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.
51
Itch hunt
Itch used to be understood as a mild form of pain, but scientists are learning this sense is more than just skin deep.
15 min
52
How did Earth get its water?
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from.
23 min
53
Is Earth alive?
A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of?
25 min
54
The alpha myth
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back.
38 min
55
The eclipse chasers
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them.
17 min
56
The Yips
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world.
25 min
57
The bleeding edge, part two
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery.
21 min
58
The bleeding edge
Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists.
16 min
59
Aliens from Earth?
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans?
24 min
60
How scientists are searching for aliens
They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler.
14 min
61
A universal virus-killer?
Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines.
21 min
62
Why do we cry?
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion.
21 min
63
Should you quit Diet Coke?
Safety questions have haunted aspartame — the no-calorie sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other low-calorie products — since its invention.
23 min
64
The case for cursing
Can swearing make you stronger?
25 min
65
The math problem that could break the internet
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace
36 min
66
Garbage patch kids
Scientists didn’t think it was possible for life to thrive in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Then, they found some anemones...
17 min
67
A stethoscope for the rainforest
Researchers planted microphones in a forest and walked away.
24 min
68
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
What’s up with the weird golden egg at the bottom of the ocean?
27 min
69
Something weird near the beginning of time
The James Webb Space Telescope launched two years ago, giving scientists a new view into the early universe.
19 min
70
The tallest mountains on Earth are ... undergro...
An expedition to Antarctica. Strange seismic readings. Clues to uncover a hidden part of our planet.
17 min
71
Weaponizing uncertainty
Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side.
22 min
72
Can we live in space?
NASA is planning for humans to live on the moon by 2040.
30 min
73
The ice cream effect
Decades of studies suggest that eating ice cream reduces diabetes risk. Could ice cream be ... good for you?
26 min
74
The data vigilantes
Data sleuths are working outside the system to keep science honest.
29 min
75
Trouble on Pickles Reef
Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem undeniably threatened by climate change.
24 min