Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know…and then keeps on going. The Unexplainable team — Noam Hassenfeld, Julia Longoria, Byrd Pinkerton, and Meradith Hoddinott — tackles scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn diving into the unknown. New episodes Mondays and Wednesdays.
From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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Vijay Sikand is a family doctor in the Connecticut town that gave Lyme disease its name. When a pharmaceutical company came to town to test a vaccine, he built a career and a community around the trial. Then the Lyme vaccine became a cautionary tale. Guest: Vijay Sikand, MD , family medicine and pediatrics For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplai...
Fetuses leave cells behind in their parents' bodies, where they braid themselves into tissues, and remain, for years. What are they doing in there? Guests: Amy Boddy , Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Lee Nelson , Professor Emeritus at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And plea...
The episode explores the legacy of Paul Ehrlich, author of "The Population Bomb," who famously predicted mass global starvation in the 1970s. It details how his predictions were spectacularly wrong, largely due to his overlooking human innovation like the Green Revolution and declining fertility rates. The discussion also covers Ehrlich's losing bet against Julian Simon, his refusal to recant, and the societal appeal of doomsayers, ultimately advocating for policies rooted in human agency rather than fear.
What would life look like after a global nuclear war? Would underground bunkers work? What would we do for food? What about radioactive snow?! In this episode of Are We Doomed? , reporter Ben Bradford tries to find out. Guest: Ben Bradford, host of Are We Doomed? For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We re...
What happens when researchers reexamine some of the basic facts about the Black Death? They start rewriting history and rethinking blame. Guests: Hannah Barker , professor at Arizona State University; Ulf Büntgen , professor at the University of Cambridge; Martin Bauch , historian at the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable ...
One of the world’s most biodiverse aquifers is full of strange, blind creatures that have evolved in isolation for millions of years. But one is missing. (Originally aired in 2022) Guests: Benji Jones , Vox senior correspondent; Andy Gluesenkamp , Conservation biologist and herpetologist (a reptiles and amphibians guy) For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please emai...
Pioneering musicians Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno released their latest album Liminal by broadcasting it from a 50-foot microwave antenna. Noam talks to Beatie about why “dark matter music” was the perfect sound to beam into deep space, and how music can take us places that are even harder to reach. Guest: Beatie Wolfe , composer and conceptual artist For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/...
Today on the show: a double feature — two mysteries in one episode. First, it seems like all living things emit a faint glow that disappears when they die. Then, is the International Space Station ... too clean? Guests: Daniel Oblak , professor of physics at the University of Calgary; Rodolfo Antonio Salido Benítez , scientist at SPT Labtech Links: Daniel's paper with mouse and leaf images; Rodolfo's paper on the ISS For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts ...
To hear some people tell it — especially people on TikTok — inflammation is the root of all disease. It's... not that simple. But inflammation does have a lot to teach us about why modern life can make us feel so bad, and even what we might be able to do about it. Guest: Dylan Scott , senior correspondent at Vox For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable ...
A few months ago, we put out an episode about what silence sounds like, and it caught the attention of Rob Rosenthal, who hosts a podcast called Sound School about the craft of audio storytelling. So he called up host Noam Hassenfeld to ask him a question he couldn't stop thinking about: How do you make something that sounds like nothing? Host: Rob Rosenthal, host of Sound School Podcast Guest: Noam Hassenfeld For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts ...
Can microbes travel through space on meteorites? It’s an idea called “lithopanspermia,” and to work out if it’s even feasible, some researchers decided to shoot microbes — with a gun. Guests: K.T. Ramesh , professor of science and engineering at Johns Hopkins University; Lily Zhao , mechanical engineer at Johns Hopkins University For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable ...
For the first time in over 50 years, humans have gone to the moon and back. And this time, NASA says we're going to stay. NASA's planning for more missions, a permanent moon base, and even a mission to Mars. But there's a pretty big question hanging over all these dreams: Can humans survive in space long enough to make them happen? (A version of this episode originally aired in 2022, with the launch of Artemis I.) Guests: Anne McClain , NASA Astronaut; Scott Kelly , former NASA Astronaut; Rebecc...
Typically, the burden of birth control falls on whoever has a uterus, but it seems like that might change — and soon! Guest: Annalisa Merelli , contributing writer at STAT. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more a...
Host Julia Longoria signs off from Unexplainable with one final question: Why does her grandma love Vicks VapoRub so much? A version of this episode originally aired on WNYC’s Only Human podcast. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodca...
Casey Harrell is a goofy, lighthearted chatterbox whose love for language helped him become an accomplished environmental activist. In 2020, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and slowly began losing the ability to speak. He sang his last song to his infant daughter and fell into silence. But, now, with the help of 256 microelectrodes implanted directly into his motor cortex, he’s learning to talk once more. It isn’t easy. Guests: Casey Harrell and Levana Saxon. You can do...
Oliver Sacks was once crowned “the poet laureate of medicine” — he's known as one of the greatest science writers of our time. But when New Yorker writer Rachel Aviv dug into his archives, she discovered that some details in his intimate portraits of patients mirrored his personal life a little too closely. Guest: Rachel Aviv , staff writer for the New Yorker and author of Strangers to Ourselves . For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go ...
One of the deadliest poisons known to man is now used to treat wrinkles, migraines, and even, maybe, depression. How did that happen? Guests: Jean Carruthers , ophthalmologist and “godmother” of cosmetic Botox. David Simpson , neurologist at Mount Sinai hospital in New York. Axel Wollmer , psychiatrist at the Asklepios clinic in Hamburg, Germany. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on...
Many alchemical texts are full of bizarre, metaphorical language. But what if there's interesting science hiding behind some of those metaphors? Guest: Lawrence Principe , professor of the history of science and professor of chemistry at Johns Hopkins University For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support...
Grab some hot cocoa and a warm blanket and let’s talk about the tiny crystals that fall from the sky. Guest: Jessica Lundquist , professor of civil & environmental engineering at the University of Washington For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable (and get ad-free episodes) by becomi...
A man committed a crime. He admitted it. Then something alarming showed up on an image of his brain. The criminal case that followed in 1991 brought neuroscience into the courtroom for good. How does our ever-changing understanding of the brain impact how we approach justice? Guests: Josh May , professor of philosophy, University of Alabama, Birmingham, author of Neuroethics: Agency in the Age of Brain Science, Anthony Wagner , neuroscientist and professor of psychology, Stanford University Memo...
How many fish are in the sea? It's a question that has had enormous consequences for the fishing community in New Bedford, Massachusetts. But one man managed to find a way around it. That man? The Codfather. Guest: Ian Coss , host and producer of WBGH's Catching the Codfather For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com...
It's no secret that stress isn't good for you… But just how bad is it? NPR's Short Wave podcast gets some answers. Host: Regina G. Barber , host of NPR’s Short Wave podcast Guest: Diana Kwon , science journalist Follow NPR's Short Wave podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for more episodes like this, featuring new discoveries, everyday mysteries and the science behind the headlines. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at p...
In the dark depths of the Gowanus Canal, strange lifeforms lurk... Guests: Brad Vogel , volunteer at the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club ; Elizabeth Hénaff , computational biologist and artist at New York University For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bi...
I’m about to burst. Guests: Laryngologist Dr. Robert Bastian and Noel King , co-host and editorial director of the Vox daily news podcast Today, Explained For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Astronomers are putting together a new picture of the early universe. It involves a lot of very weird black holes, and it could help us understand how our own galaxy formed. Guest: Caitlin Casey , astronomer at UC Santa Barbara For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Sup...
It’s surprisingly hard to predict how clouds form, move, and change, but it’s essential to try. Because how clouds react to a warming world helps determine how hot our future will be. (Originally aired in 2021) Guests: Vox contributor Umair Irfan , scientists Scott M. Collis , Angeline Pendergrass , and author Gavin Pretor-Pinney For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexpl...
Every hand-crafted instrument from violin maker Michael Doran holds its own unexplainable questions. Guest: Michael Doran of Doran’s Violin’s For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable (and get ad-free episodes) by becoming a Vox Member today: ...
There's been a real rollback of one of the US government's most fundamental tasks: gathering data. Vox correspondents Dylan Scott and Umair Irfan take a look at what a future with less data means for climate and health care in the US. Guests: Vox correspondent Umair Irfan and Vox senior correspondent Dylan Scott For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please ...
Things in the news have been feeling kind of…bleak, so we called in some reinforcements. Vox's senior editorial director and resident good news expert Bryan Walsh joins editor Joanna Solotaroff to remind us that there’s still a lot of good stuff happening, too. Guest: Vox senior editorial director Bryan Walsh. Sign up for the Good News newsletter HERE. For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexp...
This episode delves into the complex ethical questions surrounding genetic embryo testing, prompted by a parent-to-be's inquiry about selecting embryos for specific traits like health, intelligence, or even sex. Vox reporter Sigal Samuel uses a philosophical framework to explore the societal pressures, scientific limitations, and potential eugenic implications of "optimizing" children. The discussion ultimately encourages parents to balance the desire for a child's best life with the concept of "satisficing" – choosing "good enough" rather than striving for unattainable perfection, while fostering humility about what truly constitutes a fulfilling life.
