Science, Spoken

Latest Episodes:

Vertical Farming Needs to Grow More Than Salad Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Indoor agriculture promises to massively reduce the water and land needed to support crops. But at the moment, it only works for a tiny percentage of foods.

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How to Use a Laser to Kick an Electron out of a Molecule Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

By firing pulses quintillionths of a second long, physicists study the fleeting motion of an electron leaving two bonded atoms.

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Turns Out Fighting Mosquitoes With Mosquitoes Actually Works Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

New evidence indicates that an effort to stamp out disease-carrying insects is working. The key? Mosquitoes genetically engineered to kill off their own kind.

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Tiny Aerosols Pose a Big Predicament in a Warming World Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Fossil fuels are rapidly heating the planet, but their aerosols also help cool it. Just how much, though, is a major uncertainty in climate science.

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NASA Will Not Change the James Webb Telescope's Name Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

The moniker, which honors a former agency administrator accused of enforcing anti-LGBTQ policies, has long been controversial.

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Your Phone Can Determine If a Bridge Is Busted Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Any smartphone in any car can pick up a span’s unique vibrations. Tracking how that changes over time reveals hidden structural problems.

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Europe’s Cities Are Getting More Crowded—That’s a Good Thing Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

The sprawling mass of suburbia has been a disaster for the environment. But now smaller, denser cities herald a renaissance in city living.

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No, Qatar’s World Cup Can’t Be Classed as Carbon-Neutral Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

Despite efforts to reduce emissions, the 2022 FIFA tournament is highly carbon-intensive. And its road to net-zero relies on questionable carbon credits.

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Countries Hit Hardest by Climate Change May Finally Get Their Due Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

After 30 years of talk about forcing wealthy polluters to compensate those bearing the brunt of climate damage, the COP27 conference seems poised to act.

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Brace Yourself for a Triple Wave of Seasonal Viruses Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Many people haven’t been exposed to common respiratory viruses following the pandemic, meaning they might be more vulnerable to getting ill this year.

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