Science, Spoken

Latest Episodes:

Sorry, Han Solo, Star Wars Don't Need No Stinking Directors Jun 28, 2017

Show notes

Of all the Star Wars tropes fans love—the scoundrels, the weird foods, the planets dominated by a single biome—the best one might just be the face-off. Not the battle itself, but the fermata beforehand: Two combatants, gazes locked on each other, knowing that it's about to go down. Most of the time, the ensuing struggle goes the way you want it to. This time, though, is not that time.

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Let’s Slice Open the Biggest Contemporary Art Museum in the US Jun 28, 2017

Show notes

Compared to the swooping architecture of other fine-art institutions, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (aka Mass MoCA) is a hulking, big-boned anomaly. “We don’t just collect art and hang it on white walls,” says director Joseph Thompson. The cavernous complex displays works that couldn’t fit anywhere else.

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Don't Fall for the 'Memory' Pills Targeting Baby Boomers Jun 26, 2017

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A Race to Develop Pollution Sensing Tech Plays Out in Oakland Jun 22, 2017

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Oh, Lovely: The Tick That Gives People Meat Allergies Is Spreading Jun 21, 2017

Show notes

First comes the unscratchable itching, and the angry blossoming of hives. Then stomach cramping, and—for the unluckiest few—difficulty breathing, passing out, and even death. In the last decade and a half, thousands of previously protein-loving Americans have developed a dangerous allergy to meat. And they all have one thing in common: the lone star tick. Red meat, you might be surprised to know, isn’t totally sugar-free.

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The 20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities in the World, From Malmö to Montreal Jun 21, 2017

Show notes

The return of the bicycle to the modern urban transport paradigm continues unabated. All over the world, citizens are rediscovering the benefits of cycling. Cities are responding by building the infrastructure to serve and keep them safe. This rush to increase cycling levels and improve the quality of city life is the greatest movement in global urbanism. Of course, not all cities are equal. Some charge ahead, while others lag.

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The Maker of the Most Iconic Chair Wants You to Stand Up Jun 20, 2017

Show notes

For nearly a century, Herman Miller built a business by getting people to sit down, introducing iconic objects like the Aeron Chair and the classic Eames Lounge. But the company's newest product, Live OS, suggests that maybe it’s time to stand up. Live OS is not a line of furniture, but a cloud platform that tracks how people make use of office space.

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This New Atari-Playing AI Wants to Dethrone DeepMind Jun 19, 2017

Show notes

Artificial intelligence is not a contact sport. Not yet, at least. Currently, algorithms mostly just compete to win old Atari games, or accomplish historic board gaming feats like pwning five human Go champions at once. These are just practice rounds, though, for the way more complicated (and practical) goal of teaching robots how to navigate human environments. But first, more Atari! Vicarious, an AI company, has developed a new AI that is absolutely slammin' at Breakout, the paddle vs.

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With Breast Cancer, the Best Treatment May Be No Treatment Jun 16, 2017

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Meet the 89-Year-Old Reinventing the Train in His Backyard Jun 15, 2017

Show notes

On a clear, sunny day at a vineyard in the northern California town of Ukiah, a most unusual train chugs through a field of barely budding syrah grapes. Well, it doesn't chug so much as whoosh because this train—actually, a one-sixth scale train—doesn't rely upon a diesel engine or electricity to get around. It uses vacuum power and heavy duty magnets. The 89-year-old man who built it believes it could change how the world moves.

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