Unexplainable

Why are there lefties and righties? Nov 13, 2024

This week on Unexplainable or Not, we’ve got three scientific mysteries all about left and right. Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s new podcast Explain It to Me, is going to guess which of them has been solved and which ones are still unexplainable.

Guest: S. Furkan Ozturk, researcher at Harvard University

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Placebos work. Why? Nov 06, 2024

For decades, scientists thought that placebos only worked if patients didn’t know they were taking them. Not anymore: You can give patients placebos, tell them they’re on sugar pills, and they still might feel better. No one is sure how this works, but it raises a question: Should doctors embrace placebos in mainstream medicine? (First published in 2021.)

Guests: Ted Kaptchuk, professor at Harvard Medical School; Darwin Guevarra, professor of psychology at Miami University; Luana Colloca, professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing

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Why is horror so fun? Oct 30, 2024

It makes sense that we run away from scary things. That’s a good way to stay alive. But why do some people also love scary things? Why do people gravitate toward horror?

Guests: Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen, co-directors of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University

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Are psychedelics breaking science? Oct 23, 2024

Drugs like ecstasy and mushrooms have shown promise as mental health treatments, but they’re also exposing some major cracks in how scientists study the brain.

Guests: Jonathan Lambert, science journalist; Boris Heifets, professor at Stanford University of Medicine; Amy Mcguire, professor at Baylor College of Medicine

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Your gut’s feelings Oct 16, 2024

How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible to harness this gut power? (First published in 2022)

Guests: Michael Gershon, professor of pathology at Columbia University; and Katerina Johnson, microbiome researcher at Oxford University

For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts

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Is insurance doomed? Oct 09, 2024

As the world gets warmer and storms get worse, insurance companies are jacking up rates — or refusing to cover homeowners altogether. Is the future uninsurable?

Guests: Umair Irfan, correspondent at Vox; Karen Clark, co-founder and CEO of Karen Clark & Company; Joe Skuba, VP at The Gray Insurance Company; and Carolyn Kousky, Associate VP at Environmental Defense Fund

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My animal heart Oct 02, 2024

Doctors have started transplanting animal organs into people, hoping this experimental procedure could one day solve an organ shortage crisis that kills 17 Americans every day. Is this really the solution?

Guests: Muhammad Mohiuddin, professor of surgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine; L. Syd Johnson, professor of clinical bioethics at SUNY Upstate Medical University

For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts

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How hot could the world get? Sep 25, 2024

Scientists have lots of ways to try to answer that question, and lots of different predictions. So how do they figure out one set of numbers we can all work with?

Guests: Umair Irfan, correspondent at Vox; Zeke Hausfather, climate scientist at The Breakthrough Institute; Neil Swart, research scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis

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Should you be eating poison oak? Sep 18, 2024

Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Is it possible to build up a tolerance to poison oak by eating it?

Guest: Jeff Horwitz, reporter at the Wall Street Journal; and Mahmoud ElSohly, professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Mississippi

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Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history Sep 11, 2024

Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean. This “dark oxygen” could fundamentally change the story we tell of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe.

Guest: Alycia Smith, ecologist at Heriot-Watt University

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You're lost in the wilderness. Now what? Aug 28, 2024

For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook. Now, scientists are helping them reimagine how to find lost people.

Guests: Robert Koester, author of Lost Person Behavior, and Paul Doherty, search and rescue researcher

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Viral dark matter Aug 21, 2024

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know anything about the bacteria-eating viruses all around us. (First published in 2021)

Guest: Nicola Twilley, host of Gastropod

For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts

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The good virus Aug 14, 2024

Our bodies are teeming with viruses. But some of them, called phages, might play a really important role in keeping us healthy.

Guest: Tom Ireland, author of The Good Virus

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Ecstasy therapy Aug 07, 2024

The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Our friends at Today, Explained explore what this kind of therapy looks like, and why it’s so controversial.

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What did dinosaurs sound like? Jul 31, 2024

They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us re-create these strange, extinct sounds. (First published in 2022)

Guests: Michael Habib, professor at UCLA, Julia Clarke, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and Jonny Crew, sound designer at Wounded Buffalo

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Do we live inside an enormous black hole? Jul 24, 2024

It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole. All we need to do to find out is … build a gigantic particle collider around the moon.

Guest: James Beacham, particle physicist at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN

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Is good posture actually good? Jul 17, 2024

Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch.

Guest: Beth Linker, author of “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America”

For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts

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Why do we yawn? Jul 10, 2024

People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals yawn? … And why does reading this paragraph make you more likely to yawn? (Updated from 2022)

Guest: Dr. Andrew Gallup

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Embracing economic chaos Jul 03, 2024

Can a physicist predict our messy economy by building an enormous simulation of the entire world?

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We still don’t really know how inflation works Jun 26, 2024

Inflation is one of the most significant issues shaping the 2024 election. But how much can we actually do to control it?

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Can you put a price on nature? Jun 19, 2024

It’s hard to figure out the economic value of a wild bat or any other part of the natural world, but some scientists argue that this kind of calculation could help protect our environment.

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The deepest spot in the ocean Jun 12, 2024

Seventy-five percent of the seafloor remains unmapped and unexplored, but the first few glimpses scientists have gotten of the ocean’s depths have completely revolutionized our understanding of the planet.

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What’s the tallest mountain in the world? Jun 05, 2024

If you just stood up and shouted, “It’s Mount Everest, duh!” then take a seat. Not only is Everest’s official height constantly changing, but three other mountains might actually be king of the hill.

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Did trees kill the world? May 22, 2024

Way back when forests first evolved on Earth … they might have triggered one of the biggest mass extinctions in the history of the planet. What can we learn from this ancient climate apocalypse?

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Can we stop aging? May 15, 2024

From blood transfusions to enzyme boosters, our friends at Science Vs dive into the latest research on the search for the fountain of youth.

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Who's the daddy? There isn't one. May 08, 2024

A snake. A shark. They got pregnant with no male involved. In fact, scientists are finding more and more species that can reproduce on their own. What’s going on?

Note: We mention that a stingray named Charlotte might be pregnant via parthenogenesis. It has since been announced that she was not pregnant, but ill.

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Itch hunt May 01, 2024

Itch used to be understood as a mild form of pain, but scientists are learning this sense is more than just skin deep. How deep does it go?

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How did Earth get its water? Apr 24, 2024

Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an even bigger mystery: “Why are we here?” (Updated from 2023)

For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts

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Vox is also currently running a series called Home Planet, which is all about celebrating Earth in the face of climate change: vox.com/homeplanet

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Is Earth alive? Apr 17, 2024

A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of? Is that forest alive? And what about the planet that forest grows on? Is Earth alive? Science writer Ferris Jabr says: Yes.

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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The alpha myth Apr 10, 2024

The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back. Our friends over at Pablo Torre Finds Out try to uncover how science got it wrong.

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The eclipse chasers Apr 03, 2024

Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them. One possible way forward? Chasing eclipses.

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The Yips Mar 27, 2024

Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world. Maybe it’s painting. Or writing. Or playing the piano. Now imagine you wake up one day and you just can’t do it. You’re not sick. You’re not injured. But that one thing is impossible.

It’s called the yips, and even the most talented people in the world experience it. What could cause them to lose their superpowers? And is there anything they can do to get them back?

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

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The bleeding edge, part two Mar 20, 2024

Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery. But researchers are hoping to use menstrual fluid to make detecting the condition much easier.

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The bleeding edge Mar 13, 2024

Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists. Now, researchers are starting to suspect they might be sources of medical treasure.

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Aliens from Earth? Mar 06, 2024

Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we know? (Updated from 2022)

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How scientists are searching for aliens Feb 28, 2024

They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler.

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A universal virus-killer? Feb 21, 2024

Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines. But scientists think there might be another solution to fighting these diseases, one that harnesses the power of light.

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Why do we cry? Feb 14, 2024

Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. This Valentine’s Day, we’re wondering: What makes our tears so special? (Updated from 2022)

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Should you quit Diet Coke? Feb 07, 2024

Safety questions have haunted aspartame — the no-calorie sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other low-calorie products — since its invention. Some answers exist, but should we trust them if they were influenced by the beverage industry?

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

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The case for cursing Jan 31, 2024

Can swearing make you stronger?

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The math problem that could break the internet Jan 24, 2024

Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace. But could all these locks be broken? (Updated from 2022)

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Garbage patch kids Jan 17, 2024

Scientists didn’t think it was possible for life to thrive in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Then, they found some anemones ... and some huge questions about entire new ecosystems built on plastic.

If you want to hear more about plastic in the ocean, we have another episode about how 99% of ocean plastic is missing: http://bit.ly/3HnW9b2

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A stethoscope for the rainforest Jan 10, 2024

Researchers planted microphones in a forest and walked away. Listening back could help heal rainforest ecosystems.

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Jan 03, 2024

What’s up with the weird golden egg at the bottom of the ocean? How do eggs actually choose sperm? Hit sports podcast host Pablo Torre tries to guess which of these mysteries has actually been solved on our latest episode of Unexplainable or Not.

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Something weird near the beginning of time Dec 20, 2023

The James Webb Space Telescope launched two years ago, giving scientists a new view into the early universe. Now, it's revealed a big new cosmic mystery.

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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The tallest mountains on Earth are ... underground? Dec 13, 2023

An expedition to Antarctica. Strange seismic readings. Clues to uncover a hidden part of our planet.

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Weaponizing uncertainty Dec 06, 2023

Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side.

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Can we live in space? Nov 29, 2023

NASA is planning for humans to live on the moon by 2040. But how much space can the human body handle? (Updated from 2022)

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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The ice cream effect Nov 15, 2023

Decades of studies suggest that eating ice cream reduces diabetes risk. Could ice cream be ... good for you? And what does “good for you” mean?

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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The data vigilantes Nov 08, 2023

Data sleuths are working outside the system to keep science honest. But is there a better way to prevent scientific misconduct and fraud?

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Trouble on Pickles Reef Nov 01, 2023

Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem undeniably threatened by climate change. Can scientists breed a stronger coral for the future?

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Redefining death Oct 25, 2023

This Halloween, we look at how technology is forcing us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And we look into research that is raising a further question: Could death someday be reversible?

This episode originally ran on November 22, 2022.

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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The Orcanizing Oct 18, 2023

Over the last few years, orcas have been targeting boats, often leaving them stranded at sea. Are these orcas trying to attack humans, or is there something more mysterious going on?

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Unexplainable or Not with Wyatt Cenac Oct 04, 2023

Our game show is back! This time, comedian Wyatt Cenac is in the hot seat in front of a live audience. Can he guess which climate mystery has been solved and which ones are still unexplainable?

For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts

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Rogue waves Sep 27, 2023

Towering walls of water sometimes appear in the ocean without warning or apparent cause. What drives their terrifying power?

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Does garlic break magnets? Sep 20, 2023

What would an episode of Unexplainable have sounded like if it had been made in 100 CE?

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How to decode a thought Sep 13, 2023

Can researchers decipher what people are thinking about just by looking at brain scans? With AI, they're getting closer. How far can they go, and what does it mean for privacy?

To buy tickets to our upcoming live show in New York, go to http://vox.com/unexplainablelive

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It’s getting harder to see Aug 30, 2023

Something about modern life is leading to higher rates of nearsightedness across the world. What is it?

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Jumping the gun Aug 23, 2023

At last year’s World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting... after the gun went off. Officials said she started faster than humanly possible. How can that be?

This episode originally ran on June 15, 2022.

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Can we talk to animals? Aug 16, 2023

Two scientists explain how AI might help us translate animal communication, and what we might learn from their squawks, chirps, songs, and chatter. This episode was recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

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Unexplainable or Not: Beach day! Aug 09, 2023

Sam Sanders, host of Vulture’s Into It podcast, is in the hot seat for a new episode of our game show. Can he guess which sandy mystery has been solved and which ones are still unexplainable?

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Who let the wolves in? Aug 02, 2023

Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago. But how did wolves become dogs? To find the answer, scientists have to play with a lot of puppies.

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Why do we have a moon? Jul 26, 2023

In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, and it has played a huge role in shaping our planet. But how did we get it? Every possible story points to cataclysm.

This episode originally ran on June 15, 2022. It is part of our Lost Worlds series exploring scientific mysteries buried in the deep past.

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The Black Box: In AI we trust? Jul 19, 2023

AI can often solve problems in unexpected, undesirable ways. So how can we make sure it does what we want, the way we want? And what happens if we can’t?

This is the second episode of our new two-part series, The Black Box.

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The Black Box: Even AI’s creators don’t understand it Jul 12, 2023

AI has the potential to impact our society in dramatic ways, but researchers can’t explain precisely how it works or how it might evolve. Will they ever understand it?

This is the first episode of our new two-part series, The Black Box.

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Do animals grieve? Jun 28, 2023

A dog on its owner’s grave. A killer whale carrying around its dead calf. A goose that isolates when its mate dies. These behaviors in animals may look like human mourning, but should scientists call them "grief?"

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

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Jennifer Vonk's research study on pet cats reactions to the death of companion animals can be found here.

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Why do we dream? Jun 21, 2023

Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves?

This episode originally ran on April 12, 2022.

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Cracking the Indus code Jun 14, 2023

The Indus Valley civilization was one of the largest, most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. But we barely know anything about them, in large part because we haven’t been able to decipher the cryptic symbols they left behind.

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Awestruck Jun 07, 2023

Awe is what takes our breath away when we face a sky full of stars or listen to a moving piece of music. But scientists are still trying to pin down why we feel such a powerful emotion, and whether it’s possible to cultivate more of it in our lives.

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Expecting: Weed and pregnancy May 24, 2023

Many states have extremely punitive policies around cannabis and pregnancy. But researchers don't actually have great data on cannabis's harms.

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Expecting: Baby brain May 17, 2023

Caring for a child seems to change parents’ brains. But what does that actually mean for how parents think and experience the world?

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Expecting: Pregnancy souvenirs May 10, 2023

Fetuses leave cells behind in their parents' bodies, where they braid themselves into tissues, and remain, for years. What are they doing in there?

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The tornado problem May 03, 2023

2023 has been a record-setting year for tornadoes, and these storms came with barely any warning. So to better understand tornadoes, scientists might need to confront more of these storms head-on.

This episode originally ran on July 12, 2021.

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How to resurrect a mammoth Apr 26, 2023

Scientists are hard at work trying to bring back woolly mammoths (and dodos). But should they? And what would they actually be bringing back?

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Live show, dead dinosaurs Apr 19, 2023

We did a live show! We talked about how one of our favorite episodes came together and how we went about creating (somewhat) accurate dinosaur sounds.

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Talking trees Apr 12, 2023

Studies suggesting trees communicate through an elaborate underground fungal network have captured imaginations. It’s a beautiful idea, but the fantasy may have gotten ahead of the science.

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Your questions, unexplained Apr 05, 2023

This week, we tackle three listener questions — on sleepwalking, deja vu, and Earth’s magnetic field. Next time, we could be (not) answering yours. Email us at unexplainable@vox.com, or fill out this form.

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What's so funny? Mar 22, 2023

Scientists are digging into what makes something funny. We compare their notes with comedians — including Atsuko Okatsuka, Josh Johnson, Dulcé Sloan, and Chris Fleming.

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Origins: The meaning of “life” Mar 15, 2023

For every definition of life, there’s a creature that sends us right back to the drawing board.

This is the third episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and boundaries of life on Earth.

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Origins: The first living thing Mar 08, 2023

How did life on Earth start? To help answer that, researchers are trying to create some life for themselves.

This is the second episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and boundaries of life on Earth.

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Origins: How did Earth get its water? Mar 01, 2023

Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an even bigger mystery: “Why are we here?”

This is the first episode in our new three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and boundaries of life on Earth.

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What is love? Feb 15, 2023

Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos?

This episode originally ran on February 9, 2022.

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Why we hiccup Feb 08, 2023

Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups. Burping or kissing can make them stop. Um, what?

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We booped an asteroid Feb 01, 2023

Last fall, a NASA spacecraft slammed into an asteroid to test a way to avert a disaster on Earth. So are we safe now?

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Your creepy, crawly roommates Jan 25, 2023

Our houses are homes to hidden worlds of bugs. And the more ecologists explore those worlds, the more they realize that some of our tiny roommates actually have a lot to teach us.

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Henrietta Leavitt and the end of the universe Jan 18, 2023

In the early 1900s, Henrietta Leavitt made one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy: a yardstick to measure distances to faraway stars. Using this tool, scientists eventually transformed our understanding of the universe. They realized space was expanding, that this expansion was accelerating, and that ultimately, everything will end.

This episode originally ran on June 30, 2021.

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Plants with eyes? Jan 11, 2023

In the temperate rainforests of Chile, there is a vine that can shapeshift to copy the look of other plants. But how? Can it... see them? Or is something weirder happening?

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Unexplainable or Not: Bikes, planes, ice skates Jan 04, 2023

Our game show is back! This week, Avery Trufelman, host of the Articles of Interest podcast, tries to guess which of these three mysteries of movement have been solved and which are still unexplainable.

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Your gut's feelings Dec 21, 2022

How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible to harness this gut power?

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Nuclear fusion breaks through Dec 14, 2022

Back in January, we spoke to a scientist at the National Ignition Facility about how close they were to achieving what’s been called “one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century.” This week, they announced they’ve finally done it.

A version of this episode originally ran on January 5, 2022.

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Basic instinct Dec 07, 2022

How do animals know how to do things like spin a web or build a dam? A neuroscientist argues it's not “instinct.” Something bigger is going on.

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Why we cry Nov 30, 2022

Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. What makes our tears so special?

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Can we live in space? Nov 16, 2022

NASA just launched the Artemis program, a series of missions that will eventually take humans back to the moon, and beyond. But can humans actually survive in space long-term?

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Holding on to power Nov 09, 2022

A mountain, a tower, a thermos full of molten salt: These are the batteries that could power our renewable future.

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Redefining death Nov 02, 2022

Death used to be fairly self-evident, but new technologies have forced us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And now, new research is raising a further question: Could death someday be reversible?

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Talking to ghosts Oct 26, 2022

Why do so many people think they can see and hear ghosts, and what does that say about our conscious experience of the world? This episode originally ran on October 27, 2021.

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Why is everyone getting food allergies? Oct 19, 2022

In the past few decades, the rate of food allergies in both children and adults has dramatically increased. What’s causing this rise, and what can we do about it?

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Introducing The Gray Area Oct 15, 2022

On the first episode of Vox’s new podcast, The Gray Area, host Sean Illing talks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the limits of both politics and science.

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Let’s play Unexplainable or Not Oct 05, 2022

For the first time, we get some answers.

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The math problem that could break the internet Sep 28, 2022

Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace. But could all these locks be broken?

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Jumping the gun Sep 21, 2022

At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting ... after the gun went off. Officials said she started faster than humanly possible. How can that be?

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An Alzheimer's uproar Sep 14, 2022

This past July, a bombshell report in Science magazine suggested that a key Alzheimer’s study might have contained manipulated evidence. What does this mean for over a decade's worth of research? And where does the field go from here?

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Salamander search party Aug 31, 2022

One of the world’s most biodiverse aquifers is full of strange, blind creatures that have evolved in isolation for millions of years. But one is missing.

This episode was reported by Benji Jones and Mandy Nguyen, who produced the episode. Editing from Meradith Hoddinott, Katherine Wells, Brian Resnick, and Noam Hassenfeld, who scored the episode. Mixing and sound design from Cristian Ayala. Fact-checking from Richard Sima.

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What did dinosaurs sound like? Aug 24, 2022

They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us recreate these strange, extinct sounds.

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Can ovaries make new eggs? Aug 17, 2022

There's an old story scientists tell about human ovaries: that they are ticking clocks that only lose eggs, never gain them. Now that story might be changing, opening the door to new treatments for infertility and menopause.

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Will the eel (slim, shady) please have sex? Aug 10, 2022

Where eels come from is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, in large part because scientists have never actually seen them reproduce in the wild. Gastropod explains why eels are somehow still so mysterious.

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Yawn baby yawn Jul 27, 2022

People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals yawn? … And why does reading this paragraph make you more likely to yawn?

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What’s the James Webb telescope searching for? Jul 20, 2022

A lava planet, life on other worlds, the very first starlight in the universe — the most powerful space telescope ever built is ready to reveal many mysteries of the cosmos.

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Vitamin X Jul 13, 2022

Millions of Americans take dietary supplements — everything from vitamins and minerals to weight loss pills and probiotics. But because supplements are loosely regulated in the US, their makers don't have to prove that they work, or even that they are safe.

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Lost Worlds: What killed Venus? Jun 29, 2022

Venus is the hottest, scariest planet in the solar system, but billions of years ago it may have been a lot like Earth, complete with an ocean of water. So, how did Venus go to hell? And could Earth be next?

This is the final episode of our four-part series, Lost Worlds, and it originally ran on December 1, 2021.

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Lost Worlds: Life on Mars? Jun 22, 2022

Mars was once a very different planet, with rivers, lakes, and — potentially — life. NASA’s latest Mars rover is on a mission to find traces of past life. What happens if it does?

This is the third episode of our new four-part series, Lost Worlds.

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Lost Worlds: Why do we have a moon? Jun 15, 2022

In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, it's played a huge role in shaping our planet. But how did we get it? Every possible story points to cataclysm.

This is the second episode of our new four-part series, Lost Worlds.

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Lost Worlds: Aliens from Earth? Jun 08, 2022

Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we know?

This is the first episode of our new four-part series, Lost Worlds.

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Dropping like flies May 25, 2022

Insect populations are shrinking all over the world, and entomologists are buzzing with questions: Why is this happening? How quickly? And, most concerningly, what does it mean for food supplies or even life as we know it?

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Is telepathy real? May 18, 2022

A groundbreaking study claims to have found a way for a fully paralyzed person to communicate entirely via thought. Today, Explained breaks down the science and asks: Is it too good to be true?

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Why do we dream? May 11, 2022

Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves?

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Should I take a DNA ancestry test? May 04, 2022

What are the scientific, family, and privacy implications?

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My octopus friend? Apr 27, 2022

Octopuses are largely solitary animals, but there have been rare times — notably in the movie My Octopus Teacher — where they seem to have become comfortable around humans. But is it really possible to be friends with an octopus?

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Glow in the dark ocean Apr 20, 2022

Most deep-water creatures are bioluminescent. Marine biologist Edie Widder has spent the last 40 years trying to figure out why.

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When reality broke Apr 13, 2022

In the 1920s, the scientist Werner Heisenberg came up with a wild idea that broke reality as Western science knew it. And it's still unsettling to think about. Benjamin Labatut's recent book, When We Cease to Understand the World, makes readers feel the aftershocks of the revelation, asking, "What's real?"

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Making Sense: The sixth sense Apr 06, 2022

Why stop at five senses? Just how much of the world can we perceive? And how much is out there that’s still out of reach, hiding in the dark?

This is the sixth and final episode of our six-part series, Making Sense.

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Making Sense: Sight unseen Mar 30, 2022

Close your eyes and try to imagine an apple. Can you see anything? Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye. Since it was discovered, scientists have been asking the question: What is the mind’s eye even for?

This is the fifth episode of our six-part series, Making Sense.

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Making Sense: The Umami Mama Mar 23, 2022

For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (a.k.a. the Umami Mama), scientists finally accepted a fifth. So could there be even more?

This is the fourth episode of our six-part series, Making Sense.

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Making Sense: No one nose Mar 16, 2022

Dogs can smell cancer, Covid-19, and many other health problems in humans. Now, scientists are trying to duplicate these powers in robotic sniffers. But there’s a big challenge here: Scientists don’t really understand how smell works. This is the third episode of our six-part series, Making Sense, and it originally ran on March 10, 2021.

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Making Sense: The healing power of touch Mar 09, 2022

Doctors can save the lives of premature infants, but the process is often painful. Luckily, a solution might be as simple as a parent’s loving touch.

This is the second episode of our new six-part series, Making Sense.

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Making Sense: How sound becomes hearing Mar 02, 2022

In the same way optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. This raises a fundamental question: What is hearing, and how much of it is made up by our brains?

This is the first episode of our new six-part series, Making Sense.

You can find more of Diana Deutsch’s auditory illusions at https://bit.ly/3Mdh6H4, Matthew Winn's research at http://www.mattwinn.com/Research.html, and Mike Chorost's writing at https://michaelchorost.com

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The methane hunters Feb 16, 2022

Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as CO2 over the short term. So we could make a real difference on climate change this decade if we could stop leaking so much methane into the atmosphere. But before researchers and regulators can figure out how to do that, the methane hunters need to find the leaks.

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What is love? Feb 09, 2022

Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos?

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A sonic tour of the solar system Feb 02, 2022

What does it sound like on Mars? On Jupiter? Titan? This collaboration between the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz and the composer Melodysheep imagines the soundscapes of other worlds.

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Finding asteroids before they find us Jan 26, 2022

Scientists are constantly searching for asteroids that could crash into Earth. But if they find one, will they be able to do anything about it? NASA has launched a spaceship that will slam into an asteroid to find out.

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Skeleton Lake Jan 19, 2022

When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly impossible conclusion. This episode originally ran on March 24, 2021.

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Are humans running out of sperm? Jan 12, 2022

In 2017, researchers published an explosive finding: Sperm counts may be declining in some countries around the world. Media outlets began worrying about a potential Spermageddon, but other researchers have pumped the brakes. Because scientists know surprisingly little about sperm.

Also, Noam created a list on the Hark podcast app where he talked about some of his favorite bitesize moments of the show so far. And it’s easy to share with friends! https://bit.ly/3tib6pd

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The quest to build a star Jan 05, 2022

Scientists are closer than ever to harnessing fusion power — the same process that powers the sun — by essentially making a small star here on Earth. Fusion could give humanity its best shot at solving the climate crisis, but the technology has yet to be perfected and would require billions more in investments. Is it worth the bet?

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BONUS: The 2021 song Dec 31, 2021

Noam wrote an end-of-year song with Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram, so we thought to drop it here as a little end-of-year surprise.

Lyrics:

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second the year’d begun

We had an insurrection

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second the year’d begun

We had an insurrection

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

So if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

So if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

Dial back to when the year had begun

We were looking forward to the end of hibernation

But it didn’t even last a week

No it didn’t even last a week, mm-hmm

On the sixth day of 2021

Vanilla Isis tried to flip the election

But looking back we can’t agree

On the facts, no, we can’t agree, mm-mm

Pretty soon we were signing up for shots (shots!)

Talking about shots (shots!)

Shots shots shots (shots!)

Everyone was a pharma fan

With the Pfizer fam, the Moderna clan (J&J)

But we should have known Delta would happen

Most of humanity not getting vaxxed and

Fourth wave — fifth wave, in rhythm

That’s one more wave than feminism!

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

But according to Joe Ro-gun

You should take Ivermectin

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

But if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

A booster, I’m not sure I need it.

Dune on the IMAX, I seen it.

Back to the good life, I dreamed it. (Arrakis)

Wake up, reality, don’t fit.

Hope you don’t need a house or a condo (a condo)

Hope you don’t need a trip to Toronto (Toronto)

Hope you don’t need some gas for your Durango (Durango)

Hope you don’t need a can of dried mangos (dried mangos)

Everyone is feeling frustration

Quitting jobs — the Great Resignation

Blaming Biden for rising inflation

While billionaires shoot off to space, racing

Did we fix the grid in Texas? (yes)

Figure out how wide the Suez is? (yes)

Don’t ask me

All I see on TV

It's just fights on Critical Race Theory

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Moving onto issue number one:

Whether to allow abortions!

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

But if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

I just want to be free

Of thinking about Covid-19

I just want to see

Something done about global warming

And I still don’t get NFT’s

Can’t understand crypto currency and

And we can’t agree on anything

But at least we got together to free Britney

(Oh baby baby)

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second as the year’d begun

We had an insurrection

And people lied about the last election

And made it harder to vote in elections

At least we don’t have another election

Wait, I think there’s another election...

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second we thought we’d won

We’re learning how to say "Omicron"

Guess you never know what’s gonna come through

Making plans for things you’ll never do

But take it from a brown guy (and a Jew)

There’s always 2022.

This song was written and performed by Sean Rameswaram and Noam Hassenfeld, produced by Noam, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and features additional vocals from Christina Animashaun.

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The building blocks of the universe Dec 22, 2021

Most of the matter in the universe is dark matter, an invisible, untouchable, mysterious substance. Scientists don’t know what exactly dark matter is, despite decades of searching. But recently, they got a new clue in the form of an extremely tiny dancer.

This episode is a remix of two prior episodes of Unexplainable, which has been airing on broadcast radio through a partnership with American Public Media.

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99% of ocean plastic is missing Dec 15, 2021

How can we solve the problem of ocean plastic if we don’t know where most of the plastic is?

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How medicine mansplained women’s health Dec 08, 2021

Until 1993, many researchers excluded women from clinical drug trials, leaving doctors in the dark about how new treatments work in more than half the population. This is the story of why that happened, the women who fought to change it, and what we still don’t know about how sex and gender affect health.

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How Venus went to hell Dec 01, 2021

Venus is the hottest, scariest planet in the solar system, but billions of years ago it may have been a lot like Earth, complete with an ocean of water. So, what killed Venus? And could Earth be next?

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Mind readers Nov 17, 2021

Will scientists ever fully understand the human brain? In their quest for knowledge, they’ve tried knives, magnets, computers, blood, and even a good metaphor.

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A brainless yellow goo that does math Nov 10, 2021

Slime molds can navigate mazes, control robots, and make complicated decisions, all without a central nervous system. If this weird gooey blob can think, does that mean scientists are thinking about intelligence all wrong?

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Why whales get beached Nov 03, 2021

Every year, thousands of marine mammals end up trapped on beaches, but it’s often hard to figure out why. It’s even harder to figure out how much humans are to blame.

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Talking to ghosts Oct 27, 2021

Why do so many people think they can see and hear ghosts, and what does that say about our conscious experience of the world?

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Honey, we shrunk the birds Oct 20, 2021

A recent study of tens of thousands of birds has shown that birds are growing smaller over time. It could be due to climate change, and if so, we ought to consider: How else might humans be altering the literal shape of life on Earth — now and in the future?

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Nobel Prize 2.0 Oct 06, 2021

The Nobel Prize has rewarded some amazing discoveries. It’s also contributed to scientific tunnel vision. This week, how the Nobel impacted our understanding of an enormous cosmic mystery, and what a new and improved Nobel Prize could look like.

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The James Webb Time Machine Sep 29, 2021

To look into deep space is to look back in time. With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists hope to see “cosmic dawn,” a period long ago when the first starlight transformed the universe. But what happened before cosmic dawn? The Webb can’t tell us, though future telescopes could.

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The James Webb Space Telescope Sep 22, 2021

After decades of planning, NASA is finally (finally!) set to launch the successor to the Hubble. The new Webb telescope will be a paradigm shift for astronomy, exploring places in the cosmos that have been completely invisible to us until now. But first, it has to safely reach a point nearly a million miles away from the Earth.

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What causes Alzheimer’s? Sep 15, 2021

For decades, Alzheimer’s researchers have been stubbornly pursuing a single theory, but they’re starting to wonder: is this narrow focus the reason we still don’t have a cure?

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Havana syndrome Sep 01, 2021

Several years after US diplomats in Cuba claimed they were attacked by an invisible weapon, similar incidents continue to be reported around the world. Scientists haven’t been able to determine a definitive cause, but the possibilities point toward something just as mysterious as the illness itself: the inner workings of the human brain.

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Getting to the bottom of butts Aug 25, 2021

Once upon a time, there were no anuses. These ingenious organs allowed our primordial ancestors to grow bigger and more complex, but scientists still don’t understand how they evolved. And they’re still grasping at a mystery that literally surrounds it: Why is the human butt so big?

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The mysteries of endometriosis Aug 18, 2021

This common chronic condition — where tissue similar to what grows inside the uterus grows elsewhere in the body — is barely understood. So why is a condition so prevalent and painful still so unknown? It has a lot to do with who gets to ask research questions.

Correction, August 18: An earlier version of this episode implied that the tissue involved in endometriosis is the same as the endometrium, which lines the uterus. It is similar tissue, but not identical.

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A 150-year-old human Aug 11, 2021

Two scientists. A billion-dollar wager. One unanswered question: Is the first human who will live to 150 already alive? The technology to make that happen may already be in development. But if it works, there will be new, unsettling questions for humankind to answer.

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How low can you go? Aug 04, 2021

Earlier this year, Nicole Yamase explored the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest place in the ocean, where few people have ever been. The rest of the seafloor is almost as mysterious — 80 percent remains unmapped — but the few glimpses scientists have gotten have completely revolutionized our understanding of the planet.

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The tornado problem Jul 28, 2021

8 minutes, 24 seconds. That’s the average amount of warning time people get before a tornado touches down. To do better, and to understand tornadoes, scientists need to confront more of these storms, head on.

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Moon poop Jul 21, 2021

Astronauts left something on the moon that could help unlock the origins of life itself.

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Hot pink flying squirrels Jul 14, 2021

An accidental discovery on a nighttime walk led one scientist and his team to wonder: How many mammals glow under ultraviolet light? The list keeps growing, but scientists still aren’t sure why these furry creatures glow.

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Henrietta Leavitt and the end of the universe Jun 30, 2021

In the early 1900s, Henrietta Leavitt made one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy: a yardstick to measure distances to faraway stars. Using this tool, scientists eventually transformed our understanding of the universe. They realized space was expanding, that this expansion was accelerating, and that ultimately, everything will end.

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How do animals know where to go? Jun 23, 2021

As part of a massive new global tracking project, scientists are monitoring animals from a receiver on the International Space Station, mapping the incredible, previously unknown journeys that animals undertake. They’re beginning to tackle questions like how far do animals actually move? And how in the world do they know where they’re going?

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Invasion of the jumping worms Jun 16, 2021

These worms are fast, they’re mysterious, and they’re quickly changing North American ecosystems. How worried should we be about global worming?

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The many heights of Mount Everest Jun 09, 2021

How tall is the world’s tallest mountain? The answer is surprisingly tricky, which means that Everest’s official height is constantly changing. In fact, depending on the type of measurement scientists use, Everest may not be the tallest mountain in the world.

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Unexplainable Flying Objects Jun 02, 2021

UFOs are real, but that doesn’t mean they’re aliens. Today, Explained, Vox's daily news podcast, tells the story of America's longstanding relationship with UFOs and what we might learn from an upcoming government report.

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The hunt for a new Pluto May 26, 2021

Something strange is going on at the outer reaches of the solar system. One astronomer thinks it might be a Neptune-sized ninth planet, and he’s on a quest to find it.

That search is happening at an enormous telescope on the summit of Maunakea, a dormant Hawaiian volcano with a long astronomical and cultural history. But many Native Hawaiian scientists are asking: What’s lost in the pursuit of larger and larger telescopes?

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Cloudy with a chance of chaos May 19, 2021

It’s surprisingly hard to predict how clouds form, move, and change, but it’s essential to try. Because how clouds react to a warming world helps determine how hot our future will be.

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A new force of nature? May 12, 2021

Last month, physicists at Fermilab in Illinois found that tiny subatomic particles called muons were wobbling strangely. This small observation could transform the future of particle physics, potentially pointing toward undiscovered particles or maybe even a new force of nature.

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Placebos work. Why? May 05, 2021

For decades, scientists thought that placebos only worked if patients didn’t know they were taking them. Not anymore: You can give patients placebos, tell them they’re on sugar pills, and they still might feel better. No one is sure how this works, but it raises a question: Should doctors embrace placebos in mainstream medicine?

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A virus that could heal people Apr 28, 2021

In 2016, the UN declared antibiotic-resistant bacteria the “greatest and most urgent global risk.” Our best hope just might be phages, or viruses that attack bacteria. Phages’ potential is enormous, but so is everything we don’t know about them.

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The Twilight Zone of the ocean Apr 21, 2021

Every day, untold numbers of strange organisms rise from the middle of the ocean to its surface. They may be playing a crucial role in slowing climate change, so scientists are struggling to understand this migration ... before it’s too late.

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The viral ghosts of long Covid Apr 14, 2021

Scientists don’t understand why so many people suffer from Covid-19 symptoms for months, well after they stop testing positive. But that’s just the start of the mystery. There are other diseases that cast these long shadows, and they point to a major blind spot in medicine.

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Is a ton of psychology just ... wrong? Apr 07, 2021

A decade ago, psychologists realized much of their science was fatally flawed, calling untold numbers of studies into question. Now, some young psychologists are trying to rebuild the foundations of their field. Can they succeed?

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It’s ball lightning! Mar 31, 2021

For millennia, people have been reporting stories of mysterious spheres of light that glow, crackle, and hover eerily during thunderstorms. They’ve been spotted in people’s homes, and are even said to be able to pass through windows. No one knows how ball lightning forms — but that’s not stopping scientists from attempting to recreate it in their labs.

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Skeleton Lake Mar 24, 2021

When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly impossible conclusion.

*This episode has been updated. In the original version, we mixed up carbon isotopes with carbon isotope ratios.

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Journey Toward the Center of the Earth Mar 17, 2021

Sixty years ago, geologists tried to drill down through the Earth’s crust to pull up a piece of the Earth’s mantle. Their mission didn’t go exactly as planned. But it sowed the seeds for a new field of science that’s helped us rewrite not only the history of the planet, but, potentially, our definitions of life itself.

The documentaries featured in this episode are "The First Deep Ocean Drilling: Mohole, Phase 1" and "Project Mohole: Report No. 1."

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No one nose Mar 10, 2021

Believe it or not, scientists still don't know how the sense of smell works. But they're looking at how powerful it is - dogs can actually sniff out cancer and many other diseases - and they're trying to figure out how to reverse engineer it. In fact, one MIT scientist may have built a robot nose ... without completely understanding how his invention works.

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Most of the universe is missing Mar 10, 2021

Scientists all over the world are searching for dark matter: an invisible, untouchable substance that holds our universe together. But they haven't found it. Are they chasing a ghost?

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Introducing Unexplainable Feb 19, 2021

Scientists don’t know what 95% of the universe is made of. They don’t know how a bike stays up. They don’t even really know how the nose works. Join us every Wednesday on Unexplainable for deep dives into the unknown, because what we don’t know is awesome. New episodes March 10th.

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