Unexplainable
Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know…and then keeps on going. The Unexplainable team — Noam Hassenfeld, Julia Longoria, Byrd Pinkerton, and Meradith Hoddinott — tackles scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn diving into the unknown. New episodes Mondays and Wednesdays.
From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
26
Is climate change really making hurricanes worse?
The answer isn’t as clear as you might think.
17 min
27
Are we sure about fluoride?
Florida just became the second state to ban fluoride from its water system, which has made some public health experts pretty angry.
26 min
28
The man who walked butterflies on a leash
Static electricity plays an invisible role in the natural world, and it may even help insects pollinate plants.
22 min
29
Imagine a sunset, now imagine you can't
Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye.
21 min
30
An imaginary planet that feels extremely real
Scavengers Reign, the Emmy-winning Netflix show, has done something most sci-fi shows or movies struggle to do.
21 min
31
The view from inside a volcano
The magma chambers at the heart of volcanoes are very deep and very hot.
21 min
32
Who are you calling a Neanderthal?
Rumors of Neanderthal brutishness have been greatly exaggerated.
15 min
33
Sorry, we left an implant in your brain
What happens when you get a life-changing device implanted into your body... and then the company that maintains it goes bankrupt?
31 min
34
Blood farm
Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if hospitals had more blood.
23 min
35
Moon genes
We know life on Earth wouldn't be possible without the moon.
21 min
36
How to stop your hiccups
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups.
27 min
37
A new way to listen
We have an exciting announcement!
2 min
38
Intraterrestrials
Deep inside the mud at the bottom of the ocean, scientists have found life that is so unusual they’ve had to create new branches on the tree of life to put it on.
21 min
39
How to talk to aliens
Scientists have been searching for aliens for decades.
22 min
40
Good Robot #4: Who, me?
What can we actually do as our world gets populated with more and more robots?
46 min
41
Good Robot #3: Let’s fix everything
A simple parable about a drowning child sparks a moral revolution.
42 min
42
Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome
When a robot does bad things, who is responsible?
50 min
43
Good Robot #1: The magic intelligence in the sky
Before AI became a mainstream obsession, one thinker sounded the alarm about its catastrophic potential.
46 min
44
A strange signal from space
This week on Unexplainable or Not, the newest member of our team, Julia Longoria, tries to figure out which of three scientific mysteries about the sea, the land, and the sky has actually been solved.
32 min
45
Getting malaria on purpose
Dylan got malaria on purpose. And he thinks you should, too.
23 min
46
The problem with dreams
A neuroscientist argues that the focus on dreams has held back the scientific understanding of sleep.
26 min
47
Is science in danger?
Funding cuts and research censorship have shaken the foundations of America’s health and science agencies, leaving researchers shocked, confused, and afraid.
21 min
48
How umami blew up taste
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures.
33 min
49
What’s hiding under the Antarctic ice?
Some of the largest lakes in the world have been buried under miles of ice for millions of years.
21 min
50
Biopiracy
Genetic libraries are treasure troves of information about life from around the world.
25 min