Science In Action host, Roland Pease, travels to South Africa to explore human origins. He visits locations with ancient footprints, speaks to experts studying the geochemistry of rocks, and discusses decolonizing the human story. Topics include the significance of prehistoric footprints, uranium series dating, Paranthropus robustus research, promoting diversity in human evolution research, and exploring the Langabond footprints.

El Niño expert Roland Pease discusses the impacts of El Niño on global weather patterns, including floods, droughts, fires, and altered weather patterns. Experts explain the science behind how El Niño affects different regions, such as causing rains in drought-ridden California and exacerbating fires in Indonesia. The podcast sheds light on the cyclical nature and challenges of predicting El Niño events, emphasizing the environmental and human impacts of these natural phenomena.

Experts discuss the US government shutdown's impact on science projects and the significance of Nobel Prizes. Butterfly collections reveal climate change insights, while studies debunk misleading headlines on health risks near airports.