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.
51
Should you be eating poison oak?
Probably not.
26 min
52
Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history
Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean.
20 min
53
You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?
For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook.
19 min
54
Viral dark matter
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are starting to turn to viruses as a medical tool.
21 min
55
The good virus
Our bodies are teeming with viruses.
17 min
56
Ecstasy therapy
The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD.
27 min
57
What did dinosaurs sound like?
They probably didn’t roar like lions.
36 min
58
Do we live inside an enormous black hole?
It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole.
22 min
59
Is good posture actually good?
Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch.
18 min
60
Why do we yawn?
People yawn when they’re bored, right?
34 min
61
Embracing economic chaos
Can a physicist predict our messy economy by building an enormous simulation of the entire world?
24 min
62
We still don’t really know how inflation works
Inflation is one of the most significant issues shaping the 2024 election.
28 min
63
Can you put a price on nature?
It’s hard to figure out the economic value of a wild bat or any other part of the natural world, but some scientists argue that this kind of calculation could help protect our environment.
21 min
64
The deepest spot in the ocean
Seventy-five percent of the seafloor remains unmapped and unexplored, but the first few glimpses scientists have gotten of the ocean’s depths have completely revolutionized our understanding of the planet.
25 min
65
What’s the tallest mountain in the world?
If you just stood up and shouted, “It’s Mount Everest, duh!” then take a seat.
25 min
66
Did trees kill the world?
Way back when forests first evolved on Earth … they might have triggered one of the biggest mass extinctions in the history of the planet.
24 min
67
Can we stop aging?
From blood transfusions to enzyme boosters, our friends at Science Vs dive into the latest research on the search for the fountain of youth.
33 min
68
Who's the daddy? There isn't one.
A snake. A shark. They got pregnant with no male involved.
17 min
69
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
70
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
71
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
72
The alpha myth
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back.
38 min
73
The eclipse chasers
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them.
17 min
74
The Yips
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world.
25 min
75
The bleeding edge, part two
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery.
21 min