Unexplainable
Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know ... and then keeps right on going. This Vox podcast explores scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and all the things we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes every Wednesday.
1
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
2
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
3
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
4
The alpha myth
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back.
38 min
5
The eclipse chasers
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them.
17 min
6
The Yips
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world.
25 min
7
The bleeding edge, part two
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery.
21 min
8
The bleeding edge
Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists.
16 min
9
Aliens from Earth?
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans?
24 min
10
How scientists are searching for aliens
They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler.
14 min
11
A universal virus-killer?
Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines.
21 min
12
Why do we cry?
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion.
21 min
13
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
14
The case for cursing
Can swearing make you stronger?
25 min
15
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
16
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
17
A stethoscope for the rainforest
Researchers planted microphones in a forest and walked away.
24 min
18
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
What’s up with the weird golden egg at the bottom of the ocean?
27 min
19
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
20
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
21
Weaponizing uncertainty
Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side.
22 min
22
Can we live in space?
NASA is planning for humans to live on the moon by 2040.
30 min
23
The ice cream effect
Decades of studies suggest that eating ice cream reduces diabetes risk. Could ice cream be ... good for you?
26 min
24
The data vigilantes
Data sleuths are working outside the system to keep science honest.
29 min
25
Trouble on Pickles Reef
Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem undeniably threatened by climate change.
24 min