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
Sep 21, 2020 • 9min
Blood Centers Are Barely Meeting Convalescent Plasma Demand
Despite a lack of scientific studies on its efficacy for Covid-19, interest in the treatment has surged alongside case numbers.
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Sep 18, 2020 • 11min
These New Shape-Shifting Materials Get Super Cool, Super Fast
Shape memory alloys and a kind of plastic crystal chill quickly under force or pressure. They could lead to eco-friendly fridges and air conditioners.
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Sep 17, 2020 • 12min
Your Beloved Blue Jeans Are Polluting the Ocean—Big Time
When you wash denim, tiny fibers shed and flow into the environment. Scientists just found that Arctic waters are now loaded with little bits of jeans.
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Sep 16, 2020 • 7min
Those Orange Western Skies and the Science of Light
Sure, it was wildfire smoke that made parts of California and Oregon change hue. But inside that smoke was alchemy—the chemistry and physics of molecules and wavelengths.
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Sep 15, 2020 • 9min
The Bay Area Just Turned Orange. All Eyes Are on PurpleAir
Catastrophic wildfires are spewing smoke all over the West Coast. This website lets you track the respiratory crisis in real time—with a few caveats.
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Sep 14, 2020 • 8min
Mathematicians Report New Discovery About the Dodecahedron
Starting at a corner, could you walk around the surface of this Platonic solid without crossing other corners? To get the answer, you need an 81-holed doughnut.
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Sep 11, 2020 • 11min
Flu Season and Covid-19 Are About to Collide. Now What?
Hospitals in the US are already stressed. Now, they must brace for a wave of flu patients needing more beds, lab tests, and ventilators.
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Sep 10, 2020 • 9min
Could a Tree Help Find a Decaying Corpse Nearby?
On a “body farm,” researchers are exploring whether the nutrients from human cadavers can change the look of plants, which authorities might use to locate missing persons.
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Sep 9, 2020 • 0sec
Climate Change Drove the American Mastodon to Extinction
They migrated north to escape the heat but lost their genetic diversity, making them vulnerable to extinction. Today, some species face the same problem.
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Sep 8, 2020 • 10min
Your Smartphone Can Tell If You’re Drunk-Walking
In a recent study, scientists could tell if people were intoxicated just by looking at their phones’ motion data.
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