Big Picture Science
The surprising connections in science and technology that give you the Big Picture. Astronomer Seth Shostak and science journalist Molly Bentley are joined each week by leading researchers, techies, and journalists to provide a smart and humorous take on science. Our regular "Skeptic Check" episodes cast a critical eye on pseudoscience.
176
Skeptic Check: Anti-Vax
50 min
177
Platypus Crazy
50 min
178
A Twist of Slime (rebroadcast)
A Twist of Slime Your daily mucus output is most impressive. Teaspoons or measuring cups can’t capture its entire volume. Find out how much your body churns out and why you can’t live without the viscous stuff. But slime in general is...
50 min
179
New Water Worlds (rebroadcast)
The seas are rising. It’s no longer a rarity to see kayakers paddling through downtown Miami. By century’s end, the oceans could be anywhere from 2 to 6 feet higher, threatening millions of people and property. But...
50 min
180
Cicadas and Zombie Seeds
50 min
181
Skeptic Check: Pentagon UFO Report
50 min
182
Skeptic Check: Science Breaking Bad (rebroadcast)
The scientific method is tried and true. It has led us to a reliable understanding of things from basic physics to biomedicine. So yes, we can rely on the scientific method. The fallible humans behind the research, not so much. And...
50 min
183
After The Plague
50 min
184
Flush With Excitement
51 min
185
The Ears Have It (rebroadcast)
What’s the difference between a bird call and the sound of a pile driver? Not much, when you’re close to the loudest bird ever. Find out when it pays to be noisy and when noise can worsen your health. Just about everyone eventually suffers some...
50 min
186
Air Apparent (rebroadcast)
Whether you yawn, gasp, sniff, snore, or sigh, you’re availing yourself of our very special atmosphere. It’s easy to take this invisible chemical cocktail for granted, but it’s not only essential to your existence: it unites you and every other...
50 min
187
Feet Don't Fail Me
52 min
188
Skeptic Check: Rational Lampoon (rebroadcast)
Two heads may be better than one. But what about three or more? A new study shows that chimpanzees excel at complex tasks when they work in groups, and their accumulated knowledge can even be passed from one generation to the next. But...
50 min
189
For the Birds
50 min
190
End of Eternity
50 min
191
Skeptic Check: Flat Earth (rebroadcast)
50 min
192
Waste Not (rebroadcast)
Waste Not Why create more landfill? Perhaps you should resist the urge to toss those old sneakers, the broken ceiling fan, or last year’s smart phone. Instead, repurpose them! Global junk entrepreneurs are leading the way in turning trash...
50 min
193
Venom Diagram (rebroadcast)
We all get defensive sometimes. For some animals, evolution has provided a highly effective mechanism for saying “back off!”. A puncture by a pair of venom-filled fangs gets the point across nicely. But one animal’s poison may be...
50 min
194
Volcanic Mind Melt
52 min
195
Skeptic Check: Useful Delusions
52 min
196
Neanderthal in the Family
50 min
197
DecodeHer (rebroadcast)
They were pioneers in their fields, yet their names are scarcely known – because they didn’t have a Y chromosome. We examine the accomplishments of two women who pioneered code breaking and astronomy during the early years of the twentieth...
50 min
198
In Living Color
50 min
199
Eclectic Company
53 min
200
Creature Discomforts (rebroadcast)
Okay you animals, line up: stoned sloths, playful pandas, baleful bovines, and vile vultures. We’ve got you guys pegged, thanks to central casting. Or do we? Our often simplistic view of animals ignores their remarkable adaptive...
50 min