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Unexplainable podcast

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Unexplainable

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  Vox  

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know … and then keeps on going. Host Noam Hassenfeld and an all-star team of reporters — Byrd Pinkerton, Meradith Hoddinott, and Mandy Nguyen — tackle scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know … and then keeps on going. Host Noam Hassenfeld and an all-star team of reporters — Byrd Pinkerton, Meradith Hoddinott, and Mandy Nguyen — tackle scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

 

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#178

Mysteries we can’t stop thinking about

The wildest stories that never made it into our episodes. Until now. Guests: [Amy Boddy] (https://www.anth.ucsb.edu/people/amy-boddy) , anthropological scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara; [Jayme Locke] (https://ast.digitellinc.com/b/sp/jayme-locke-2969) , transplant surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; [Jonathan Jiang] (https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/jonathan) , research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Dec 2024

27 MINS

27:38

18 Dec 2024

#177

Who let the wolves in?

Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago. But how did wolves become dogs? To find the answer, scientists have to play with a lot of puppies. (First published in 2023.) Guest: [Kathryn Lord] (https://karlssonlab.org/about/people-old/kathryn-lord/) , evolutionary biology researcher at UMass Chan Medical School For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

11 Dec 2024

26 MINS

26:14

11 Dec 2024

#176

Where to meet a Neanderthal

We know Neanderthals and early modern humans coupled up. But when did they meet, exactly? And where? Some fossilized smoke and a baby tooth might hold clues. Guest: Adam Cole of  [HowTown] (https://www.youtube.com/@Howtown) For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

04 Dec 2024

31 MINS

31:19

04 Dec 2024

#175

Pinky and the (lab-grown) Brain

It’s not great to be a lab rat. And it turns out, lab rats might not be that great for science either. Could the future be little lab-grown brain clumps? Guests: [Rachel Nuwer] (https://www.rachelnuwer.com/about) , science journalist; [Lisa Genzel] (https://www.ru.nl/en/people/genzel-l) , professor of neuroscience at Radboud University This episode has been updated. An earlier version didn’t differentiate between two stages of drug development. For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

20 Nov 2024

22 MINS

22:52

20 Nov 2024

#174

Why are there lefties and righties?

This week on Unexplainable or Not, we’ve got three scientific mysteries all about left and right. Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s new podcast [Explain It to Me] (https://link.chtbl.com/explainit) , is going to guess which of them has been solved and which ones are still unexplainable. Guest: [S. Furkan Ozturk] (https://sasselov.cfa.harvard.edu/people/furkan-ozturk) , researcher at Harvard University For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

13 Nov 2024

29 MINS

29:50

13 Nov 2024

#173

Placebos work. Why?

For decades, scientists thought that placebos only worked if patients didn’t know they were taking them. Not anymore: You can give patients placebos, tell them they’re on sugar pills, and they still might feel better. No one is sure how this works, but it raises a question: Should doctors embrace placebos in mainstream medicine? (First published in 2021.) Guests: [Ted Kaptchuk] (https://ghsm.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/ted-jack-kaptchuk) , professor at Harvard Medical School; [Darwin Guevarra] (https://www.darwinguevarra.com/) , professor of psychology at Miami University; [Luana Colloca] (https://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/directory/luana-colloca/) , professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

06 Nov 2024

27 MINS

27:57

06 Nov 2024

#172

Why is horror so fun?

It makes sense that we run away from scary things. That’s a good way to stay alive. But why do some people also love scary things? Why do people gravitate toward horror? Guests: [Mathias Clasen] (https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mc%40cc.au.dk/?source=post_page---------------------------) and [Marc Andersen] (https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mana%40cas.au.dk) , co-directors of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

30 Oct 2024

21 MINS

21:51

30 Oct 2024

#171

Are psychedelics breaking science?

Drugs like ecstasy and mushrooms have shown promise as mental health treatments, but they’re also exposing some major cracks in how scientists study the brain. Guests: [Jonathan Lambert] (https://jonathanmlambert.com/) , science journalist; [Boris Heifets] (https://heifetslab.stanford.edu/team/boris-heifets-md-phd/) , professor at Stanford University of Medicine; [Amy Mcguire] (https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/amy-mcguire-26394) , professor at Baylor College of Medicine For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

23 Oct 2024

26 MINS

26:40

23 Oct 2024

#170

Your gut’s feelings

How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible to harness this gut power? (First published in 2022) Guests: [Michael Gershon] (https://www.pathology.columbia.edu/profile/michael-d-gershon-md) , professor of pathology at Columbia University; and [Katerina Johnson] (https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/team/katerina-johnson) , microbiome researcher at Oxford University For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

16 Oct 2024

30 MINS

30:09

16 Oct 2024

#169

Is insurance doomed?

As the world gets warmer and storms get worse, insurance companies are jacking up rates — or refusing to cover homeowners altogether. Is the future uninsurable? Guests: [Umair Irfan] (https://www.vox.com/authors/umair-irfan) , correspondent at Vox; Karen Clark, co-founder and CEO of [Karen Clark & Company] (Karen%20Clark%20is%20Co-founder%20and%20CEO%20of%20Karen%20Clark%20&%20Company) ; Joe Skuba, VP at [The Gray Insurance Company] (https://grayinsco.com/) ; and [Carolyn Kousky] (https://www.edf.org/people/carolyn-kousky) , Associate VP at Environmental Defense Fund For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

09 Oct 2024

30 MINS

30:59

09 Oct 2024

#168

My animal heart

Doctors have started transplanting animal organs into people, hoping this experimental procedure could one day solve an organ shortage crisis that kills 17 Americans every day. Is this really the solution? Guests: [Muhammad Mohiuddin] (https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/profiles/mohiuddin-muhammad/) , professor of surgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine; [L. Syd Johnson] (https://www.upstate.edu/bioethics/faculty-staff/fac_johnson.php) , professor of clinical bioethics at SUNY Upstate Medical University For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

02 Oct 2024

27 MINS

27:20

02 Oct 2024

#167

How hot could the world get?

Scientists have lots of ways to try to answer that question, and lots of different predictions. So how do they figure out one set of numbers we can all work with? Guests: [Umair Irfan] (https://www.vox.com/authors/umair-irfan) , correspondent at Vox; [Zeke Hausfather] (https://thebreakthrough.org/people/zeke-hausfather) , climate scientist at The Breakthrough Institute; [Neil Swart] (https://profils-profiles.science.gc.ca/en/profile/dr-neil-c-swart) , research scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

25 Sep 2024

25 MINS

25:58

25 Sep 2024

#166

Should you be eating poison oak?

Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Is it possible to build up a tolerance to poison oak by eating it? Guest: [Jeff Horwitz] (https://www.wsj.com/news/author/jeff-horwitz) , reporter at the Wall Street Journal; and Mahmoud ElSohly, professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Mississippi For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Sep 2024

30 MINS

30:40

18 Sep 2024

#165

Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history

Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean. This “dark oxygen” could fundamentally change the story we tell of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. Guest: Alycia Smith, ecologist at Heriot-Watt University For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

11 Sep 2024

25 MINS

25:28

11 Sep 2024

#164

You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?

For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook. Now, scientists are helping them reimagine how to find lost people. Guests: [Robert Koester] (https://www.dbs-sar.com/bio.htm) , author of [Lost Person Behavior] (https://www.dbs-sar.com/LPB/lpb.htm) , and [Paul Doherty] (https://data-pjdohertymaps.opendata.arcgis.com/) , search and rescue researcher For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

28 Aug 2024

24 MINS

24:04

28 Aug 2024

#163

Viral dark matter

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know anything about the bacteria-eating viruses all around us. (First published in 2021) Guest: [Nicola Twilley] (https://www.nicolatwilley.com/) , host of [Gastropod] (https://gastropod.com/) For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

21 Aug 2024

25 MINS

25:56

21 Aug 2024

#162

The good virus

Our bodies are teeming with viruses. But some of them, called phages, might play a really important role in keeping us healthy. Guest: [Tom Ireland] (https://www.tomirelandjournalism.com/) , author of [The Good Virus] (https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324050834) For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

14 Aug 2024

21 MINS

21:56

14 Aug 2024

#161

Ecstasy therapy

The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Our friends at Today, Explained explore what this kind of therapy looks like, and why it’s so controversial. For show transcripts, go to [vox.com/unxtranscripts] (http://vox.com/unxtranscripts) For more, go to [vox.com/unexplainable] (http://vox.com/unexplainable) And please email us! [unexplainable@vox.com] (mailto:unexplainable@vox.com) We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: [vox.com/members] (http://vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

07 Aug 2024

32 MINS

32:18

07 Aug 2024