Science, Spoken - podcast cover

Science, Spoken

WIREDplay.prx.org

Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.

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Episodes

An Ancient Battle Is Playing Out in the DNA of Every Embryo

Millions of years ago, retroviruses invaded the human genome. Today some of these viral remnants threaten the developing embryo while others fight to defend it. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 18, 20239 min

Weird Weather Is Making Air Travel Even Worse

Flight delays, cancellations, and violent turbulence are becoming increasingly common as extreme weather ramps up. Things are likely to get worse with climate change. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 17, 20236 min

The Arctic Is a Freezer That’s Losing Power

As glaciers retreat, methane-rich groundwater is bubbling to the surface. That may be warming the climate, accelerating the Arctic’s rapid decline. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 14, 20237 min

A Hair Loss Study Raises New Questions About Aging Cells

A protein secreted by seemingly dormant cells in skin moles causes hair to grow again. That’s a big—and potentially useful—surprise. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 13, 202311 min

Old Memories Can Prime Brains to Make New Ones

Creating a memory takes energy, and brains only have so much. A study using snails shows how they can be primed for future learning. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 12, 20239 min

The Microplastic Crisis Is Getting Exponentially Worse

Plastic production is skyrocketing, pushing microplastic pollution to dangerous new levels. Now research shows even the Arctic is increasingly contaminated. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 11, 20237 min

Why People Stop Using Drugs Like Ozempic

Drugs like semaglutide—better known as Ozempic or Wegovy—could be lifelong treatments for obesity, but what little data scientists have suggests that people don't stick with them for long. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 10, 20239 min

A Rare Domestic Resurgence of Malaria Is Circulating in the US

The mosquito-borne disease was eliminated here long ago. Now “revenge travel,” global migration, poor public funding—and maybe climate change—could help it come back. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 07, 20238 min

One Shot of a Kidney Protein Gave Monkeys a Brain Boost

An early experiment in older rhesus macaques suggests that an injection of klotho improves working memory. Could it one day help people? Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 06, 20239 min

How a Human Smell Receptor Works Is Finally Revealed

After decades of frustration, researchers have determined how an airborne scent molecule links to shapeshifting olfactory receptors in the nose. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 04, 20239 min

Scientists Are Gene-Editing Flies to Fight Crop Damage

The spotted-wing drosophila is a threat to fruit growers across the US and Europe. Crispr could thwart the pest’s numbers. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 03, 20239 min

Air Pollution Is Deadlier Than You Think

Poor air quality doesn’t just cause lung cancer. It may also be responsible for other cancers, strokes, diabetes, and more. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 30, 20234 min

Health Care Data Is a Researcher’s Gold Mine

Patients and clinicians generate huge amounts of data that could advance care. But turning the system into an R&D powerhouse means ripping up the rules. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 29, 20234 min

More People Are Going Blind. AI Can Help Fight It

Early detection is crucial for treating eye disease. AI-enhanced eye scan analyses could spot warning signs quicker—and reach patients at scale. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 28, 20234 min

Heat Waves Are Unleashing a Deadly but Overlooked Pollutant

Indian cities, afflicted by rising temperatures and poor air quality, are becoming hot spots of ozone pollution, which has proven a difficult problem to fix. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 26, 202311 min

The Pain and Promise of Europe’s Abortion Laws

The continent’s abortion laws are a patchwork of progress and setbacks. And for many, accessing the right care at the right time is still a lottery. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 23, 202311 min

How to Find the Titanic Sub Before It’s Too Late

Rescue teams are scrambling to find the sub, which has gone missing near the wreckage of the Titanic, before those aboard run out of oxygen. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 22, 20237 min

Bird Populations Are in Meltdown

Humans rely on birds to eat insects, spread seeds, and pollinate plants—but these feathered friends can’t survive without their habitats. Read the story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 21, 20237 min

Nuclear-Powered Cargo Ships Are Trying to Stage a Comeback

Faced with the difficult task of decarbonizing, some shipping companies are taking another look at a polarizing solution—nuclear fission. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 20, 202310 min

How to Check the Air Quality Near You

Here’s what to know about wildfire smoke and invisible pollutants, and how you can use your phone to decide whether it’s safe to spend time outside. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 19, 20234 min

Gentle Brain Stimulation Can Improve Memory During Sleep

Stimulating the frontal lobes of sleeping epilepsy patients improved their recall of information—and may one day help treat Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 15, 20238 min

Bees Get All the Love. Won’t Someone Think of the Moths?

More research is showing that moths are secret, critical pollinators, even of crops that feed humanity. Save the bees, but save the moths too. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 13, 20236 min

The Kakhovka Dam Collapse Is an Ecological Disaster

Water surging from the broken Ukrainian dam is killing animals, destroying habitats, and unleashing pollution. The effects may be irreversible. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 12, 20238 min

The Age of Flames Reaches the US East Coast

Canadian wildfires are spewing smoke into New York City and Washington, DC, threatening the health of millions. Welcome to the “Pyrocene.” Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 09, 20236 min

Genomics Are a Lifesaver for Patients With Rare Diseases

The 100,000 Genomes Project has a massive database to help doctors and patients solve baffling medical cases and diagnose cancers. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 08, 20233 min

The Quest for a Switch to Turn on Hunger

While weight-loss drugs are dialing down the urge to eat for many, others desperately need something that can convince their body to consume more. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 07, 20238 min
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