Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know … and then keeps on going. Host Noam Hassenfeld and... more
As the world gets warmer and storms get worse, insurance companies are jacking up rates — or refusing to cover... more
Doctors have started transplanting animal organs into people, hoping this experimental procedure could one day solve an organ shortage crisis... more
Scientists have lots of ways to try to answer that question, and lots of different predictions. So how do they... more
Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try anyway, putting his body — and specifically his... more
Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean. This “dark... more
For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook. Now, scientists are helping them reimagine how to find lost... more
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know... more
Our bodies are teeming with viruses. But some of them, called phages, might play a really important role in keeping... more
The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Our friends at... more
They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us... more
It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole. All we need to do to find out... more
Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch. Guest: Beth Linker, author of “Slouch: Posture Panic... more
People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals... more
Can a physicist predict our messy economy by building an enormous simulation of the entire world? For show transcripts, go to... more
Inflation is one of the most significant issues shaping the 2024 election. But how much can we actually do to... more
It’s hard to figure out the economic value of a wild bat or any other part of the natural world,... more
Seventy-five percent of the seafloor remains unmapped and unexplored, but the first few glimpses scientists have gotten of the ocean’s... more
If you just stood up and shouted, “It’s Mount Everest, duh!” then take a seat. Not only is Everest’s official... more
Way back when forests first evolved on Earth … they might have triggered one of the biggest mass extinctions in... more
From blood transfusions to enzyme boosters, our friends at Science Vs dive into the latest research on the search for... more
A snake. A shark. They got pregnant with no male involved. In fact, scientists are finding more and more species... more
Itch used to be understood as a mild form of pain, but scientists are learning this sense is more than... more
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question... more
A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a... more
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back. Our friends... more
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them. One... more
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world. Maybe it’s painting. Or writing. Or playing... more
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery. But researchers are hoping to use menstrual fluid to... more
Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists. Now, researchers are starting to suspect they might be sources... more
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we... more
They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great... more
Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines. But scientists think there might be another... more
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. This Valentine’s Day, we’re wondering: What makes our tears... more
Safety questions have haunted aspartame — the no-calorie sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other low-calorie products —... more
Can swearing make you stronger? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about... more
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through... more
Scientists didn’t think it was possible for life to thrive in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Then, they found some... more
Researchers planted microphones in a forest and walked away. Listening back could help heal rainforest ecosystems. For show transcripts, go to... more
What’s up with the weird golden egg at the bottom of the ocean? How do eggs actually choose sperm? Hit... more
The James Webb Space Telescope launched two years ago, giving scientists a new view into the early universe. Now, it's... more
An expedition to Antarctica. Strange seismic readings. Clues to uncover a hidden part of our planet. For show transcripts, go to... more
Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side. For show transcripts,... more
NASA is planning for humans to live on the moon by 2040. But how much space can the human body... more
Decades of studies suggest that eating ice cream reduces diabetes risk. Could ice cream be ... good for you? And... more
Data sleuths are working outside the system to keep science honest. But is there a better way to prevent scientific... more
Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem undeniably threatened by climate change. Can scientists breed a stronger coral for the future? For... more
This Halloween, we look at how technology is forcing us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And we look... more
Over the last few years, orcas have been targeting boats, often leaving them stranded at sea. Are these orcas trying... more
Our game show is back! This time, comedian Wyatt Cenac is in the hot seat in front of a live... more
Towering walls of water sometimes appear in the ocean without warning or apparent cause. What drives their terrifying power? For more,... more
What would an episode of Unexplainable have sounded like if it had been made in 100 CE? For more, go to... more
Can researchers decipher what people are thinking about just by looking at brain scans? With AI, they're getting closer. How... more
Something about modern life is leading to higher rates of nearsightedness across the world. What is it? To buy tickets to... more
At last year’s World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting... after the gun went off. Officials... more
Two scientists explain how AI might help us translate animal communication, and what we might learn from their squawks, chirps,... more
Sam Sanders, host of Vulture’s Into It podcast, is in the hot seat for a new episode of our game... more
Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago. But how did wolves become... more
In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, and it... more
AI can often solve problems in unexpected, undesirable ways. So how can we make sure it does what we want,... more
AI has the potential to impact our society in dramatic ways, but researchers can’t explain precisely how it works or... more
A dog on its owner’s grave. A killer whale carrying around its dead calf. A goose that isolates when its... more
Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves? This episode... more
The Indus Valley civilization was one of the largest, most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. But we barely know... more
Awe is what takes our breath away when we face a sky full of stars or listen to a moving... more
Many states have extremely punitive policies around cannabis and pregnancy. But researchers don't actually have great data on cannabis's harms. For... more
Caring for a child seems to change parents’ brains. But what does that actually mean for how parents think and... more
Fetuses leave cells behind in their parents' bodies, where they braid themselves into tissues, and remain, for years. What are... more
2023 has been a record-setting year for tornadoes, and these storms came with barely any warning. So to better understand... more
Scientists are hard at work trying to bring back woolly mammoths (and dodos). But should they? And what would they... more
We did a live show! We talked about how one of our favorite episodes came together and how we went... more
Studies suggesting trees communicate through an elaborate underground fungal network have captured imaginations. It’s a beautiful idea, but the fantasy... more
This week, we tackle three listener questions — on sleepwalking, deja vu, and Earth’s magnetic field. Next time, we could... more
Scientists are digging into what makes something funny. We compare their notes with comedians — including Atsuko Okatsuka, Josh Johnson,... more
For every definition of life, there’s a creature that sends us right back to the drawing board. This is the third... more
How did life on Earth start? To help answer that, researchers are trying to create some life for themselves. This is... more
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question... more
Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos? This episode originally ran on... more
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups. Burping or kissing can make... more
Last fall, a NASA spacecraft slammed into an asteroid to test a way to avert a disaster on Earth. So... more
Our houses are homes to hidden worlds of bugs. And the more ecologists explore those worlds, the more they realize... more
In the early 1900s, Henrietta Leavitt made one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy: a yardstick... more
In the temperate rainforests of Chile, there is a vine that can shapeshift to copy the look of other plants.... more
Our game show is back! This week, Avery Trufelman, host of the Articles of Interest podcast, tries to guess which... more
How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible... more
Back in January, we spoke to a scientist at the National Ignition Facility about how close they were to achieving... more
How do animals know how to do things like spin a web or build a dam? A neuroscientist argues it's... more
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. What makes our tears so special? For more, go to... more
NASA just launched the Artemis program, a series of missions that will eventually take humans back to the moon, and... more
A mountain, a tower, a thermos full of molten salt: These are the batteries that could power our renewable future. For... more
Death used to be fairly self-evident, but new technologies have forced us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And... more
Why do so many people think they can see and hear ghosts, and what does that say about our conscious... more
In the past few decades, the rate of food allergies in both children and adults has dramatically increased. What’s causing... more
On the first episode of Vox’s new podcast, The Gray Area, host Sean Illing talks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about... more
For the first time, we get some answers. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and... more
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through... more
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting ... after the gun went off.... more
This past July, a bombshell report in Science magazine suggested that a key Alzheimer’s study might have contained manipulated evidence.... more
One of the world’s most biodiverse aquifers is full of strange, blind creatures that have evolved in isolation for millions... more
They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us... more
There's an old story scientists tell about human ovaries: that they are ticking clocks that only lose eggs, never gain... more
Where eels come from is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, in large part because scientists have never actually seen... more
People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals... more
A lava planet, life on other worlds, the very first starlight in the universe — the most powerful space telescope... more
Millions of Americans take dietary supplements — everything from vitamins and minerals to weight loss pills and probiotics. But because... more
Venus is the hottest, scariest planet in the solar system, but billions of years ago it may have been a... more
Mars was once a very different planet, with rivers, lakes, and — potentially — life. NASA’s latest Mars rover is... more
In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, it's played... more
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we... more
Insect populations are shrinking all over the world, and entomologists are buzzing with questions: Why is this happening? How quickly?... more
A groundbreaking study claims to have found a way for a fully paralyzed person to communicate entirely via thought. Today,... more
Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves? For more,... more
What are the scientific, family, and privacy implications? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and... more
Octopuses are largely solitary animals, but there have been rare times — notably in the movie My Octopus Teacher —... more
Most deep-water creatures are bioluminescent. Marine biologist Edie Widder has spent the last 40 years trying to figure out why. For... more
In the 1920s, the scientist Werner Heisenberg came up with a wild idea that broke reality as Western science knew... more
Why stop at five senses? Just how much of the world can we perceive? And how much is out there... more
Close your eyes and try to imagine an apple. Can you see anything? Aphantasia is the inability to see with... more
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (a.k.a. the... more
Dogs can smell cancer, Covid-19, and many other health problems in humans. Now, scientists are trying to duplicate these powers... more
Doctors can save the lives of premature infants, but the process is often painful. Luckily, a solution might be as... more
In the same way optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. This raises a fundamental question:... more
Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as CO2 over the short term. So we could make a... more
Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s... more
What does it sound like on Mars? On Jupiter? Titan? This collaboration between the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz and the... more
Scientists are constantly searching for asteroids that could crash into Earth. But if they find one, will they be able... more
When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly... more
In 2017, researchers published an explosive finding: Sperm counts may be declining in some countries around the world. Media outlets... more
Scientists are closer than ever to harnessing fusion power — the same process that powers the sun — by essentially... more
Noam wrote an end-of-year song with Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram, so we thought to drop it here as a... more
Most of the matter in the universe is dark matter, an invisible, untouchable, mysterious substance. Scientists don’t know what exactly... more
In the same way optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. This raises a fundamental question: What is... more