Science, Spoken
Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.
Latest episodes
Nov 30, 2022 • 3min
Vertical Farming Needs to Grow More Than Salad
Indoor agriculture promises to massively reduce the water and land needed to support crops. But at the moment, it only works for a tiny percentage of foods.
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Nov 29, 2022 • 9min
How to Use a Laser to Kick an Electron out of a Molecule
By firing pulses quintillionths of a second long, physicists study the fleeting motion of an electron leaving two bonded atoms.
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Nov 28, 2022 • 9min
Turns Out Fighting Mosquitoes With Mosquitoes Actually Works
New evidence indicates that an effort to stamp out disease-carrying insects is working. The key? Mosquitoes genetically engineered to kill off their own kind.
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Nov 24, 2022 • 6min
Tiny Aerosols Pose a Big Predicament in a Warming World
Fossil fuels are rapidly heating the planet, but their aerosols also help cool it. Just how much, though, is a major uncertainty in climate science.
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Nov 23, 2022 • 5min
NASA Will Not Change the James Webb Telescope's Name
The moniker, which honors a former agency administrator accused of enforcing anti-LGBTQ policies, has long been controversial.
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Nov 22, 2022 • 8min
Your Phone Can Determine If a Bridge Is Busted
Any smartphone in any car can pick up a span’s unique vibrations. Tracking how that changes over time reveals hidden structural problems.
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Nov 21, 2022 • 9min
Europe’s Cities Are Getting More Crowded—That’s a Good Thing
The sprawling mass of suburbia has been a disaster for the environment. But now smaller, denser cities herald a renaissance in city living.
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Nov 18, 2022 • 11min
No, Qatar’s World Cup Can’t Be Classed as Carbon-Neutral
Despite efforts to reduce emissions, the 2022 FIFA tournament is highly carbon-intensive. And its road to net-zero relies on questionable carbon credits.
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Nov 16, 2022 • 10min
Countries Hit Hardest by Climate Change May Finally Get Their Due
After 30 years of talk about forcing wealthy polluters to compensate those bearing the brunt of climate damage, the COP27 conference seems poised to act.
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Nov 16, 2022 • 9min
Brace Yourself for a Triple Wave of Seasonal Viruses
Many people haven’t been exposed to common respiratory viruses following the pandemic, meaning they might be more vulnerable to getting ill this year.
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