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.

Science
Life Sciences
Natural Sciences
51
We don't understand yogurt
Many physicists dream of coming up with a unified theory of the universe.
16 min
52
The musical structure of the universe
If matter is a result of vibration, what causes the vibration?
49 min
53
How to beat roulette
You’ll need your best friend, a computer in your shoe, and a working knowledge of physics.
17 min
54
Is climate change really making hurricanes worse?
The answer isn’t as clear as you might think.
17 min
55
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
56
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
57
Imagine a sunset, now imagine you can't
Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye.
21 min
58
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
59
The view from inside a volcano
The magma chambers at the heart of volcanoes are very deep and very hot.
21 min
60
Who are you calling a Neanderthal?
Rumors of Neanderthal brutishness have been greatly exaggerated.
15 min
61
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
62
Blood farm
Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if hospitals had more blood.
23 min
63
Moon genes
We know life on Earth wouldn't be possible without the moon.
21 min
64
How to stop your hiccups
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups.
27 min
65
A new way to listen
We have an exciting announcement!
2 min
66
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
67
How to talk to aliens
Scientists have been searching for aliens for decades.
22 min
68
Good Robot #4: Who, me?
What can we actually do as our world gets populated with more and more robots?
46 min
69
Good Robot #3: Let’s fix everything
A simple parable about a drowning child sparks a moral revolution.
42 min
70
Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome
When a robot does bad things, who is responsible?
50 min
71
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
72
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
73
Getting malaria on purpose
Dylan got malaria on purpose. And he thinks you should, too.
23 min
74
The problem with dreams
A neuroscientist argues that the focus on dreams has held back the scientific understanding of sleep.
26 min
75
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