Science, Spoken
WIRED
Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 10, 2020 • 18min
Astronomers Are Uncovering the Magnetic Soul of the Universe
Researchers are discovering that magnetic fields permeate much of the cosmos. If these fields date back to the Big Bang, they could solve a cosmological mystery.
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Jul 8, 2020 • 23min
The Epic Siberian Journey to Solve a Mass Extinction Mystery
A quarter-billion years ago, huge volcanic eruptions burned coal, leading to the worst extinction in Earth’s history. Here’s how scientists hunted down the evidence.
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Jul 7, 2020 • 5min
Hummingbirds Can See Colors We Can’t Even Imagine
When humans see purple, we’re really seeing a blend of red and blue light. Hummingbirds see purple plus ultraviolet—and lots of other nonspectral colors.
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Jul 6, 2020 • 10min
Nuclear ‘Power Balls’ May Make Meltdowns a Thing of the Past
Triso particles are an alien-looking fuel with built-in safety features that will power a new generation of high-temperature reactors.
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Jul 3, 2020 • 8min
'Carbon Farming' Could Make US Agriculture Truly Green
Today a Senate committee will hear about a bill that would help farmers adopt practices to release less carbon from the soil, reducing planetary warming.
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Jul 2, 2020 • 7min
NASA’s New Moon-Bound Space Suits Will Get a Boost From AI
Engineers are turning to generative design algorithms to build components for NASA’s next-generation space suit—the first major update in decades.
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Jul 1, 2020 • 7min
Stuck at Home, Scientists Discover 9 New Insect Species
Without a DNA sequencer, two Los Angeles entomologists relied on two of biology’s oldest tools: microscopes and lots of free time.
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Jun 30, 2020 • 14min
Who's to Blame for Plastic Microfiber Pollution?
Tiny bits of plastic are corrupting every corner of the planet. The major culprits: cheap synthetic clothing and washing machines.
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Jun 29, 2020 • 9min
Why Massive Saharan Dust Plumes Are Blowing Into the US
Every summer, an atmospheric event propels desert dust thousands of miles across the Atlantic. This year is particularly bad, and timed terribly with Covid-19.
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Jun 26, 2020 • 10min
Why NASA Designed a New $23 Million Space Toilet
Later this year, astronauts on the American module of the ISS will be able to test out the toilet before NASA puts it on crewed vehicles for deep-space missions.
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