TopPodcast.com
Menu
  • Home
  • Top Charts
  • Top Networks
  • Top Apps
  • Top Independents
  • Top Podfluencers
  • Top Picks
    • Top Business Podcasts
    • Top True Crime Podcasts
    • Top Finance Podcasts
    • Top Comedy Podcasts
    • Top Music Podcasts
    • Top Womens Podcasts
    • Top Kids Podcasts
    • Top Sports Podcasts
    • Top News Podcasts
    • Top Tech Podcasts
    • Top Crypto Podcasts
    • Top Entrepreneurial Podcasts
    • Top Fantasy Sports Podcasts
    • Top Political Podcasts
    • Top Science Podcasts
    • Top Self Help Podcasts
    • Top Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Top Stocks Podcasts
  • Podcast News
  • About Us
  • Podcast Advertising
  • Contact
Not in our directory?
Add Show Here
Podcast Equipment
Center

toppodcastlogoOur TOPPODCAST Picks

  • Comedy
  • Crypto
  • Sports
  • News
  • Politics
  • True Crime
  • Business
  • Finance

Follow Us

toppodcastlogoStay Connected

    View Top 200 Chart
    Back to Rankings Page
    Science

    PNAS Science Sessions

    Welcome to Science Sessions, the PNAS podcast program. Listen to brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today’s scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in PNAS, plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    Advertise
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify

    Latest Episodes:
    AI in scholarly publishing May 04, 2026
    Show notes

    Generative AI and scientific journals

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Yi Bu explores how generative AI has changed academic publishing.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:50] Computational social scientist Yi Bu tells about the policies academic journals have introduced to address generative AI. •[02:17] Bu describes the dataset he analyzed and his findings regarding journals' policies. •[04:07] He answers the question: Did journal policies have any effect on AI usage? •[05:39] Bu talks about how the rate of AI disclosure compares with estimates of probable AI use. •[06:53] He explains the takeaway for journal editors and the scientific community at large. •[07:27] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:11] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Yi Bu Assistant Professor Peking University

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2526734123

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Genomic history of the Golden Horde Apr 20, 2026
    Show notes

    Genomics of the Golden Horde

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Ayken Askapuli explains genomic insights into the ancestors and descendants of the Golden Horde.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Population geneticist Ayken Askapuli introduces the Golden Horde. •[02:01] He describes the individuals in the mausoleums whose DNA the team sampled. •[04:11] Askapuli explains findings about the modern populations the Golden Horde individuals were related to. •[05:08] He then explains findings about the Y chromosome characteristics of the Golden Horde individuals. •[06:14] Askapuli talks about what the results say about the ancestry of the Golden Horde. •[06:48] He describes how the results aid understanding of population genetics in central Eurasia. •[08:10] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:53] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Ayken Askapuli PhD candidate University of Wisconsin-Madison

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2531003123

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Concrete and carbon uptake Apr 06, 2026
    Show notes

    How much carbon dioxide concrete can absorb

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Hessam Azarijafari explains the extent to which concrete can absorb carbon dioxide over its lifecycle.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Construction engineer Hessam Azarijafari introduces us to the recipe for concrete. •[01:41] He explains how concrete absorbs carbon dioxide throughout its lifespan, and why this absorption is important. •[02:52] Azarijafari talks about the background of the study. •[03:45] He describes the model built for the study and the data source. •[05:59] Azarijafari tells the study's results, including variation in absorption across sectors and between the US and Mexico. •[07:41] He compares this analysis with previous estimates of concrete carbon absorption. •[08:25] He explains the takeaways from this study for policymakers and the concrete industry. •[09:36] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:19] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Hessam Azarijafari Research Scientist Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2515116122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Reconstructing extinct species' sense of smell Mar 23, 2026
    Show notes

    Determining how well extinct animals could smell

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Quentin Martinez describes a reconstruction of olfactory capabilities in extinct mammals.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:14] Evolutionary biologist Quentin Martinez tell why we want to reconstruct olfaction in extinct animals. •[02:35] He introduces the olfactory bulb endocast, or space within the skull that contained the olfactory bulb, and explains why it's important in evaluating olfaction in extinct animals. •[04:24] Martinez talks about studying the genomics of chemoreceptor genes, in addition to the bony structure of the olfactory bulb endocast. •[05:23] He tells about the results of the study. •[07:46] Martinez lists possible insights from reconstructing extinct animals' olfaction. •[08:53] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:16] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Quentin Martinez Postdoctoral researcher Natural History Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510575122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    The hidden costs of AI Feb 23, 2026
    Show notes

    Hidden sustainability costs of AI

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, researchers describe the sustainability impact of AI data centers.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:20] Bronis de Supinski describes how the energy demands of AI data centers have increased in recent years and why improvements in data center energy efficiency will not necessarily reduce total energy expenditures •[03:08] Eric Masanet explains the difficulty of tracking and projecting the energy usage of AI data centers. •[05:12] Shaolei Ren describes the water usage and air pollution associated with AI data centers. •[07:30] Tevfik Kosar explains how AI might be leveraged as a tool to help address climate change and sustainability challenges. •[09:00] Final thoughts and conclusion.

    About Our Guests: Bronis de Supinski Chief Technology Officer Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

    Eric Masanet Professor University of California Santa Barbara Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

    Shaolei Ren Associate Professor University of California Riverside

    Tevfik Kosar Professor University at Buffalo

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    How mosquitoes time their bites Feb 09, 2026
    Show notes

    Molecular regulation of mosquito biting timing

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Laura Duvall introduces a potential pathway for disrupting the biting behavior of mosquitoes.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:57] Mosquito neuroscientist Laura Duvall introduces us to the normal biting behavior of mosquitoes. •[02:46] She tells why the biting behavior of the Aedes aegypti mosquito is of particular interest. •[03:24] Duvall describes findings regarding how mosquitoes' responses to CO2 vary over times of day. •[05:37] She introduces the PDF peptide that might be regulating timing of biting behavior and explains how losing that peptide changed mosquitoes' behavior. •[08:07] Duvall talks about the takeaways from the study for control of mosquito-borne illnesses. •[08:53] She lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:26] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Laura Duvall Assistant Professor Columbia University

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2520826122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Impact of flu vaccines on hospital burden Jan 26, 2026
    Show notes

    How well flu vaccines protect public health

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Lauren Meyers explains what the 2022-2023 influenza season taught us about the effectiveness of flu vaccines.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:16] Computational epidemiologist Lauren Meyers introduces the health and hospitalization burden of seasonal influenza. •[01:47] She defines vaccine effectiveness. •[02:37] Meyers describes the features of the 2022-2023 flu season. •[04:05] She describes how the researchers estimated the hospitalizations prevented by vaccination. •[05:11] Meyers tells how vaccination of young adults protected adults over 65 years of age. •[06:56] She describes the takeaways of the study for future flu seasons. •[08:08] Meyers lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:49] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Lauren Meyers Professor University of Texas at Austin

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2505175122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Secrets of Earth's climate in six-million-year-old ice Jan 12, 2026
    Show notes

    Air quality and pet health

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, Sarah Shackleton shares climate lessons learned from 6 million-year-old ice.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Paleoclimate and ice scientist Sarah Shackleton introduces the information researchers can glean from ice cores. •[02:02] She recounts the age extent of previous ice cores. •[03:03] Shackleton describes the Allan Hills Ice Area. •[04:35] She describes the method for ascertaining the age of air in an ice core. •[05:49] She explains the results of the study and the insights into the climate in Antarctica over the last 6 million years. •[06:32] Shackleton talks about the ice at the base of the core, and the research implications of the study. •[08:13] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:11] Conclusion.

    About Our Guest:

    Sarah Shackleton Assistant scientist Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2502681122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    China, ascendent Dec 29, 2025
    Show notes

    China's science leadership

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, James Evans explains how and why China's leadership in global science is rising.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:56] Social and complex systems scientist James Evans recounts the recent history of the trajectories of science in the U.S. and in China. •[01:50] He explains how to measure a country's scientific leadership and introduces the data sources used in the study. •[04:18] Evans tells the results of the study, and talks about some areas of science in which China's leadership has particularly advanced. •[06:20] He lists the key takeaways from the study for policymakers and the benefits of global science engagement. •[08:47] Evans talks about the caveats and limitations of the work. •[09:54] Conclusion

    About Our Guest:

    James Evans Max Plofsky Professor of Sociology and Data Science University of Chicago

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2414893122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Genetic history of dog domestication Dec 08, 2025
    Show notes

    Genetic history of dog domestication

    Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

    In this episode, researchers explore the impact of domestication on dog genetics and behavior.

    In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:00] Greger Larson explains how the history of gene flow between dogs and their wild relatives differs from what we know about other domestic species. •[02:38] Audrey Lin finds that low levels of wolf ancestry are found in almost two thirds of dog breeds. •[04:18] Linus Girdland Flink documents evidence of two genetic wolves on a remote Scandinavian island that may have been under human control. •[06:13] Clément Car explores how the mating systems of free-ranging village dogs could provide insight into canine domestication •[07:43] Katia Bougiouri explains how she used a statistical method to improve ancient genomes and what her results reveal about the history of inbreeding in dogs. •[09:21] Lachie Scarsbrook explains how he used museum specimens to reconstruct the history of inbreeding in German Shepherd Dogs. •[11:10] Eleanor Raffan analyzes genetic data and owner-submitted behavioral questionaries from 1,343 golden retrievers. •[12:54] Kathryn Lord finds that genetic testing cannot accurately predict canine behaviors. •[14:25] Final thoughts and conclusion.

    About Our Guest: Greger Larson Professor University of Oxford

    Audrey Lin Gerstner Postdoctoral Scholar American Museum of Natural History

    Linus Girdland Flink Lecturer University of Aberdeen

    Clément Car Postdoctoral Researcher University of Gdańsk

    Katia Bougiouri Postdoctoral Researcher University of Copenhagen

    Lachie Scarsbrook Postdoctoral Researcher University of Oxford, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

    Eleanor Raffan University Associate Professor University of Cambridge

    Kathryn Lord Postdoctoral fellow University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

    View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2528616122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421768122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421759122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421756122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2416980122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421755122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421757122 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421752122

    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

    Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast

    Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


    Previous 1 2 3 4 43 Next

    Related Podcasts

    Invisibilia

    1

    Invisibilia Personal Journals
    Hidden Brain – Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    2

    Hidden Brain – Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam Science
    How To Do Everything

    3

    How To Do Everything Science
    Hidden Brain

    4

    Hidden Brain Games & Hobbies
    Something You Should Know

    5

    Something You Should Know Education
    Sword and Scale – Sword and Scale

    6

    Sword and Scale – Sword and Scale Alternative Health
    footer-logo

    Contact Us

    Toll Free: 844-670-7747

    Links

    • Home
    • Top Charts
    • Networks
    • Apps
    • Independents Podcasts
    • Podcast Advertising
    • Podcast News
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Analytics & Insights

    Stay Connected

      Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights