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

City Trees Save Lives

Green spaces significantly cool our ever-hotter cities. New research suggests more trees could cut heat-related ER visits in LA by up to two-thirds. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 20, 20249 min

An Epic Fight Over What Really Killed the Dinosaurs

We wanted to bring back a favorite episode from 2023: A deep learning model has joined a vigorous debate over whether volcanoes began dinosaur doomsday well before the asteroid hit. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 19, 202410 min

Saunas Are the Next Frontier in Fighting Depression

The preliminary results of a clinical trial of using heat exposure to combat depression are in—and are fueling cautious optimism that sauna practice could become an accepted treatment. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 16, 20249 min

The Earth Is About to Feast on Dead Cicadas

Two cicada broods, XIX and XIII, are emerging in sync for the first time in 221 years. They’re bringing the banquet of a lifetime for birds, trees, and humans alike. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 13, 20248 min

The One Thing That’s Holding Back the Heat Pump

It’s not the technology itself. It’s that we don’t yet have enough trained workers to install heat pumps for full-tilt decarbonization. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 09, 202410 min

The US Is Cracking Down on Synthetic DNA

Synthetic DNA could be used to spark a pandemic. A move by President Biden aims to create new standards for the safety and security of mail-order genetic material. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 07, 20246 min

What’s the Safest Seat on an Airplane?

The back of the plane is safest, according to common wisdom, but that’s not really true. Let us explain. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 29, 20246 min

Green Roofs Are Great. Blue-Green Roofs Are Even Better

Amsterdam is experimenting with roofs that not only grow plants but capture water for a building’s residents. Welcome to the squeezable sponge city of tomorrow. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 23, 20247 min

Unruly Gut Fungi Can Make Your Covid Worse

An infection can upset your microbiome, and if certain gut fungi run riot, this can kick the immune system into overdrive. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 22, 20248 min

The Rise of the Carbon Farmer

Farmers around the world are reigniting the less intensive agricultural practices of yesteryear—to improve soil health, raise yields, and trap carbon in the atmosphere back down in the soil. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 19, 202411 min

The Paradox That's Supercharging Climate Change

Humanity needs to burn less fossil fuels. But that means fewer aerosols to help cool the planet—and a potential acceleration of global warming. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 16, 20247 min

Trump Loyalists Kill Vote on US Wiretap Program

An attempt to reauthorize Section 702, the so-called crown jewel of US spy powers, failed for a third time in the House of Representatives after former president Donald Trump criticized the law. Read this story here . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 12, 20245 min
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