The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe

LeVar Burton presents SOUND DETECTIVES – a funny, engaging, and thought-provoking podcast that invites elementary school-aged kids to explore the magic and mystery of sound.Breaking News – Across the globe, sounds are mysteriously going missing! Waves aren’t crashing, crickets aren’t chirping, and the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck is a distant memory. Follow Detective Hunch (Vinny Thomas) and his new sidekick Audie the Ear (Jess McKenna) as they solve sound mysteries and track down the nefarious Sound Swindler … all with a little help from LeVar Burton himself!Equal parts fun and informative, SOUND DETECTIVES encourages listeners to engage with the sound mysteries that surround us, while unlocking the door to people and cultures around the globe. Join the team on this semi-improvised comedy caper and help return the mystery sounds before the world falls silent!Listen to SOUND DETECTIVES on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Greetings, Science Rules! listeners! Have you ever wondered about the future of lab grown meat? Or what the deal is with GMOs? What about the science behind salting your pasta water? Today, we are sharing a special episode of the food podcast The Sporkful where Bill Nye and Corey S. Powell tackle your food science questions, and talk about their own food quirks. It turns out that Bill is very particular about his Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, and there’s one thing he won’t tolerate in PB&J preparation. If you want to check out more episodes of The Sporkful, follow us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify. 

More on where this show is going — and when it will come back!

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring Planetary Radio from the Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has awarded more than 60 Shoemaker near-Earth object grants to astronomers around the world, enabling them to discover, track, and characterize thousands of asteroids. We’ll hear from two of these dedicated observers. The Society’s Rae Paoletta takes us to Venus where three new spacecraft will help answer big questions. Senior space policy adviser Casey Dreier helps us think about UFO claims. Chief scientist Bruce Betts offers a new What’s Up space trivia contest. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/shoemaker-neo-awardees-venus missions

The author of Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short explains why a country with so many experts was so unprepared for this pandemic. (This interview was recorded May 24.)

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring This Podcast Might Kill You’s episode on Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley fever.

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. Today Flash Forward takes us to a future where we become immune to every poison, venom, and toxin in the world. What happens next?

Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman explains how simple nudges can make people want to get vaccinated. Also: is this the biggest “fresh start” of all time?

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring Hidden Brain's “Humor Us.” Hahaha! The average four-year-old child laughs 300 times a day. By contrast, it takes more than two months for the average 40-year-old adult to laugh that many times. This week, we talk with behavioral scientist Jennifer Aaker of Stanford University about why so many of us fall off a “humor cliff” as we become adults. Plus, how we can inject more laughter into our lives, even during the most difficult of times.

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring Episode #827 of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe from May 15, 2021.