The Show About Science

Epizode

• Inside the Smithsonian's Hidden Cheetah Sanctuary 24.06.2026 18min

  The cheetah is built for speed. It can go from zero to 60 in just a few seconds. But today, the fastest land animal on Earth is losing a much bigger race: the race to survive.
• The Coldest Cold Case 10.02.2026 24min

  A frozen corpse. A melting glacier. A 5,000-year-old crime scene. Nate talks with Brenda Fowler about Ötzi the Iceman and how modern science helped uncover the life, death and secrets of one of history’s most famous archaeological discoveries.
• The Refugee Seeds 15.03.2025 28min

  Seeds hold history. They carry the genetic blueprints of the past and the key to our future. But when disaster strikes, how far will scientists go to save them before they’re lost forever? In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate traces the incredible journey of some of the world’s most valuable seeds - from the Middle East to the Arctic Circle to the wheat fields of Kansas. Along the way, he uncovers how a global network of scientists are racing against time to safeguard our food supply for generations to come.
• STEM Flights with Dragan Lazić and Carley Walker 14.09.2024 15min

  On this episode of The Show About Science, Nate sees what it’s like to fly a plane and attempts to make this episode from 2,000 feet in the air. Can he pull this off?
• The Great Cicada Symphony with Jorin Graham 27.07.2024 16min

  It's the hottest day of the year, and deep underground, a mysterious countdown has finally hit zero. After years of silence, millions of cicadas are emerging from the earth, ready to take the stage in a once-in-a-lifetime event. But how do these creatures synchronize their grand entrance?
• The Anachronisms in our Backyards with David Zaya 27.05.2024 23min

  In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate unearths the surprising history of the Kentucky Coffee Trees growing in his backyard and quickly becomes obsessed with germinating their seeds. This obsession leads him to a lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he meets up with plant ecologist, David Zaya, to uncover the evolutionary tale of these trees and the role humans now play in preserving them.
• Bacteriophages with Ben Chan 24.03.2024 14min

  Bacteriophages, also known as ‘phages,’ are the most common lifeform on the planet. They are constantly hunting for bacteria to infect and kill. What if we could harness these tiny microbes to help us in our fight against harmful, disease-causing bacteria? On this episode of The Show About Science, Ben Chan, from Yale University, joins Nate to explore the potential of phages in treating human infections amid the declining effectiveness of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
• Urban Water Chemistry with Stephen MacAvoy and Melissa Pierce 27.01.2024 26min

  How safe is the water that we drink? On this episode of The Show About Science, Nate explores how we monitor and study the chemistry of our rivers with guests Stephen MacAvoy and Melissa Pierce.
• A City on Mars with Zach Weinersmith 01.12.2023 26min

  What it would really entail to conquer the relentless Martian elements, engineer a thriving, self-reliant biosphere, and craft life-preserving abodes within the alien realms of lava tubes? Find out on this episode of The Show About Science.
• The Twenty-One with Elizabeth Rusch 16.10.2023 17min

  In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate interviews Elizabeth Rusch, author of "The Twenty-One, The True Story of the Youth Who Sue the U.S. Government Over Climate Change."
• The Puzzling Platypus with Frank Grützner 23.09.2023 18min

  The platypus is a fascinating animal that has perplexed generations of scientists. Now researchers are studying the platypus on the molecular level, and it's proving to be just as surprising.
• Our Extreme Universe with Kimberly Arcand 08.08.2023 22min

  Dr. Kimberly Arcand is a Visualization and Emerging Technology Scientist at NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard, and Smithsonian. In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate and Dr. Arcand dive into the mysteries of the universe illuminated by Chandra's use of X-ray light. From uncovering the intricacies of black hole cosmic recycling processes to exploring the aftermath of exploded stars and the mesmerizing pulsars emitting high-energy particles like cosmic lighthouses, this is a galactic tour like no other! Connect with The Show About Science: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showaboutscience Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshowaboutscience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/showaboutscience Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/natepodcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-show-about-science/ After experiencing the universe in a new light, consider leaving a stellar review and rating on your favorite podcast platform.
• The Science of Sound with Kimberly Arcand, Martin Gruebele, Carla Scaletti, and Mark Temple 03.06.2023 20min

  Can sound help us understand the complex patterns in our universe? This question leads Nate to Symbolic Sound in Champaign, Illinois, where composer Carla Scaletti guides him on a journey where sound, music, and data intertwine in captivating and thought-provoking ways. Along the way, we'll meet Kimberly Arcand, who unveils the hidden melodies of space through her celestial soundscapes, delve into the fascinating world of protein folding with Martin Gruebele, and listen to the delicate dance of DNA with Mark Temple. This episode was inspired by a fantastic LA Times article entitled The Sounds of Science by Sumeet Kulkarni. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2023-02-03/the-sounds-of-science Kimberly Arcand is a visualization scientist and emerging technology lead at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory with the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian. Martin Gruebele is a professor at the University of Illinois where he leads the Gruebele Group. Carla Scaletti is an experimental composer, designer of the Kyma sound design language and co-founder of Symbolic Sound Corporation. Mark Temple is a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology in the School of Science at the Western Sydney University (WSU). Mark also created a web app that lets anyone plug and play their own DNA that’s been sequenced by a company such as 23andMe or Ancestry.com. Web App: http://dnasonification.org/index.html Myrtle Rust performance: https://youtu.be/n_3edKbfmbg Connect with The Show About Science:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showaboutscience Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshowaboutscience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/showaboutscience Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/natepodcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-show-about-science/ Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to podcasts!
• Big Tree with Brian Selznick 18.04.2023 17min

  Brian Selznick is an illustrator and author best known for his books The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, and The Marvels and Kaleidoscope. Brian joins Nate on this episode of The Show About Science to talk about the science behind his latest book, Big Tree. The book follows two small sycamore seeds, Merwin and Louise, who are looking for a safe place to grow while trying to save the entire world. Brian's research into fossil species, climate change, fungal hyphae and paleobotany form the backbone of this mesmerizing journey from the Cretaceous period to present day. Learn more about Brian, Big Tree, and his other books: https://www.thebrianselznick.com Transcript: https://theshowaboutscience.com/2023/04/18/100-big-tree-with-brian-selznick Connect with The Show About Science:  Website: https://www.theshowaboutscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showaboutscience Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshowaboutscience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/showaboutscience Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/natepodcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-show-about-science/ Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to podcasts!
• Accelerating Science to Eradicate Disease with Priscilla Chan and Stephen Quake 05.03.2023 16min

  The CZ Biohub’s inspiring story began when Priscilla Chan asked Stephen Quake a seemingly impossible question: “Is it possible to cure, prevent, and manage disease in our children’s lifetime?”. In 2016, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, founded by Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg, set out to answer that question with a bold new mission. On the final installment of our CZ Biohub series, Priscilla and Stephen join Nate to talk about the work being done at Biohub, and how understanding human biology is the key to unlocking powerful medical treatments and cures. Through their commitment to the cause, they are showing that anything is possible. Priscilla Chan is co-founder and co-CEO of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). Stephen Quake is Head of Science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where he oversees CZI’s science grant programs, technology development, and the CZ Biohub Network. Stephen is also a professor at Stanford University. Learn more about CZ Biohub: https://www.czbiohub.org/about/#history-amp-mission Listen to more episodes from our CZ Biohub series: https://theshowaboutscience.com/2023/02/12/099-accelerating-science-to-eradicate-disease-with-priscilla-chan-and-stephen-quake/ Connect with The Show About Science:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showaboutscience Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshowaboutscience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/showaboutscience Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/natepodcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to podcasts!
• The Tiny Zebrafish Hotel with Merlin Lange, Loïc Royer, and Shruthi VijayKumar 19.02.2023 16min

  On the third installment of our CZ Biohub series, we visit a lab nicknamed "Le Petit Hotel de Poisson" (The Tiny Fish Hotel) where scientists are using zebrafish as a model organism to study human development. Along the way, we'll meet Loïc A. Royer, who leads a team at Biohub including Merlin Lange and Shruthi VijayKumar who are using something called a light-sheet microscope to document the incredible complexity of individual cells as they develop into fully functioning organisms. Manu Leonetti and Sandy Schmid from previous CZ Biohub episodes also join us on the tour. Watch a video created with the light sheet microscope here: https://theshowaboutscience.com/2023/02/12/the-tiny-zebrafish-hotel/ Learn more about the zebrafish research at the CZ Biohub: https://zebrahub.ds.czbiohub.org/ Learn more about the CZ Biohub: https://www.czbiohub.org/ Connect with The Show About Science:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showaboutscience Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshowaboutscience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/showaboutscience Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/natepodcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to podcasts!
• Mapping the Cell with Manuel Leonetti 31.01.2023 12min

  This is the second episode of our four part series focused on the CZ Biohub in San Francisco where scientists are working to cure, prevent, or manage disease by the end of the century. In this episode, we meet Quantitative Cell Science group leader Manu Leonetti. Manu and his team are using "genetic glowsticks" to map all 20,000 proteins in a single human cell. Their flagship project – OpenCell – is a library of fluorescently engineered cell lines to define the locations and interactions of human proteins within our cells. You can see the images Manu describes in the episode here: https://opencell.czbiohub.org Watch this video to learn more about OpenCell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j4fpV-q-Io Listen to the first episode of our CZ Biohub series: https://on.soundcloud.com/1XALJ
• Bioengineering Malaria with Paul Lebel 12.01.2023 12min

  Over the next 4 episodes, we're going to take you on a tour of the CZ Biohub in San Francisco where scientists are working to cure, prevent, or manage disease by the end of the century. Every year, 400,000 people die of malaria - usually children in impoverished areas. In the first episode of our Biohub series, you'll meet Paul Lebel, a member of the CZ Biohub Bioengineering team, who is helping to create a device that uses machine learning to accelerate and improve the process for identifying malaria-infected red blood cells. If the project is successful, the hope is that they can diagnose the disease faster and help save lives. Learn more about the Bioengineering team at CZ Biohub: https://www.czbiohub.org/bioengineering/
• Santa Science and the Physics of Christmas (Rerun) 22.12.2022 16min

  We're revisiting one of our favorite episodes of The Show About Science from 2015. Back when Nate was 5 years old, he interviewed Santa Claus about the science behind his workshop and what happens when kids send drawings of new toys for Santa to produce in his present factory. Santa than suggested that Nate talk to Roger, his Head of Research and Development. Roger is also the author of The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey (amzn.to/1NwaZr4) and Can Reindeer Fly?: The Science of Christmas (amzn.to/1NwaYDG). Finally, Nate talks to Lt(N) Marco Chouinard from NORAD about the science of tracking Santa and the noradsanta.org website. Kids can also call NORAD on December 24th to find out when Santa will be arriving in their area. The number to call is +1 (877) HI-NORAD. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter. I'm @natepodcasts.
• Two Degrees with Alan Gratz 06.11.2022 17min

  Alan Gratz is the New York Times bestselling author of 18 novels for young readers, including Ground Zero, Refugee, Allies, Grenade, Prisoner B-3087, Projekt 1065, and Ban This Book. His latest novel, Two Degrees, puts climate change front and center as four different kids navigate the threats of global warming. He joins Nate on this episode to talk about the science behind the book. No spoilers episode: https://on.soundcloud.com/oYW8g Learn more: https://www.alangratz.com/writing/two-degrees/ Music on this episode comes from Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions. Our theme song was composed by Jeff, Dan, and Theresa Brooks.