Science, Spoken
WIRED
Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 4, 2022 • 9min
NASA Delayed the Psyche Launch. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal
Heavenly bodies are always in motion: Pushing back the asteroid probe’s blastoff date could require a new trajectory, longer travel time, and much more power.
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Aug 3, 2022 • 10min
California Wants to Make Cheap Insulin. Here’s How It Could Work
The state plans to roll out “biosimilars” that mimic brand-name versions at a dramatically reduced price.
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Aug 2, 2022 • 12min
Ring Vaccination Beat Smallpox. Could It Work for Monkeypox?
The strategy prioritizes inoculating an infected person’s closest contacts, but it can’t succeed without good contact tracing and enough vaccines.
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Aug 1, 2022 • 10min
Nuclear Power Plants Are Struggling to Stay Cool
Climate change is reducing output and raising safety concerns at nuclear facilities from France to the US. But experts say adapting is possible—and necessary.
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Jul 29, 2022 • 7min
Europe Has Descended Into the Age of Fire
Climate change has primed the landscape to burn. But human migration has made Europe’s wildfires increasingly catastrophic.
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Jul 28, 2022 • 10min
Glacier Collapses Are a Growing but Hard-to-Predict Threat
After 11 people were killed and eight hospitalized by a glacier in early July, Italian scientists are asking how future tragedies can be avoided.
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Jul 27, 2022 • 13min
Gender-Affirming Care Improves Mental Health—and May Save Lives
Scores of bills in US states aim to block medical treatments for trans youth. But research shows that these bans could have dire consequences.
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Jul 26, 2022 • 10min
What Turtles Can Teach Humans About the Science of Slow Aging
7/26 New data shows that several types of the shelled reptiles can slow—and even stop—aging if the environmental conditions are right.
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Jul 25, 2022 • 8min
Why the Arctic Is Warming 4 Times as Fast as the Rest of Earth
The loss of sea ice is exposing darker waters, which absorb more of the sun’s energy. It’s a devastating feedback loop with major consequences for the planet.
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Jul 22, 2022 • 7min
How Heat Waves Are Messing Up Your Sleep
Higher nighttime temperatures don’t just make it harder to drift off, they can disrupt your sleep cycles and leave you with low-quality rest.
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