Episodi

  • How fast would NYC crumble without people? Featuring 'Survivorman' Les Stroud

    How fast would NYC crumble without people? Featuring 'Survivorman' Les Stroud
    Jan 8 2026
    In a world without people, how fast would NYC fall apart and nature take over? PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠ go through the timeline for re-wilding America's densest city. Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/environment/abandoned-nyc-what-would-happen/ If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 min
  • How do squirrels find their buried nuts in winter?

    How do squirrels find their buried nuts in winter?
    Dec 17 2025
    Every fall, squirrels hide thousands of acorns—but how do they find them again in the winter? PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠ get a little nutty to find the answer. Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/how-squirrels-find-nuts/ To learn more about Tommy Tucker, visit: https://www.popsci.com/environment/famous-ww2-squirrel-tommy-tucker/ If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 min
  • What happens to your bag after you check it in?

    What happens to your bag after you check it in?
    Nov 26 2025
    Each year, roughly 500 MILLION bags are checked at U.S airports, with only 0.4% getting lost - so how DO airlines move your bags around and keep track of them. PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Laura Baisas go on a journey to explain it all. Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/technology/what-happens-to-your-checked-bag/ If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    16 min
  • What is human composting?

    What is human composting?
    Nov 12 2025
    A growing number of Americans are choosing to return to earth after death—literally. Green burials, and specifically human composting, is an environmentally conscious, life-sustaining option that’s now legal in 14 states. But how does a human composting vessel work? And what exactly happens to Grandpa’s hip replacement once he’s been “recycled?” PopSci Editor ⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠ dig deep to explain it all. Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/how-human-composting-works/ If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    15 min
  • Why do we get goosebumps? Plus: RL Stine!

    Why do we get goosebumps? Plus: RL Stine!
    Nov 12 2025
    Goosebumps are a valuable tool for many animals. They keep mammals with thick fur warm by trapping air near their skin, or help make them look bigger when facing off against a rival. However, in humans a wide range of emotions can also induce goosebumps. BUT WHY? Join PopSci Editor Sarah Durn and Editor-in-Chief Annie Colbert as they explain the science AND chat with Goosebumps legend, RL Stine. Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-goosebumps-happen/ If you have a question for a future episode, go to https://popsci.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 min
  • Welcome back to Ask Us Anything from Popular Science

    Welcome back to Ask Us Anything from Popular Science
    Oct 29 2025
    Join us as we dive into your weirdest, most mind-burning questions–from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. This is… Ask Us Anything. New episodes drop every other Wednesday starting November 12, with more AUA questions and answers here: https://www.popsci.com/category/ask-us-anything/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 min
  • How do chatbots work?

    How do chatbots work?
    Nov 10 2023
    If you remember chatting with SmarterChild back on AOL Instant Messenger back in the day, you know how far ChatGPT and Google Bard have come. But how do these so-called chatbots work—and what’s the best way to use them to our advantage? -- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy Music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    13 min
  • How is Voyager's vintage technology still flying?

    How is Voyager's vintage technology still flying?
    Apr 25 2023
    Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched back in 1977 with only a five-year mission to take a gander at Jupiter and Saturn’s rings and moons. Obviously, the Voyager spacecrafts have persisted a lot longer than five years: 46 years, to be exact. They’re still careening through space at a distance between 12 and 14 billion miles from Earth. So how have they lasted four decades longer than expected? -- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy Music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 min