What’s the Point of Wasps, Anyway?
A new study says the reviled stinging insects play a critical ecological role—and their venom might even be useful to people. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 25, 2021•6 min
Science, Spoken
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
Sharks Use the Earth’s Magnetic Field Like a Compass
Biologists have long believed that these animals rely on magnetic sensing to migrate across oceans. Someone finally figured out how to prove it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 24, 2021•8 min
It’s Already Time to Stop the Next Pandemic. Can a Prize Help?
Covid-19 is still raging, but so are efforts to nip its successor in the bud—thanks to data sharing, political cooperation, or a multimillion-dollar challenge. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 21, 2021•12 min
How Weird, Bouncy Cell Signals Can Help Track Wildfire Smoke
A hazy atmosphere makes data ricochet all over the place. Now scientists think they can use that signal to better predict severe smoke events. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 20, 2021•6 min
When You Jump to Hyperspace, Make Sure You Wear a Seatbelt
May the 4th be with you! If you're hitching a ride on the Millennium Falcon today, you should know a little bit about the bumpy physics of acceleration. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 19, 2021•8 min
Why Not Turn Airports Into Giant Solar Farms?
Airports have vast swaths of empty land and rooftops. But it’s not so easy as just covering everything with solar panels. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 18, 2021•8 min
The Race to Save St. Mark’s Basilica From Salty Floodwaters
As Venice faces a four-foot sea level rise, the historic cathedral—and its marble—could succumb to damaging tides. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 17, 2021•9 min
The Brain ‘Rotates’ Memories to Save Them From New Sensations
Some groups of neurons process sensory data and memories at the same time. New work shows how the brain pivots those representations to prevent interference. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 14, 2021•9 min
Melting Mountain Glaciers May Not Survive the Century
Scientists crunched 20 years’ worth of satellite data to estimate the melt rate across the planet, and the news isn’t good. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 13, 2021•7 min
35 Years Later, Studies Show a Silver Lining From Chernobyl
One new study found that radiation exposure didn't genetically harm future generations, while another offers insights into how radiation causes thyroid cancer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 12, 2021•11 min
This Human-Sized Origami Reimagines Emergency Shelters
When flat, the structure is about the size of a twin mattress. But when it's inflated, walls widen, and a roof snaps into place. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 11, 2021•12 min
NASA Launches Astronauts to the ISS on a Reused SpaceX Rocket
The six-month mission is another step toward an eventual moon landing, and the second time this Crew Dragon capsule has visited the space station. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 10, 2021•12 min
After Us the Deluge Captures Images of a Sinking World
Kadir van Lohuizen photographed nations affected by climate change. His book documents the present, but offers a glimpse of the future. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 07, 2021•8 min
Archaeologists Unearth a ‘Lost Golden City’ in Egypt
The Luxor finding has been called "the second most important archaeological discovery" since King Tut's tomb. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 06, 2021•6 min
We’re Starting to See How Covid PPE Litter Affects Wildlife
More than a year into the pandemic, scientists and environmentalists have the first data on where disposable gloves and masks are turning up in ecosystems. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 05, 2021•8 min
Can an App Help Change Your Personality?
Want to be more sociable or less of a doormat? There's an (experimental) app for that. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 04, 2021•9 min
Hungry, Hungry Microbes in Tree Bark Gobble Up Methane
Bad news: Trees emit methane, a greenhouse gas. Good news: Some are home to bacteria that can't get enough of it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 03, 2021•11 min
NASA Lands Ingenuity, the First Ever Mars Helicopter
The copter safely whirled its way up and back down, demonstrating the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 30, 2021•14 min
What Octopus Dreams Tell Us About the Evolution of Sleep
Understanding how other animals dream could help us figure out why it’s so important to the human brain, and why it may have been preserved throughout history. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 29, 2021•11 min
Humble Shrub That’s Predicting a Terrible Fire Season
Chamise may not look (or smell) like much, but it's actually a kind of crystal ball for understanding how badly California might burn. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 28, 2021•9 min
Will Future Electric Vehicles Be Powered by Deep-Sea Metals?
Mining companies and marine scientists want to know whether harvesting blobs of useful materials from the seafloor harms ocean life. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 27, 2021•12 min
Plastic Is Falling From the Sky. But Where’s It Coming From?
At any given time, 1,100 tons of microplastic are floating over the western US. New modeling shows the surprising sources of the nefarious pollutant. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 26, 2021•8 min
How Many Homes Could You Power With Free Doughnuts?
Krispy Kreme is offering a year of treats to anyone who gets the Covid-19 vaccine. What if they worked off the energy on pedal-powered bike generators? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 23, 2021•5 min
Pandemic Lockdowns Did Cut Air Pollution—but With a Catch
Studies from all over the globe show short-term improvements in urban air quality, but experts are skeptical about how long they’ll last. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 22, 2021•8 min
The High-Powered Thrusters Behind NASA's Mission to Psyche
Hall thrusters have been used in satellites for years. Now, they'll play a crucial role in reaching a metallic asteroid called Psyche. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 21, 2021•7 min
Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Are Coming. What Will That Mean?
Scores of plans to verify immunity are in the works. But there are even more questions about how they’ll use data, protect privacy—and who gets certified first. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 20, 2021•13 min
This Sticker Absorbs Sweat—and Might Diagnose Cystic Fibrosis
The device may make it easier to quickly test newborns and could open the door to at-home monitoring. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 19, 2021•9 min
More Lightning in the Arctic Is Bad News for the Planet
Lightning strikes in the far north could double by 2100. That means more wildfires, which could release massive amounts of planet-warming gas. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 16, 2021•8 min
The Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Birthed Today's Rainforests
Plant fossils from Columbia reveal the forests of the Cretaceous period were sparser and less humid than their modern-day counterparts. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 15, 2021•6 min
Sneaky New Bacteria on the ISS Could Build a Future on Mars
NASA tracks the microbes that live on the space station, and sometimes it discovers new ones. Those hardy bugs may offer clues about surviving long missions. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Apr 14, 2021•12 min
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