable? Or do we need to comb over society's stigma about it? Jorge gets to the hairy truth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can we hear echoes like bats, or see x-rays like Superman? Believe it or not, scientists think the answer is yes. Jorge talks to three experts involved in extending human senses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's happening in your brain when you're being imaginative? And can it affect your mental health? Jorge talks to two neuroscientists to imagine the possibilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is this mysterious technology, and how is it going to affect our lives? Jorge talks to a Quantum scientist and visits their lab to see and hear these machines in action. This episode originally aired March 17, 2025. We will be back with a new episode next week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy New Year! To celebrate, we're digging into the science of the year: Why is it 365 days, is it changing, and will we always celebrate New Year's the same way? Plus, we recap our favorite episodes of the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Santa better pack his bags because the North Pole is on the move. Jorge talks to planetary scientist Matt Siegler to find out what's causing this magnetic shift. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jorge catches up with science fiction author Mary Robinette Kowal to learn what her cat and dog have to say. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.