Unexplainable
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.
From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes (228)
A rabbi and the Lorax walk into a bar...
How the bedtime stories we grew up with inspire the stories we tell now.
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to...
Is a little alcohol bad for you?
We spoke to two researchers who disagree about the answer to this question. But they do agree about why it's so hard to answer to begin with.
Guests: Dylan Scott, senior correspondent at Vox;...
Guests: Dylan Scott, senior correspondent at Vox;...
Ice Sheet Time Machine
The US military carved a tiny city into the Greenland ice sheet. What they found, and lost, and found again, and what it tells us about climate change.
Guests: Paul Bierman, geoscientist at the...
Guests: Paul Bierman, geoscientist at the...
Animals in the year 20202025
What do scientists think animals might be like millions of years from now? (First published in 2021)
Guests: Benji Jones, senior correspondent at Vox; David Willard, ornithologist at Chicago's Field...
Guests: Benji Jones, senior correspondent at Vox; David Willard, ornithologist at Chicago's Field...
Nightmare at the end of the universe
Dark energy is the strange stuff that makes up the vast majority of the universe and will ultimately lead to the end of everything. Unless it doesn't exist at all.
Guests: Adam Riess, astrophysicist...
Guests: Adam Riess, astrophysicist...
Life in plastic — not fantastic?
Much of our modern world is made of plastic, but as more signs point to its dangers to human health, what can we even do about it?
Guest: Annie Lowrey, Atlantic writer and author of I fought...
Guest: Annie Lowrey, Atlantic writer and author of I fought...
When waves go rogue
Towering walls of water sometimes appear in the ocean without warning or apparent cause. What drives their terrifying power? (First published in 2023)
Guest: Ton van der Bremer, associate professor...
Guest: Ton van der Bremer, associate professor...
Good news for people who love bad news
Good news can be hard to find, especially when our brains — and the media — are biased against it.
Guest: Bryan Walsh, senior editorial director of Vox, and author of the Good News newsletter
This...
Guest: Bryan Walsh, senior editorial director of Vox, and author of the Good News newsletter
This...
12 tiny worlds
If you went back 500 million years and re-ran evolution, would life be totally different today?
Guests: Richard Lenski and Zachary Blount, evolutionary biologists at Michigan State...
Guests: Richard Lenski and Zachary Blount, evolutionary biologists at Michigan State...
How good was Michael Jordan, really?
It's easy to assume there is objective truth in basketball stats. A clear story of what happened in the past. But our friends at Pablo Torre Finds Out uncovered something that throws an entire era...
One weird trick to get unlimited clean energy
Is a solution to climate change…pouring water on hot rocks?
Guest: Dylan Matthews, Senior Correspondent at Vox's Future Perfect
This episode was made in partnership with Vox's Future Perfect...
Guest: Dylan Matthews, Senior Correspondent at Vox's Future Perfect
This episode was made in partnership with Vox's Future Perfect...
Who taught beavers to build dams?
How does any animal know what to do? A neuroscientist argues it's not “instinct.” Something bigger is going on. (First published in 2022)
Guest: Mark Blumberg, behavioral neuroscientist at the...
Guest: Mark Blumberg, behavioral neuroscientist at the...
The disease we let win
We have a cure for tuberculosis. Why does it still kill over a million people every year?
GUEST: John Green, podcaster, YouTube creator and award-winning author of Everything is Tuberculosis and...
GUEST: John Green, podcaster, YouTube creator and award-winning author of Everything is Tuberculosis and...
Science! Tell me what to eat!
Figuring out the perfect healthy diet remains stubbornly out of reach. Our friends at Gastropod ask: Why?
Guests: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, co-hosts of Gastropod
For show transcripts, go to...
Guests: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, co-hosts of Gastropod
For show transcripts, go to...
A magical world at the ocean’s edge
In coastal California, researchers grapple with potentially losing a landscape they love.
Guests: Rebecca Johnson, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science at the California...
Guests: Rebecca Johnson, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science at the California...
Ruff translation
We love our pets. And think we understand them. Are we fooling ourselves?
Guests: Alexandra Horowitz, dog cognition researcher at Barnard College; Holly Molinaro, animal welfare...
Guests: Alexandra Horowitz, dog cognition researcher at Barnard College; Holly Molinaro, animal welfare...
Sick of “morning” sickness
If pregnant people need to eat for two, why do so many of us puke morning, noon, and night?
Guests: Marlena Fejzo, Ph.D., geneticist, and Research Director at the HER Foundation.
For show...
Guests: Marlena Fejzo, Ph.D., geneticist, and Research Director at the HER Foundation.
For show...
Your bug roommates
Our houses are homes to hidden worlds of bugs. And the more ecologists explore those worlds, the more they realize that some of our creepy, crawly housemates actually have a lot to teach us. (First...
Why I left the NIH
Francis Collins oversaw some of the most revolutionary science of the last few decades at the National Institutes of Health. A few months ago, he suddenly resigned.
One of America's foremost...
One of America's foremost...
Mostly dead is slightly alive
When bringing people to the edge of death is your day job.
Guest: Adam Richman, perfusionist at the Mayo Clinic and Unexplainable listener.
For show transcripts, go to...
Guest: Adam Richman, perfusionist at the Mayo Clinic and Unexplainable listener.
For show transcripts, go to...
We don't understand yogurt
Many physicists dream of coming up with a unified theory of the universe. Rae Robertson-Anderson dreams of understanding ranch dressing, shampoo, and scrambled eggs.
Guests: Rae Robertson-Anderson,...
Guests: Rae Robertson-Anderson,...
The musical structure of the universe
If matter is a result of vibration, what causes the vibration? Our friends at The Gray Area ask, “Is the universe behaving like an instrument?”
Guest: Stephon Alexander, theoretical physicist at...
Guest: Stephon Alexander, theoretical physicist at...
How to beat roulette
You’ll need your best friend, a computer in your shoe, and a working knowledge of physics.
Guest: Doyne Farmer, Director of Complexity Economics at Oxford
For show transcripts, go to...
Guest: Doyne Farmer, Director of Complexity Economics at Oxford
For show transcripts, go to...
Is climate change really making hurricanes worse?
The answer isn’t as clear as you might think. And because of drastic cuts to climate science funding, this question might be getting even harder to solve.
Guest: Umair Irfan, Vox climate science...
Guest: Umair Irfan, Vox climate science...
Are we sure about fluoride?
Florida just became the second state to ban fluoride from its water system, which has made some public health experts pretty angry. Just how risky is fluoride really, and why is it so hard for us to...
The man who walked butterflies on a leash
Static electricity plays an invisible role in the natural world, and it may even help insects pollinate plants. To understand this hidden force, scientists have jumped through some pretty weird...
Imagine a sunset, now imagine you can't
Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye. And its discovery has made scientists ask a surprising question: What is the mind’s eye even for? (First published in 2022.)
Guests: Alice...
Guests: Alice...
An imaginary planet that feels extremely real
Scavengers Reign, the Emmy-winning Netflix show, has done something most sci-fi shows or movies struggle to do. Build a world that feels truly alien.
Guests: Joe Bennett, co-creator of...
Guests: Joe Bennett, co-creator of...
The view from inside a volcano
The magma chambers at the heart of volcanoes are very deep and very hot. So naturally, some researchers want to build an observatory in one.
Guests: Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the...
Guests: Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the...
Who are you calling a Neanderthal?
Rumors of Neanderthal brutishness have been greatly exaggerated.
Guest: Paige Madison, science writer
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to...
Guest: Paige Madison, science writer
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to...
Sorry, we left an implant in your brain
What happens when you get a life-changing device implanted into your body... and then the company that maintains it goes bankrupt?
Guests: Jennifer French, Executive Director and Founder of...
Guests: Jennifer French, Executive Director and Founder of...
Blood farm
Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if hospitals had more blood. So scientists are racing to understand how this living fluid does what it does in order to one day grow it from...
Moon genes
We know life on Earth wouldn't be possible without the moon. Now scientists are finding the moon might even be influencing our biology on a molecular level.
Guest: Rebecca Boyle, science journalist...
Guest: Rebecca Boyle, science journalist...
How to stop your hiccups
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups. Burping or kissing can make them stop. Um, what? (First published in 2023.)
Guests: Tyler Cymet, chair of medicine...
Guests: Tyler Cymet, chair of medicine...
A new way to listen
We have an exciting announcement! Vox Members now get access to ad-free podcasts. If you sign up, you’ll get unlimited access to reporting on vox.com, exclusive newsletters, and all of our podcasts —...
Intraterrestrials
Deep inside the mud at the bottom of the ocean, scientists have found life that is so unusual they’ve had to create new branches on the tree of life to put it on. These life forms are...
How to talk to aliens
Scientists have been searching for aliens for decades. But if we ever do get a signal someday, how will we communicate back? And will anyone out there be able to understand us?
Guests: Doug Vakoch,...
Guests: Doug Vakoch,...
Good Robot #4: Who, me?
What can we actually do as our world gets populated with more and more robots? How can we take control? Can we take control?
This is the final episode of our four-part series about the stories...
This is the final episode of our four-part series about the stories...
Good Robot #3: Let’s fix everything
A simple parable about a drowning child sparks a moral revolution. Is building AI the way to do the most good in the world?
This is the third episode of our new four-part series about the stories...
This is the third episode of our new four-part series about the stories...
Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome
When a robot does bad things, who is responsible? A group of technologists sounds the alarm about the ways AI is already harming us today. Are their concerns being taken seriously?
This is the second...
This is the second...
Good Robot #1: The magic intelligence in the sky
Before AI became a mainstream obsession, one thinker sounded the alarm about its catastrophic potential. So why are so many billionaires and tech leaders worried about… paper clips?
This is the first...
This is the first...
A strange signal from space
This week on Unexplainable or Not, the newest member of our team, Julia Longoria, tries to figure out which of three scientific mysteries about the sea, the land, and the sky has actually been...
Getting malaria on purpose
Dylan got malaria on purpose. And he thinks you should, too.
Guest: Dylan Matthews, senior correspondent at Vox’s Future Perfect
This episode was made in partnership with Vox’s Future...
Guest: Dylan Matthews, senior correspondent at Vox’s Future Perfect
This episode was made in partnership with Vox’s Future...
The problem with dreams
A neuroscientist argues that the focus on dreams has held back the scientific understanding of sleep. So he took dreams out of the picture and uncovered a new potential connection between the mind and...
Is science in danger?
Funding cuts and research censorship have shaken the foundations of America’s health and science agencies, leaving researchers shocked, confused, and afraid. What does this mean for the future of...
How umami blew up taste
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (a.k.a. the Umami Mama), scientists finally accepted a fifth. Could there be even...
What’s hiding under the Antarctic ice?
Some of the largest lakes in the world have been buried under miles of ice for millions of years. Is there life hiding down there? And if so, could life be found in even more extreme places … beyond...
Biopiracy
Genetic libraries are treasure troves of information about life from around the world. They’re helping researchers develop everything from vaccines to crops to cosmetics. But who actually benefits...
Will AI ever ... feel?
Some scientists think an explosion of AI awareness and feeling might be just around the corner. Others think it’s impossible for an AI to ever become conscious. How will we know?
Guest: Oshan Jarow,...
Guest: Oshan Jarow,...
New year, new diet, live forever?
It’s that time of year again. If you’re changing things up, there’s a lot of diets out there that claim to help you live longer. Our friends at Today, Explained ask: How much of this is real and how...
Mysteries we can’t stop thinking about
The wildest stories that never made it into our episodes. Until now.
Guests: Amy Boddy, anthropological scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Jayme Locke, transplant surgeon at the...
Guests: Amy Boddy, anthropological scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Jayme Locke, transplant surgeon at the...
Who let the wolves in?
Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago. But how did wolves become dogs? To find the answer, scientists have to play with a lot of puppies....
Where to meet a Neanderthal
We know Neanderthals and early modern humans coupled up. But when did they meet, exactly? And where? Some fossilized smoke and a baby tooth might hold clues.
Guest: Adam Cole of HowTown
For show...
Guest: Adam Cole of HowTown
For show...
Pinky and the (lab-grown) Brain
It’s not great to be a lab rat. And it turns out, lab rats might not be that great for science either. Could the future be little lab-grown brain clumps?
Guests: Rachel Nuwer, science journalist; Lisa...
Guests: Rachel Nuwer, science journalist; Lisa...
Why are there lefties and righties?
This week on Unexplainable or Not, we’ve got three scientific mysteries all about left and right. Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s new podcast Explain It to Me, is going to guess which of them has been...
Placebos work. Why?
For decades, scientists thought that placebos only worked if patients didn’t know they were taking them. Not anymore: You can give patients placebos, tell them they’re on sugar pills, and they still...
Why is horror so fun?
It makes sense that we run away from scary things. That’s a good way to stay alive. But why do some people also love scary things? Why do people gravitate toward horror?
Guests: Mathias Clasen and...
Guests: Mathias Clasen and...
Are psychedelics breaking science?
Drugs like ecstasy and mushrooms have shown promise as mental health treatments, but they’re also exposing some major cracks in how scientists study the brain.
Guests: Jonathan Lambert, science...
Guests: Jonathan Lambert, science...
Your gut’s feelings
How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible to harness this gut power? (First published in 2022)
Guests: Michael Gershon, professor...
Guests: Michael Gershon, professor...
Is insurance doomed?
As the world gets warmer and storms get worse, insurance companies are jacking up rates — or refusing to cover homeowners altogether. Is the future uninsurable?
Guests: Umair Irfan, correspondent at...
Guests: Umair Irfan, correspondent at...
My animal heart
Doctors have started transplanting animal organs into people, hoping this experimental procedure could one day solve an organ shortage crisis that kills 17 Americans every day. Is this really the...
How hot could the world get?
Scientists have lots of ways to try to answer that question, and lots of different predictions. So how do they figure out one set of numbers we can all work with?
Guests: Umair Irfan, correspondent at...
Guests: Umair Irfan, correspondent at...
Should you be eating poison oak?
Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Is it...
Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history
Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean. This “dark oxygen” could fundamentally change the story we tell of life on...
You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?
For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook. Now, scientists are helping them reimagine how to find lost people.
Guests: Robert Koester, author of Lost Person Behavior, and Paul...
Guests: Robert Koester, author of Lost Person Behavior, and Paul...
Viral dark matter
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know anything about the bacteria-eating viruses all around us. (First published in...
The good virus
Our bodies are teeming with viruses. But some of them, called phages, might play a really important role in keeping us healthy.
Guest: Tom Ireland, author of The Good Virus
For show transcripts, go to...
Guest: Tom Ireland, author of The Good Virus
For show transcripts, go to...
Ecstasy therapy
The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Our friends at Today, Explained explore what this kind of therapy looks like, and why it’s so...
What did dinosaurs sound like?
They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us re-create these strange, extinct sounds. (First published in 2022)
Guests:...
Guests:...
Do we live inside an enormous black hole?
It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole. All we need to do to find out is … build a gigantic particle collider around the moon.
Guest: James Beacham, particle...
Guest: James Beacham, particle...
Is good posture actually good?
Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch.
Guest: Beth Linker, author of “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America”
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For...
Guest: Beth Linker, author of “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America”
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For...
Why do we yawn?
People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals yawn? … And why does reading this paragraph make you more likely to yawn? (Updated from...
Embracing economic chaos
Can a physicist predict our messy economy by building an enormous simulation of the entire world?
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable
And please...
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable
And please...
We still don’t really know how inflation works
Inflation is one of the most significant issues shaping the 2024 election. But how much can we actually do to control it?
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to...
Can you put a price on nature?
It’s hard to figure out the economic value of a wild bat or any other part of the natural world, but some scientists argue that this kind of calculation could help protect our environment.
For show...
For show...
The deepest spot in the ocean
Seventy-five percent of the seafloor remains unmapped and unexplored, but the first few glimpses scientists have gotten of the ocean’s depths have completely revolutionized our understanding of the...
What’s the tallest mountain in the world?
If you just stood up and shouted, “It’s Mount Everest, duh!” then take a seat. Not only is Everest’s official height constantly changing, but three other mountains might actually be king of the...
Did trees kill the world?
Way back when forests first evolved on Earth … they might have triggered one of the biggest mass extinctions in the history of the planet. What can we learn from this ancient climate apocalypse?
For...
For...
Can we stop aging?
From blood transfusions to enzyme boosters, our friends at Science Vs dive into the latest research on the search for the fountain of youth.
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For...
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For...
Who's the daddy? There isn't one.
A snake. A shark. They got pregnant with no male involved. In fact, scientists are finding more and more species that can reproduce on their own. What’s going on?
Note: We mention that a stingray...
Note: We mention that a stingray...
Itch hunt
Itch used to be understood as a mild form of pain, but scientists are learning this sense is more than just skin deep. How deep does it go?
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more,...
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more,...
How did Earth get its water?
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an even bigger mystery: “Why are we here?” (Updated from...
Is Earth alive?
A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of? Is that forest alive? And what about the planet that forest grows on? Is Earth alive? Science writer Ferris...
The alpha myth
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back. Our friends over at Pablo Torre Finds Out try to uncover how science got it wrong.
For more, go...
For more, go...
The eclipse chasers
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them. One possible way forward? Chasing eclipses.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
The Yips
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world. Maybe it’s painting. Or writing. Or playing the piano. Now imagine you wake up one day and you just can’t do it. You’re not...
The bleeding edge, part two
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery. But researchers are hoping to use menstrual fluid to make detecting the condition much easier.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
The bleeding edge
Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists. Now, researchers are starting to suspect they might be sources of medical treasure.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Aliens from Earth?
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we know? (Updated from 2022)
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
How scientists are searching for aliens
They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read...
A universal virus-killer?
Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines. But scientists think there might be another solution to fighting these diseases, one that harnesses the...
Why do we cry?
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. This Valentine’s Day, we’re wondering: What makes our tears so special? (Updated from 2022)
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s...
Should you quit Diet Coke?
Safety questions have haunted aspartame — the no-calorie sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other low-calorie products — since its invention. Some answers exist, but should we trust them if...
The case for cursing
Can swearing make you stronger?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also, email us!...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also, email us!...
The math problem that could break the internet
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace. But could all these locks be broken? (Updated from 2022)
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Garbage patch kids
Scientists didn’t think it was possible for life to thrive in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Then, they found some anemones ... and some huge questions about entire new ecosystems built on...
A stethoscope for the rainforest
Researchers planted microphones in a forest and walked away. Listening back could help heal rainforest ecosystems.
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
What’s up with the weird golden egg at the bottom of the ocean? How do eggs actually choose sperm? Hit sports podcast host Pablo Torre tries to guess which of these mysteries has actually been solved...
Something weird near the beginning of time
The James Webb Space Telescope launched two years ago, giving scientists a new view into the early universe. Now, it's revealed a big new cosmic mystery.
For show transcripts, go to...
For show transcripts, go to...
The tallest mountains on Earth are ... underground?
An expedition to Antarctica. Strange seismic readings. Clues to uncover a hidden part of our planet.
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
Weaponizing uncertainty
Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side.
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
Can we live in space?
NASA is planning for humans to live on the moon by 2040. But how much space can the human body handle? (Updated from 2022)
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
The ice cream effect
Decades of studies suggest that eating ice cream reduces diabetes risk. Could ice cream be ... good for you? And what does “good for you” mean?
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For...
The data vigilantes
Data sleuths are working outside the system to keep science honest. But is there a better way to prevent scientific misconduct and fraud?
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more,...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more,...
Trouble on Pickles Reef
Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem undeniably threatened by climate change. Can scientists breed a stronger coral for the future?
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to...
Redefining death
This Halloween, we look at how technology is forcing us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And we look into research that is raising a further question: Could death someday be reversible?
This...
This...
The Orcanizing
Over the last few years, orcas have been targeting boats, often leaving them stranded at sea. Are these orcas trying to attack humans, or is there something more mysterious going on?
For show...
For show...
Unexplainable or Not with Wyatt Cenac
Our game show is back! This time, comedian Wyatt Cenac is in the hot seat in front of a live audience. Can he guess which climate mystery has been solved and which ones are still unexplainable?
For...
For...
Rogue waves
Towering walls of water sometimes appear in the ocean without warning or apparent cause. What drives their terrifying power?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view...
Does garlic break magnets?
What would an episode of Unexplainable have sounded like if it had been made in 100 CE?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the...
How to decode a thought
Can researchers decipher what people are thinking about just by looking at brain scans? With AI, they're getting closer. How far can they go, and what does it mean for privacy?
To buy tickets to our...
To buy tickets to our...
It’s getting harder to see
Something about modern life is leading to higher rates of nearsightedness across the world. What is it?
To buy tickets to our upcoming live show in New York, go to http://vox.com/unexplainablelive
For...
To buy tickets to our upcoming live show in New York, go to http://vox.com/unexplainablelive
For...
Jumping the gun
At last year’s World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting... after the gun went off. Officials said she started faster than humanly possible. How can...
Can we talk to animals?
Two scientists explain how AI might help us translate animal communication, and what we might learn from their squawks, chirps, songs, and chatter. This episode was recorded live at the Aspen Ideas...
Unexplainable or Not: Beach day!
Sam Sanders, host of Vulture’s Into It podcast, is in the hot seat for a new episode of our game show. Can he guess which sandy mystery has been solved and which ones are still unexplainable?
For...
For...
Who let the wolves in?
Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago. But how did wolves become dogs? To find the answer, scientists have to play with a lot of puppies.
For...
For...
Why do we have a moon?
In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, and it has played a huge role in shaping our planet. But how did we get it? Every possible story...
The Black Box: In AI we trust?
AI can often solve problems in unexpected, undesirable ways. So how can we make sure it does what we want, the way we want? And what happens if we can’t?
This is the second episode of our new two-part...
This is the second episode of our new two-part...
The Black Box: Even AI’s creators don’t understand it
AI has the potential to impact our society in dramatic ways, but researchers can’t explain precisely how it works or how it might evolve. Will they ever understand it?
This is the first episode of our...
This is the first episode of our...
Do animals grieve?
A dog on its owner’s grave. A killer whale carrying around its dead calf. A goose that isolates when its mate dies. These behaviors in animals may look like human mourning, but should scientists call...
Why do we dream?
Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves?
This episode originally ran on April 12, 2022.
For more, go to...
This episode originally ran on April 12, 2022.
For more, go to...
Cracking the Indus code
The Indus Valley civilization was one of the largest, most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. But we barely know anything about them, in large part because we haven’t been able to decipher...
Awestruck
Awe is what takes our breath away when we face a sky full of stars or listen to a moving piece of music. But scientists are still trying to pin down why we feel such a powerful emotion, and whether...
Expecting: Weed and pregnancy
Many states have extremely punitive policies around cannabis and pregnancy. But researchers don't actually have great data on cannabis's harms.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
Expecting: Baby brain
Caring for a child seems to change parents’ brains. But what does that actually mean for how parents think and experience the world?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to...
Expecting: Pregnancy souvenirs
Fetuses leave cells behind in their parents' bodies, where they braid themselves into tissues, and remain, for years. What are they doing in there?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
The tornado problem
2023 has been a record-setting year for tornadoes, and these storms came with barely any warning. So to better understand tornadoes, scientists might need to confront more of these storms...
How to resurrect a mammoth
Scientists are hard at work trying to bring back woolly mammoths (and dodos). But should they? And what would they actually be bringing back?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great...
Live show, dead dinosaurs
We did a live show! We talked about how one of our favorite episodes came together and how we went about creating (somewhat) accurate dinosaur sounds.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s...
Talking trees
Studies suggesting trees communicate through an elaborate underground fungal network have captured imaginations. It’s a beautiful idea, but the fantasy may have gotten ahead of the science.
For more,...
For more,...
Your questions, unexplained
This week, we tackle three listener questions — on sleepwalking, deja vu, and Earth’s magnetic field. Next time, we could be (not) answering yours. Email us at unexplainable@vox.com, or fill out this...
What's so funny?
Scientists are digging into what makes something funny. We compare their notes with comedians — including Atsuko Okatsuka, Josh Johnson, Dulcé Sloan, and Chris Fleming.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Origins: The meaning of “life”
For every definition of life, there’s a creature that sends us right back to the drawing board.
This is the third episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and boundaries of life...
This is the third episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and boundaries of life...
Origins: The first living thing
How did life on Earth start? To help answer that, researchers are trying to create some life for themselves.
This is the second episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and...
This is the second episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and...
Origins: How did Earth get its water?
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an even bigger mystery: “Why are we here?”
This is the first...
This is the first...
What is love?
Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos?
This episode originally ran on February 9, 2022.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great...
This episode originally ran on February 9, 2022.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great...
Why we hiccup
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups. Burping or kissing can make them stop. Um, what?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place...
We booped an asteroid
Last fall, a NASA spacecraft slammed into an asteroid to test a way to avert a disaster on Earth. So are we safe now?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show...
Your creepy, crawly roommates
Our houses are homes to hidden worlds of bugs. And the more ecologists explore those worlds, the more they realize that some of our tiny roommates actually have a lot to teach us.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Henrietta Leavitt and the end of the universe
In the early 1900s, Henrietta Leavitt made one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy: a yardstick to measure distances to faraway stars. Using this tool, scientists eventually...
Plants with eyes?
In the temperate rainforests of Chile, there is a vine that can shapeshift to copy the look of other plants. But how? Can it... see them? Or is something weirder happening?
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Unexplainable or Not: Bikes, planes, ice skates
Our game show is back! This week, Avery Trufelman, host of the Articles of Interest podcast, tries to guess which of these three mysteries of movement have been solved and which are still...
Your gut's feelings
How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible to harness this gut power?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great...
Nuclear fusion breaks through
Back in January, we spoke to a scientist at the National Ignition Facility about how close they were to achieving what’s been called “one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century.”...
Basic instinct
How do animals know how to do things like spin a web or build a dam? A neuroscientist argues it's not “instinct.” Something bigger is going on.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
Why we cry
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. What makes our tears so special?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about...
Can we live in space?
NASA just launched the Artemis program, a series of missions that will eventually take humans back to the moon, and beyond. But can humans actually survive in space long-term?
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Holding on to power
A mountain, a tower, a thermos full of molten salt: These are the batteries that could power our renewable future.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show...
Redefining death
Death used to be fairly self-evident, but new technologies have forced us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And now, new research is raising a further question: Could death someday be...
Talking to ghosts
Why do so many people think they can see and hear ghosts, and what does that say about our conscious experience of the world? This episode originally ran on October 27, 2021.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Why is everyone getting food allergies?
In the past few decades, the rate of food allergies in both children and adults has dramatically increased. What’s causing this rise, and what can we do about it?
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Introducing The Gray Area
On the first episode of Vox’s new podcast, The Gray Area, host Sean Illing talks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the limits of both politics and science.
Listen and follow on Apple...
Listen and follow on Apple...
Let’s play Unexplainable or Not
For the first time, we get some answers.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also, email us!...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also, email us!...
The math problem that could break the internet
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace. But could all these locks be broken?
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Jumping the gun
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting ... after the gun went off. Officials said she started faster than humanly possible. How can that...
An Alzheimer's uproar
This past July, a bombshell report in Science magazine suggested that a key Alzheimer’s study might have contained manipulated evidence. What does this mean for over a decade's worth of research? And...
Salamander search party
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.
This episode was reported by Benji Jones and...
This episode was reported by Benji Jones and...
What did dinosaurs sound like?
They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us recreate these strange, extinct sounds.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Can ovaries make new eggs?
There's an old story scientists tell about human ovaries: that they are ticking clocks that only lose eggs, never gain them. Now that story might be changing, opening the door to new treatments for...
Will the eel (slim, shady) please have sex?
Where eels come from is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, in large part because scientists have never actually seen them reproduce in the wild. Gastropod explains why eels are somehow still...
Yawn baby yawn
People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals yawn? … And why does reading this paragraph make you more likely to yawn?
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
What’s the James Webb telescope searching for?
A lava planet, life on other worlds, the very first starlight in the universe — the most powerful space telescope ever built is ready to reveal many mysteries of the cosmos.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Vitamin X
Millions of Americans take dietary supplements — everything from vitamins and minerals to weight loss pills and probiotics. But because supplements are loosely regulated in the US, their makers don't...
Lost Worlds: What killed Venus?
Venus is the hottest, scariest planet in the solar system, but billions of years ago it may have been a lot like Earth, complete with an ocean of water. So, how did Venus go to hell? And could Earth...
Lost Worlds: Life on Mars?
Mars was once a very different planet, with rivers, lakes, and — potentially — life. NASA’s latest Mars rover is on a mission to find traces of past life. What happens if it does?
This is the third...
This is the third...
Lost Worlds: Why do we have a moon?
In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, it's played a huge role in shaping our planet. But how did we get it? Every possible story points...
Lost Worlds: Aliens from Earth?
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we know?
This is the first episode of our new four-part series, Lost Worlds.
For...
This is the first episode of our new four-part series, Lost Worlds.
For...
Dropping like flies
Insect populations are shrinking all over the world, and entomologists are buzzing with questions: Why is this happening? How quickly? And, most concerningly, what does it mean for food supplies or...
Is telepathy real?
A groundbreaking study claims to have found a way for a fully paralyzed person to communicate entirely via thought. Today, Explained breaks down the science and asks: Is it too good to be true?
For...
For...
Why do we dream?
Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show...
Should I take a DNA ancestry test?
What are the scientific, family, and privacy implications?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also,...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also,...
My octopus friend?
Octopuses are largely solitary animals, but there have been rare times — notably in the movie My Octopus Teacher — where they seem to have become comfortable around humans. But is it really possible...
Glow in the dark ocean
Most deep-water creatures are bioluminescent. Marine biologist Edie Widder has spent the last 40 years trying to figure out why.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view...
When reality broke
In the 1920s, the scientist Werner Heisenberg came up with a wild idea that broke reality as Western science knew it. And it's still unsettling to think about. Benjamin Labatut's recent book, When We...
Making Sense: The sixth sense
Why stop at five senses? Just how much of the world can we perceive? And how much is out there that’s still out of reach, hiding in the dark?
This is the sixth and final episode of our six-part...
This is the sixth and final episode of our six-part...
Making Sense: Sight unseen
Close your eyes and try to imagine an apple. Can you see anything? Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye. Since it was discovered, scientists have been asking the question: What is...
Making Sense: The Umami Mama
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (a.k.a. the Umami Mama), scientists finally accepted a fifth. So could there be even...
Making Sense: No one nose
Dogs can smell cancer, Covid-19, and many other health problems in humans. Now, scientists are trying to duplicate these powers in robotic sniffers. But there’s a big challenge here: Scientists don’t...
Making Sense: The healing power of touch
Doctors can save the lives of premature infants, but the process is often painful. Luckily, a solution might be as simple as a parent’s loving touch.
This is the second episode of our new six-part...
This is the second episode of our new six-part...
Making Sense: How sound becomes hearing
In the same way optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. This raises a fundamental question: What is hearing, and how much of it is made up by our brains?
This is the...
This is the...
The methane hunters
Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as CO2 over the short term. So we could make a real difference on climate change this decade if we could stop leaking so much methane into the atmosphere....
What is love?
Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about...
A sonic tour of the solar system
What does it sound like on Mars? On Jupiter? Titan? This collaboration between the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz and the composer Melodysheep imagines the soundscapes of other worlds.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Finding asteroids before they find us
Scientists are constantly searching for asteroids that could crash into Earth. But if they find one, will they be able to do anything about it? NASA has launched a spaceship that will slam into an...
Skeleton Lake
When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly impossible conclusion. This episode originally ran on March 24, 2021.
For more,...
For more,...
Are humans running out of sperm?
In 2017, researchers published an explosive finding: Sperm counts may be declining in some countries around the world. Media outlets began worrying about a potential Spermageddon, but other...
The quest to build a star
Scientists are closer than ever to harnessing fusion power — the same process that powers the sun — by essentially making a small star here on Earth. Fusion could give humanity its best shot at...
BONUS: The 2021 song
Noam wrote an end-of-year song with Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram, so we thought to drop it here as a little end-of-year surprise.
Lyrics:
2021, it was gonna be fun
Get a couple shots and...
Lyrics:
2021, it was gonna be fun
Get a couple shots and...
The building blocks of the universe
Most of the matter in the universe is dark matter, an invisible, untouchable, mysterious substance. Scientists don’t know what exactly dark matter is, despite decades of searching. But recently, they...
99% of ocean plastic is missing
How can we solve the problem of ocean plastic if we don’t know where most of the plastic is?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more...
How medicine mansplained women’s health
Until 1993, many researchers excluded women from clinical drug trials, leaving doctors in the dark about how new treatments work in more than half the population. This is the story of why that...
How Venus went to hell
Venus is the hottest, scariest planet in the solar system, but billions of years ago it may have been a lot like Earth, complete with an ocean of water. So, what killed Venus? And could Earth be...
Mind readers
Will scientists ever fully understand the human brain? In their quest for knowledge, they’ve tried knives, magnets, computers, blood, and even a good metaphor.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
A brainless yellow goo that does math
Slime molds can navigate mazes, control robots, and make complicated decisions, all without a central nervous system. If this weird gooey blob can think, does that mean scientists are thinking about...
Why whales get beached
Every year, thousands of marine mammals end up trapped on beaches, but it’s often hard to figure out why. It’s even harder to figure out how much humans are to blame.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Talking to ghosts
Why do so many people think they can see and hear ghosts, and what does that say about our conscious experience of the world?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to sign up...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to sign up...
Honey, we shrunk the birds
A recent study of tens of thousands of birds has shown that birds are growing smaller over time. It could be due to climate change, and if so, we ought to consider: How else might humans be altering...
Nobel Prize 2.0
The Nobel Prize has rewarded some amazing discoveries. It’s also contributed to scientific tunnel vision. This week, how the Nobel impacted our understanding of an enormous cosmic mystery, and what a...
The James Webb Time Machine
To look into deep space is to look back in time. With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists hope to see “cosmic dawn,” a period long ago when the first starlight...
The James Webb Space Telescope
After decades of planning, NASA is finally (finally!) set to launch the successor to the Hubble. The new Webb telescope will be a paradigm shift for astronomy, exploring places in the cosmos that have...
What causes Alzheimer’s?
For decades, Alzheimer’s researchers have been stubbornly pursuing a single theory, but they’re starting to wonder: is this narrow focus the reason we still don’t have a cure?
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
Havana syndrome
Several years after US diplomats in Cuba claimed they were attacked by an invisible weapon, similar incidents continue to be reported around the world. Scientists haven’t been able to determine a...
Getting to the bottom of butts
Once upon a time, there were no anuses. These ingenious organs allowed our primordial ancestors to grow bigger and more complex, but scientists still don’t understand how they evolved. And they’re...
The mysteries of endometriosis
This common chronic condition — where tissue similar to what grows inside the uterus grows elsewhere in the body — is barely understood. So why is a condition so prevalent and painful still so...
A 150-year-old human
Two scientists. A billion-dollar wager. One unanswered question: Is the first human who will live to 150 already alive? The technology to make that happen may already be in development. But if it...
How low can you go?
Earlier this year, Nicole Yamase explored the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest place in the ocean, where few people have ever been. The rest of the seafloor is almost as mysterious — 80...
The tornado problem
8 minutes, 24 seconds. That’s the average amount of warning time people get before a tornado touches down. To do better, and to understand tornadoes, scientists need to confront more of these storms,...
Moon poop
Astronauts left something on the moon that could help unlock the origins of life itself.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show...
Hot pink flying squirrels
An accidental discovery on a nighttime walk led one scientist and his team to wonder: How many mammals glow under ultraviolet light? The list keeps growing, but scientists still aren’t sure why these...
Henrietta Leavitt and the end of the universe
In the early 1900s, Henrietta Leavitt made one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy: a yardstick to measure distances to faraway stars. Using this tool, scientists eventually...
How do animals know where to go?
As part of a massive new global tracking project, scientists are monitoring animals from a receiver on the International Space Station, mapping the incredible, previously unknown journeys that animals...
Invasion of the jumping worms
These worms are fast, they’re mysterious, and they’re quickly changing North American ecosystems. How worried should we be about global worming?
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a...
The many heights of Mount Everest
How tall is the world’s tallest mountain? The answer is surprisingly tricky, which means that Everest’s official height is constantly changing. In fact, depending on the type of measurement scientists...
Unexplainable Flying Objects
UFOs are real, but that doesn’t mean they’re aliens. Today, Explained, Vox's daily news podcast, tells the story of America's longstanding relationship with UFOs and what we might learn from an...
The hunt for a new Pluto
Something strange is going on at the outer reaches of the solar system. One astronomer thinks it might be a Neptune-sized ninth planet, and he’s on a quest to find it.
That search is happening at an...
That search is happening at an...
Cloudy with a chance of chaos
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.
For more, go to...
For more, go to...
A new force of nature?
Last month, physicists at Fermilab in Illinois found that tiny subatomic particles called muons were wobbling strangely. This small observation could transform the future of particle physics,...
Placebos work. Why?
For decades, scientists thought that placebos only worked if patients didn’t know they were taking them. Not anymore: You can give patients placebos, tell them they’re on sugar pills, and they still...
A virus that could heal people
In 2016, the UN declared antibiotic-resistant bacteria the “greatest and most urgent global risk.” Our best hope just might be phages, or viruses that attack bacteria. Phages’ potential is enormous,...
The Twilight Zone of the ocean
Every day, untold numbers of strange organisms rise from the middle of the ocean to its surface. They may be playing a crucial role in slowing climate change, so scientists are struggling to...
The viral ghosts of long Covid
Scientists don’t understand why so many people suffer from Covid-19 symptoms for months, well after they stop testing positive. But that’s just the start of the mystery. There are other diseases that...
Is a ton of psychology just ... wrong?
A decade ago, psychologists realized much of their science was fatally flawed, calling untold numbers of studies into question. Now, some young psychologists are trying to rebuild the foundations of...
It’s ball lightning!
For millennia, people have been reporting stories of mysterious spheres of light that glow, crackle, and hover eerily during thunderstorms. They’ve been spotted in people’s homes, and are even said to...
Skeleton Lake
When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly impossible conclusion.
*This episode has been updated. In the original version,...
*This episode has been updated. In the original version,...
Journey Toward the Center of the Earth
Sixty years ago, geologists tried to drill down through the Earth’s crust to pull up a piece of the Earth’s mantle. Their mission didn’t go exactly as planned. But it sowed the seeds for a new field...
No one nose
Believe it or not, scientists still don't know how the sense of smell works. But they're looking at how powerful it is - dogs can actually sniff out cancer and many other diseases - and they're trying...
Most of the universe is missing
Scientists all over the world are searching for dark matter: an invisible, untouchable substance that holds our universe together. But they haven't found it. Are they chasing a ghost?
For further...
For further...
Introducing Unexplainable
Scientists don’t know what 95% of the universe is made of. They don’t know how a bike stays up. They don’t even really know how the nose works. Join us every Wednesday on Unexplainable for deep dives...
About this Podcast
Copyright
© 2021 Vox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Language
en
Categories
Science, Life Sciences, Natural Sciences