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.
1
The view from inside a volcano
The magma chambers at the heart of volcanoes are very deep and very hot.
21 min
2
Who are you calling a Neanderthal?
Rumors of Neanderthal brutishness have been greatly exaggerated.
15 min
3
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
4
Blood farm
Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if hospitals had more blood.
23 min
5
Moon genes
We know life on Earth wouldn't be possible without the moon.
21 min
6
How to stop your hiccups
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups.
27 min
7
A new way to listen
We have an exciting announcement!
2 min
8
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
9
How to talk to aliens
Scientists have been searching for aliens for decades.
22 min
10
Good Robot #4: Who, me?
What can we actually do as our world gets populated with more and more robots?
46 min
11
Good Robot #3: Let’s fix everything
A simple parable about a drowning child sparks a moral revolution.
42 min
12
Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome
When a robot does bad things, who is responsible?
50 min
13
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
14
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
15
Getting malaria on purpose
Dylan got malaria on purpose. And he thinks you should, too.
23 min
16
The problem with dreams
A neuroscientist argues that the focus on dreams has held back the scientific understanding of sleep.
26 min
17
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
18
How umami blew up taste
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures.
33 min
19
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
20
Biopiracy
Genetic libraries are treasure troves of information about life from around the world.
25 min
21
Will AI ever ... feel?
Some scientists think an explosion of AI awareness and feeling might be just around the corner.
23 min
22
New year, new diet, live forever?
It’s that time of year again.
23 min
23
Mysteries we can’t stop thinking about
The wildest stories that never made it into our episodes.
23 min
24
Who let the wolves in?
Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago.
21 min
25
Where to meet a Neanderthal
We know Neanderthals and early modern humans coupled up.
26 min