Science Podcasts
Science Podcasts
In this episode, Bruno Quinney highlights three breakthrough studies: Edinburgh researchers engineered E. coli to convert PET plastic waste into the Parkinson's drug L‑DOPA, offering a sustainable route to a vital medication; scientists identified the enzyme DHX8 as a key regulator of the stress‑response protein HSF1 in cancer cells, revealing a new vulnerability for drug development; and new work pinpointed kappa and lambda myeloma antigens as highly specific targets for next‑generation immunotherapies in multiple myeloma. Each story underscores innovative bio‑upcycling, novel molecular targets, and precision medicine advances.
In this episode, Dr. Paola Sebastiani explains how the genetics of extreme longevity are far more complex than a single "longevity gene," highlighting the growing list of genetic variants—such as APOE, chromosome 9 loci, and inflammation‑related regions on chromosome 6—that...
In this episode Sean Farrell and his brother Matt discuss the hype and controversy surrounding the so‑called "donut" solid‑state battery unveiled at CES, dissecting the lofty claims of 400 Wh/kg energy density and 100,000‑cycle life that many deem physically impossible. They...
In this episode, Juan Gallego discusses neural manifolds—mathematical structures that capture the coordinated activity of large neuron populations—and argues they are real, evolutionarily relevant objects with causal influence on behavior. He reviews evidence from monkey and mouse reaching tasks showing...
In this episode, Dr. Sean Prager and PhD candidate Teresa Aguar‑Cortero discuss the unpredictable pest pressures facing lentil growers in the Western Canadian prairies, focusing on aphids, Lygus bugs, and grasshoppers and how their differing feeding habits affect crop damage....
In Episode 193 of STEM Talk, neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood discusses his new book, *The Simulated Mind*, which challenges the long‑standing belief that adult brains are fixed and inevitably decline. He explains how modern research shows the brain remains plastic...
In this episode, Bob Sorensen, Chief Quantum Analyst at Hyperion Research, explains how HPC centers should approach quantum computing by first identifying their most pressing workload pain points and quantifying the cost of inaction. He stresses building a business case...
In this episode, Terence Tao and the host explore how Johannes Kepler uncovered the laws of planetary motion, emphasizing his iterative trial‑and‑error approach, the crucial role of Tycho Brahe’s precise observations, and the eventual formulation of Kepler’s three laws. They...
In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler and Dr. Eric Helms discuss a mix of personal milestones and the latest controversy surrounding LDL research and peptide use. They celebrate Trexler's wife's Ph.D. achievement, delve into the challenges of university...
In this episode, Dr. Gil Blander talks with Dr. Terry Moffitt, a leading psychologist behind the 50‑year Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, about how early‑life mental health influences the biological pace of aging. Dr. Moffitt explains the study’s unique...
In this episode, Immuneering CEO Ben Zeskin explains the company’s novel “deep cyclic inhibition” dosing strategy, which delivers intense, short‑duration MEK inhibition pulses instead of continuous suppression. By restoring the natural intermittent signaling rhythm in healthy cells while repeatedly ambushing...
In this episode, host Volime Vesela, a physician‑scientist and CEO of Bexerg, discusses his startup’s groundbreaking work reviving dead human brains to create an intact human brain lab for drug testing. He explains how his Croatian co‑founder, Dr. Josep "Joe"...
In this episode, Dr. Heather Sandison, a naturopathic physician, challenges the conventional view that Alzheimer's is irreversible by presenting evidence that cognitive decline can be slowed, halted, or even reversed through a comprehensive, personalized lifestyle program. She discusses the shortcomings...
In this episode Chris Kresser reviews a new American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study of over 5,000 Chinese adults aged 80+, which found vegetarians and especially vegans were 19‑29% less likely to become centenarians than omnivores, with the effect driven...
In this episode, host Keith Conrad discusses a new study showing rising memory and cognitive issues among younger adults, attributing them to digital distractions and suggesting practical focus habits like summarizing chapters and using Pomodoro. He then explores the controversial...
In this episode, host Rizim Tom chats with Chris Bradley of MatterBio about the science of longevity, focusing on how genomic damage drives the hallmarks of aging. Bradley explains that while cells constantly renew, DNA damage from internal sources like...
In this episode, host Ashley Vance talks with Nabiha Saklayen, co‑founder and CEO of Celino, about induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their rapid evolution from a Nobel‑winning discovery to emerging therapies. They discuss how iPSCs can be reprogrammed from...
In this episode, host Peter Johnson interviews Dr. Clarence Swanton, Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph, about groundbreaking research showing that early‑season weed pressure can reduce crop yield before the crop even emerges. Swanton explains that weeds reflect red...
In this episode, Daniel Levine interviews Richard Freed, CEO of Rheumagen, about the pivotal role of HLA genes in autoimmune diseases and the company’s innovative gene‑editing approach to cure them. Freed explains how a single amino‑acid change at a conserved...
The episode challenges the conventional view of rubella, arguing that the virus was never definitively isolated and that the disease is historically mild. It critiques the 1941 Australian study linking rubella to congenital cataracts and the subsequent vaccine rollout, suggesting...
Astronomy Cast’s episode 785, hosted by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay, dives into magnetars—highly magnetized neutron stars whose fields can reach 10^15 gauss. The hosts recount the 2004 giant gamma‑ray flare that exposed the destructive power of these stellar...
In this episode, Dr. Sabine Hazen discusses her lab’s pioneering 2020 study that identified full‑genome SARS‑CoV‑2 in patient stool samples, showing the virus can persist in the gut for weeks—and potentially years—after respiratory clearance. She explains how the findings revealed...
Chris Masterjohn, a nutritional scientist and mitochondrial biologist, launched Mitome, a consumer‑focused platform for mitochondrial health testing. In a conversation with Razib Khan, he critiqued the COVID‑19 response, alleging authorities overstated certainty and faced attempts at censorship. Masterjohn also argued...
In this episode of Kate Talk, Dr. Chris Smith, a virologist and science communicator, answers listener questions ranging from asteroid deflection (NASA's DART mission) to why we can't tickle ourselves, the impact of lung capacity on the heart, and the...
Gül Dölen, a leading neuroscientist at UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins, discussed the transformative potential of psychedelic‑assisted therapy during the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival. Her research demonstrates that compounds such as psilocybin and MDMA can rapidly alleviate treatment‑resistant depression, complex PTSD,...
In this episode the host explores the emerging link between chronic fatigue—including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)—and gut health, emphasizing how gut dysbiosis may drive persistent exhaustion. They explain the gut microbiome as a complex ecosystem, using a garden metaphor...
NASA’s SpaceX CRS‑33 Dragon spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station on Feb. 26, returning valuable microgravity biology experiments. The crew‑12 expedition arrived in mid‑February, expanding the ISS’s research agenda with European‑led experiments. Axiom Space announced a $350 million funding round to...
Astronomy Cast episode 784, released Feb 16, 2026, features hosts Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay exploring how pulsars—dead, rapidly rotating stars—function as precise cosmic clocks. The show explains that pulsar timing enables detection of nanohertz gravitational waves, autonomous spacecraft...
In a recent Unsupervised Learning episode, Razib Khan interviews Washington University genetics professor Mike White about his lab’s work on the biophysical architecture of regulatory DNA. White’s interdisciplinary approach combines functional genomics, synthetic biology, computational biology and deep‑learning to predict...
