Jessica Winter from The New Yorker discusses why pediatric endocrinologists saw a surge during the pandemic for referrals for girls developing early and which demographic populations are being hit most often.
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What would interstellar travel look like?
Physicist Les Johnson discusses space propulsion and robotics, goals for reaching exoplanets and lessons in physics, all with the aim of traveling to the great unknown.
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The underground world of carnivorous plant smuggling
Wired contributor Brian Howey talks about the bug-eating nepenthes family of plants, the growers who can build their whole worlds around collecting these specimens, and how they sometimes run afoul of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Would you eat ‘hybrid’ meat?
Vox staff writer Kenny Torrella discusses cultivated meat, a product grown from animal muscle and fat cells, and how it’s being blended with plant-based products in hopes of ending traditional meat production altogether.
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The evolution of consciousness doesn’t end with humans
Ogi Ogas discusses what it means to think and experience emotions and discuss why an even higher form of consciousness might be in our future.
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Why we should love the insects we hate
Host Krys Boyd talks with behavioral ecologists about wasps and bees, and a professor of animal sentience about flies to explore all the wonderful ways their tiny minds work.
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How scientists could help your dog (and you) live longer
Wired senior editor Tom Simonite discusses breakthroughs in doubling lifespans of animals, how this could lead to better aging therapies for humans, and why the FDA has not gotten involved yet.
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How well do you know your cells?
Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses the radical concept of the cell, its long history in science and medicine, and how it continues to produce new and exciting therapies today.
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We’re smarter than animals, but are they happier?
Adjunct professor Justin Gregg talks about the ways human intelligence gets in the way of happiness, why higher thinking has led to destruction and why bees playing soccer (yes!) might be the height of bliss.
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How to take a selfie with a telescope and other weird science questions
Author Randall Munroe discusses weird science questions like: Could you cool the earth by opening freezer doors? And: Is it possible to build a billion-story building?
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How big data could help us talk to whales
Biologist Tom Mustill talks about his deep dive into how scientists are trying to decode the “words” of whales and the potential consequences of human-whale interactions.
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Consumer rights are civil rights
President and CEO of Consumer Reports Marta L. Tellado joins us to talk about data breaches, digital spying concerns and product failures. Plus, a blog post with 3 facts you didn’t know about companies collecting your digital data.
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