Unexplainable
Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know … and then keeps on going. Host Noam Hassenfeld and an all-star team of reporters — Byrd Pinkerton, Meradith Hoddinott, and Mandy Nguyen — tackle scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
1
Do we live inside an enormous black hole?
It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole.
22 min
2
Is good posture actually good?
Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch.
18 min
3
Why do we yawn?
People yawn when they’re bored, right?
34 min
4
Embracing economic chaos
Can a physicist predict our messy economy by building an enormous simulation of the entire world?
24 min
5
We still don’t really know how inflation works
Inflation is one of the most significant issues shaping the 2024 election.
28 min
6
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
7
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
8
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
9
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
10
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
11
Who's the daddy? There isn't one.
A snake. A shark. They got pregnant with no male involved.
17 min
12
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
13
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
14
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
15
The alpha myth
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back.
38 min
16
The eclipse chasers
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them.
17 min
17
The Yips
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world.
25 min
18
The bleeding edge, part two
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery.
21 min
19
The bleeding edge
Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists.
16 min
20
Aliens from Earth?
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans?
24 min
21
How scientists are searching for aliens
They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler.
14 min
22
A universal virus-killer?
Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines.
21 min
23
Why do we cry?
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion.
21 min
24
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
25
The case for cursing
Can swearing make you stronger?
25 min