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
How to beat roulette
You’ll need your best friend, a computer in your shoe, and a working knowledge of physics.
17 min
2
Is climate change really making hurricanes worse?
The answer isn’t as clear as you might think.
17 min
3
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
4
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
5
Imagine a sunset, now imagine you can't
Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye.
21 min
6
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
7
The view from inside a volcano
The magma chambers at the heart of volcanoes are very deep and very hot.
21 min
8
Who are you calling a Neanderthal?
Rumors of Neanderthal brutishness have been greatly exaggerated.
15 min
9
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
10
Blood farm
Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if hospitals had more blood.
23 min
11
Moon genes
We know life on Earth wouldn't be possible without the moon.
21 min
12
How to stop your hiccups
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups.
27 min
13
A new way to listen
We have an exciting announcement!
2 min
14
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
15
How to talk to aliens
Scientists have been searching for aliens for decades.
22 min
16
Good Robot #4: Who, me?
What can we actually do as our world gets populated with more and more robots?
46 min
17
Good Robot #3: Let’s fix everything
A simple parable about a drowning child sparks a moral revolution.
42 min
18
Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome
When a robot does bad things, who is responsible?
50 min
19
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
20
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
21
Getting malaria on purpose
Dylan got malaria on purpose. And he thinks you should, too.
23 min
22
The problem with dreams
A neuroscientist argues that the focus on dreams has held back the scientific understanding of sleep.
26 min
23
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
24
How umami blew up taste
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures.
33 min
25
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