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Regularly hosts outside guests
361 episodes — long track record
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Recent Episodes
Agnes Pockels and the Kitchen Sink Myth
This episode is a co-production with Lost Women of Science. Agnes Pockels did pioneering work in surface science. Her invention, the Pockels Trough, became the basis for an instrument that helped …
Flemmie Kittrell and the Preschool Experiment
Alexis Pedrick joins Katie Hafner to bring you an episode from The Lost Women of Science Initiative, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to telling the forgotten or untold stories of…
The CRISPR Babies
In 2018 news broke that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, had used CRISPR to edit human embryos, and twin girls had been born as a result. The story set off an explosive bioethical controversy. As…
Humans and Monsters: An Interview with Surekha Davies
The fears about genetic engineering were stoked when experiments took off in the 1970s. From lab leaks to disease epidemics to the ability to make "Frankenstein creations," many of those fears are…
IVF: An Interview with Robin Marantz
Our producer Rigoberto Hernandez spoke with Robin Marantz, the author of Pandora's Baby: How the First Test Tube Babies Sparked the Reproductive Revolution. She tells us about the history of IVF,…
Gene Therapy's Families
When Rebekah and Evan Lockard's daughter, Naomi, was diagnosed with a devastating ultra-rare genetic disease, they didn't know where to turn. Then they found Terry Pirovolakis, an IT professional who…
Gene Therapy's Dark Ages
Gene therapy is based on a simple-sounding, yet deceptively complicated premise: adding or replacing faulty genes to fix medical problems. A compelling idea that came out of breakthroughs in DNA…
'The Andromeda Strain': An Interview with Luis Campos
Producer Mariel Carr talks to historian of science and former Science History Institute fellow, Luis Campos, about his article "Strains of Andromeda: The Cosmic Potential Hazards of Genetic…
The People vs. Recombinant DNA
In 1976, Harvard University wanted to build a specialized lab for recombinant DNA research. But first, it had to get permission from the city of Cambridge. The resulting city council hearings drew TV…
Science, Interrupted: Part 2
Genetic engineering breakthroughs in the late 1960s and early 1970s came with a lot of promise—and peril too. Fears about what could happen with recombinant DNA experiments put scientists in the…
Science, Interrupted: Part 1
Genetic engineering breakthroughs in the late 1960s and early 1970s came with a lot of promise—and peril too. Fears about what could happen with recombinant DNA experiments put scientists in the…
New Season Trailer! Coming August 5th.
Check out our new season, dropping weekly on Tuesdays, starting August 5th.
The History of the School Lunch
Feeding kids a healthy lunch every school day is a feat of science and logistics. Molded into shape by nutrition scientists who wanted to optimize children's health, the school lunch has endured war,…
ALS Patients Take on the FDA
ALS is a fatal neurological disease that kills motor neurons. Even though it was first described more than 150 years ago, there is no cure, and the few drugs available only dampen the symptoms or…
The Fraud that Transformed Psychiatry
In 1973 a bombshell study appeared in the premier scientific journal Science. It was called "On Being Sane in Insane Places." Its author, a Stanford psychology professor named David Rosenhan, claimed…
Cancer Virus Hunters: An Interview with Gregory J. Morgan
For more than 100 years, biologists who suggested that some cancers may be caused by viruses were the pariahs of genetics. However, they persevered and incrementally built their knowledge, leading to…
The Ames Test
In 1973 biochemist Bruce Ames created a simple test that showed if chemicals had the potential to cause cancer. The Ames test made him a hero of the emerging environmental movement. But then he…
Is Ozempic Different?
Ozempic and others in this family of drugs are nothing short of miraculous. Meant to treat Type 2 Diabetes, the drug exploded in popularity after researchers found that patients were reporting losing…
Traffication: An Interview with Paul Donald
The impact of cars on wildlife extends beyond roadkill, affecting species that never venture near roads. Car noise disrupts bird communication and behavior, and tire and brake dust from pollutes…
Dyes, Drugs, and Psychosis
In 1856, Henry Perkin's attempt to synthesize quinine led to something very different: a vibrant purple dye. Perkin's mauve revolutionized the fashion industry when Queen Victoria wore a dress of the…
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