Episodes 286
Avg. Duration 28m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.6 (2,281)
Since Feb 2021
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Every Few Days
Format
Episodic
Consistency
32%
Hosting
feeds.megaphone.fm

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About This Podcast

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know…and then keeps on going. The Unexplainable team — Noam Hassenfeld, Julia Longoria, Byrd Pinkerton, and Meradith Hoddinott — tackles scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn diving into the unknown. New episodes Mondays and Wednesdays. From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Recent Episodes

A new species in New York

Jun 10, 2026 26m

Around 90% of life on Earth is unknown. Can Benji find a new species in his backyard? Guests: Benji Jones, Vox senior correspondent, and the NYC species project. For show transcripts, go to…

The disaster problem

Jun 08, 2026 1h

Climate change is making hurricanes, floods, and wildfires harder to prepare for just as confidence in the government’s disaster response is collapsing. Our friends at On the Media explore how FEMA…

The lost Lyme vaccine

Jun 03, 2026 38m

Vijay Sikand is a family doctor in the Connecticut town that gave Lyme disease its name. When a pharmaceutical company came to town to test a vaccine, he built a career and a community around the…

The cells we share

Jun 01, 2026 36m

Fetuses leave cells behind in their parents' bodies, where they braid themselves into tissues, and remain, for years. What are they doing in there? Guests: ⁠Amy Boddy⁠, Associate Professor of…

The man who bet against humanity — and lost

May 20, 2026 16m

Paul Ehrlich was famous for predicting a population explosion that would destroy the planet, but he didn't count on human ingenuity. Guest: Bryan Walsh, Vox senior editorial director This episode was…

The aftermath

May 18, 2026 41m

What would life look like after a global nuclear war? Would underground bunkers work? What would we do for food? What about radioactive snow?!  In this episode of ⁠Are We Doomed?⁠, reporter Ben…

A better Black Death story

May 13, 2026 32m

What happens when researchers reexamine some of the basic facts about the Black Death? They start rewriting history and rethinking blame. Guests: Hannah Barker, professor at Arizona State University;…

The hunt for a lost species

May 11, 2026 28m

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. (Originally aired in 2022) Guests: ⁠Benji…

Dark matter music

Apr 29, 2026 33m

Pioneering musicians Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno released their latest album Liminal by broadcasting it from a 50-foot microwave antenna. Noam talks to Beatie about why “dark matter music” was the…

I glow, therefore I am

Apr 27, 2026 27m

Today on the show: a double feature — two mysteries in one episode. First, it seems like all living things emit a faint glow that disappears when they die. Then, is the International Space Station…

Is everything inflammation?

Apr 22, 2026 32m

To hear some people tell it — especially people on TikTok — inflammation is the root of all disease. It's... not that simple. But inflammation does have a lot to teach us about why modern life can…

A show about nothing

Apr 20, 2026 27m

A few months ago, we put out an episode about what silence sounds like, and it caught the attention of Rob Rosenthal, who hosts a podcast called Sound School about the craft of audio storytelling. So…

The Hitchhiking Microbe’s Guide to the Galaxy

Apr 15, 2026 26m

Can microbes travel through space on meteorites? It’s an idea called “lithopanspermia,” and to work out if it’s even feasible, some researchers decided to shoot microbes — with a gun. Guests: K.T.…

Why did we go back to the moon?

Apr 13, 2026 31m

For the first time in over 50 years, humans have gone to the moon and back. And this time, NASA says we're going to stay. NASA's planning for more missions, a permanent moon base, and even a mission…

Is male birth control finally here?

Apr 01, 2026 27m

Typically, the burden of birth control falls on whoever has a uterus, but it seems like that might change — and soon! Guest: Annalisa Merelli, contributing writer at STAT. For more, go to…

Mi Vickicito

Mar 30, 2026 19m

Host Julia Longoria signs off from Unexplainable with one final question: Why does her grandma love Vicks VapoRub so much? A version of this episode originally aired on WNYC’s ⁠Only Human⁠…

Casey gets his voice back

Mar 25, 2026 37m

Casey Harrell is a goofy, lighthearted chatterbox whose love for language helped him become an accomplished environmental activist. In 2020, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)…

Oliver Sacks's not quite nonfiction

Mar 23, 2026 30m

Oliver Sacks was once crowned “the poet laureate of medicine” — he's known as one of the greatest science writers of our time. But when New Yorker writer Rachel Aviv dug into his archives, she…

The accidental rise of Botox

Mar 18, 2026 29m

One of the deadliest poisons known to man is now used to treat wrinkles, migraines, and even, maybe, depression. How did that happen? Guests: Jean Carruthers, ophthalmologist and “godmother” of…

Who are we to fight the alchemy?

Mar 16, 2026 31m

Many alchemical texts are full of bizarre, metaphorical language. But what if there's interesting science hiding behind some of those metaphors? Guest: Lawrence Principe, professor of the history of…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Unexplainable have?

Unexplainable has published 286 episodes since February 2021, covering topics in Life Sciences, Natural Sciences.

Is Unexplainable still active?

Unexplainable is currently highly active with new episodes every few days. Average episode length is 28m.

How do I contact Unexplainable for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Unexplainable, including email and social media links.

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