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
Feb 1, 2021 • 9min
NASA Is Training an AI to Detect Fresh Craters on Mars
An algorithm discovered dozens of Martian craters. It’s a promising remote method for exploring our solar system and understanding planetary history.
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Jan 29, 2021 • 8min
Is This a Fossilized Lair of the Dreaded Bobbit Worm?
Scientists say they've got 20-million-year-old evidence of giant worms that hunted in pretty much the most nightmarish way possible.
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Jan 28, 2021 • 11min
Can an AI Predict the Language of Viral Mutation?
Computational biologists used an algorithm meant to model human language to instead predict how viruses could evolve to evade the immune system.
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Jan 27, 2021 • 9min
The Arctic Ocean Is Teeming With Microfibers From Clothes
Scientists find an average of 40 microplastic particles per cubic meter of the northern water. The likely source? The synthetic clothing in our washing machines.
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Jan 26, 2021 • 8min
Virgin Orbit Just Launched a Rocket From a 747
Launching rockets from planes is a decades-old concept that never really took off. Billionaire Richard Branson thinks its time has come.
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Jan 25, 2021 • 10min
The Ongoing Collapse of the World's Aquifers
When humans over-exploit underground water supplies, the ground collapses like a huge empty water bottles. It's called subsidence, and it could affect 1.6 billion people by 2040.
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Jan 22, 2021 • 10min
Vaping Doesn't Keep Young People From Smoking Cigarettes Later
It won't prevent teens from later becoming smokers. But some health experts say that focusing on the risk of addicting new smokers cuts off a chance to help adults quit.
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Jan 21, 2021 • 7min
What Would It Take to Run a City on 100 Percent Clean Energy?
Most claims of running on “clean” electricity come with caveats, and many technologies required for round-the-clock renewable energy aren’t quite ready yet.
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Jan 20, 2021 • 7min
The Mystery of the World’s Loneliest Penguins
A small group of king penguins have appeared on Martillo Island in Argentina. How they got there, and whether they will stay, is unknown.
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Jan 19, 2021 • 9min
How Long Would It Take for a 747 to Stop, Like in Tenet?
The airplane in the movie is stripped down and doesn't have all of its brakes installed, making the calculations even more fun.
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