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
Aug 31, 2021 • 9min
Wildfires Used to Be Helpful. How Did They Get So Hellish?
Fires are supposed to reset ecosystems, paving the way for new growth. But human meddling and climate change have turned them into monsters.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 30, 2021 • 10min
Is the Robot-Filled Future of Farming a Nightmare or Utopia?
A new paper argues that the rise of artificial intelligence in agriculture could be the best—or worst—innovation for our environment.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 27, 2021 • 7min
Want to Slash Carbon Emissions? Start With These Power Plants
The worst 5 percent of energy producers account for almost 75 percent of the sector’s emissions.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 26, 2021 • 20min
Eastern Hemlocks Face Extinction. A Tiny Fly Could Save Them
An invasive insect called the woolly adelgid is eating the Northeast’s forests alive. So some researchers are calling in hungry silver flies.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 25, 2021 • 9min
A Mammoth Tusk Reveals a Woolly (and Unprecedented) Tale
Scientists used something called isotopic mapping to get a first look at how the creatures lived more than 17,000 years ago.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 24, 2021 • 9min
The IPCC Report's Silver Lining: We Can Tackle Methane Now
The landmark assessment was dire. But it shows that by slashing methane emissions, humanity can make rapid progress in fighting climate change.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 23, 2021 • 7min
Gymnasts Make the Wolf Turn Look Easy. Physics Shows It’s Not
The spin seems simple if you’re just watching it on TV. But it’s a complex move that requires understanding your center of mass.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 20, 2021 • 11min
The Squishy, Far-Out New Experiments Headed to the ISS
Muscle cells, 3D-printed lunar regolith, and le Blob will soon orbit 250 miles above Earth.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 19, 2021 • 8min
Failed Star Called 'The Accident' Puzzles Astronomers
The brown dwarf isn't a star and it's not a planet. But it's illuminating the murky borderlands that separate the two.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 18, 2021 • 8min
Why Perseverance's First Mars Drilling Attempt Came Up Empty
Far from a failure, the sampling might actually offer tantalizing clues about the geology—and potential past life—of the Red Planet.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
