Science, Spoken

Latest Episodes:

Your Brain Prefers Happy Endings. That’s Not Always Smart Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

People tend to focus on whether an experience ends on an up note or a sour one, even if it leads us to make bad decisions. A new study examines why.

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Can Placebos Work—Even When Patients Know They’re Fake? Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Researchers showed that a saline spray “treatment” reduced people’s emotional distress, even though the study subjects knew the spray wouldn’t do anything.

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The Case for Reviving the Civilian Conservation Corps Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

If the US brought back the Great Depression’s massive worker program, it could put millions of Americans back to work—and help stave off disasters like wildfires.

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How the Venus Flytrap ‘Remembers’ When It Captures Prey Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

The carnivorous plant is believed to have something akin to a short-term "memory." A team of scientists has uncovered new details on how it works.

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How the Venus Flytrap ‘Remembers’ When It Captures Prey Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

The carnivorous plant is believed to have something akin to a short-term "memory." A team of scientists has uncovered new details on how it works.

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Uh-Oh. Russia's Laptev Sea Should Have Started to Freeze by Now Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Normally, the 'birthplace of ice' freezes by late October. For the first time in recorded history, it hasn't. That could have knock-on effects across the Arctic.

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There May Be Far More Water on the Moon Than NASA Thought Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

A new pair of studies reveals that the resource isn’t limited to large shadowy craters. That's good news for the upcoming crewed missions.

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How the ‘Diabolical’ Beetle Survives Being Run Over by a Car Oct 27, 2020

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The puny insect can withstand forces 39,000 times its body weight. Scientists just discovered its super-strength secret—which could inspire new materials.

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Want Some Eco-Friendly Tips? A New Study Says No, You Don’t Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

Nagging, giving unsolicited advice, and “ecopiety” are out. But there are better ways to get people to adopt green habits.

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The Preexisting Conditions of the Coronavirus Pandemic Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

An enormous new data set peers into the health of the world’s population before 2020—and how the coronavirus turned that into a global disaster.

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