60-second Science

Today’s episode covers a topic that many parents-to-be have struggled with: fertility. In vitro fertilization offers a path to pregnancy for people fortunate enough to be able to access it. But predicting the success of an implanted embryo is hard. Now researchers are developing a test that could make it easier.

From Papua New Guinea to the Andaman Islands, Indigenous languages are under threat. An Indian linguist helped preserve one language family.

A new study used machine learning on 6 million Danish people to "autocomplete" their life trajectories –— and when they might kick the bucket.

In today’s episode, we want to talk about some of the current challenges with using home COVID tests. When you first have symptoms, a change in how your body reacts to the virus could lead to a test result showing you’re negative when you’re actually infected.  

We all have our tricks for sobering up after a night of drunken revelry: maybe a pot of black coffee or an ice-cold shower. But for mice in a certain lab in Texas, all it takes is a shot. No, not more alcohol—it’s an injection of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 21, or FGF21. 

Imagine for a moment that you’re a very hungry bird soaring over 30-foot ocean swells in high winds, with no land for thousands of miles. How do you know where you’re going? If you’re a wandering albatross, you listen. But listen to what, exactly?

The moon has guided our movements and cultures, and though we may think we know it well, it still guards some of its deepest secrets from us. A new book from Rebecca Boyle take us on a deep dive into our sister celestial orb.

Nell Greenfieldboyce discusses her new book Transient and Strange, the intimacy of the essays and the science that inspired them.

Dogs are good for you, science says

In 2013 a new user named Cleo took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today she’s an urban legend. But who was she? 2023 editor's pick.

Advanced sensors and artificial intelligence could have us at the brink of interspecies communication

The holidays are a time for indulgence, but there are ways to drink alcohol without suffering the painful effects.

We’re looking back at 2023 for our favorite podcast shows and one about the largest bird to ever fly the skies just flew to the top of the list.

The stories we tell about orcas might say more about us than about them

The beloved fish that feed orcas and humans depend on kelp forests’ unique habitat.

The Arctic Permafrost Atlas, which took years to create, is both beautiful and sobering, given the pace of climate change.

Problems with the heart, kidneys and metabolic health are all connected

Thanks to researchers, new AI tech is delving into feline feelings to see when cats could need medical help. 

The research focused on figuring out what enables certain sperm to gain some competitive advantage over millions of others fighting for the same prize.

A long-term decline in unsupervised activity may be contributing to mental health declines in children and adolescents.