Épisodes

  • Forget something? Here’s how to improve your memory

    Forget something? Here’s how to improve your memory
    Apr 16 2025
    Our memories are a big part of what makes us human. But why do some moments tend to stick in our brain for years, while others fade away? Neuroscientists Kausik Si and Elizabeth Kensinger explain the different types of memories and share tips for how we can remember better.
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    33 min
  • Why do we need to sleep?

    Why do we need to sleep?
    Feb 26 2025
    Humans spend one-third of their life sleeping, yet the purpose and function behind this regular state of unconsciousness remains a biological mystery. Sleep researcher Giorgio Gilestro is trying to understand some basic questions about it: like what sleep exactly is, and why it’s even necessary.
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    41 min
  • How to adapt to the extreme cold, according to Finnish reindeer herders

    How to adapt to the extreme cold, according to Finnish reindeer herders
    Jan 29 2025
    Human biology thankfully allows us to adapt to major changes in temperature, but only so quickly. Professor Cara Ocobock is working with reindeer herders in subarctic Finland to find out how the human body evolved to withstand the extreme cold over time. What can we learn from communities that have a long history of living and working in the frigid weather?
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    38 min
  • Your most surprising science questions of the year, answered

    Your most surprising science questions of the year, answered
    Dec 30 2024
    We’ve dug into a lot of fascinating topics this past year on Seeking a Scientist, but they’re all so complicated! That means there are a lot of lingering questions that we haven’t had a chance to tackle yet. As we close out 2024, we’re celebrating our favorite science stories of the year and answering the weirdest, wackiest, and most surprising science questions you all submitted — including space trash, immortal jellyfish, and why cats like to sit on puzzles.
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    24 min
  • How living in outer space changes the human body

    How living in outer space changes the human body
    Nov 20 2024
    Gravity dominates every moment of our experience here on Earth. We may take it for granted, but NASA astronaut Kate Rubins assuredly does not. She knows firsthand the fun and challenges of living in microgravity. During her time in space, Rubins conducted important experiments so that someday humans can handle even longer missions — like heading to Mars.
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    37 min
  • Feeling stressed? Here’s what is actually happening

    Feeling stressed? Here’s what is actually happening
    Oct 29 2024
    Stress is a part of every human’s life, but the way it feels and how we handle it varies based on the individual. That’s one of the reasons stress is such a challenging topic for scientists to study. Dr. Rajita Sinha of Yale’s Stress Center says new brain imaging technology is helping us better understand our stress biology, the lasting effects of chronic stress, and healthy ways of dealing with it.
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    40 min
  • How can we bring extinct species back from the dead?

    How can we bring extinct species back from the dead?
    Sep 25 2024
    A new “Jurassic Park” movie is coming out next year, the latest installment of the blockbuster series all about the dangerous hubris in trying to bring dinosaurs back from extinction. Paleogeneticist Beth Shapiro says the science may be flawed, but cloning extinct species is more realistic than you may think. In fact, that work is already underway — but with the slightly friendlier woolly mammoth.
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    39 min
  • ‘Twisters’ got one thing right: We can change the weather!

    ‘Twisters’ got one thing right: We can change the weather!
    Aug 28 2024
    To save Oklahoma from treacherous tornados, scientists in the 2024 blockbuster “Twisters” try to use a real-life technique called cloud seeding. But would this really work? Researchers have actually been using cloud seeding to modify the weather since the 1940s. For professor Katja Friedrich, it’s a promising way to address some of the issues caused by climate change.
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    32 min