Episodes

  • How living in outer space changes the human body

    How living in outer space changes the human body
    Nov 20 2024
    Gravity dominates every moment of our experience here on Earth. We may take it for granted, but NASA astronaut Kate Rubins assuredly does not. She knows firsthand the fun and challenges of living in microgravity. During her time in space, Rubins conducted important experiments so that someday humans can handle even longer missions — like heading to Mars.
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    37 mins
  • Feeling stressed? Here’s what is actually happening

    Feeling stressed? Here’s what is actually happening
    Oct 29 2024
    Stress is a part of every human’s life, but the way it feels and how we handle it varies based on the individual. That’s one of the reasons stress is such a challenging topic for scientists to study. Dr. Rajita Sinha of Yale’s Stress Center says new brain imaging technology is helping us better understand our stress biology, the lasting effects of chronic stress, and healthy ways of dealing with it.
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    40 mins
  • How can we bring extinct species back from the dead?

    How can we bring extinct species back from the dead?
    Sep 25 2024
    A new “Jurassic Park” movie is coming out next year, the latest installment of the blockbuster series all about the dangerous hubris in trying to bring dinosaurs back from extinction. Paleogeneticist Beth Shapiro says the science may be flawed, but cloning extinct species is more realistic than you may think. In fact, that work is already underway — but with the slightly friendlier woolly mammoth.
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    39 mins
  • ‘Twisters’ got one thing right: We can change the weather!

    ‘Twisters’ got one thing right: We can change the weather!
    Aug 28 2024
    To save Oklahoma from treacherous tornados, scientists in the 2024 blockbuster “Twisters” try to use a real-life technique called cloud seeding. But would this really work? Researchers have actually been using cloud seeding to modify the weather since the 1940s. For professor Katja Friedrich, it’s a promising way to address some of the issues caused by climate change.
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    32 mins
  • Dogs are talking — are you listening?

    Dogs are talking — are you listening?
    Jul 31 2024
    Dogs don’t talk to us the way our human best friends do, but they are biologically prepared to communicate with us in a range of ways. What if we could understand our furry companions better? Dr. Emily Bray, a canine cognition specialist, says that dogs are better at understanding us than we are them, but there are ways we can bridge the gap.
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    33 mins
  • Your burning questions about fireworks, answered

    Your burning questions about fireworks, answered
    Jun 28 2024
    Fireworks have been used to dazzle and entertain for centuries. These spectacles can seem out of this world, and they’re directly related to Kate the Chemist’s favorite subject: chemistry. Kate answers your questions about fireworks, including what causes their sound, colors and even smell.
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    22 mins
  • Plants may be more intelligent than we think

    Plants may be more intelligent than we think
    May 29 2024
    We haven’t been giving the Plant Kingdom enough credit. Plants can move, attack, communicate, and adapt — even though they don’t have what's normally defined as a brain. But do plants meet the criteria for intelligent life? That’s the question Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence explore in their book “Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence.”
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    34 mins
  • Can we stop an asteroid from hitting Earth?

    Can we stop an asteroid from hitting Earth?
    Apr 15 2024
    Asteroids heading straight for planet Earth aren’t just a scenario out of a Hollywood thriller. Luckily, scientists around the world have long been preparing for such an “Armageddon” scenario.Kate The Chemist speaks with Nancy Chabot, one of the leaders behind NASA’s planetary defense missions, about destroying asteroids in space before they reach our atmosphere.
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    33 mins