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.
201
Cicadas and Zombie Seeds
50 min
202
Skeptic Check: Pentagon UFO Report
50 min
203
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
204
After The Plague
50 min
205
Flush With Excitement
51 min
206
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
207
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
208
Feet Don't Fail Me
52 min
209
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
210
For the Birds
50 min
211
End of Eternity
50 min
212
Skeptic Check: Flat Earth (rebroadcast)
50 min
213
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
214
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
215
Volcanic Mind Melt
52 min
216
Skeptic Check: Useful Delusions
52 min
217
Neanderthal in the Family
50 min
218
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
219
In Living Color
50 min
220
Eclectic Company
53 min
221
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
222
Granting Immunity (rebroadcast)
“Diversity or die” could be your new health mantra. Don’t boost your immune system, cultivate it! Like a garden, your body’s defenses benefit from species diversity. Find out why multiple strains of microbes, engaged in a delicate ballet...
50 min
223
Mars Attracts
53 min
224
Iron, Coal, Wood
53 min
225
Skeptic Check: Shared Reality
53 min